Today, your Glassdoor reputation can shout louder than your job posting. Before submitting a resume or clicking "Apply," most candidates go directly to Glassdoor to find out what it's like to work at your company, how leadership behaves toward employees, and if the culture does what it claims.
To employers, however, particularly those that have been targeted by scathing reviews, Glassdoor might be less about feedback and more about a public trial. A couple of negative reviews from former staff members can be sufficient to dissuade top talent and degrade the employer brand.
To mend the damage and take back control of their brand, some businesses resort to a drastic measure: purchasing Glassdoor reviews. But what's involved and is it a clever solution or a time bomb waiting to explode?
Why Reputation on Glassdoor Matters
Before we look at how businesses manage reviews, let's see why it is crucial.
More than 70% of job applicants claim to refer to Glassdoor reviews prior to applying for a company. A score less than 3 stars is sufficient to deter top talent away. Worse, negative reviews not only affect prospective hires but also investors, partners, and clients.
That is why most companies consider Glassdoor reputation management. They consider the site not only a review site, but an extension of their brand image.
The Transition from Organic to Strategic
In a perfect world, businesses would create wonderful cultures and receive good word-of-mouth naturally. But life is complicated. Employees with negative experiences are more likely to be encouraged to review than those with good ones. That makes for an uneven playing field, resulting in a distorted picture that may not accurately represent the business's everyday culture.
To regain balance, businesses begin to get existing employees to post reviews, compensate them with incentives, or, in worst-case scenarios, Buy Glassdoor reviews from third parties. This is where ethics become fuzzy and tactics kick in.
How Businesses Purchase Glassdoor Reviews
Though Glassdoor does not officially permit paid reviews, the practice typically happens in covert and subtle manners. The following is how businesses normally proceed:
- Utilizing Reputation Management Services
Some online agencies offer Glassdoor review services as part of a broader online reputation strategy. These services create accounts that mimic real employees or job candidates, posting positive but realistic reviews to counterbalance older negative ones.
- Prompting Internal Employees to Post Reviews
Instead of relying on luck, companies encourage satisfied employees to post exhaustive reviews on Glassdoor. In some instances, this is prompted by internal HR or PR departments.
- Contracting Freelancers or Agencies
In other instances, freelancers are contracted to post reviews on anonymous accounts. These are professionally written to mimic real accounts and differ by job function, department, and location to make them seem more realistic.
While this can improve Glassdoor ratings in the short run, it's not risk-free. If Glassdoor notices funny business, it will pull down the reviews, or worse, mark the company profile.
Risks of Purchasing Glassdoor Reviews
Let's be clear: purchasing spurious reviews is not allowed by Glassdoor's terms of service. If identified, a company's image may suffer further. Some risks are:
Removal of Reviews: If a review is against community guidelines, it will be removed.
Loss of Trust: Users can identify patterns in spurious reviews, particularly if they seem overly positive or generic.
Legal or Ethical Concerns: Misrepresenting your company culture may result in internal backlash or even legal issues.
In brief, a short-term solution may backfire and hurt long-term credibility.
Smarter Alternatives to Rebuild Trust
If your business has been battered by negative reviews, these are some ethical ways to recover:
- Reply Politely to Criticism
Always respond to negative reviews with a courteous, professional demeanor. Addressing the problem and providing a way forward indicates you're concerned about feedback and improvement.
- Invite Balanced Feedback
Request existing employees to post honest reviews - good, bad, or indifferent. A good variety of reviews establishes credibility and informs job seekers more comprehensively.
- Enhance Internal Culture
Rather than merely attempting to hide poor reviews, invest in addressing the causes: workplace communication, management, and career growth opportunities.
- Apply Review Strategy, Not Merely Review Quantity
Don't worry about review quantity. Worry about timing, tone, and truth. A single careful, neutral review is superior to five wishy-washy ones.
When Buying Reviews is a Part of Strategy
For some companies, especially startups or those undergoing rapid change, buying a few realistic Glassdoor reviews can help stabilize their profile until more authentic feedback comes in. But it should never be the core strategy.
The wiser long-term strategy is to create a review strategy that promotes transparency, enhances culture, and enables the best voices to be heard.
Final Thoughts
Glassdoor is a strong medium that can shape the way individuals view your organization even before a job interview occurs. A negative reputation can damage hiring, but attempting to repair it by merely purchasing reviews is akin to placing a coat of paint over a cracked wall - it will not last.
If your brand reputation suffers, invest in building a solid work environment, engaging with feedback, and applying moral methods to Glassdoor reputation management. The true objective isn't merely improved reviews - it's becoming an improved company that others want to speak well of.