Jobhop Jobhop's blog : Employee Reviews and What You Need To Know
Your employees could help attract candidates to your organisation, or on the other hand, make them not want to go anywhere near it.
But how?
By giving reviews of their employment experience on platforms like Glassdoor and others.
Why do employee reviews matter?
Accountability
Employee reviews provide open and honest feedback about the work environment, company culture, and management practices. By reviewing their employers, employees can hold their organisations accountable for their actions and help foster transparency within the workplace.
Workplace
Constructive feedback from employees can highlight areas where improvements are needed in terms of working conditions, policies, benefits, and employee well-being. These reviews can prompt employers to address issues and make necessary changes, ultimately leading to a better work environment.
Improvement
Employers can benefit from employee reviews as they provide a source of feedback and suggestions to make things better. Honest feedback helps employers understand their strengths and weaknesses, identify areas for growth, and implement changes that can enhance the overall employee experience. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement within the organisation.
Talent attraction
Positive employer reviews can attract top talent to the organisation. When employees are satisfied and feel their opinions are valued, they are more likely to stay with the company and become advocates for the organisation, which can positively impact recruitment efforts.
Employee reviews play a crucial role in promoting transparency, accountability, and improvement within organisations. They contribute to a healthier work environment, better decision-making for job seekers, and the ongoing development of the company.
Many Job seekers often rely on employee reviews to gather insights about a company before accepting a job offer. Honest employee reviews provide valuable information about the company's culture, management style, career growth opportunities, and work-life balance. Such information helps potential candidates make informed decisions about whether the organisation aligns with their values and professional aspirations.
If employee reviews are so important then why do so many employers fail to check them?
There really shouldn't be any excuses but here are some anyway.
Lack of awareness
Some employers may be unaware of the importance of employee reviews or may not realise that such reviews exist. They may not actively seek out platforms or websites where employees can leave reviews about their experiences.
Limited resources
Checking employee reviews can be time-consuming, especially for small businesses or organisations. Employers may prioritise other tasks and responsibilities over actively monitoring and responding to employee reviews.
Fear
Employers may fear discovering negative feedback or criticism from employees. Negative reviews can be challenging to handle, especially if they highlight significant issues within the organisation. Wrongly, some employers prefer to avoid potentially uncomfortable or confrontational situations.
Dismissal
Some employers may dismiss or disregard employee reviews, believing that they are biased, unreliable, or insignificant. They may question the authenticity or legitimacy of the reviews and choose not to place much value on them, forgetting that candidates will.
Lack of a feedback culture
In organisations where there is a lack of emphasis on feedback and open communication, employers may not actively seek out employee reviews. If there is no established feedback culture, employers may not see the value in reviewing and addressing employee feedback.
Limited online presence
Employers who have limited or no online presence may be less likely to come across employee reviews. If they are not actively engaged in online platforms or review websites, they may miss out on valuable feedback from their employees.
There are however many organisations who recognise the significance of employee feedback and actively encourage their employees to share their experiences. They may proactively monitor employee reviews, engage in dialogue, and take steps to address concerns or areas for improvement. There are some organisations that are so proud of their employee reviews that they actively promote them. These promoted reviews get more eyeballs, and more interest from candidates and the aim is to get more applications.
What happens when there are lots of negative reviews from employees?
Pay attention
Take the time to carefully read and understand the content of the negative reviews. Identify common themes, recurring concerns, and specific issues mentioned by multiple employees.
Maintain a professional and respectful approach
Respond to negative reviews in a professional and respectful manner. Avoid becoming defensive or dismissive. Acknowledge the feedback and express a genuine desire to address the concerns raised. Demonstrating empathy and a willingness to listen can help rebuild trust with employees. It also shows onlooking candidates that it's an organisation that cares about rectifying any mistakes.
Investigate
Conduct a thorough investigation to validate the claims made in the reviews. This may involve talking to employees, conducting surveys or interviews, and reviewing relevant policies, procedures, and practices. Gathering additional information will help gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
Take action
Develop an action plan based on the feedback received. Prioritise the issues identified and implement appropriate measures to address them. Communicate the steps being taken to address the concerns and provide a timeline for their resolution. Employees should feel that their feedback has been taken seriously and that concrete steps are being taken to improve the situation.
Sometimes it's ex-employees that may leave negative reviews, that's why it's important to find out what can disgruntle employees before they leave.
It's important for employers to recognise that negative reviews can provide valuable insights and opportunities for growth. By actively addressing the concerns raised and making improvements, employers can foster a more positive work environment, enhance employee satisfaction, improve overall performance as well as improve employee reviews.
Employers should get into the habit of regularly checking the reviews. It's important to note that employers should consider looking at multiple review sites to get a comprehensive view, as opinions and experiences can vary.
Some of the popular review websites are:
Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.co.uk) Glassdoor is a well-known site that allows employees to share their experiences, review companies, and provide ratings. It also provides information about salaries, interview processes, and company insights.
Indeed (www.indeed.co.uk) While primarily a job search engine, Indeed also offers a feature for employees to review and rate their employers. It allows individuals to provide feedback and share their opinions on various aspects of the workplace.
Google Reviews Although Google Reviews is a platform primarily known for business reviews, employees can also leave reviews about their employers on Google. Many companies have a presence on Google Maps, and individuals can share their experiences and ratings there.
RateMyApprenticeship (www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk): This platform focuses on reviews and ratings specifically for apprenticeships and provides a space for apprentices to share their experiences and offer insights about their employers.
The Job Crowd (www.thejobcrowd.com): The Job Crowd offers employer reviews and rankings specifically for graduate jobs and schemes. It provides a platform for graduates to review their employers and share feedback on their experiences.
Facebook While primarily a social networking site, Facebook allows users to leave reviews for companies. Employees can provide feedback about their experiences and share insights on company culture, work environment, and management.
Comparably (www.comparably.com): Comparably provides anonymous employee reviews and ratings for companies. It covers various aspects such as compensation, benefits, work-life balance, and company culture. It also offers employer rankings based on employee feedback.
As well as positive reviews, and negative ones, there are also fake employee reviews which are always frustrating.
To combat fake reviews, many review sites employ various measures to ensure review authenticity. These measures may include verification processes, algorithms to identify suspicious patterns or anomalies, and mechanisms for users to report suspicious reviews. However, it is an ongoing challenge to strike a balance between maintaining the integrity of the review platform and providing a space for genuine employee feedback.
Sometimes competitors or disgruntled individuals may post negative reviews to harm a company's reputation. There's also review manipulation, this is where individuals may attempt to manipulate the review system by creating multiple accounts to post fake negative reviews, artificially influencing the overall ratings and perception.
If you believe you are getting spammed by fake negative reviews you must flag them and report them to the review website provider.
If you need to attract talent into your organisation then you can see why it's so important to keep on top of your employee reviews.
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- Expert