How Negative Online Company Reviews Can Impact Your Business And Recruiting

Job candidates have never been in a better position to research potential employers, and employees have never been more empowered to spill it all when it comes to reviewing their current workplace. Sites like Glassdoor, Vault and CareerLeak give interview candidates and employees the unprecedented opportunity to share the inside scoop on what it’s really like to interview or work at a particular workplace; and this is leaving many employers feeling more than a little uncomfortable at the prospect of receiving public negative reviews.

One recent example of a company getting blasted on Glassdoor is Technorati.com, after a recent decision by its CEO to close its contributed content program in an effort to re-brand. According to multiple reviews on Glassdoor, many long-time contributors to Technorati.com were abruptly terminated, without thanks, respect, or appreciation. Many reviews from these employees and contributors reference Technorati’s CEO as the reason the company is “a sinking ship” and “taking a rapid nose dive.”

So, how does this sort of feedback affect future recruiting and business growth? According to research into consumers’ use of online reviews, 88% of people have been influenced by an online customer service review. And while the research into how online company reviews impact employee job decisions doesn’t reveal quite the same degree of influence, we do know that a significant number of job seekers rely on these sites when evaluating a potential workplace.

In one study, for instance, out of 4,633 random job seekers surveyed, 48% had used Glassdoor at some point in their job search. The study also found that 60% of job seekers would not apply to a company with a one-star rating (on a five-point scale). This suggests that many job seekers do seem to use workplace review sites, and negative reviews can dissuade them from applying to a particular company. 

How to Deal with Negative Reviews

If you’re an employer who has received negative online reviews, you’re likely to feel powerless; there aren’t a lot of options to defend yourself. There are steps you can take, however, to salvage your reputation and get the ball swinging back in your court. Here’s how.

1.   Ask your current employees and interview candidates to leave reviews

Since disgruntled employees are much more likely to leave reviews, actively requesting reviews company wide may help by increasing your overall ratio of positive to negative reviews. You may want to include links to the review site in your employee newsletters, verbally ask job applicants to leave a review following an interview, or periodically have managers remind employees of the opportunity they have to give feedback to management.

 2.   Respond to all reviews – positive or negative

Review sites give employers the opportunity to respond to reviews, and the value of this opportunity shouldn’t be underestimated. No one wants negative reviews, but the more optimistic among us believe these can be harnessed for good – if dealt with properly.

If you receive a negative review, respond as quickly as you can. Job seekers will not only be reading the reviews, they’ll be looking to see how businesses respond to these reviews. Responding promptly and politely will show you care about the opinions of your employees; and this can go a long way to minimizing the impact of a negative review.

 3.   Take the issue offline, and leave a brief update once the issue is resolved.

As much as possible, try not to engage in discussions of details; the last thing you want is to air your dirty laundry online, or get into a “he said, she said” situation. Respond in a non-defensive way that shows you’re listening, and whenever possible, take the conversation offline as quickly as possible.

For instance, rather than specifically addressing negative remarks, you could say, “Thank you for your valuable feedback. I would love the opportunity to talk with you about your experience in detail. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.” Where possible, having someone directly involved in the situation respond is preferable to having a customer service agent respond.

Once an issue is resolved, it’s always a good idea to ‘put a cap’ on the discussion. For instance, “It was great speaking with you, and I’m glad we could resolve this issue.”

4. Request that defamatory reviews be removed

If a review is defamatory or you suspect it’s been left by a troll, you do have some recourse. While you can’t delete a review, you can sometimes request that the post be reviewed by a member of the publisher’s team. From what I can tell, the burden of proof is then on the reviewer to show that the review is in fact legitimate.

Looking for more help with managing your online reputation? See my article, Your Guide to Online Reputation Management.

Limitations of Company Review Sites

While company review sites are an excellent tool for getting insider data like salary reports and for getting a feel for the general landscape of a workplace, job seekers should be aware of the potential limitations of these sites.

1. Negativity Bias. Our brains are wired to be more sensitive to negative news – in this case negative reviews – than to positive ones. It takes many more positive reviews to outweigh the effect of negative ones; and this means that even though a company may have an overall positive employee satisfaction rating, negative reviews are more likely to influence us.

In fact, some researchers estimate that (at least in marriage) it takes five positive interactions to make up for 1 negative one; and if we put this in the context of online job reviews, five positive reviews to make up for one negative one. And given that unhappy employees are far more likely to leave reviews, these review sites are likely disproportionately slanted toward the negative. Which leads us to point number two:

 2. Inaccurate Data. Research carried out by employee survey company Workplace Dynamics set out to determine how accurate Glassdoor reviews were for evaluating workplace satisfaction. They compared results from detailed surveys they had done with 406 companies to the corresponding Glassdoor ratings. The plan was to test the accuracy of the Glassdoor employee satisfaction scores with the much larger sample they had collected. The results? Almost no consistency between the two sources. They write: “We found that there was virtually no correlation—the overall Glassdoor star rating was a very poor indicator of what it is really like to work at a company.”

They pinpointed two main reasons for this: The number of reviews on Glassdoor only accounted for a very small percentage of total employees, and the reviews were disproportionately from “grumpy” employees. In fact, they found that unhappy employees were five to eight times more likely to leave a review on Glassdoor than happy ones.

Final Thoughts

Company review sites do help provide some important insights into company culture and employee satisfaction. For this reason, it’s critical that employers take negative reviews seriously, and respond to them in way that showcases their commitment to employee satisfaction and a positive work environment. While the ratings aren’t necessarily an accurate representation of overall job satisfaction, individual reviews  – and perhaps more importantly, employer responses to these reviews – do hold weight when it comes to evaluating potential employers.

via How Negative Online Company Reviews Can Impact Your Business And Recruiting.

How Negative Online Company Reviews Can Impact Your Business And Recruiting

5 Tips To Uncover Company Culture

The culture of an organization is incredibly important when you are making a job switch. It becomes imperative if you have lived through the challenges of working for a company or two that were not fits.

Have you ever taken a job thinking the company culture was “A” but it was really “X”?

To clarify, an organization’s culture encompasses several elements.

• How do they treat their employees?

• What is management’s motivators?

• Is it only the bottom line or is there more?

• What is the work ethic?

• What are the expectations for your time?

• Is it standard that many employees work weekends or do people enjoy life outside of work?

I’ve had a few clients live this reality. They accepted a job offer thinking the company culture was inline with their goals, only to discover after being in the new job 6 months to a year, that they mis-read the culture.

Many times we will ride these situations out to see if it will get better.

Sometimes it does. More often than not, nothing changes and the decision to part ways becomes obvious.

How do we avoid not making this same mistake again and again?

Here are five strategies to help you be prepared and open your eyes to see the culture of an organization.

1. Research

Research is an integral part of your interview preparation. But when it comes to company culture, look at the press releases and the website with new eyes.

Some questions to think through; how does the company represent itself? It is formal, casual, or in-between.

Check sites such as Glassdoor.com. This is a good resources to find out what former employees are saying about their former employers.

2. Network

Ask about this organization to individuals in your network that have either worked there or had business interactions with the company.

Vendors and partners of a company can tell you their take, an outsiders perspective, on the company. That is invaluable.

3. Ask

Ask questions in the interviews. I do suggest asking culture questions but only after the first interview. The first interview can be too soon.

Here are some questions you can ask but be sure to do so in a conversational manner. Remember an interview is a conversation with a colleague.

Be relaxed but get to what you are there to do – sell them on you and uncover the fit. Uncovering the culture is absolutely necessary for your success and for the success of this new working relationship you will have with this company.

Possible questions to ask (I would suggest asking them in your own words):

• How would you best describe the culture of this organization? Of our department?

• What do you see as the pros and cons of this culture?

• What makes this a great place to work?

• What could be improved?

• What makes the department I would be working for so successful?

4. Observe

While you are at the offices interviewing, watch how people act, respond, and interact. Try to meet as many of your future co-workers as possible.

Be in the offices and get a sense of the pace, how the office is organized and decorated. This will give you a sense of what the company finds important.

5. Decide

After you have gathered all that you can discover and observe, decide if this is a fit for you. The only way you can decide is to know what is important to you.

What are you “must-have’s” in any position? What do you need in a work environment? There are external and intrinsic must have’s.

Here are some areas to get you thinking: commute, colleagues, professional development, honesty/integrity, appreciation, hard work, salary, quality content, time off, respect by colleagues, and so on.

So there you have it: research, network, ask, observe, and decide. Uncover the culture so you know if this is a fit for you.

via 5 Tips To Uncover Company Culture | CAREEREALISM.

5 Tips To Uncover Company Culture

Company Culture: 7 Tips On How You Can Plug In

But where does company culture really begin, at least where job seekers are concerned? Plugging into a company’s culture can be a tough task for an outsider (job seeker). Here are some tips to gain confidence on that fit:

1. Build The Major Connecting Bridge

Fitting within a company’s workplace culture means finding a link between your background and demonstrating a common vision and passion for their organizational mission, and this process begins in the interview. You need to connect your assets to their mission to make the first big plug-in to their culture; personal values linking to company ones are like a marriage – there has to be a solid match from the start (but there is always room for some compromise).

2. Look Out For Potential Landmines In A Company’s Culture

On one hand, hiring managers are looking for chemistry, personality, and genuine ability to fit into an already-established culture paradigm you must be able to fit into. But on the other hand, cues about this culture are difficult for job seekers to pick up on because no one is going to out-and-out tell you the way things REALLY are on the inside.

But job seekers can find out a great deal in the interview by watching the interviewers carefully. Who defers to whom? Are there sideways glances? Does someone cut someone else off? Do they seem happy to be there? Are you greeted cheerfully when arriving for your appointment? Trust your intuition on the “vibe” – if you rely on your gut instincts, almost 100% of the time you’ll find that you are reading the situation correctly.

3. Dig Up The Dirt On Company Culture

I always advise clients to ask this interview question: “What kinds of professional development does your company offer?” Employers need to be able to connect the dots of the value of professional development to being tools to do a good job. But the deeper question is this: Does the business value employees enough to invest in them?

How a company treats their employees (either as valuable assets to be invested in or thrown away after being used up) is a question that should be on every job seeker’s mind in an interview. Training and professional development activities add to the mosaic of company culture while bringing in new ideas to share and excite others.

Outside educational opportunities encourage employees AND companies grow… together. It’s a win-win situation: Companies are more productive; staff gain skills.

4. Realize Transparency Impacts Company Culture

Learn what you can from your inside contacts and also during the interview. Don’t be afraid to ask how previous organizational challenges have been handled. How the executive level handles significant strategy shifts or restructuring initiatives is indicative of that company’s core culture values and overall treatment of staff.

5. Realize Communication Styles Matter

Communication is another broad term, but think about it: What clues do you pick up on during the pre- and post-interview contact with the employer? Are the interviewers clear? Do they make you feel comfortable and well-informed? Or is it more ambush-style? How do the interviewers respond during your face-to-face interview? Is it a stiff conversation, or more of an open, easy communication style?

Companies with positive cultures have leaders who are open to new ideas and are focused on empowering their employees. Communication styles that allow for free expression of thoughts, ideas, and suggestions in a constructive way without negative repercussions are good indicators of what a company culture is like.

6. Find Out What The Interviewer Likes About His Or Her Job

Ho hum. If the interviewers are not fired up about what they do, how on earth do they expect to draw in top talent? No one wants to work at a place when the interviewers can’t even sell them on the benefits of working there.

One of the advantages to consider includes an upbeat work environment. People who are passionate about their jobs positively bubble enthusiasm and are excited to answer this important job seeker question. Staff will provide insights on important cultural benefits of working at this company. If they are happy, they’ll be providing a cultural transmission of happiness throughout the interview, and you’ll pick up on this right away.

7. If It Doesn’t Fit, Don’t Try To Wear It

Ever make a mistake and take a job that you needed but once you got in there, you realized that you were NOT going to fit in? It could be the result of a complete culture clash, or realizing after the fact that the supervisor that you are reporting to is your worst nightmare.

If you have picked on any negative vibes during the interview, and can afford to walk away from that job, be fearless, and do it. Ultimately, in the long run, you have to weigh the mental costs with the compensation… is it worth it? Some people rally and bravely try to make a “go” of it, but come to the understanding that this position is not meant to be.

Defining a company’s culture is sometimes like trying to tackle a marshmallow- you can’t quite get your arms around it and you aren’t quite sure what you are going to get once you are inside. The best you can do is be smart, do your research, take a temperature “check” during the interview, and base your decision there. An accurate understanding what key values are to a company can help you plug in quickly and become welcomed as part of the team.

Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/company-culture-6-tips-plug/#V1zXt8gJRfLAePPg.99

via Company Culture: 7 Tips On How You Can Plug In | CAREEREALISM.

Company Culture: 7 Tips On How You Can Plug In

14 Ways To Research Company Culture

My friend and I were talking recently about how to research company culture before you start working there. In the past, we’ve both been burned by companies that looked good on the surface but eventually turned out to have a terrible culture of one sort or another.

Honestly, if it was fool-proof, people wouldn’t be suckered into it as often as they do. And since my friend and I (and others) actually work in HR/recruiting, we should know better than anyone how to unearth this stuff, right?

A Mindset Change Is Required

All too often, when we’re looking for a new job, we become blinded to the negative and would move over even if the hiring manager promised to kick us in the kidneys four times a day. I understand when you have no job that it’s important to take what you can get, but never settle for working at a company with a poor culture (or if the culture really isn’t “wrong,” but you just don’t fit in anyway). You’re giving them skills and experience that they can’t get from other candidates, and they’re trading that for money. Don’t forget employment is a two way street!

Think about it. For many of the questions below, there are no “right” answers. Everyone appreciates different things about specific working environments, and what may appeal to you actually repulses others. Consider what the ideal work environment would be for you, and filter the responses through that. Oh, and several of these methods will require you to ask unorthodox questions of the hiring manager or recruiter, but it’s the price you pay if you’re going to be serious about finding the right culture fit for you.

14 Ways To Determine The Culture

1. Ask to interview an employee or two on what they enjoy about working there.


2. Ask for a walk-through of the office-listen for laughs and look for smiles; that says a lot about the work environment.


3. Ask about previous people who held the position if you are replacing someone-find out what they did right and what they could’ve done better.


4. Look at sites like Glassdoor.com for reviews by current or former employees.


5. Keep in mind that there are “pockets” of culture within individual departments, so the overall company culture could differ from your specific work area-that’s why it’s important to try to do things like #1 and #2 above.


6. Ask what sorts of behavior are rewarded and which are punished.


7. Ask how (or if) news that affects the company is shared-does everyone learn of it at once or is it distributed to managers to trickle down to employees? Are they transparent?


8. Find out what sort of events the company holds for employees-is it a once a year Christmas party or are there monthly opportunities to celebrate with co-workers?


9. Ask if there are known slackers in the office and try to find out why they are still around (good luck with this one, but if you get a straight answer, you will have a leg up)


10. Ask about how difficult it is to get attention or funding for new ideas and initiatives-are they a “we’ve always done it that way” type of company?


11. Ask what the company’s overall mission/vision is. If a random employee can tell you (at least in general terms) it could signify a strong, unified workforce.


12. Ask about the dress code and other abrasive policies/details that,while palatable at first, can end up chafing you down the line.


13. Find out if the company offers any sort of reimbursement or support for training, seminars, or college tuition. If they value smart employees who work to better themselves, they probably will.


14. Ask how previous employees who committed ethics violations were held accountable. (General terms are fine to protect any guilty parties, but do they even care about ethics in the first place?)

So, what other ways do you know of that a candidate can use to discern a company’s corporate culture before deciding to take a job?

via 14 Ways To Research Company Culture | CAREEREALISM.

14 Ways To Research Company Culture