Managing reputation on Glassdoor – Why the world’s online employment portal has never been so important

The platform’s role is arguably more important than ever. In the last year, we’ve seen analysts flag negative reviews ahead of multi-billion-dollar acquisitions – citing the potential for misalignment of operating cultures – while COVID-19 has forced a seismic shift in the labour market, with layoffs, furlough schemes and working from home giving new significance to a company’s online employer brand.

At the same time, we’ve also seen employees closely consider the values of the organisation they work for. The Black Lives Matter movement has fuelled a major increase in employee reviews focused on diversity, as the spotlight falls on employers and institutions. Hundreds of companies have issued public statements, while in the same period reviews on Glassdoor that mention diversity and racial equality have risen by 63 percent – of which almost three quarters express concern or dissatisfaction.

In the months and years to come, Glassdoor will be a public record of whether companies are taking  meaningful action to substantiate comments and drive real organisational change. The site has long been a key tool for managing reputation, promoting employer brand and creating a competitive advantage over peers, but today companies can no longer afford to ignore it. The reality is that organisations can – and should – claim their page, consider steps to engage with reviewers and post owned content, integrating Glassdoor as part of a wider communications or reputation management programme, for internal or external audiences.