Dealing with Negative Glassdoor Reviews: How Can a Multinational Employer Respond?

As an employer, could anyone suggest how to deal with Glassdoor negative reviews? We are a multinational corporation.

Dear Amit,

Whether MNC or otherwise, Glassdoor negative reviews are a common feature for almost all prominent companies. But then why is your company worried about it? Notwithstanding the negative reviews, most companies are growing and attracting candidates too! When checked, I found a few adverse (but not necessarily negative) comments against even Google India too!

Nevertheless, negative reviews could make a negative influence on the minds of job candidates. Therefore, the following is suggested to overcome negative reviews:

a) Negative reviews reflect the mindset of the current as well as the former employees. However, it is also a reflection of the company's culture. Therefore, let all the HODs brainstorm on which part of the company's culture needs an uplift. If HODs know the flaw, then why ask the employees.

b) You may conduct an Employee Satisfaction Survey (ESS). While conducting the ESS, do not adopt the standard approach. Rather design the questions based on the negative reviews. This will help to understand whether the negative reviews have the backing of other employees as well. However, after conducting an ESS, you need to make an action plan to make the required changes as well.

c) Contact ex-employees and take their feedback on the improvement of the company's culture.

d) Work can be done on all the above points provided you have the support of the top management. In many MNCs, the top boss is absolutely coercive, and people just work for the sake of money. With such bosses at the top, eradication of the negative reviews will be almost impossible.

e) Because of my exposure in the field of training, I have observed that the work culture of a few MNCs is just like some Indian Lala company. I did not notice anything like an MNC in them. These MNCs live with this travesty, and unless this travesty is eradicated, it will not be possible to stop negative reviews from coming up on public forums like Glassdoor.

Final Comments: This is a straightforward observation. You have raised a post on a sensitive issue of negative reviews on the public forum. Nevertheless, you have not given sufficient background information like the nature of your industry, whether any analysis of the negative reviews was done, whether any action was taken on the analysis, what your designation is, whether you have been given this project to handle, or it is just your idle intellectual curiosity and so on. Yours is just an 18-word post written casually. With this kind of casual approach, will you be able to fix the sensitive issue of negative reviews? By your unmethodical approach, members of this forum will not be surprised by the negative reviews for your company. Your post symbolizes what your company is!

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Understanding Negative Reviews

Please elaborate on the nature and subject of the negative review. What is the review, and what are the reasons or basis for such remarks? Analyze and introspect.

Gathering Employee Feedback

Communicate with employees and gather anonymous feedback.

Hello Amit,

It is a fact that you cannot please everyone. However, negative reviews bother everyone, whether one is at the top management level of an MNC or a small company.

I believe the right person can still be attracted to your company even if there are numerous negative reviews on Glassdoor. The right candidate will always seek the truth and not dismiss your company solely based on negative feedback, as they understand that there are always two sides to a coin.

Dealing with Negative Reviews

When it comes to dealing with negative reviews, here are some points to consider:

1. Regularly ask your employees for feedback on potential areas of improvement.

2. Assist not only your current employees but also prospective hires who may encounter issues during the hiring process.

3. Hire managers who are empathetic, as this can make a significant difference.

4. Conduct an annual survey on your company's work culture to gauge employee satisfaction.

5. Enhance the effectiveness of grievance handling procedures.

These are some suggestions from my end. I hope they prove helpful.

Understanding Negative Comments on Glassdoor

It would be better if you explain what type of negative comments are there and how true the comments are. I believe Glassdoor also allows you as the employer to respond to the comments. Have you responded?

Engaging with Former Employees

Also, as Divekar ji has pointed out, have you reached out to the former employees who have posted comments to find out what actually went wrong?

Responding to Glassdoor Feedback

Respond to any Glassdoor feedback regarding your business, even if it is critical. This approach allows you to manage negative comments while also strengthening your appeal to potential job seekers. Additionally, it provides an advantage by keeping you informed about industry trends. Job applicants will notice your engagement and interest in understanding their desires and concerns.