Not happy with your Glassdoor ratings? First off: don’t worry many employers are not.
But your Glassdoor rating has become a number that affects your hiring.
For instance, Appcast recently confirmed that higher Glassdoor ratings increased apply rates for job ads.
The average Glassdoor employer rating is 3.4 out of 5 (that doesn’t sound very good, does it?). That’s mainly because disgruntled former employees are often the active Glassdoor users giving you a review.
Afterall, it’s free for the disgruntled employee to give this review and it likely makes them feel great for a moment. Your current employees are less likely to be giving you ratings because they’re busy doing great work for you!
But you can change this Catch-22 with the free tips below. Enjoy!
Note: To take advantage of the tips below, you need to first “claim” your free employer profile on Glassdoor. Here’s the “Free Employer Account” page which gives you basic access to Glassdoor’s Employer Center.
1) Read and Respond to Reviews
It sounds obvious, but many of you don’t read and respond to your reviews.
It’s free to respond, and the employer has the last word. This doesn’t cost a penny, and shows employees and candidates you’re engaged.
2) Ask Current Employees for Reviews
Make it a regular practice to invite candidates & employees to “tell us how we’re doing”. You’re more likely to counter those negative reviews by doing this.
I recommend you ask employees for reviews in at least these 2 ways:
- On a regular basis (so they trickle in regularly)
- After milestone type events (e.g. after an annual company meeting or other rah-rah events).
3) Ask Freelancers and Interns for Review
Many employers forget to invite freelancers/contractors and interns for reviews. They can be an untapped resource for additional higher-rated reviews. You just have to ask them.
Another reason that freelancer/contractor/intern reviews might be a high score is that their limited time with you reduces the chances that they had that “nightmare” episode with your business.
4) Send Candidates the “Write Review” Link
Keep in mind that candidates can also rate you on Glassdoor.
One free tip: when you or your team is thanking your candidate for interviewing with you, include this link: https://www.glassdoor.com/mz-survey/interview/collectQuestions_input.htm in your email.
It will lead the candidate to a page like below where they can rate you. There are two healthy psychology plays here:
- Candidates are more likely to give you a higher rating if you have just thanked them (Law of Reciprocity)
- Candidates are more likely to give you a higher rating if they think you’re watching them (Observation Effect).
Again, this is free for you to do. You don’t have to pay Glassdoor anything. It’s just good business practice.
5) Share “Company Updates”
It’s free to publish updates on Glassdoor. Those updates go to all of your followers, and people frequenting your jobs on Glassdoor.
Warning on spammy solutions to improving your Glassdoor ratings: There are now a bunch of what people are calling “guaranteed rate Glassdoor” web sites out there. These are services that claim to get you higher ratings and better reviews on Glassdoor. Most are spammy and will end up hurting more than helping you in the long run. Be authentic!
I hope the above tips help. They are all available with a free Glassdoor employer account.
Note: Our business Ongig believes so strongly in the effect of Glassdoor ratings that our content management system now lets employers add a Glassdoor widget (with rating, salary and CEO approval) to every job description. Candidates appreciate you being this transparent! And if you don’t have a Glassdoor rating you’re proud of then we give you an option to let your employees give their own testimonials directly to you!
