February 15, 2022
The moment your company is profiled on an employer review website is when you can inevitably expect a negative review. It will happen, and that’s not a bad thing. Depending on your reaction, a negative review is an opportunity for improvement and elevation of your brand. This is accomplished when you treat complaints as either a chance to improve processes, change perceptions, or to simply learn what not to do in the future. Let’s look at the advantages of negative employee reviews and how to resolve them.
Advantages to Receiving Negative Feedback
One clear advantage to receiving a negative review is that it proves feedback is authentic. How realistic is it to believe that all people, of all stripes, unanimously agree that your company is perfect for them? Seeing only positive remarks suggests that your company is removing anything contrary to praise and with only positive reviews, people may discount the feedback altogether. It implies that your company is thin-skinned, and any feedback received internally is subject to censorship as well. And who wants to work anywhere their opinion is not heard or appreciated?
Another way that negative comments benefit your company is that they clarify expectations of potential candidates. If someone reads a comment about extensive travel, they might opt out of applying because such requirements might conflict with personal obligations. As such, the recruiter will be able to focus on other candidates who have no issues being a road warrior. Time saved for all concerned.
Negative comments encourage more engagement on the employee review site. As people feel free to express themselves, expect more debate. Yes, there may be more grievances shared, but it also provides a chance for supporters to rebuke those arguments. Hearing from a “fan” of your company is more advantageous than a company disputing a disparaging remark because everyone expects a company to defend itself. However, positive and unsolicited commentary from a current or former employee ring truer to the casual observer. Such interactions only occur when there is a lot of activity.
How To React to Negative Feedback
All that being said, when negative employee feedback occurs on a review website, please consider the following.
Remember others are reading your responses. Imagine that there was a complaint about how subpar the employee benefits were at your company. The remarks could be unfair — or blunt honesty. Perhaps they were made with malicious intent by a disgruntled worker who wanted to harm the company as they exited. But maybe it’s inside information you need to pay attention to. Whatever the reason, once you become aware, you might want to debate the issue vigorously, perhaps mixing in a few colorful words. If so, I would caution against it. Although the person who made the statement may address a company issue, your response will be seen by present-day employees and those you wish to recruit in the future.
React quickly. If you do not address reviews as they come, it reflects negatively on your company. Some might see it as a quiet shame you cannot refute whereas others may suspect that you do not care what others have to say, especially them.
Be prudent. Thank the person for bringing the problem to your attention. Sometimes we are so engrossed in our perspective that we overlook the viewpoints of others. Even if you feel the words said were meant to be injurious, take them into account.
Be brief. Do not run the risk of enflaming the commentator into a flame war where they try to discredit everything you say. Keep your remarks short, solicit additional information (if need be); and commit to future action after a careful review of the issue. Maybe there is nothing that can be done. If so, say that. Often people just want to feel heard.
Share the comments internally. It is important to solicit internal feedback and plot a specific action plan for improvement before giving public feedback. Nothing would be worse than making promises without an infrastructure in place to deliver on what you said. Treat the incident like a learning experience, and reward those who helped fix the situation. Once all of that has been taken into account, respond publicly with what specific actions have been taken. This will prove that you listen; potential candidates want to know that you do.
These are some of what should come to mind when negative employee reviews appear online. If you want to learn other things that should be on your radar – contact us. We would be glad to have a conversation on what would be the best course of action for your company.
