Here’s why Glassdoor can be useful but shouldn’t be used indiscriminately.
These days, I see many more people using Glassdoor for more than what it is. Glassdoor can be a useful tool to help you evaluate a company or opportunity, but it’s not the main way you should judge them. It’s not the same as Yelp and shouldn’t be used the same way because finding a good dining experience isn’t the same as working for a company.
We’ve seen two people from the same company at the same job post very different reviews. One may be happy with their job, and the other might be miserable. These are very personal experiences that change quite a bit from one person to the next depending on their work style, personality, career aspirations, and more.
You need to consider the complexity of people’s motivations and mindsets when they leave Glassdoor reviews. If everyone you ever worked with gave you a rating between zero and five stars depending on what they thought about you and your work, you likely wouldn’t get all fives. A few people could have negative things to say, and you may not agree with them. So their individual opinions shouldn’t be what a company bases its decision on to hire you.
“We’ve seen two people from the same company at the same job post very different reviews.”
That’s similar to what happens on Glassdoor; if you find a company that no one has anything good to say about, of course, that would give you cause for concern. At the same time, you have to remember that there’s much more motivation to leave a review if you have something negative to say rather than if you had a positive experience. Just keep in mind that Glassdoor can be useful but shouldn’t be used as your top destination to help you decide whether or not to work for a company. Be careful not to put too much stock into one platform when making decisions.
If you have questions about this or any other recruiting matter, call or email us. We’d be happy to help.