How to Boost Your Employer Review Score Online

One of the most common questions we hear from our partners is “what is a good employer review score?” The answer is – and don’t get mad – it depends. There is no single benchmark for what is considered a good score on employer review sites. What we can tell you is that no matter what your score is now, it could be better and will help boost recruiting and hiring results. 

In our experience, a good (and trustworthy) employer reputation score is between 3.5 and 4.2, out of 5 stars or higher. Employer review websites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and Comparably use a 5-star rating system, with 5 stars being the highest possible rating. A score in this range is generally seen as an indication that the majority of employees are satisfied with their experience at the company.

If your current score is below that, an employer reputation strategy is very much needed.

How Do We Improve Our Employer Review Score and Where Do We Begin?

First things first: acknowledge your bad reviews and fix what’s wrong. Accepting what you cannot change is a great first step. Now you can fix it internally and focus on your employer brand and reputation management strategies:

1. Encourage employees to leave reviews.  Starting with your new hires, allow them to settle into their role then invite them to share a review about their experience within the first 90-days of their employment. At this point, they should have a general understanding of their role, the company culture, and their team. Ask your new hires to leave a review based on their onboarding experience, then find opportunities such as all-hands company meetings and events throughout the year to remind and/or encourage team members to share their experience with the company on Google or other review sites like Glassdoor and Indeed. Bonus tip: You can even ask them to share their experience on their social media channels to get even more exposure.
   
   
   
   
2. Respond to reviews. Whether positive or negative, respond to every review left by an employee and candidate. Thank them for their feedback and address any concerns they may have. This shows that you care about your employees' opinions and are actively working to improve their experience.
   
   
3. Address any negative feedback. If you receive negative feedback (we all have), don’t take it personally. Take it seriously and use it as an opportunity to improve. Identify the root cause of the problem and take steps to address it. If more information is needed, ask the reviewer to email your HR team. Then, follow up with the employee who left the negative review to let them know what you're doing to improve the situation.
   
   
4. Highlight positive reviews. When you receive positive reviews, definitely respond and celebrate them publicly, showcasing them on your website or social media channels. This can help to attract new employees and build a positive employer brand.
   
   
5. Maintain a positive work culture. Sorry, we have to slip this one in. Ultimately, the best way to boost your employer review score is to create a positive work culture. This means treating your employees with respect, providing opportunities for growth and development, and fostering a sense of community within your organization. When employees are happy and engaged, they are more likely to leave positive reviews and recommend your company to others.

We know your company is an amazing place to work. Even the top companies in the world get less than ideal reviews. We won’t name names, but you can look them up on any employer review site and see companies with huge branding teams in the low 3-point-something – and smaller companies that have invested a lot of time and energy into making their culture great with scores over 4.0. Again, once you acknowledge that a problem exists, you’ve already taken the first step to improving your online employer review score. 

Struggling with your online employer review score? It doesn’t have to hurt. Employer reputation management is a big part of what we do at Talentcare and we’re ready to help. Drop us a line or slide into our DMs.