Dealing with employer reviews: How your company should NOT react

Arbeitgeber-Bewertungen lesen und darauf reagieren - so geht`s

Employers can read reviews from employees on Kununu and other platforms. We show how companies can best respond to these reviews – and how they can’t.

Online employer rating portals have been very popular for years, not only with employees but also with candidates. No wonder: company ratings by employees often provide an authentic insight behind the scenes of a company's working world. The stories and comments you read can provide insight into whether what is advertised in the job advertisements is also put into practice - and thus help you decide whether or not to apply for the job.

However, some employers view the platforms critically and react angrily when they read negative reviews. Below we show you how you should NOT react to the comments and how you can instead use negative feedback to your advantage.

You should know these sites for company reviews by employees

Which platforms are we talking about? There are sites that you should definitely keep an eye on in German-speaking countries so that you, as an employer, can respond to possible reviews.

Kununu: Probably the largest portal in this country. Over 1.1 million employers already have an entry, and users can find over 5.8 million reviews from current and former employees on Kununu.

Glassdoor: Here you will find mainly international companies that also operate in Germany. Glassdoor has a lot of reviews for major companies such as Amazon, Deloitte, PwC, SAP, IBM, etc.

Arbeitgeber-Bewertungsportale
(Photo: LookerStudio – Shutterstock.com)

Job voting: You can currently find reviews of over 150,000 employers here. Tasks, colleagues, pay and other criteria can be rated with up to 5 stars on Jobvoting.de.

MyBoss: This site looks like a classic forum. Boss, company and image are rated on MenChef.de with points from 1 to 5, and praise and criticism can be written individually.

Indeed: Yes, companies can also be rated by employees on the Indeed job board - here too, using a points system from 1 to 5 on topics such as fair pay and job satisfaction. The ratings can be found on the respective company profiles.

There are many other sites for rating employers online – the examples mentioned are among the most important in Germany.

Responding to reviews as an employer: Avoid these 5 mistakes

Is your company also rated by employees? Many employers then get nervous and fear negative criticism. Don't worry: you should see the reviews, even the bad ones, as an opportunity. Because they are perfect for reputation management. To ensure you don't mess it up, we present 5 no-gos for your reaction:

1) Read employer reviews but don’t respond

Of course, reviews can speak for themselves. There is simply nothing to add to some feedback. Nevertheless, in many cases it is better if the employer responds. Even if the feedback is consistently positive, your reaction to it shows that your company values the feedback.

In the case of negative reviews, you have the opportunity to announce that you will address the issues mentioned internally or – if you consider the criticism to be inappropriate – to take a stand. In general, negative feedback should be seen as an opportunity to improve. This will present you as a reflective employer who can take criticism.

2) Aggressive counterattack

Reaktionen auf Firmen-Bewertungen durch Mitarbeiter
(Photo: InesBazdar – Shutterstock.com)

Never react too quickly out of emotion. Even if a review contains harsh criticism of your company that you believe is unjustified, the key is to first keep calm and then formulate an objective response that presents your point of view.

Aggressive or insulted rejection of blame is unprofessional and an absolute no-go on employer rating portals. Statements should be formulated objectively and, if necessary, rounded off with appropriate counter-examples. The offer of an exchange is also well received - show that you are willing to engage in dialogue and ask the reviewer to contact you personally to discuss their feedback in detail.

3) Write fake reviews to make yourself look better

Employees can be encouraged to submit reviews on portals such as Kununu and Co. But please do not selectively choose only the "favorite employees" who you can be sure will give you a 5-star rating. Such an influenced voting result is quickly seen through as manipulation and then easily becomes the subject of criticism.

You should also refrain from deliberately writing fake reviews – you shouldn’t need to do that and it usually gets noticed.

4) Justify too much

Rechtfertigungen auf Arbeitgeber-Bewertungen
(Photo: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/man-using-laptop-coffee-shop_3623440.htm by freepik)

It doesn't always have to be a detailed statement. Sometimes a short answer is better received than a detailed statement with numerous justifications and explanations.

Decide what is appropriate on a case-by-case basis. Copy-paste standard responses to each review are just as inappropriate as investing a lot of time in writing a novel every time.

5) Employer profile not optimized

Companies can edit their profiles on many popular employer review sites. You should definitely take advantage of the opportunity to customize it and keep it up to date. This will underline your presence on the portals and demonstrate that you take them seriously.

Interested parties will also feel more encouraged to contact you directly via the site, rather than expressing (negative) criticism only via public reviews.

Conclusion: Don’t be afraid of bad employer reviews from employees

via GIPHY

The fear of many employers about negative criticism on review portals is unfounded. The often valuable feedback stimulates internal debate and external communication. If you avoid the mistakes mentioned above and take an active role on the review platforms by strategically responding to (certain) feedback, you can ultimately benefit from both positive and negative reviews.

Your company has received (negative) reviews – but you don’t know how to respond appropriately? Our recruiting experts will support you, just take Contact to us.

(Cover image source: fizkes – Shutterstock.com)