Employer Review Sites

There are a growing number of employer review sites now operating online. Glassdoor was the first of course, and today this space is dominated by them and Indeed which also has tens of thousands of company reviews mixed with their job content. As the job search has taken on a more consumer like experience, employer reviews have become an offshoot of this trend.

But that hasn't stopped other players from entering the market. A number of sites that target women like FairyGodBoss have reviews and a new employer review site, JobSage launched last month. Here's how they describe themselves;

"As a third party, we’re able to maintain employee anonymity and provide a safe space for employees to share with honesty. Moreover, employees can provide their demographic information, which gives jobseekers more context into these insights. Combined, this approach lets us create authentic, accessible conversations about what it is really like to work somewhere."

Are employer review sites good for candidates?

Employers have been known to game them by offering incentives for employees to post positive reviews. Glassdoor has been accused by some employers of keeping up bad reviews for a ransom unless you  pay them. Sometimes they budge sometimes they dont. A past company I worked for tried to get a scathing post about the CEO removed but they refused to take it down. I've heard through the recruiting grapevine that some posts can be removed but you'd better have a good reason to do so.

Like with many online review sites, job seekers should take these posts with a grain of salt. Some reviews can be outdated as time goes by and some may focus on certain departments at a company. But if you are looking to join in a different area, the working conditions might be a little better.

The main worry from an employer standpoint is that negative reviews discourage people from applying and tarnish your employer brand. That's why recruitment marketers need to take a proactive approach with these platform in order to better manage your reputation among candidates. You must constantly monitor these sites in order to flag potential false posts and well as respond to candidates which sites like Glassdoor allow you to do.

List of employer review sites

As I mentioned Indeed and Glassdoor lead the pack but here's the other platforms you should be aware of that take job seeker reviews.

FairyGodBoss: reviews for the female perspective. This platform helps women get jobs where they are "treated fairly", paid the same as men and appreciated in their work.

Comparably: known for providing detailed info of a company’s culture, compensation, and employee sentiment. Their salary data is contributed anonymously.

Kununu: Online since 2007, kununu gives job seekers an inside look into companies *before* they work there through company reviews, and allow all employees to contribute to the greater community by sharing their real work-life experiences.

Blind: known for its anonymous reviews, users must verify their company address in order to join and their review and posts are completely anonymous. They bill the platform as the "anonymous community app for the workplace. Our vision in creating this space was to break down professional barriers and hierarchy."

CareerBliss: this is a traditional job site plus company reviews which number over 700,000 according to the company. They also claim 4 million salary comparisons to review.

JobSage: the newest review site on the market that launched in late 2021, they focus on inclusion, growth, compensation, purpose, focus and flexibility in their reviews.

InHerSight: another female focused site where women can rate and review their experience at companies and can get matched to a job at a company that shares their values.

The site collects data on 18 key metrics—both formal policies and “soft” policies—that matter most to working women, including flexible work hours, maternity and adoptive leave, family growth support (e.g., child care and lactation rooms), salary satisfaction, mentoring, management opportunities for women, and women in leadership positions.

Employer review sites are here to stay but their influence may be waning over the use of social media in general. An employee is more likely at this point to complain about their job on a platform like TikTok for example.