Many companies are not aware of negative reviews they are receiving on employee review boards, such as Glassdoor, Indeed, or Comparably. Negative reviews cast a poor light on a company’s employer brand, even if the assertions are only partially true or false altogether. Companies are losing out on talented, diverse employees who search employee review boards and find subpar reviews and ratings for the company.

Read on to learn how to improve your company brand through the use of employee review boards.

Maintaining an excellent employer brand is possible despite some negative feedback on employee review boards. By monitoring and responding to negative reviews, employers can remain in a positive light to job-seekers.

But there is something you can do.

Being proactive on employee review boards can reduce the number of poor company reviews, mitigate the effect of negative reviews that do appear, and inspire diverse candidates to apply.

Best Practices for attracting more diverse talent through your company’s employee review boards:

1. Be proactive. Decrease the opportunity for negative reviews. When it comes to negative feedback on employee review boards, prevention is the best course of action. Make sure current employees are provided with proper outlets to share their frustrations with management so they do not feel the need to vent their grievances online. Encourage employees to speak up by providing safe, confidential environments to share about problems in their roles. For job-seekers, provide a friendly atmosphere to communicate and apply. If their personal experience is positive, job-seekers will be more likely to overlook a few negative reviews.

2. Frequently check review boards and respond to reviews promptly. One negative review will not destroy your positive employer brand, but neglecting to address the review might. It is so important to check popular employee review boards frequently and respond, because 75% of job-seekers are more likely to apply to a company at which the employer responds to reviews.

If you do find negative reviews while searching job boards, stay calm and collected while reading them. Resist the urge to defend yourself and your company by arguing with the reviewer; instead, choose your words carefully and respond with reconciliation in mind. Stay professional, and invite the conversation to move offline if necessary.

In many companies, it may be beneficial to assign just one person the task of researching and responding on employee review boards. This will give your brand a consistent voice, and it will prevent rushed or defensive responses by other employees.

Please note, if a negative review makes serious accusations against the company, fully investigate the claim and involve the necessary legal parties. Don’t dismiss it without digging. However, if the review is obviously written by an internet troll or can easily be proven untrue, you can try appealing to the host site to remove the review.

3. Take steps to improve your reviews and ratings. While it’s impossible to erase all negative reviews, it is possible to improve your rating and employer brand! First, take a look at any negative reviews you’ve already received. Do they have anything in common? Are there any complaints that merit change? Be honest with yourself and your company, and use past negative reviews as a chance to grow as an employer. This will go far in helping you avoid negative reviews in the future.

Second, ask your satisfied employees to leave a review on employee review boards. Disgruntled employees are much more likely to leave reviews than content employees, so requesting a positive review can help create a much more accurate picture of your employer brand in the eyes of job-seekers. Seeing the positive reviews of other talented, diverse employees will help inspire more diverse candidates to apply.

So what can you do to make sure your company’s employee reviews attract top talent? Check out our latest guide, “Attracting Diverse Talent: Employee Review Boards” for tips on how to make your employee reviews stand out. The guide covers the essential first steps toward making your company’s reviews and brand more inclusive. Click here to download the guide today and start making a positive impression on potential customers, partners, and employees!