But if you investigate further, you may find out that the business is restructuring or has been recently acquired-and these changes may be a normal and healthy part of revitalizing a once-struggling company or resetting its course. Do the reviews complain about layoffs, cuts in PTO, or recent changes in management? On one hand, that could be a red flag to indicate a company’s downward spiral. But realize that every company has a few dissatisfied employees-even consistently top-rated places to work, like Google-so consider everything you’re reading with a critical eye.Īlso, put yourself in the company’s position.
Now, I’m not saying to discredit all the reviews in fact, a series of bad reviews that bring up the same general themes can certainly be a reflection of an undesirable company. Keep in mind that an unsatisfied employee (or ex-employee), is more likely to actively look for a place to vent his frustrations about his company than a happy employee looking to sing its praises, and for that reason, many online review sites skew negatively. OK, so you’re not looking up product reviews or restaurant recommendations, but the same logic can be applied here. On average, a happy customer will tell three people about her great experience, while an unhappy one will tell more than three times that. Then, once your resume and cover letter are sent, and you’ve (hopefully!) booked an interview, browse away. (Did they just release a new app? Make an appearance on The Today Show?) You should be excited about what the company does at its core-not just how cool its office is or how much (or little) its employees get paid. Check out companies’ websites, job descriptions, social media platforms, and current news-based research.
To avoid that bias, hold off on reading reviews until you snag an interview. And yeah, while glowing reviews may encourage you to look closer at a company, bad ones can seriously hinder your motivation to submit an application-even if you would otherwise be very interested in the job (and even if said reviews turn out to be off the mark). When you’re searching for a job, it’s tempting to look at online reviews right away-or even use them as a way to find the best places to work.
You can see reviews and information (like average salaries) from current and former employees-all designed to help you gauge the overall company experience.īut how do these sites fit in to your job hunt? Should you take them as absolute truth, or with a grain of salt? Before you go down the rabbit hole of online reviews, here are some guidelines for effectively incorporating them into your job search-and your ultimate employment decisions. So it should be no surprise that there are company review sites, like and, that provide a window-shopping experience for the modern jobseeker. And we, as consumers, scour these reviews to guarantee we’re making the perfect choice. Turn to online reviews, of course! Almost all online retailers, from Amazon to individual retail e-boutiques, provide a way for customers to review their products and services.
When you need help picking out a new book, gadget, hairstylist, or even doctor, what do you do?