8 Steps: How HR Handles Negative Employee Reviews

Online reviews can determine the success or failure of a restaurant or catapult a product to the top of Amazon search results. Many companies have recognized this and learned how to respond appropriately to negative customer reviews. In this way, they can potentially turn harmful situations into opportunities, behave professionally, demonstrate greater transparency, and even restore the relationship with a dissatisfied customer.

But what happens when a company review comes from one of its own employees? Do the same rules apply then? Should a negative employee review even be responded to positively?

Of course. Let's find out where you might come across employer reviews, what impact negative reviews have on the employer brand, why bad employee reviews arise, and how best to respond to them.

What are employer review portals?

Employer review portals give employees the opportunity to share their experiences. From compensation to company culture, these portals cover all aspects of the employee experience. While this article focuses specifically on negative employee reviews, employer review portals display a wide range of ratings – from poor to average to excellent. Here are some employer review portals where you are likely to find reviews of your company:

• Glassdoor: Probably the most popular employer review platform. Employee reviews on Glassdoor cover all industries and provide space for research on companies, salaries, and job opportunities.
• Fairygodboss: Fairygodboss focuses specifically on women's perspectives and presents salary ranges, company culture, and benefits such as parental leave and work-life balance.
• Blind: This platform promotes a sense of community and enables exchange between reviewers and job seekers. Users can ask questions and receive honest answers from people with experience in specific positions or companies.
• Indeed: As one of the world's most popular job boards, Indeed also naturally offers a section for employee reviews. Thanks to these reviews, job seekers can make informed decisions about where to apply.  
• Firsthand (Vault): Firsthand is aimed at students and entry-level professionals and is distinguished by its focus on internships.  

While employee reviews can also be found on more general review platforms like Yelp and Google, they violate those platforms' terms of use. (More on that later!)

How Employee Reviews Affect Your Employer Brand

It comes as no surprise that negative reviews from former employees can damage an employer's image, even if they are not true. The vast majority of employees and job seekers – 86% – use review platforms to learn about a company before applying. 50% of candidates say they would not work for a company with a bad reputation, not even for a pay raise.

In times when recruiting top talent is a top priority for employers, negative employee reviews carry more weight than ever and can significantly impact your ability to build and maintain a talent pool.

Why Negative Employee Reviews Occur

When a negative employee review comes in, it may be tempting to see yourself (or your company) as an innocent victim. But the fact is: there is a reason why the employee felt the need to leave a bad review.

Many employees who write negative reviews feel they have been treated unfairly by their employer. For them, a negative review is a way to express dissatisfaction, warn other potential employees, or have the last word after resignation, termination, or immediate dismissal.

Regardless of intent, a negative review is often a sign of communication problems that preceded it. When you receive a negative review, you should ask yourself the following questions when reflecting on the employee's experience:

• Were clear expectations set?
• Was the communication regular and comprehensive?
• Did the employee have the opportunity to voice concerns in a safe environment?  

Respond to negative employee reviews in 8 steps  

And now the good news: No matter how scathing a review from a former employee may seem, a simple response can steer things in the right direction. In fact, 62% of job seekers say they view a company more positively if it responds to employee reviews, and 75% are more likely to apply to a company whose employer responds to reviews.  

Here's how to approach the task smoothly:

1. Respond quickly and thoughtfully.

It is advisable to respond promptly to negative reviews on Glassdoor or other employer review platforms – comments on older reviews are not as effective. However, a hasty reaction is equally inappropriate.

Instead, regularly monitor employee reviews, create an action plan or checklist to understand the issue thoroughly, gather feedback from team members who worked closely with the employee in question, and draft your response within one to two days. It is also recommended to assign a composed person to handle the review responses. Since it can be difficult to strike the right tone in writing, it is best to ask someone from your marketing or communications team – or someone with a strong command of language – for assistance.

2. Show empathy.

Even if your first impulse might be to prove your innocence, immediately becoming defensive can make you seem defensive yourself. Instead, try to put yourself in the employee's shoes. You may not agree that they were "underpaid," but if they feel unappreciated, that is frustrating—no matter how it is phrased. Ultimately, we are all human and probably value similar things. Make that clear in your response.

3. Correction  

While empathy and understanding are important, you should not hesitate to correct false information in an assessment. Of course, sensitivity is required to avoid disclosing sensitive personal or company-related data.  

For example, if an employee claims that your company does not provide a safe space for feedback, you can, in your response to the semi-annual performance reviews, refer to the HR department's anonymous feedback form, the quarterly eNPS surveys, and any other feedback options you offer.

When it comes to facts versus opinions, reviews may sometimes require further investigation. If an employee makes serious allegations in an online review, it is important to take them seriously. Even if the claims turn out to be false, the incident still warrants a thorough investigation (and in some cases, may be legally required).

You do not need to conduct a full investigation before responding, but it is advisable to check whether there is a serious issue before making a public statement.

4. Be specific, but choose your words carefully.

It's easy to give a standard response to online reviews, but most people notice that (especially if the same reply is used repeatedly). This can be worse than not responding at all. Specific responses show sincerity and can go a long way in calming an upset employee. Address each point of the review and respond to the concerns thoroughly and thoughtfully. Avoid legal and PR risks by selecting your words carefully: do not disclose personal information, do not say anything that could be misinterpreted, and do not mention details that could put the company or the former employee in a bad light.

5. Expressing Gratitude

Thanking someone for a negative review may seem a bit cheesy, but this simple gesture can work wonders if it is sincere. Leaders who seek employee feedback (and receive it respectfully) are perceived as more effective by both supervisors and employees, and reviews can serve as a helpful feedback channel. Former employees who felt unheard will appreciate that you are trying to improve the situation. Likewise, potential employees will welcome your openness to criticism.

6. Continue the conversation offline if necessary.

Responding publicly to negative reviews has advantages, but it also carries risks. For example, publicly addressing a disgruntled employee can be risky from a PR or legal perspective, as it may involve sensitive or confidential information. In such cases, you should reply briefly and then invite the employee to a personal meeting with an HR representative.

7. Reporting Reviews (if necessary)

Review platforms like Glassdoor do not allow employers to delete negative reviews themselves – doing so would damage their reputation as a neutral review platform. However, employers can report negative reviews if they violate the community guidelines or terms of use of the website. Violations include, for example, false claims, negative comments about individual employees (except executives), and the use of obscenities or other inappropriate language.

More general review platforms like Google and Yelp prohibit reviews from employees or former employees. If a reviewer identifies themselves as such, this can lead to the deletion of their post. After a report is made, the platform reviews the content and may remove it if it is deemed inappropriate. Read the terms of use of the respective review platforms to find out which content can be reported (and which cannot).

8. Use this as an opportunity for self-reflection

In conclusion, it is always advisable to think about how to avoid further negative reviews. If a bad review points out problem areas in your company, consider what steps you could take to address them for other employees. Is there a specific department that frequently receives negative reviews, or a particular project or policy that keeps coming up? Of course, not all problems can be solved. Therefore, it is important to weigh the company’s goals against the time, effort, and resources that might be required to fix a larger or smaller issue. However, simply addressing problems openly and seeking feedback can go a long way in ensuring that employees do not feel that review platforms are their only outlet for complaints.

Avoid Negative Employee Reviews

To conclude our list, we want to emphasize that a key aspect of handling public employee feedback is keeping an eye on employee sentiment and having open conversations before it's too late. Tools like Performance Management and Employee Wellbeing can help you automate feedback loops and provide your employees with structured environments where they can express their opinions before these become public.

If you haven't done so already, you should set up various channels for anonymous and direct employee feedback, so your team can address dissatisfaction in a comfortable and supportive environment.

Employer review platforms from the perspective of employees

Let's now look at employer review platforms from the perspective of employees. Does posting negative reviews have consequences? What should you keep in mind when sharing your experiences? Below, we have compiled some frequently asked questions about employee reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions About Employee Reviews

Can a company sue a former employee for a negative review of working conditions?

In theory, a company can sue a former employee for a negative review if it is considered defamation. While online anonymity is not always guaranteed or a legal right, most specialized employee review platforms are completely anonymous and make great efforts to protect this anonymity.

How can I, as an employee, leave a positive or negative review?  

Employees can leave reviews about their employer (or former employer) by signing up on a job review platform like Glassdoor and submitting a review under the company profile. We advise against writing reviews on more general platforms like Google Reviews or Yelp for the following reasons.

What risks does a negative employer review entail?

A negative review of a former employer can be justified in some cases, but it is important to be aware of the risks beforehand. While specialized review sites like Glassdoor prioritize anonymity, platforms like Yelp and Google are less strict about protecting the identity of their reviewers. Your reviews are often linked to your personal account and may include your name, location, and other personal information. If you do not take steps to remain anonymous, future employers could view your posts, and former employers could take legal action if the review violates a contract or contains harmful claims that you cannot substantiate. Therefore, it is advisable to use anonymous platforms like Glassdoor for negative reviews.

Is it unprofessional to leave a bad review for a previous employer?

In our opinion, a bad review is only unprofessional if it is untrue or contains protected or sensitive information that could harm someone or violate a confidentiality agreement. Everyone has the right to express their opinion—whether positive or negative—and review platforms are a valuable source of information both for job applicants who want to learn more about their potential employer and for employees who feel that their company leaves problems unresolved.

Handle negative employee reviews calmly

It is not always easy to respond appropriately to negative reviews on Glassdoor or other platforms. However, when done sincerely, transparently, and with consideration of legal consequences, it can benefit companies that actively maintain their employer brand. So be brave! With a bit of strategy and foresight, a negative employee review can be a helpful opportunity to show former, current, and future employees that you are listening and want to improve.

Negative employee reviews, though challenging, are invaluable sources of candid feedback that demand a professional and strategic response. They provide a final opportunity to demonstrate transparency, empathy, and a commitment to improvement, which is highly valued by future candidates. The best defense against public negative feedback, however, is prevention. IceHrm provides the internal tools necessary to proactively manage employee sentiment before it spills over onto public review sites. By utilizing IceHrm's Performance Management module for continuous, structured feedback and its Employee Well-being tools for anonymous feedback channels (as mentioned in the article), companies can identify and address dissatisfaction in a safe, private environment. This continuous internal monitoring ensures that employees feel heard and supported, significantly reducing the likelihood that a negative experience becomes a harmful public review.