Does Employee review have impact on an organization's Image?

Employees are an essential representation of an organization; therefore, their views and opinions can influence how the organization is viewed by the public. This can be narrowed down to the fact that the staff of a company most likely does the bulk of the work - meeting with customers, suggesting solutions, and providing results. 

What form can employee reviews take?

Reviews can either be positive or negative. A positive review from an employee can help to build the integrity and credibility of the company. It can also increase the number of customers because trust has been created and people will only want to patronize a company that gives its best. 

On the flip side, negative reviews are dangerous and can cause a dent in the company's reputation. People will take what an employee says about an organization as the truth because the popular belief is that "employees see it all." When an employee makes a review, the following are affected positively or negatively depending on what the feedback is: 

• Reputation

• Recruitment

• Retention

• Branding

• Customer perception

• Investor confidence

• Competitive advantage

• Employee engagement 

Katylin Holbein, recruitment consultant says "Employee reviews play a critical role in a company’s employer brand perception and ability to attract quality talent." Reviews can go very far and when a bad one drops on people's timelines especially if they are skilled individuals, there is a discouragement to apply for a job at the same organization.

How true can it be that employee review affects a company's image? 

Sites like Glassdoor and Careerleak have provided an opportunity for current and former employees to share their experiences while working for a particular company. Glassdoor understands that people may not turn in their reviews if their identity has to be out there, so the website allows employees to drop anonymous reviews and ratings of their employers and this includes the work culture, salary, management styles, and career progression opportunities. 

These reviews and ratings are published and can in turn influence the impression a job seeker has about an organization. That is when they decide if they want to apply to the company or try some other places. Furthermore, these websites collate all ratings and turn them out in percentages - like:

•  65% of employees think Piggvest has a great business outlook. 

• 90% of employees think Flutterwave is a good place to work. 

• 79% of job seekers rate their interview experience at Dangote Group as positive. 

Usually, these results convey what an employee feels about a company or brand. Several people come to the website to consume the information and make decisions based on it. 

Should employers take reviews seriously?

Yes. Employers should use reviews as a tool to improve their work culture, employee engagement, and overall function. This is one o the ways to stay at the top when it comes to catching incredible talents and enriching the image of the organization. 

How should negative reviews about a company be addressed? 

Negative reviews are sometimes inevitable. It crushes your ego as an employer and makes you feel like you are not doing enough. Trying to get it off your mind is good but it may not perfectly work. So, what do you do?

• Visit the review site and respond promptly.

• Apologize for any inconvenience. 

• Take the issue offline - create an internal platform and request that your current employees and interview candidates leave a review.

• Take your time and have an exclusive team run through the responses and reply to every single one, negative and positive.

• Leverage the feedback to improve and get better as an organization.

Are reviews always right?

Employee reviews may not exactly reflect an organization's practice; these reviews are emotional opinions and personal complaints which may not apply to some other people. Employee impressions can indeed create awareness about a company's work culture but it is important to note that they may be influenced by individual biases and myopic perspectives. 

However, wrong reviews are not enough reasons to discard the power of employee reviews.  It is always good to have workers bare their hearts so that organizations can know how to sit up and skyrocket their management game. Also, the acceptance of these reviews indicates that a company has the interest of its employees at heart.