Understanding Feedback is good, only if you know how to read it. Understanding reviews is also a trend, in almost every sphere. During the olden days, the feedback was uni-dimensional - talking to the person who bought the product or received the service. Now, reviews and feedbacks are multi-level.
There are blogs that provide their opinions, there are website platforms that provide feedback information, social media where the customers post their opinions. As a result, the review of the product is well in front of us without any hassles.
The same goes for Company reviews.
Be it company review platforms like #Glassdoor or job portal platforms like Naukri, there is a lot of information on the companies. For any person who wants to join a company, going through the information present on these platforms is a must. More than what is available in the News, the first-hand experiences of the employees give you a good idea about the company.
Even though the concept of company reviews is beneficial to the aspirants, the information loses significance in some cases:
The frustrated employees or out-going dissatisfied employees are proactive to give negative reviews, whereas the satisfied ones don’t show interest with the same intensity. Further, these negative reviews are often exaggerated and based on a few instances. Employees who lacked performance and substance become dissatisfied and reflect their dissatisfaction in these review portals.
Some employers add some false positive reviews too, just to increase their ratings on these platforms. Also, there have been instances of competitors adding false negative reviews.
Overall, these kinds of reviews impact the value brought out by the feedback system implemented by these review portals.
So, as a wise reviewer, understanding the actual nature of a company overcoming these hurdles is important. First and foremost, separate the reviews into two categories: A) Reviews that are not extreme B) Reviews that are very extreme - both extremely positive and extreme negative reviews.
Very few companies which are completely good or completely bad exist. The good reviews are not extreme and include both positive and negative points. Once you understand that they are constructive, make the key points, especially the repetitive ones. They help you understand the trends prevailing in the company and the overall sentiment of the employees
Exceptions do exist but, extreme reviews are most probably skewed, driven by the negative emotions of dissatisfied employees, or added by the company. So, a careful examination of the points included in these reviews is required.
It is wise to ignore those reviews which are completely one-sided - complete eulogy or bashing of the company. If some points highlighted by the other reviews match, you can see if specific information or instances are provided in these reviews. This will help in understanding the company further and consolidate your analysis.
While other roles and departments are also important, the most important need is for the position and work you are in. So following the above process, make sure you are focusing on roles and work relevant to you. Further, you can differentiate the reviews based on verticals.
For Ex: If you are going to join as a software developer, reviews related to sales become secondary.
Overall, a thorough examination of the company’s reviews will help you get a great idea for the company. Even though a cursory look is fine in the initial stages, you can follow the above process once you are shortlisted by the company.
Beyond all these, make sure you contact a few employees and get first-hand opinions. This further consolidates your opinion on the company and help you make wise decisions.
Good Luck!