Employers: Don't Pressure Your Employees To Write Positive Glassdoor Reviews

I've heard of it, seen it, and experienced it far too much for comfort. Employers, please don't pressure your employees to write positive reviews for your company on Glassdoor.

As an Online Marketer, I understand the desire to quickly bury negative reviews left by previous employees. I also understand the need to make the company culture look appealing for prospective new hires, and even clients/investors/etc. Even so- pressuring your employees to write positive reviews really puts them in a tough spot.

• No Choice: You are taking away their freedom to decide what they want to do (or not do) using their personal accounts. One can say they are welcome to simply refuse your request, but in most cases, they realistically won't be comfortable to say "no" to something so simple and quick to dish out.
• Unethical: Glassdoor is meant to be honest, with details on the good, bad, and ugly. I've had conversations with numerous unhappy new hires in previous jobs, in which they referenced the delightful recent Glassdoor reviews they read during the interview process that lured them in- only to later discover it was all untrue. That meant two things- they were brought in under false pretenses, and they rejected other substantial offers only to end up making quite possibly the worst choice.
• Not Genuine: Reviews that are written under pressure are fake. I suppose it wouldn't matter, if all you're interested in is the message just being out there. But still, the words, sentence structure, and flow in each review would be far more meaningful if it came straight from the heart of employees who felt it was the right time to open up about their thoughts on the company.

Writing a fake review on Glassdoor is far different from posting comments on Facebook, or replies on Twitter. By extended logic, you should realize that lives are literally at stake. With their earnings, your employees have themselves to take care of, in addition to their families, loved ones, pets, personal causes, etc. You're not the only one that is looking for a good fit. So are they.

Also, I respectfully request you to not point the finger at others when it comes to existing negative reviews. Point it at yourself, or upper management at the very least. It's not up to the worker bees to create a facade of happiness for the world outside out of discomfort. There is a reason behind the rhyme, and it is up to those at the top of the pyramid to take the critique to heart. If you build a truly positive work environment, the positive reviews will come.