3 words dominating Glassdoor reviews in 2024

You don't have to be a mind reader to understand what employees want in the workplace; you just have to look at Glassdoor. We analyzed reviews from the first three months of the year to pinpoint trending terms. So far in 2024, workers overwhelmingly have three topics on their minds: management, culture, and return-to-office policies. Let's take a closer look into what these words mean for the present and future of work.

A top concern for employees: Management

Management was cited more than 128,000 times in Glassdoor reviews from January through March, shedding light on just how important leadership is to shaping the employer brand.

When employees are unhappy, management shoulders the blame: 62% of "management" references were in negative reviews. Middle managers, in particular, bear the brunt, because they're responsible for enacting policy demands from the C-suite and asking for more work from thinly stretched teams. 

What employers can do about it: Transparent communication can boost an employer brand, even amid setbacks. Instead of simply announcing proposals, executives and managers can prioritize explaining why the changes are necessary, provide forums for feedback, and detail the reasoning behind the final decisions. Making tough calls is part of leadership, but communication can help employees feel like active participants in the company's future.

Employees value culture most

The average person spends 90,000 hours - or 10%-18% of their lifetime - at work. With that said,  it's no surprise that "culture" is one of the most common buzzwords in Glassdoor reviews. More than 59,000 Glassdoor reviews in the first three months of 2024 cited culture, and 63% of those indicated that culture was a positive attribute of the company.

What employers can do about it: Remember, in both booms and busts, culture impacts how employees and candidates view a company. Blockbuster salaries and perks may attract top-tier talent, but culture is what drives loyalty. Keeping culture and employer branding top of mind can help with retaining your best employees.

What employees want vs. what employers want: RTO

Among the reviews we analyzed, 75% of reviewers who mentioned RTO listed it among the companies' cons. Within the Glassdoor community, members expressed concerns about how RTO affects work-life balance (e.g., caring for family members, commute times, and food and fuel costs tied to office work) and have balked at "babysitting" policies like badge-swipe tracking. Members frequently ask about a prospective employer's RTO plans when weighing a job offer.

What employers can do about it: Keep in mind that employees are not a monolith when it comes to RTO; many like the cultural benefits of proximity to their teams and are open to hybrid attendance policies. The challenge, however, is how companies launch their RTO plans. 

Glassdoor economists note that companies in 2023 used a combination of carrots and sticks - perks and penalties, respectively - to lure workers back to the office. In 2024, the trend is a shift toward "carrot sticks," or policies somewhere in between gently rewarding and enforcing RTO. 

Pro-tip: Encourage employees to leave Glassdoor reviews

Glassdoor reviews and Review Intelligence™ are critical sources of real-time information to understand employee engagement. Review analysis can help leaders address employees' concerns before they cause a revolving door crisis.

"When the jobs market is tight and there's lots of hiring and quitting happening, employers/managers get many high-frequency signals about how content (or discontent) their employees are," said Aaron Terrazas, Glassdoor's Chief Economist. "But when the jobs market gums up as it currently is - with less hiring and less quitting - then employers/managers have to dig a lot deeper to understand employee engagement." 

Looking ahead, Glassdoor reviews already show that RTO, RIF, and DEI are the fastest-growing trends year over year:

We'll continue to keep an eye on which words rise to the top and their relevance to the shifting landscape of the workplace. Stay tuned for our next analysis. 

Ready to analyze what your employees are saying in their reviews? Check out Review Intelligence™!