How to Find the Good in Bad Reviews

Are bad reviews bad? Getting constructive criticism can sometimes sting. Your immediate reaction may be to get defensive and even offended, but we have found that bad reviews can be good for business. Utilize reviews to make your company a better place and use your response as a powerful recruiting advantage.

Stay calm, take a deep breath and find the good in bad reviews.

Recognize that bad reviews aren't bad for business

No one is perfect and no company is perfect. The trick is to shift your thinking to realize what bad reviews are really providing you: a transparent look at what it's really like to work at your company. Embrace the bad as you would the good. When candidates see you responding to reviews, it shows you care. You are transparent and authentic.

Here are a few pro tips for responding to reviews:

In fact, 95% of consumers trust reviews more when they see both good and bad reviews. If you can tweak your mindset, you have already won the battle.

Utilize reviews to identify problems 

Perhaps there are areas in your company that could use some work. For example, Genesys leverages reviews to identify trouble spots in their company. They make sure to read and respond to both positive and negative reviews. They look for trends to identify areas of their company that need improvement.

If you are seeing multiple reviews discussing poor culture, maybe you should consider creating an action plan to address those issues. If you see negative reviews about benefits, maybe it is time to reconsider adjusting the benefits your company offers. Reviews provide a deeper look at employee sentiment, and you can use this to your advantage.

Responding to reviews can help you recruit

We have all heard there is a war for talent. Responding to reviews can help you stand out from the pack. Spencer Rascoff, CEO at Zillow responds to reviews every Friday. As a result, four candidates in a recent 30-day period said that reading the employer response solidified their decision to accept the job offer. Whether or not you respond to reviews can literally be the deciding factor in whether or not a candidate comes to work at your company.

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