The dos and don’ts of asking for Glassdoor reviews

Eighty-three percent of job seekers research company reviews and ratings before deciding where to apply.¹ That means your Glassdoor profile is shaping hiring decisions whether you manage it or not. But the good news is that employers who actively engage with reviews build stronger, more credible employer brands. The challenge is doing it right. Push too hard, and you risk violating platform guidelines or eroding employee trust. Stay silent, and you leave your reputation to chance.

Let's walk through the ethical, effective ways to encourage honest Glassdoor reviews from your team and the mistakes that can undermine your efforts.

Key takeaways

Why employee reviews on Glassdoor matter

The success of your employer brand is directly tied to employee satisfaction, and Glassdoor reviews are where that satisfaction becomes visible to every candidate researching your company. Glassdoor users read an average of six company reviews before forming an opinion.² Having quality employee reviews signals that you have an active and vocal workforce engaged in making the most of their workplace experience.

Glassdoor reviews can boost not only your employer brand, but also your recruiting pipeline. Seventy percent of Glassdoor users are more likely to apply to an open job if the employer is active on Glassdoor.³ That activity includes maintaining an updated profile, posting employer responses, and encouraging a steady stream of authentic feedback from your team.

Reviews also factor into Glassdoor's annual awards. Best Places to Work and Best-Led Companies winners are scored on the quantity, quality, and consistency of employee reviews. A steady cadence of honest feedback from across your organization strengthens your candidacy for these recognitions, which in turn attract top talent.

The dos of asking for Glassdoor reviews

Encouraging employees to leave authentic reviews is a sound practice — but it requires a thoughtful approach. Here are the principles that separate effective outreach from counterproductive pressure.

Cast a wide net

From senior managers to junior associates, aim for a healthy representation of experiences within your organization by asking everyone to provide feedback. Soliciting reviews from only your most engaged employees skews your profile and makes it look inauthentic to job seekers who can spot curated feedback. The goal is a well-rounded picture of your workplace, not a highlight reel.

Be transparent about why you're asking

Employees are more likely to participate when they understand the purpose. Explain that you are genuinely interested in hearing what is working and what could improve, and that their feedback helps the company attract people who are a strong fit. A good time to make this request is at all-hands meetings, town halls, or in company-wide memos and newsletters, where context is natural.

Assure anonymity and psychological safety

Make it clear that submitting reviews is voluntary and anonymous. Acknowledge openly that you welcome critiques, not just positive comments. When employees trust that honest feedback will not be traced back to them or held against them, they are far more likely to share candid perspectives that reflect your actual culture.

Offer a template or prompts

People are more likely to participate when they do not have to start from scratch. Provide a few guiding questions like, "What do you value most about working here?" or "What is one thing you would change?", to help employees organize their thoughts. Keep templates open-ended so responses feel genuine, not scripted.

Time your requests thoughtfully

Timing matters. Glassdoor recommends asking new hires for feedback around the 90-day mark, when they have enough experience to offer meaningful insight. Other strong windows include performance review periods, after team milestones, and on work anniversaries. Avoid asking during high-stress periods like layoffs, reorganizations, or end-of-quarter crunches.

The don'ts of asking for Glassdoor reviews

Even well-intentioned review programs can backfire if you cross certain lines. Avoid these common mistakes.

Don't cherry-pick employees

Targeting only employees you know are happy produces a profile that reads like an advertisement, not a reflection of your workplace. Job seekers are increasingly savvy about spotting curated reviews, and a profile full of uniformly glowing feedback can actually raise suspicion rather than build trust.

Don't pressure or pester

A single, clear request followed by one gentle reminder is appropriate. Repeated follow-ups, manager-led nudging, or tying reviews to performance conversations crosses the line from encouragement to coercion. Too many requests can discourage participation entirely.

Don't ask brand-new hires

Give new team members space and time to settle in. Employees who have been with your company for fewer than 90 days have a limited perspective and may feel pressured to leave positive reviews to protect their standing. Waiting until the 90-day mark or their one-year anniversary yields more substantive, credible feedback.

Don't incentivize or bribe

Offering gift cards, bonuses, extra time off, or any other reward in exchange for reviews violates Glassdoor's Community Guidelines. Incentivized reviews can be flagged and removed, and the practice erodes the credibility of your entire profile. Authentic reviews are far more valuable to your employer brand than a temporarily inflated rating.

Don't react defensively to criticism

When critical feedback appears, resist the urge to identify who posted it or to dismiss the concerns internally. No organization is perfect, and job seekers expect to see a mix of positive and constructive reviews. How you respond to criticism matters far more than whether it exists, which brings us to the next step.

How to respond to Glassdoor reviews

Gathering reviews is only half the equation. How you respond to them signals to both current employees and prospective candidates how seriously you take feedback. Seventy-one percent of Glassdoor users say their perception of a company improves after seeing an employer respond to a review.⁴

For positive reviews, a brief, genuine thank-you goes a long way. Acknowledge specific points the employee raised and reinforce your commitment to maintaining what is working well.

For critical reviews, lead with gratitude for the honesty, then address the substance. Avoid generic responses. If the reviewer raises a specific concern — about management communication, work-life balance, or career development — acknowledge it directly and, where possible, describe what steps you are taking. You do not need to agree with every point, but you do need to demonstrate that you are listening.

Glassdoor's Review Intelligence^™ can help you identify recurring themes across reviews so you can respond to patterns, not just individual posts. This shifts your approach from reactive reputation management to proactive culture improvement.

Making reviews part of your employer branding strategy

The most effective employer brands treat reviews as an ongoing feedback loop, not a one-time project. Build a regular cadence: ask for reviews quarterly or biannually, vary the timing across teams, and make it a natural part of your employee engagement rhythm rather than a campaign.

Use the data your reviews generate. Review Intelligence^™ surfaces sentiment trends and recurring themes that can inform decisions about benefits, management training, workplace policies, and more. When employees see that their feedback leads to real changes, they become more willing to share honest perspectives in the future.

Company Bowls offer another channel for keeping a pulse on employee sentiment. These real-time discussion spaces let you engage employees in ongoing dialogue about workplace topics, giving you early signals about issues before they surface in formal reviews.

Together, reviews, response practices, and internal dialogue tools create an employer brand built on genuine transparency — the kind that attracts candidates who are a strong fit for your actual culture, not just your marketing.

Next step

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FAQ

Does Glassdoor protect employee anonymity?

Yes. Glassdoor does not disclose the identity of reviewers to employers. Reviews are posted anonymously, and Glassdoor's policies are designed to protect employees who share honest feedback about their workplace experiences.

How often should we ask employees for reviews?

Every six months is a reasonable cadence for most organizations. Vary the timing across departments and career milestones so your profile reflects current, diverse perspectives rather than a single snapshot in time.

Can Glassdoor remove fake or fraudulent reviews?

Yes. If you believe a review violates Glassdoor's Community Guidelines — for example, if it contains fabricated information or was posted by someone who was never employed at your company — you can flag it for review through the employer dashboard.

What if our Glassdoor rating is low — should we still ask for reviews?

Absolutely. A low rating with few reviews looks worse than a moderate rating with many reviews. Broadening your review base gives candidates a more complete, credible picture of your workplace and often raises your overall score as a wider range of employee experiences is represented.

Methodology

¹ Source: Glassdoor/Harris Poll, June 2023, US. Glassdoor Employer Branding Statistics.

² Source: Glassdoor U.S. Site Survey, Jan–June 2023. Glassdoor Employer Branding Statistics.

³ Source: Glassdoor.com U.S. Site Survey, Jan–June 2023. Glassdoor Employer Branding Statistics.

⁴ Source: Glassdoor.com U.S. Site Survey, Jan–June 2023. Glassdoor Employer Branding Statistics.