Want Better Glassdoor Reviews? Fix This First.

Let’s be honest—Glassdoor is your employer brand’s mirror.

If your reviews are low (or non-existent), it’s not a PR problem. It’s an Employee Experience reflection.

Great reviews don’t come from gimmicks or reminders. They come from employees who are energized, empowered, and proud to be part of your story. When you get that right, five stars follow.

Here are five overlooked reasons your reviews aren’t where they could be—and what you can do to change that, fast.

1. You're Overlooking the Onboarding Experience

First impressions don’t just count…they stick.

According to the National Workplace Trends Study, only 65% of Gen X workers feel their company lives its mission—and onboarding is often where that disconnect begins.

If new hires are greeted with a confusing, disjointed process, it sets the tone:
“This isn’t a place that invests in me.”

Reframe It: Design a powerful employee experience for the onboarding journey. Infuse it with your values, purpose, and culture—right from day one.

Success Tip:

• Assign culture ambassadors or mentors to guide new hires
  
• Send a welcome kit that reflects your brand
  
• Walk them through your mission and how their role connects to it

2. You’re Not Recognizing Wins Regularly

42% of employees say recognition and purpose are top drivers for retention.

People want to know their work matters. When they don’t feel valued, they vent—and Glassdoor is often the outlet.

Reframe It: Build recognition into your daily rhythm. Celebrate effort and impact.

Success Tip:

• Shout-outs in team meetings
  
• Peer-nominated awards
  
• “Caught You Caring” channels in Slack or Teams
  
  

Destination Workplace™ Pro tip:  Tie recognition to your values. It reinforces what “great” looks like in your culture.

3. Your Leaders Aren’t Walking the Talk

57% of employees will consider leaving if they don’t trust their leaders. That’s not a culture issue…it’s a leadership crisis.

Negative reviews often stem from inconsistent, unclear, or unapproachable management.

Employees don’t need perfect bosses. They need present, purpose-driven ones.

Reframe It: Equip leaders to lead with clarity, consistency, and care.

Success Tip:

• Train managers in feedback and coaching
  
• Host “Ask Me Anything” sessions to boost transparency
  
• Include leadership behavior in performance reviews
  
  

Your Glassdoor score is a reflection of your leaders’ everyday actions.

4.  You’re Highlighting Perks Over Purpose

Here’s the deal: 80% of American workers say purpose is essential to job satisfaction.

Foosball tables and free snacks don’t move the needle anymore. People want to do work that means something.

Reframe It: Shift the spotlight from amenities to mission.

Success Tip:

• Share impact stories regularly
  
• Connect team goals to big-picture outcomes
  
• Invite employees to co-create purpose initiatives
  
  

When employees feel proud of the “why,” they’ll rave about the “what.”

5. You’re Making It Awkward to Ask

Here’s the thing…you ask for customer reviews right? Well, it’s okay to ask for employee reviews…if you’ve earned them first.

But timing is everything. Ask too soon, and it feels transactional. Ask after a great experience (like a promotion, celebration, or milestone), and it feels natural.

Reframe It: Create a culture where sharing feedback (public and private) is normalized, not forced.

Success Tip:

• Use post-onboarding surveys to gauge early impressions
  
• Prompt reviews after team wins or growth moments
  
• Make feedback a two-way street—show how you act on it
  
  

Remember…Reputation is Earned, Not Engineered

Your Glassdoor score is just the scoreboard. The real game? Creating an employee experience worth talking about.

Want to boost your reviews? Focus less on controlling the narrative, and more on living one that your people are excited to share.

At Destination Workplace™, we help companies build cultures that create raving fans on the inside—so your reputation shines on the outside.

Ready to become the company people brag about? Let’s make your workplace a destination—on Glassdoor and beyond.

Creating a winning company culture takes effort, but it's well worth it, and company culture happens to be our area of expertise. We help you become a Destination Workplace™ so you can attract and retain the best talent in this hyper-competitive marketplace. Contact us to learn about our leadership development, culture development, corporate wellness programs and more!

The Destination Workplace™ Team

About Betsy: Featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC, Betsy Allen-Manning is a leadership keynote speaker, workplace culture expert, and best-selling author who helps executives and HR leaders strengthen employee engagement, improve retention, and prepare for the future of work. Betsy’s thought leadership and original research in the National Workplace Trends Study and the Destination Workplace™ framework equips organizations with data-driven strategies to build cultures where people apply, engage, contribute, and stay. She is also the founder of an award-winning company known for providing top leadership training in Dallas, and is recognized for advancing leadership excellence and driving workplace culture transformations worldwide.