Do You Know Your Glassdoor Score?
It’s a key element of your “employer brand,” says Rob Levin, co-founder of WorkBetterNow, and he says it’s crucial because finding great employees is now harder than finding great customers.
Good Morning!
Here are today’s highlights:
Ami Kassar explains what the shutdown means for SBA lending.
Small businesses tell the U.S. Supreme Court that President Trump’s tariffs are an illegal $3 trillion tax.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board doesn’t believe the promises foreign countries are making about investing in the U.S.
In this week’s 21 Hats Podcast, the owners talk about structuring their bonus plans to drive retention.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Rob Levin stresses the importance of managing your Glassdoor rating: “Your employer brand (what people say and think about working at your company) is where your reputation lives on public display. It’s primarily visible through your Glassdoor reviews, LinkedIn company page, and the stories your current and former employees tell. Most business owners don’t realize this has become the most critical factor determining their ability to grow, compete, and thrive. Here’s what’s at stake: Research shows that for a $10 million business, a poor employer brand can cost $500,000 annually in higher hiring costs, lost productivity, and missed opportunities.”
“Here’s what’s changed: finding great customers is now easier than finding great employees. And I’m not saying finding great customers is easy—that’s exactly the point. The numbers tell the story. We’ve gone from having nearly six unemployed people for every job opening 15 years ago to about one-to-one today. Baby Boomers are retiring at 10,000+ per day. The younger workforce has completely different expectations about work, advancement, and company culture.”
“Most business owners approach potential customers with carefully crafted brand messages, compelling value propositions, and polished presentations. Yet these same owners are trying to attract top talent with poorly written job postings and crossed fingers. Your employer brand encompasses everything from your company culture and core values to how your current employees talk about working for you. Most importantly, it’s tied directly to your culture—and without intentional culture design, you can’t build a strong employer brand.”
“The data on bad employer brands is devastating: 69 percent of job seekers reject offers from companies with poor reputations—even when unemployed. You’re not just losing good candidates; you’re not even getting them to consider you. This means positions stay open longer, costing you roughly $7,200 per month in lost productivity for each vacant role. If you have multiple positions open for extra weeks because candidates won’t consider you, those costs compound quickly.”
“A few years ago, we discovered our Glassdoor score was around 3-point-something. Here’s what we realized: typically, the people who post reviews are those who had negative experiences. When you have a strong culture, your satisfied employees aren’t thinking about posting reviews—they’re just doing great work. We asked our current employees to share their honest experiences. We didn’t script responses or offer incentives—we just asked for authenticity. Our score is now in the 4.6-4.7 range, which accurately reflects our culture.” READ MORE
