Not all Press is Good Press
Not all Press is Good Press
Q. I’m interviewing with a company that has had some negative press about layoffs and employee comments on Glassdoor aren’t the best either. I really wonder how much attention I should pay to these messages. Is this a role I should go after when I’m not sure if the company is a good one? Is this something I should mention in the interview?A.
The old adage, “all press is good press,” should finally be put to rest. Employers hate seeing negative company press and how they choose to handle negative Glassdoor comments can be very revealing about the culture of the company and leadership. It is your responsibility to find out more and see if the role and company are right for you, and using multiple methods to get information is in your best interest.
First be aware of where you are seeing or hearing the data. Every news outlet has a purpose and an agenda. Newspaper stories – hard copy or online – can be press releases, or press responses. How this information is presented may have a very distinct goal and the timing is typically strategic as well. News covered by professional associations may have comparative information about other organizations in similar circumstances.
Glassdoor is not just for negative comments, but many comments are often from employees with a situation they want resolved, a challenge, or a negative observation. Reading the comments is smart, and reviewing the responses is brilliant. First, does anyone at the company respond? Who addresses the response? Does the response come from human resources? The president? A senior person in the business? Do multiple people address issues? And what’s the tone? Is the person responding genuinely interested, and is there an offer to meet if the comment is made anonymously? Or does the response add to the agitation and in effect dismiss the writer?
If you see comments you want to learn more about, use your network. Talking to people at the company, or those who have been there will get you the best and typically most accurate information. Placement and search professionals are exceptional resources. You can find out if there are areas of the business that are more challenged where leaders need more development on managing people or the business. Ask if these issues are company wide, or if there are parts of the organization that are very strong. Ask if new leaders have been brought in and are charged with changing the organization for the positive. Your network allows you to get specific about people and the reputation they have, which will make the company more predictable in terms of what your experience might be.
These are the clues that you’ll want to explore more deeply. The reviews are something you should discuss with your interviewer if you believe they are valid issues. Discussing the response strategy can reveal a great deal about the leadership and company culture.
Hiring managers know information about the company is out there. They understand that candidates they are interviewing will have questions about the news surrounding their firm, and they should be prepared to answer them.
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