SEEK launches company review platform for current and former employees: How to avoid a bad review

Former employees can now rate your business online, thanks to a new product being rolled out by home-grown success story SEEK.

Today will see the launch of SEEK’s review platform that allows current and former employees to rate companies out of five in order to give jobseekers a better idea of what it is like to work for a particular business.

SEEK receives more than 35 million monthly visits to its site, with 1000 Australian companies already signing up for the new review platform.

Read more: How to deal with a bad online review

Chief executive Andrew Bassat told Fairfax the new review platform will help SEEK stay ahead of the competition.

“People nowadays don’t go to a restaurant or a three-day holiday without checking TripAdvisor or something similar, so we think clearly if you’re going to be in a job for the next five to 10 years you want to get as much information as you can,” Bassat said.

“This product is really about having enough volume to cut through the noise. If you’ve got five reviews on a company, it’s not necessarily going to tell the real story… if you’ve got 500 reviews it’s going to tell the story.”

Ben Watts, director of wattsnext HR, told SmartCompany small businesses need to understand more and more job review platforms are springing up, which means more people have the opportunity to talk about your brand based on their experiences.

Watts says “amicable” exit interviews where feedback from departing staff is taken onboard are really important, as this means former employees will be less likely to take their grievances online.

“Something else that is very important is the way candidates and non-successful candidates are treated once they don’t get a job,” Watts says.

“It’s an area a lot of businesses don’t put enough effort into. There are a lot of people that apply for jobs that still have an experience with your company and brand. It’s important they’re treated with respect and are informed.

“Sometimes saying something like ‘there’s nothing else to say at this stage’ is enough for a potential job candidate … sitting waiting for a phone call can be very frustrating and could lead to negative feedback.”

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