Robert "RP" Beuerlein’s Post

Glassdoor has long been an anonymous outlet for people to share their employer raves and gripes with anyone who’s curious. But no longer. With the integration of FishBowl a few years ago, suddenly, users must be “verified” to use the site. This means that even if people choose to post anonymous reviews of their employers, Glassdoor knows who they are — and so do potential hackers. Plus, there have already been instances of people having their real data — including names and job titles — unwittingly included in a public-facing Glassdoor review. The moral here? Well, as a recruiter for 28+ years, I am biased, but in my view, avoid airing dirty laundry on Glassdoor. Instead, find a new job with the help of a professional who can give you insight into the workplace culture of the company you’re considering, without the risk of having your data exposed.

Hot topic this morning... My 2¢: if you are upset about something that was not able to be resolved with your former employer, you can absolutely share your experience on sites like Glassdoor. However, if Glassdoor is going back to previous posts and adding user information is wrong on so many levels. If you were operating under anonymity (that word is just as confusing to spell as it is to say out loud), then it should absolutely remain that way. If the rules change and you can't remain anonymous for any reviews moving, then that is a different story. It would change the quantity and depth of details in the reviews. I prefer the user info attached to a review because there are a lot of malicious former employees that are out for blood. I don't love when private matters become public, but then the onus is on the employer to do everything they can to resolve the problems behind closed doors before a scorned ex-employee shouts all of their grievances from the rooftops (ex: Glassdoor).

In case you missed it, there’s been some problematic updates at Glassdoor that are worth talking about 📣 For clarity, the information is stored in the back-end and not displayed publicly. Which means that no, employers shouldn’t be able to find out it was you who left that review. But the issue is that the change occurred without users’ providing consent. And more so that with this, there are potential risks that could truly be disruptive to reviewers’ lives in inrepairable ways in the case of a data breach or software glitch. Platforms like Glassdoor are essential for so many reasons. Often, employees simply do not have a voice without risking their livelihood. Exit interviews, if even offered, are not necessarily a safe place to express issues. Upon separation, there’s all sorts of silencing paperwork required to be signed in order to receive severance, unemployment, etc. In reality, there’s not many options for employers to be held accountable for bad behavior. And the risks are often too high for past or present employees to speak out. It was never a perfect platform. It’s always been clear when HR and other execs post their own 5 star ratings in order to curve the average upwards ⭐️ But still a necessary place for jobseekers to stop along the way. And for employees to share experiences safely and anonymously. In the #beautyindustry, we have Estee Laundry which is like if Glassdoor and Deux Moi had a love child 👼🏼 And we’ve also seen the rise of people advocating for themselves openly on platforms like TikTok, which is incredibly brave. So what will happen with the once trusted Glassdoor?? I’ve seen a few different takes on this and I’m curious to hear yours. Some people are deleting their accounts entirely to avoid any risk. Are you bothered or not? Is Glassdoor still worth the risk? #glassdoor #anonymous #employeereviews #companyreviews #employeeadvocacy #womenatwork #womeninbusiness #exitinterviews #jobsearch

Glassdoor's transition to verified user reviews, following its integration with FishBowl, has altered the landscape of employer evaluations. This verification process, while intended to authenticate reviews, raises concerns about anonymity and data security. Instances where individuals' details have inadvertently surfaced in reviews underscore the potential risks associated with this platform. Given these developments, the importance of discretion cannot be overstated. Venting frustrations or sharing experiences online may seem cathartic but poses a risk to personal privacy. As someone deeply embedded in the recruitment industry for many years, I advocate for a more secure approach to exploring new career opportunities. Partnering with a recruiter offers a confidential pathway to gain insights into company cultures and job prospects, minus the risk of personal data exposure. Let's prioritize professional advice and direct connections over public forums. #verifiedreviews #datasecurity #recruiterpartnerhip

Users Ditch Glassdoor, Stunned By Site Adding Real Names Without Consent: Readers waspleg and SpzToid shared the following report: Glassdoor, where employees go to leave anonymous reviews of employers, has recently begun adding real names to user profiles without users' consent. Glassdoor acquired Fishbowl, a professional networking app that integrated with Glassdoor last July. This acquisition meant that every Glassdoor user was automatically signed up for a Fishbowl account. And because Fishbowl requires users to verify their identities, Glassdoor's terms of service changed to require all users to be verified. Ever since Glassdoor's integration with Fishbowl, Glassdoor's terms say that Glassdoor 'may update your Profile with information we obtain from third parties. We may also use personal data you provide to us via your resume(s) or our other services.' This effort to gather information on Fishbowl users includes Glassdoor staff consulting publicly available sources to verify information that is then used to update Glassdoor users' accounts. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

As a strong advocate for workers and someone who loved the idea of Glassdoor, this is absolutely ridiculous. I have already removed all my contributions and deactivated my account, and would highly recommend anyone who has contributed to do the same; they do not deserve nor respect the users that feed them the data required for their site to even function. My strong feeling on the matter is that over the last 5 years or so Glassdoor has become the yelp for employers, where Glassdoor has become an employer-first service that allows them to push and bully workers out of honest reviews (this has happened to me already, though that particular organization doesn't need my help at all with sullying it's reputation). This has been a trend for Glassdoor and now we're seeing the outcome of that. This began happening when employers were starting to feel the burn of their toxic practices not just internally but as potential candidates started becoming more curious about how much truth these reviews held about a companies function (or lack thereof). To be clear, verifying employee information is not an issue at all, I think it protects everyone. The whole POINT of Glassdoor is to provide a space where they can still give that feedback anonymously though. Adding people's names to their reviews when they're expecting it to be anonymous is an incredible breach of privacy and defeats the entire purpose of the service to begin with. Ahh, well, another one bites the dust. I'm unsure when companies will learn and continue with the ethos that got them to where they are rather than try and 'innovate' in ways whose sole purpose is to screw over the people that made them what they are. https://lnkd.in/gFwk-Eaq

Glassdoor has always been a great resource for recruiters, it helps us ultimately sell an opportunity to a candidate to join one of our clients. It's always been great, as an anonymous review site people felt safe to leave their experience of working there... this seems to no longer be the case. A user only known as "Monica" has had their details added to her Glassdoor account without, removing anonymity from an anonymous review website. With this in mind would you still share your experience of a current or previous employer? check out the full article below

Users Ditch Glassdoor, Stunned By Site Adding Real Names Without Consent: Readers waspleg and SpzToid shared the following report: Glassdoor, where employees go to leave anonymous reviews of employers, has recently begun adding real names to user profiles without users' consent. Glassdoor acquired Fishbowl, a professional networking app that integrated with Glassdoor last July. This acquisition meant that every Glassdoor user was automatically signed up for a Fishbowl account. And because Fishbowl requires users to verify their identities, Glassdoor's terms of service changed to require all users to be verified. Ever since Glassdoor's integration with Fishbowl, Glassdoor's terms say that Glassdoor 'may update your Profile with information we obtain from third parties. We may also use personal data you provide to us via your resume(s) or our other services.' This effort to gather information on Fishbowl users includes Glassdoor staff consulting publicly available sources to verify information that is then used to update Glassdoor users' accounts. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

POV at Glassdoor this week: For those of you who DON'T know...your reviews on Glassdoor may no longer be anonymous. The worst part is that people are most likely not aware that their identity is about to or is currently revealed to their former employer defeating the anonymous "protection" Glassdoor had led with for years. I get the need to validate data (to protect companies from random, inaccurate negative ratings), but there surely must have been other options, right? There are reports of legal departments now going after former employees to remove reviews now that employee identities have been revealed. I can't imagine why this move was made. To me, this will be a huge PR nightmare for Glassdoor and will result in major loss of users. If you want to remove your data, of course, it's not straightforward. You have to ask them to purge and delete your data, but I'd recommend getting that started if you've ever done things with Glassdoor. Don't just delete your profile as that won't delete the reviews. Source: https://lnkd.in/gP-e_h37 #glassdoor #whoops #internetprivacy #anonymous #identityrevealed

Users Ditch Glassdoor, Stunned By Site Adding Real Names Without Consent: Readers waspleg and SpzToid shared the following report: Glassdoor, where employees go to leave anonymous reviews of employers, has recently begun adding real names to user profiles without users' consent. Glassdoor acquired Fishbowl, a professional networking app that integrated with Glassdoor last July. This acquisition meant that every Glassdoor user was automatically signed up for a Fishbowl account. And because Fishbowl requires users to verify their identities, Glassdoor's terms of service changed to require all users to be verified. Ever since Glassdoor's integration with Fishbowl, Glassdoor's terms say that Glassdoor 'may update your Profile with information we obtain from third parties. We may also use personal data you provide to us via your resume(s) or our other services.' This effort to gather information on Fishbowl users includes Glassdoor staff consulting publicly available sources to verify information that is then used to update Glassdoor users' accounts. Read more of this story at Slashdot.