INTHEBLACK July/August 2023 - Magazine - Page 56
WORK SMART
Reputation
is a risky
business
Job seekers are increasingly
researching potential employers – and
companies that rate poorly could be
missing out on high‑quality applicants.
Words Katie Langmore
56 INTHEBLACK July/August 2023
A company’s reputation is no longer something
that can be entirely managed internally. Gone
are the days where only employers conduct “due
diligence” research on potential employees.
Current and former employees – and even
job applicants – are now empowered to review
their experience of a company online. Individuals
can “rate” a company on job search engines
such as Seek, corporate review websites such as
Glassdoor and Comparably, and on social media.
Scott Traeger, commercial disputes partner
with legal firm Lander & Rogers, says that no
organisation, no matter how excellent, can avoid
the odd poor review from a current or former
employee. However, when negative reviews
accumulate and persist, reputational damage
can become a serious risk.
The impact of reviews partly depends on
the type of company. “Businesses like hotels
and restaurants, by their nature, are going to
attract feedback and opinions,” Traeger says.
“For them, reviews can be a great source
of marketing, and if they are generating a lot,
then having the odd negative review will not
do a lot of damage.
“For professional services firms and other
businesses, it can be more difficult. Reviews are
