Social media has become a double-edged sword for small businesses. You can leverage channels like Facebook and Instagram to showcase your work and make connections. However, they also serve as spaces where disgruntled employees can leave negative comments. Even a few bad reviews can severely impact your reputation.
You’ve worked tirelessly to build a great reputation for your small business – now you need to protect it. Here are a few tips for combating negative employee reviews on social media.
Don’t Ignore Negative Reviews
Approximately two-thirds of workers leave online reviews of former employers. A little more than half of these reviews are negative. The bottom line is that you are bound to rack up some online feedback from previous employees, and at least some of those comments will paint your business in a negative light.
Acknowledge any reviews you see, whether good or bad. This small step shows you’re listening to and care about feedback. Consider a simple response like this: “We’re sorry to hear about your experience and take your concerns seriously. We’re always looking for ways to improve, and we’d like to discuss your concerns further.”
Look Into the Claims
Even if a person’s negative claims seem outlandish or exaggerated, you should always look into them. You may think you know everything that goes on in your business, but it’s still possible that you missed something. The last thing you want to do is allow a problem to fester, as it could lead to more bad reviews and a high turnover rate.
Speak to the person’s direct manager and gather some background information about any issues they had with the disgruntled worker. Approach the problem as objectively as possible, even if you are frustrated with the person who left the negative review on social media.
You might discover that there’s a problem with your management approach or that one of the supervisors is consistently causing friction with employees. If you do notice such an issue, it’s in your best interest to fix it as soon as possible.
According to LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence survey, 70% of workers will leave a job due to a bad manager. That’s why it’s important for you to investigate any claims — so you can ensure that the problem doesn’t go beyond one employee.
Be Transparent and Authentic
Transparency plays a crucial role when addressing negative reviews. Your small business has built its brand on trust. Authenticity will help you maintain the trust you’ve gained in your community.
Take ownership of any legitimate issues you discover. If someone’s concerns are valid, acknowledge them and provide specific steps you’re taking to resolve them. For instance, if someone claims your workplace has become toxic, analyze the way you recruit, hire, and foster collaboration among your team.
If you can optimize the way you recruit and nurture talent, you’ll reduce the risk of bad hires. This will also help you proactively avoid the most negative employee reviews by keeping toxic people out of your business.
Stay Above the Fray
Among Glassdoor users, 86% read reviews about a company before they apply. Do you really want someone’s first impression of your business to be based on an argument you had in the comments section of a social media review? Absolutely not.
While it’s important to protect your company’s reputation, you can’t feed into negative comments by clapping back. Respond objectively and honestly to any bad reviews. Encourage the people who post them to contact you directly so you can make things right. The goal is to get the conversation off of social media.
Learn From Negative Feedback
You can’t discard everything bad someone says about your company, no matter how disgruntled the person is. There are usually a few grains of truth in someone’s grievances, even if those bits of truth are miniscule.
Use negative feedback to become a better leader and business owner. For example, suppose that multiple reviews mention dissatisfaction with communication or management. In that case, you might think about investing in leadership training to mitigate the risk of future issues.
Consider Legal Action as a Last Resort
If an employee leaves defamatory or false reviews that could seriously damage your business, you may need to take legal action. However, this should always be a last resort.
Attempt to resolve the issue directly with the individual first. Consult with an attorney or your HR firm before escalating the dispute. Suing a former employee can lead to further negative attention, even if you are in the right. Be careful to go down this road without carefully counting the costs.
Need Help Protecting Your Reputation? Contact Focus HR
If you’ve already received negative social media reviews from past employees, it’s not too late to face the problem head-on. Focus HR provides personalized guidance for small businesses and can help you manage and protect employee value proposition. Contact us to schedule a consultation.
