HOW WOULD YOU STACK UP?

Glassdoor.com is a new website that is shining light into the crevices of corporate America by asking for evaluations from those who know best – no, not shareholders -- employees and former employees. The site offers one stop voyeurism for jobseekers, promotion hunters and the idly curious to review anonymously posted assessments of current or past employers and salary information. The sticky part is that to access the information you have to “Post your anonymous review or salary info for the community to see. We will never expose any personally identifiable information to other users…. It's a simple model – tell us what your work is really like, and get back exactly what you've put in from the rest of the Glassdoor community.”

It’s no surprise that Glassdoor was created by Richard Barton, founder of Zillow and Expedia. From my experience in real estate land, Zillow can be wildly inaccurate. Anonymity doesn’t guarantee truth or fairness. They offered and later withdrew in the face of severe criticism the opportunity for the public to anonymously criticize other people’s houses. Bear that in mind before you bear your soul. Naturally, Zillow, Expedia and Glassdoor employees give glowing reviews of their own employers. Regardless, Barton ought to be a major donor to the Society of Professional Journalists, an organization that works to keep the Freedom of Information Act alive!

Liz Ryan, one of my favorite HR people (asklizryan.com), tells a story about a job hunter who keeps a list of the Top 10 Places She’d Never Work. Organizations expend precious time, attention and money to find good employees only to be on their DoNotJoin list. Bad employer stories travel far and have a direct impact on an organization’s talent pool.

How would your organization fare in reviews by past and present employees, or by those interviewing for positions?