Summary
Before your employees air frustrations on review sites, you can address the root causes: communicate openly, invest in growth, and handle tough conversations with care.
Negative reviews on public employer feedback sites can sting, but more importantly, they’re often symptoms of deeper cultural challenges that were left unaddressed. In our latest episode of the Future of Team podcast, we unpacked real (anonymized) employee experiences that reveal patterns leaders should watch out for and shared ideas on how to tackle them proactively.
Cost-Cutting Without Context Breeds Distrust
When employees hear about cost-saving measures through rumours or sudden changes (like disappearing tools or cancelled perks) they’re left to imagine the worst. That silence or vagueness can breed fear, cynicism, and a sense of betrayal.
What you can do next:
- Hold a team-wide financial transparency briefing: When you know cuts are coming, invite questions, share your thinking, and discuss what you hope to avoid (like layoffs). Clear communication reduces speculation.
- Set a recurring update cadence: Monthly or quarterly updates on company financial health—even if brief—build trust that you’ll keep people in the loop.
- Explain trade-offs explicitly: Don’t just announce “we’re cutting Slack.” Instead, share the options you considered, why this was chosen, and what’s being done to minimize disruption.
- Ask for ideas: Invite employees to suggest budget efficiencies. Empowering people to participate can turn cost-cutting into a collective effort, not a top-down decree.
Lack of Growth Opportunities Demotivates Top Talent
When team members feel their professional development stalls, they can start looking outside for challenges. Over time, even engaged employees disengage if they can’t see a path to growth.
What you can do next:
- Run individual growth check-ins quarterly: Make it part of your rhythm to talk openly about where each person wants to go, and what they need to get there.
- Share a skills forecast: Regularly communicate what new skills your organization needs to stay competitive. Let employees self-select interests so they can train towards those gaps.
- Offer low-cost development options: Bring in guest speakers, assign stretch projects, or organize peer teaching sessions. Development doesn’t have to mean sending people to expensive conferences.
- Celebrate internal moves: Publicly highlight when someone transitions into a new role or expands their responsibilities. This signals opportunity exists within the organization.
Poor Communication During Performance or Exits Creates Lasting Damage
Few things damage a company’s reputation—and employee morale—like a poorly handled termination. Cutting off access without explanation or springing a surprise firing reflects a deeper failure in how feedback and expectations are managed.
What you can do next:
- Practice “no surprises” management: Make regular, clear feedback a habit so no one is blindsided by performance concerns or decisions to part ways.
- Create a humane offboarding checklist: Include steps like offering a face-to-face conversation, sharing reasons clearly and respectfully, providing transition resources, and giving space to say goodbye.
- Train managers on compassionate communication: Many leaders haven’t been taught how to navigate tough conversations with empathy. Roleplay scenarios or bring in an expert to build confidence.
- Reflect on recent exits: After an employee leaves—especially if it was contentious—review what went well and what could be improved in how the process was handled. Learn and adjust.
Final Thought: Build a Culture That Speaks for Itself
Most negative reviews come from employees who feel unheard, unsupported, or disrespected. By prioritizing clear communication, intentional development, and humane practices (even in hard times) you can create a workplace where people feel valued and seen.
