NEW YORK — Only two months into 2019 and Glassdoor is already boasting a big year.
The job seekers platform welcomed 64 million users to its site in January, according to Christian Sutherland-Wong, president and COO of Glassdoor. It’s also made strides in expanding its global presence.
“We’re going to use 2019 as a huge investment year,” Sutherland-Wong said this week during the company’s 2019 Best Places to Work conference. “One of the major areas we’re investing in is international. Just last month we launched in three new country domains: New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.”
For over a decade Glassdoor has been a hub for job seekers to learn, compare and consider a variety of factors when making a decision about where to go to work. It’s also been a tool for recruiters to find their companies the right talent, which is another area Glassdoor says it wants to see more growth in.
“We see the opportunity to make recruiting easier,” Sutherland-Wong said. “We’re the site that understands companies like no other. We see an opportunity to bring data together to match the perfect candidate with the perfect opportunity.”
One of the companies using Glassdoor for that purpose is real estate tech firm Compass, which merges its own company data with data gathered on Glassdoor to “double down” on its recruiting efforts.
During a conference panel session, Sutherland-Wong sat down with the head of HR at Compass to discuss recruitment and retention practices. The company, a 2019 Best Places to Work winner, utilizes Glassdoor to develop hiring strategies and monitor working conditions. Compass recruiters are able to reach six to seven new people each day leveraging techniques learned on Glassdoor to get the company’s story into the world.
“You have to have a Glassdoor story,” said Madan Nagaldinne, chief people officer at Compass. “People want the truth. You have to invest in that communication with new employees.”
Context on workplace culture is key when recruiting, Nagaldinne said, as is providing access to knowledge about the company to prospective candidates. Nagaldine also found that poor reviews on Glassdoor often stem from a company’s slow response time to job candidates.
“When a candidate gives you a bad score on Glassdoor, it’s because you didn’t get back to them in good time,” Nagaldinne says. “Most companies complicate [the interview process]; all the candidate wants is a yes, no or maybe.”
Glassdoor also can offer candidates greater transparency when it comes to benefits packages, something job hunters are constantly seeking. As a smaller company, Compass doesn’t offer a 401(k) match, which they are open about on their Glassdoor profile. However, they do offer employees the benefit of fully-paid healthcare.
“Many people check out the benefits page on Glassdoor, rather than on a company page,” Nagaldinne said. “It’s important that your company message aligns with your Glassdoor page.”
