Glassdoor and sites like it - those that collect reviews, interview questions, and salary information on companies - are necessary reading for the job search in 2019. Not only will job seekers learn historically well-guarded information on a company's culture and hiring process, but candidates can use that information to self-select into workplaces that will be better matches for their long-term career goals.

"In the age of dating apps, where data is used to best match a person with their romantic partners, sites like Glassdoor have the necessary data available for job seekers to identify companies with cultures that match their own values and lifestyles. As job seekers peruse company posts, reviews, salary information, and interview questions, they can best assess whether they will be a good fit or whether they should 'swipe left,'" said Andrew Challenger, Vice President of global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

"Having this information may ultimately reduce turnover, as job seekers will only go after jobs at companies that seem like the best match," he added.

Ultimately, corporate-review sites allow job seekers, investors, and customers to have unique insight into a company's culture, from how they treat potential candidates to how well they pay their staff.

"Bad reviews are left by those workers who are currently not being treated well or by those who were not treated well after a separation.
Not only do job seekers have valuable data, but employers can use this information to assess their own company culture. If an employer has a low score, it is a good time to meet with human resources and determine what policies need to be enacted, replaced, or dropped," said Challenger.

"Many companies learn that they need to treat their workers well, especially after a layoff. Happy alumni are key to attracting and retaining talent, especially now that departing employees have the power of negative reviews to impact a firm's public perception," he added.

One of the most useful aspects of company-review sites like Glassdoor is access to information on how companies interview prospects.

"This 'peek-behind-the-curtain' is crucial to job seekers. They are not doing their homework if they don't look online for potential interview questions. Candidates should prepare answers to any questions they find. These days, there should be very few surprises in an interview," said Challenger.