What if a job looks great, but Glassdoor reviews are terrible?

Great news!  You found a job that looks amazing.

The role? Perfect.

The pay? Excellent. The mission? Right up your alley.

But then… you check Glassdoor.

And it's a dumpster fire.

Now you’re wondering: Should I even bother applying?

Here’s my advice.

1. Don’t judge just on the rating itself

Glassdoor ratings can be helpful—but only if you know how to read between the lines. A bad rating doesn’t always mean a bad company. You’ve got to dig deeper.

Here’s what to watch for:

Recency matters.

If most of the bad reviews are 2+ years old and things have been quiet since, it may be a sign that issues have improved. Or maybe folks just stopped posting. Either way, stale outrage isn’t always relevant.

Specificity over vibes.

“Everything sucks here” doesn’t help you. Look for detailed feedback that outlines what’s broken and why, and avoid letting vague anger steer your decisions.

Relevance to your role.

A terrible experience in legal may not affect your work in marketing. Use judgment. In big companies, especially, one department’s mess doesn’t mean everyone’s miserable.

2. Validate through real humans.

One of the best things you can do? Talk to people.

Try this: try to have a quick convo - even if it's through DMs - with one or two of the following groups of people.

• Current employees can tell you what it’s actually like today.

• Recent alumni (people who left in the last 12–24 months) who can help you confirm or challenge the vibe you’re picking up online.

If former employees say “it wasn’t perfect, but I learned a lot", that tells you something different than “RUN.”

3. Ask about it directly.

If a theme shows up repeatedly in reviews—and it matters to you—bring it up in interviews or networking convos. You don’t have to say “I saw on Glassdoor…” You can just ask neutral questions like:

“How does your team handle workload expectations during crunch time?”
“What’s changed recently to support employee morale?”

Framing it as a neutral question gets you real insight without sounding accusatory.

4. Don’t trust only the positive reviews.

Some companies respond to a wave of bad press by launching a reputation rehab campaign. You’ll see a burst of short, glowing, generic reviews. That might mean HR nudged employees to write them.

Just like bad reviews can be exaggerated, good ones can be polished PR.

Be skeptical of both.

The bottom line

Use Glassdoor as a starting point, not a decision-maker.

Ask questions. Seek out real conversations. Trust your gut.

And remember: every company has flaws. You’re not looking for perfect—you’re looking for good enough to thrive in.

Need help sorting this out?

My free training, “Is It Time to Walk Away?”, will help you determine what you need in a workplace and whether a move makes sense. Click here to grab it.