How to Discuss Joberty Reviews in an Interview
Have you been avidly job hunting? You searched multiple job boards, applied to many positions, and, in a blink, you’ve got three interviews lined up in the following weeks. Now that the interview is official, your instinct tells you to research the company. You end up here on Joberty, and the reviews on our website are those that make you wonder if that's the right employer for you.
How can you discuss Joberty reviews during the interview in order to clarify your doubts? More importantly, should you allude to them at all? We’ll thoroughly discuss all the doubts you could be having about bringing up Joberty reviews during your interview.
When do employer reviews matter?
First, you must know how to identify helpful reviews from a pile of reviews. Some reviews are worth it, but others are not like bad reviews can be heavily influenced by emotion.
Fortunately, if you look thoroughly and know how to identify them, you’ll find what you are looking for. We’ll discuss how to discern this further.
Should you always be concerned about negative reviews?
Finding no good reviews can be considered a red flag, but having a mix of bad reviews and praise is way too common. Then how do you decide whom to believe?Be it a good one or a negative one, don't rely on overly emotional or one-sided reviews. Although this is a sign to watch out for, remember to read the company's response to it, it says a lot about the company and the situation itself that review is describing.
So, don’t feel overwhelmed by negative reviews. Instead, look for the ones written objectively, which list pros and cons. These multi-hued reviews are more accurate. Or don’t be afraid to ask friends working there to hear about their experiences. That way you can always double-check.
What to look for in Joberty reviews?
What’s essential about the reviews are the issues they discuss. If a company is rated ★★ out of five stars, but the issues raised are all things you don’t find important, such as the absence of decaf coffee in the cafeteria, then these wouldn’t affect you that much.
This is why looking into each review is one of the most important things to consider. The reviews could be from different departments or supervisors than what you’re applying to, so watch out. But more importantly, how do you get the most out of it:
- Treat the overall review score as guidance but still read through individual reviews.
- Pay attention to reading the reviews by the order they appear because “Most Recent” is our default setting.
- You can also filter reviews to grasp only those relevant for the past 6 months.
- Watch out for reviews made by new employers, as these probably won't grasp the full picture.
- Be careful with the interview reviews because the author might not have significant relations with the company yet.
- Put aside reviews with heavy positive or negative content and focus on those that have both pros and cons.
- Always look at the number of "Marked as relevant" thumbs-up icon below the review. This means that other community members have confirmed that the content written in this review is relevant.
- If a review has a verified sign, it confirms that the author has undertaken the process of confirming that they actually work for the company they are reviewing.
- If there's an answer by the company below the review, make sure to read that as well as that might change your perspective on how you look at the situation described in the review.
How to address negative reviews during an interview
We already discussed how to identify helpful reviews on Joberty. Now, onto the most important stuff: Should you address them during an interview?
Most probably, no. Or at least, you shouldn’t be explicit. Saying “Everyone on Joberty says you’re a …” will get you a one-way ticket to the exit door, and if you want to understand why, do a bit of role play and imagine you were asked the same. Addressing the negative reviews like this is never a good idea, as it will put the interviewer in the uncomfortable position of needing to defend the company from extravagant claims that the person in front of you might have nothing to do with. This will most likely lead to either non-answers or misinformation. Imagine the reverse — “I’ve heard that you're actually not that good of a programmer” What would you say? Hard to predict, but you would probably yell internally, and you’d be right to do so.
Anyhow, you could bring up issues that were raised in reviews without addressing them. Camouflage your questions into some that the interviewer can answer. For example, if a review said they don’t pay overtime, you could ask: “What's your policy on overtime?”
If they say they offer benefits during the interview, show the interviewer that what they say is important to you by asking them about said benefits. Don't start with, “Can you tell me why everyone on Joberty says that the benefits are lousy, and the lunch provided stands for snacks and drinks?” as you'd be choking the interviewer with the red flag. It would be considerably more constructive to ask, “I've noticed your remote options. What’s your policy and are there any exceptions for this Department that I'm applying for?” What you’re showing is:
- That you’ve researched the company
- That this is important to you and you would like to get more details
- That you’re willing to give them time to check it for you, and you’re not testing them
You could also start your questions by saying, “I’m going to be as open as I can with you because I want to be certain that this position is a good fit for both of us”. If the interviewer takes your respectful questions as an offense, this can be a sign of someone who isn’t professional or worse — that the reviews you read could be true.
Although asking questions is positive, you need to be careful not to take advantage of this. If you feel like asking these questions will mess up your chances, then there’s no need to ask them on the first interview. Prioritise advancing in the interview process and wait until only a few people are fighting for the spot. If the company knows they need you, then they'll care more not to mess up.
Our advice on this
So, should you bring up Joberty reviews during an interview? No. You shouldn’t discuss them explicitly, although you can be implicit and use online opinions to understand what you should ask. You should be tactful and understand that, you can ask about the culture rather than about “the review that mentions the hostile culture and gave you one star — what’s up with that?!”
Also, an interview is an excellent stage to answer questions — but also to ask them. And if you’re going to ask a limited number of inquiries, pick your battles. Research thoroughly and identify which of the reviews matter to you. Sugarcoat yourself and your questions during the interview while trying to answer all your doubts. Being polite and respectful while also raising your concerns is easier than you think.
It’s important to approach online company reviews with a critical eye. Every experience holds value and will help you reach an informed conclusion with a specific job offer. Good luck!
