Take it with a grain of salt

My take on Glassdoor reviews

When we need help to find a good restaurant or pick out a new book or a smartphone, what do we do? Turn to customer reviews, of course! But when it comes to making employment decisions, is it a good idea to make decisions based on company reviews? Should sites like Glassdoor fit into or become an integral part of our job hunt? I don't think so.

Before diving into the details, here is a caveat: I am not saying that Glassdoor reviews are not useful at all. But, while making a career decision, one should not rely heavily on the reviews posted anonymously. Let me tell you why - Any disgruntled employee can hide behind a screen and easily target and tarnish a company's reputation by venting all the anger and frustration and by writing all the negative things possible.

On the other hand, if companies encourage or force employees to leave only positive reviews,  it is almost impossible to get the accurate inside information that can guide your decision. And, if someone has a personal vendetta against a manager or another employee, the avenue they can easily take advantage of to pour out their anger and vengeance is Glassdoor. If you notice carefully, when it comes to the credibility of the reviewers and the accuracy of the claims and statements made by each reviewer, Glassdoor doesn't take any responsibility.

Then why is Glassdoor so important? While researching for the next potential employer, Glassdoor is the go-to platform and primary source for you, me, and many other people out there. With less potent competitors like AmbitionBox and Indeed, they don't face any significant market competition. But most of the reviews on Glassdoor are about extreme feelings - either good or bad. The claims often look too impulsive and exaggerated. Generally, the larger the data, the more accurate the information.  But for me, this rule doesn't apply to Glassdoor reviews.

Either you can find a flood of positive reviews or an avalanche of negative reviews where reviewers rant and vent their frustration and spew negative opinions in front of a group of vulnerable audience who often get swayed and misled easily.

If the reviews sound too good to be true or if the number is disproportionately positive, I don't trust them at all. And, if multiple posts include the same points written in noticeably similar ways, that's an obvious red flag.  For me, both are equally undependable. No matter which website I go through, I always trust those reviews with an even-handed approach. Unfortunately, these days, you cannot say both Glassdoor and neutral reviews in the same breath.

Here is another reason why I don't rely much on Glassdoor reviews - As far as I know, Glassdoor doesn't have any transparent methods to identify the reviews that left by choice and remove the fake ones or those with vested interests. It means anyone can post reviews on Glassdoor, about any company, at any point in time, with hardly any credible verification. And, there is nothing that stops a reviewer from posting multiple reviews from different ids. Does that mean one shouldn't trust Glassdoor reviews? I won't say that.  Instead, I leave that decision to your own best judgment.

You cannot verify the identity of the reviewers on Glassdoor. But you can stop yourself from rejecting a job opportunity or a company solely based on negative reviews. Instead of letting other's opinions cloud your judgment, it's always good to explore for yourself and then arrive at a decision. In other words, make decisions based on facts and not assumptions. A prior connection or a former colleague who works for the organization you are about to start working for can give their perspective. However, you must always do your due diligence and make the best guess before making your career decisions.

Do you know why such websites thrive and succeed? They always take advantage of your quest to find the workplace of your dreams. Firstly, you have to let go of the idea of a dream workplace. There is no such thing. Take the time and effort to make wise choices, and never assume you can find the best workplace ever by just relying on Glassdoor reviews.

My pandemic diary

I think 2020 will go down the history as the worst year we have ever had. The challenges at work, the fear of economic recession, and the staggering rise in unemployment left far-reaching physical and mental health consequences that are not easy to undo. In other words, it is not easy to navigate the tumult that COVID-19 has brought upon us. In addition to the enormous loss of human lives, job losses continue to rise at a staggering rate every day.

More than a year has passed since WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic. It has upended our lives and careers like never before. We abruptly shifted to working from home and lived through several lockdowns. Face-to-face interactions and social gatherings are a thing of the past now, and staying at home and working from home is the new normal. The ongoing restrictions and devastating socio-economic impacts have left most of us feeling stressed and worried about our future, and I am no exception.  With another lockdown on the horizon, I cannot help but think about how I will work, live, and thrive until the surge abates or until vaccines are available equitably around the world.

The pandemic has rocked and halted my regular life like never before. It is still challenging me in unpredictable ways every day. I don't know when my life will get back to the pre-virus normal. Or, will the old normal ever appear again? I don't know. 

The pandemic is a severe assault on both my mental health. The feeling of loneliness struck hard every day throughout 2020, especially during festive seasons and on my birthday. I was hoping that 2021 will be a better year. But the second wave of COVID-19 has taken my anxiety and loneliness to the next level. I know that everyone goes through tough times when disconnected. I think it is normal to feel lonely while staying indoors and interacting less with people, but for me, loneliness worsens the underlying anxiety and panic. 

I was ashamed and embarrassed to open up and talk about the pernicious side effect of the pandemics until now. I feared that a candid conversation might uncover a vulnerability on my part. However, since my mental health and well-being is as important as my physical health, I have decided to jot down my fears and thoughts here. Once I pour out my fears and worries,  I want to embrace and live a healthy lifestyle and stay clear in my head.

On weekdays or weekends, staying up late and waking up late is the new normal in my life since March 2020. My eating habits have gone for a toss, and the prolonged pandemic restrictions and a sedentary lifestyle have made me a couch potato. Adding to the woes is my latest indulgence - munching on unhealthy snacks while at work or whenever I am hungry. And the temptation to stress eat is undoubtedly enormous these days. To get started, I have to painstakingly combat all these bad habits before they wreak havoc on my health, productivity, and immunity.

The good news is that with adequate attention and practice, I can successfully undo any less-than-stellar habits of mine, and I have succeeded more than once in the past.  But I haven't been successful yet when it comes to keeping a check on my news consumption. 

I love to stay on top of news and trends and enjoy devouring breaking news and updates every other minute. But it's high time to try hard and draw the line while staying informed and alert. With one distressing news report leading to another, I often get lost on the internet for hours together. The information overload gets quite overwhelming on most of the days and often gives fatigue and anxiety. I know that I cannot stay away from news portals and social media for a very long time. It is not a viable solution. I will have to slow down, limit my presence, and take one step at a time. 

During the initial lockdown, the prolonged lack of human interactions made me a compulsive social media user for some time until I started witnessing a startling overflow of anxiety-inducing misinformation. Then I decided to take frequent breaks from social media instead of constantly letting myself go down the rabbit hole of social media addiction. I found the much-needed diversion in reading, music, and blog writing. Pandemic or not, I always find solace in good books and blogging. They help reduce negative mental chatter significantly so that I can stay calm, focused, and motivated. 

The inundation of the COVID-19 infodemic on social media and chat apps and its negative implications have reinforced the need to have an optimal balance between my digital and non-digital life. Social media can sometimes be a double-edged sword. Forget Facebook and Twitter; the rate at which dubious and false information about the pandemic is spreading on WhatsApp is very alarming. Like the COVID-19 virus, misinformation spreading like wildfire on WhatsApp, and we must stem the tide before it is too late. But trust me, life without WhatsApp is very much possible, way more peaceful, and entirely possible. I live it every single day and love it to the fullest.

To get through the  COVID-19 upheaval without any lasting physical, mental, and emotional damage, I want to live healthily and keep my positive attitude, energy, and hope alive. Yes, sometimes it's hard to sail through certain days, but I am trying to take one day at a time and focus on the positives in my life. That's the only way I can march forward with good health, determination, hope.