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If you’ve ever been locked in a serious job search, you’ve probably come across a company that seems too good to be true. They pay a nice salary, provide great benefits, and even have glowing employee reviews—all 5-stars! Be warned: this could actually mean the company is using fake reviews. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Employers Use Fake Reviews
Employee review sites like Indeed and Glassdoor can be very powerful tools—they shape how candidates perceive salary ranges, culture, leadership, and career progression. This is one reason why some employers may feel pressured to pad their ratings.
If a company has earned the ire of its employees and has suffered numerous negative reviews, it might try to tip the scales in its favor by posting phony positive reviews, removing bad reviews, or even hiring PR firms to take care of the problem. All of this has caused the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to get involved.
In October 2024, the FTC ruled that posting fake reviews, whether positive or negative, is illegal. Those who are caught breaking this rule can face civil penalties; however, it hasn’t stopped some companies from continuing to find ways around it.
Spotting Questionable Reviews
When a company’s profile is flooded with nearly identical 5-star reviews, it could be a cause for concern. You might come across generic, PR-style comments that say “Amazing culture, great management, no cons.”
Take a close look at the dates the reviews were posted. If they suddenly appeared in bulk over a short period of time, it could be a sign of a major problem. Along with this, reviews that rely on generic, glowing praise and that offer no real detail about the company culture, the day-to-day, or perks could be phony.
Ratings that seem unnaturally skewed toward 5 stars with almost no variation could be fake. Real companies attract a mix of employees with varying feelings and opinions, and you should see all kinds of reviews, from 1-star to 5-star.
Fake positive reviews may also say something along the lines of “All good, no cons!” Meanwhile, real reviews (even positive ones) usually mention at least one minor drawback. For example, a positive review may also say “Office layout could be better,” or “New managers are still learning.”
You should also be on the lookout for “hostage reviews,” which occur when managers solicit glowing reviews during onboarding or right before performance review cycles. Yes friends, this actually happens. In fact, some managers might even offer gift cards or other incentives to write positive reviews—a highly unethical practice, to be sure.
One of the best things you can do is check out social media platforms such as LinkedIn or Reddit, especially if a company has consistent and glowing 5-star ratings. If the company is indeed posting fake reviews, the sentiment on social media might paint a clearer picture.
The Legality of Fake Reviews
Legally, fake reviews fall under what’s known as “deceptive practices.” The FTC’s 2024 ruling applies to all reviews, including employee experiences. If a company tries to suppress or incentivize reviews, or hires a reputation management firm, they may be crossing ethical lines and even breaking the law.
Sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor have their own rules against this sort of thing. These rules can easily be found and may provide additional clarity on what’s allowed, so if you’re in doubt, take a look at them to help determine whether a questionable review is actually more nefarious in nature.
What Job Seekers Can Do
If you’re a job seeker, it’s important to take the time to do a little detective work. Your intuition may tell you something’s wrong, but it takes more than an emotional response to gain a full understanding of a company’s motives.
Compare different review sites and check out social media platforms to see if there’s any discrepancies between reviews on a company’s profile and what’s being said by former (or current) employees.
If you’re unsure you can also reach out to current or former employees of a company via LinkedIn and get the lowdown straight from the proverbial horse’s mouth. If you decide to do this, remember to be respectful and lead from a place of curiosity. For example, you might say “I’m interested in applying for an open position at [Company Name]. Is the culture really as great as all the reviews say?”
Lastly, if you come across a fake or otherwise questionable review, report it. The responsibility of keeping companies honest falls onto all of us, and the more we speak up, the less they’ll be able to get away with.
In the digital age it’s very easy for companies to farm positive reviews or alter (or delete) negative reviews in light of a toxic or dangerous workplace culture. As a job seeker, it’s important that you practice discernment and do your due diligence when it comes to questionable company reviews—it could save your sanity in the long run.
Rob Porter is an editor at Vault.
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