Have you ever searched your own company name on Google? A lot of business owners do this now and then. And if a bad review from Glassdoor or Indeed pops up, that’s not what a business really wants.
Glassdoor and Indeed are sites where people write about what it’s like to work somewhere. These are called employer reviews. Google tends to show them near the top of search results. So a bad one might be one of the first things a person sees about your company.
That is why so many people look for ways to delete negative reviews from Glassdoor or Indeed. In this article, we will provide information on what you can do yourself and when you should seek professional assistance
Why One Bad Review Can Cause So Much Trouble?
Some owners figure one bad review isn’t a big deal. But these reviews show up on Google. Sometimes they even rank above your own website.
Job seekers read reviews before they apply. Clients read them before they sign anything. Investors check them too, before putting money in. A bad review that never gets a reply can make people think twice.
There’s another problem too. Once your rating drops, fewer good people want to work with you. Over time, this changes who you’re able to hire. And that can lead to more bad reviews down the road. So it’s worth acting quickly when you spot one.
Can You Remove a Glassdoor Review Yourself?
Glassdoor has community guidelines a set of rules a review must/shouldn’t have. In case a review violates one of them, you can ask Glassdoor to delete the review.
The steps are following:
- Log into your Glassdoor employer account, find the problematic review.
- See whether the review violates community guidelines: hate speech, personal attacks, personal data of an employee, or a review written by a fake employer.
- Click the flag option on the review.
- Message Glassdoor and explain clearly which rule it breaks.
- Wait. It may take several days or even several months. One thing you should be aware of: Glassdoor does not delete reviews just because they are negative. It has to break an actual rule. A review complaining about low pay or bad management, even if it stings, will usually stay up.
Can You Remove an Indeed Review Yourself?
Indeed works similarly, though its rules are its own. It removes reviews with bad language, unfair bias, private information, or reviews that seem fake.
Here’s how to try:
- Go to your Indeed Company Pages account.
- Find the review and click Report or flag.
- Say exactly which rule the review breaks. Being vague usually means Indeed won’t act on it.
- Keep proof ready; an offering letter or HR email may come in handy in case of mentioning non-existing former employee.
- Contact the company in case you didn’t receive any reply.
Same story as Glassdoor: an honest bad review will most likely stay up. Both sites are built to protect real opinions, even the harsh ones.
| Point | Glassdoor | Indeed |
| Review comes down if | It breaks community guidelines | It breaks terms of service |
| Honest bad opinion | Usually stays up | Usually stays up |
| Fake review | Can be reported and removed | Can be reported and removed |
| Time it takes | Weeks to months | Weeks to months |
| Can you reply publicly | Yes | Yes |
| Legal action possible | Yes, in some cases | Yes, in some cases |
Why Some Companies End Up Asking for Help?
A lot of businesses get stuck at this point. They flag a review, wait, and get a quick “no” back from the platform. Then they give up.
That’s usually when people bring in outside help. An ORM company, short for online reputation management, deals with this kind of thing all the time. People working on deletion requests have experience in how to formulate the request and what kind of proof works. It is not about fooling anyone. It is about making a legitimate and reasonable request. Most HR teams simply don’t have the time to do this on top of everything else on their plate.
Repute Matters is one such agency, based in New Delhi. They analyze each negative review separately to determine whether it violates platform rules and build the strongest possible argument. In case it cannot be deleted, they switch to other tasks and help the business receive more positive and current reviews, ensuring that one negative review will not shape the whole page.
A Simple Example
Say an IT company gets three harsh Glassdoor reviews in one month, right after some layoffs. Two of them use bad language and name specific managers that break the rules. The third one is fair, just hard to read. It talks about how the layoffs were handled.
The first two have a real shot at coming down since they break clear rules. The third will probably stay up. So the company does two things. It reaches out to former employees who left on good terms and asks them to leave honest reviews. And it replies calmly to the one review that stays. After a few months, that one hard review gets buried under newer, better ones, and the rating slowly climbs back up. (This is just an example, not a real company.)
Mistakes Businesses Often Make
Reporting every single review, even the honest ones, wastes time and can even get your account flagged for misuse.
Staying silent is another mistake. No reply often looks worse than a short one.
Some companies try to bury a bad review fast by asking staff to post good reviews all in the same week. Both sites notice this pattern, and it can get the whole page penalized.
Waiting too long might be the biggest mistake of all. The longer a bad review sits with no response, the more it shapes what people think.
A Few Simple Tips
Reply within a few days, and keep it calm. Don’t sound upset or defensive. A short, honest reply usually does more good than any removal request.
Ask for reviews regularly, not just after a bad one shows up. A steady flow of honest reviews keeps things balanced.
Keep your records handy. HR files, exit notes, and offer letters these can help a lot if you ever need to ask a platform to remove something.
Check your pages often. Don’t wait for a client to be the one who points out a bad review.
What Should You Do Next?
Go through your Glassdoor and Indeed pages today. Note down anything that looks fake or breaks the rules, and report those first. For honest reviews that just hurt to read, write a calm reply instead of ignoring them.
If you’ve already tried this on your own and it’s not working, it might help to talk to a team that deals with this every day. Repute Matters offers a free consultation; they’ll look at where you stand and suggest a plan, whether that’s working on your Glassdoor and Indeed reviews specifically, or a bigger plan to manage your reputation across more sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can a company pay Glassdoor or Indeed to delete a review?
No. Neither Glassdoor nor Indeed allows companies to pay for review removal. If an agency promises paid deletion, be cautious. Reviews can generally be removed only through the platform’s reporting process or, in serious cases, through legal action.
2. How long does it take to remove a fake review?
The timeframe depends on the case and the platform’s review process. Simple cases, such as reviews from fake accounts, may take a couple of weeks, while cases involving legal action can take several months.
3. What if the review is genuine but still hurts the company?
A genuine review that follows the platform’s guidelines usually cannot simply be removed. A better approach is to respond professionally, address the concern, and build more recent positive reviews to create a balanced reputation.
4. Does replying to a negative review really help?
Yes. A calm and professional response shows potential customers that your company listens and takes feedback seriously. It can also help reduce the impact of a negative review.
5. Is it worth hiring help for just one or two negative reviews?
Usually, you can try the platform’s reporting option yourself for one or two reviews. Professional help becomes more useful when you’re dealing with multiple negative reviews, repeated fake reviews, or a wider reputation issue.
6. Can old reviews still be removed?
Yes, if an old review violates the platform’s current guidelines, it may still be eligible for removal. However, the age of a review does not automatically make it easier to remove.
7. What’s the difference between removing a review and pushing it down?
Removing a review means it is taken down from the platform. Pushing it down means the review remains online but newer, more relevant content helps reduce its visibility in search results.
Dealing with negative reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to permanently damage your company’s reputation. With professional responses, proper reporting, and a long-term reputation strategy, businesses can rebuild trust and maintain a stronger online presence.
