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A senior manager at a New York-based workers’ association has reportedly been dismissed after a negative employee review on Glassdoor was linked to the organization’s inability to fill a junior vacancy.
The development follows the resurfacing of an August 2024 review posted by a former executive assistant, who criticized the company’s leadership, working environment, and communication practices in detail.
The review is alleged to have contributed to candidates withdrawing during the interview process, ultimately prompting the board to take action against the manager named in the complaint.
In a recent social media post, the former employee claimed the review had made it impossible for the company to replace them since their departure last year. “The board intervened and fired my manager because people were bringing up points from my review in interviews,” they wrote.
Impact of reviews sites on hiring outcomes
The situation illustrates the increasingly direct impact employee reviews can have on reputation, recruitment, and leadership accountability. Once seen as back-channel commentary, reviews sites such as Glassdoor are now playing a significant role in shaping hiring outcomes.
The review in question rated the organisation two out of five stars and advised others not to accept the same role. It listed multiple concerns, including poor onboarding, lack of clear job expectations, ineffective communication and absence of strategic oversight.
The former employee described missing deadlines due to unclear direction, and said attempts to clarify responsibilities were met with dismissiveness.
“There was a complete absence of goal mapping and strategic planning with my role,” the reviewer said. “I was not given clear targets to aim for, making it difficult to measure progress or success. This lack of direction made it hard to stay motivated and understand how my work contributed to the company’s overall goals.”
The review contained no positive feedback and accused management of micromanagement without providing actionable guidance or support.
Glassdoor ratings reflect deeper dissatisfaction
The organization currently holds an average rating of 2.9 stars on Glassdoor. Only about one in three reviewers said they approved of the organization’s chief executive.
While employee reviews are nothing new, their influence on the hiring process appears to be growing. HR leaders and people officers are increasingly urged to monitor sentiment on reviews sites and address cultural or structural issues that may surface through anonymous feedback.
Dismissing employee concerns can have long-term reputational costs. With transparency becoming a key part of employer branding, businesses that fail to engage with their online reputations risk undermining recruitment efforts and internal leadership credibility.
