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Web-based job listing and career community specialist Glassdoor announced its latest feature, Benefits Reviews, which makes it possible for potential job seekers to compare benefits packages and perks at different companies across the United States.
Similar to the way Glassdoor has provided information for company culture, salaries and the interview process, the benefits reviews are gathered using anonymous surveys employees complete on Glassdoor, in which they rate and review all aspects of their benefits package.
Employees are asked to rate how satisfied they are with their employer’s overall benefits package and describe the best and worst facets of the benefits package. They’re also asked to indicate which benefits and perks their employer specifically offers.
Among the categories are health and wellness, such as insurance plans, financial and retirement benefits, vacation time, perks like free lunches or a company car, and availability of professional support like tuition assistance or diversity programs.
“Though every company is different, the more information an employee or job seeker has about working at a company and what it really entails, the better chance he or she has in finding a job and company they love,” Scott Dobrowski, Glassdoor career trends analyst, told eWEEK.
All Glassdoor reviews go through a multi-tier review process that includes both a technology-based review as well as human touch review, Dobrowski explained.
Approximately 15 percent of reviews submitted to Glassdoor are rejected because they do not meet community guidelines, or because they appear suspicious.
“Further, our community guidelines encourage members to provide reviews that are constructive and balanced, provide insights about the best reasons to work for their employer as well as anything that could be improved, keep company confidential information confidential, and are respectful of others,” he said.
Employers are also encouraged to share insights on the benefits packages they offer through their employer profile on the Glassdoor site.
The profile gives employers the opportunity to share details about what their benefits package includes and verify which benefits and perks their company offers.
“We are incredibly focused on creating a user-friendly experience for job seekers,” Dobrowski said. “We pair job listings with our data about jobs and companies–including salaries, benefits reviews, company reviews and interview reviews–so job seekers can get an unprecedented level of access into what it’s like to work for the company before they even apply.”
Looking to the future, Dobrowski said Glassdoor is seeing that companies should focus on mobile optimization in order to avoid losing out on top talent.
“We recently conducted a mobile job search survey in March and found that nine in 10 job seekers are likely to use their mobile device during their job search in the next 12 months,” he said. “On top of that, close to half of job seekers said they use their mobile device to search for jobs at least once a day.”
However, Dobrowski said employers are not making it easy for job seekers. According to Glassdoor’s report, 44 percent said they are likely to apply to jobs through using mobile technology, but nearly half of job seekers (49 percent) said it is difficult to apply for jobs through a smartphone or other mobile device.