https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cengage-group-named-a-best-place-to-work-in-2024-by-the-glassdoor-employees-choice-awards-302031225.html#:~:text=BOSTON%2C%20Jan.,4.3%20out%20of%205%20rating.
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@1fgj+1qDTuA6w I checked out Cengage reviews on Glassdoor after reading your post. Sure enough, it is exactly as you described. The only reviews with any insight are negative ones. After one of those is posted, it is followed by 3-4 one sentence 4-5 star reviews. I'm sure some of these are legit, but many are not. Like you said, a company that is constantly laying people off and underpaying them being recognized as one of the top 100 in the country is absurd on its face. Everyone I know who still works at Cengage is panicked over the upcoming purges and angry about their salary. That is morale poison.
When Glassdoor first launched it was gold and let you see which way the wind was blowing at a company. Now its garbage as companies like Cengage have figured out how to game the algorithm. I am sure they have paid some sort of consulting company to maintain their score and qualify them for recognition. Glassdoor loves it because its more engagement with their site. I'm sure they also charge a hefty fee to companies to be included in their list and written up.
Remember kids...when it comes to social media YOU are the product.
This was so funny & fun. These "Best Employer" lists are based on only on the ratings coming from current & former employees, and Hansen & Co. have mastered the art of gaming that system. To see this in action:
- Visit the Glassdoor page for Cengage.
- Sort ratings by "most recent"
- Start scrolling and reading.
If you are paying attention, you will notice an interesting phenomena. Every time one, two, three ratings are made giving only * or , you will see new * posts to balance these negative ratings out. These five-star posts always come from someone in HR, or with the title of "Director" or the like, or "Anon", and under the Cons field, they always say "No cons that I can think of" or something innocuous like "competitive industry, growing pains". REAL ratings, even those bearing three stars or more, always have cons to list, because that is the reality for any company.
Those paying attention also know that negative posts have been removed; apparently Cengage pays for the luxury of making a certain amount of really negative stuff go bye-bye, though mere mortals are not privy to the specifics of that arrangement.
The great irony here, of course, is that a company known most for slashing headcount to stay alive managed on land in the top 100 employer list. I mean, why bother trying to maintain a good face on a talent pool site when you are in the business of firing people rather than hiring them?
Ha ha! I almost spilled my co-----l! Well, working from my house is the best office experience I’ve ever had!