How do I write a review for a company on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has launched its company pages feature which lets companies directly ask their employees to rate them. This means that if you work with or have worked with a particular company over time, it’s now possible to leave more detailed feedback about what they are doing right (or wrong) as well as share this information with others in your network.

In addition, anyone can offer up some feedback by leaving a rating for the various businesses on LinkedIn. So, if you know someone who works there, chances are they'll be able to read these ratings and make use of them when deciding whether to apply for that job or not. If you're looking for jobs in a specific location, seeing what people think about the local area will help you decide if it's worth applying.

The new features also mean that you can start using LinkedIn as a tool for finding out more about potential employers before making contact through Linkedin itself. For instance, you could get recommendations from colleagues who have previously worked with the company – or even find out about a rival organisation that might want to poach one of your friends!

So, here we take a closer look at how to write reviews on LinkedIn, how to leave a review on a business page, and whether you should be writing a review for a company based on personal experience or professional knowledge.

How do I write a review on a company online?

It’s easy to add a comment under any post on LinkedIn - but only if you already follow that person. If you don't yet know them, then you won't be able to give them a comment. You can still leave a message though, so long as it doesn't go into detail about why you don't like something.

When you click on ‘Write a Comment’, you'll see a box asking you to enter your name, email address, website URL and your current position. The next screen asks you to choose either 'Comment' or 'Recommend'. Clicking Recommend takes you to another screen where you can type a personalized message explaining why you recommend the company/person.

You may also wish to include links back to their own posts, such as news articles about them. To do this, just copy-paste the URLs (including www) from those stories into the text field provided. When finished, click Post Your Message.

However, please note that comments left on other peoples' profiles cannot contain anything abusive or offensive. As part of our commitment to protecting users, all content containing profanity or vulgarity will automatically be removed. We reserve the right to remove any content posted without warning.

Alternatively, you can simply scroll down the page until you reach the section labeled "Provide Feedback" and click on the Add Rating button. It looks like a star icon with two arrows pointing away from each other.

To complete the process, fill in the boxes marked Company Name and Rate the Company. Then select either 5 stars, 4 stars or 3 stars depending on how happy you were with the service offered. Finally, click Save Changes & Continue.

This action saves your rating. Once approved, your rating appears publicly alongside everyone else’s on the same page. However, unlike the Comments above, it cannot be edited after being added.

Now, let’s move onto reviewing businesses on LinkedIn – because it’s actually quite useful.

How do you leave a review on a business page?

As described above, you can leave a rating for a specific business using the Review feature available on every business page. There are three options: 1 Star, 2 Stars and 3 Stars. Simply click on the dropdown menu labelled “Rate Now” and pick your choice from the list.

Then you need to select either 1 Star, 2 Stars or 3 Stars. Again, click on the “Save changes” button to submit your vote.

Can you review an employer on LinkedIn?

Yes, you can leave a positive or negative review for an individual employee of a company, regardless of whether they work for that company or elsewhere. Just head to their profile page and click on the Review option located below a person’s picture. You will then see a number of fields including “Your reason for giving us a review” and “What we did well”.

Click on Write a Review once again and add a short description of why you gave them the score you did. Alternatively, you can paste links to relevant blog posts or press coverage of the company’s activities. In fact, you can even link to external websites which praise the company.

Once done, click on Submit and wait for approval. The good news is that this does work across all platforms. So, no matter whether you use Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram or YouTube, you can always leave a review.

Can you review a company on LinkedIn?

No, unfortunately, you cannot leave a review for a company unless you personally work for them or have been employed by them. Also, while you can provide comments on the company page, they cannot be used as a way of providing constructive criticism. Instead, try contacting the firm via phone or email instead.

There is, however, nothing stopping you adding a brief paragraph praising your former employer’s achievements. Or perhaps you can point out areas where improvement would benefit both parties. If you feel this kind of thing is appropriate and you haven’t received a response within 24 hours, you can escalate the issue further by sending a direct complaint to human resources.

Finally, remember that although it’s great to leave a review for a business, you mustn’t abuse this privilege. Doing so isn’t allowed and could result in disciplinary measures being taken against you.

Why should you consider leaving a review for a business?

Well, firstly, knowing what other people think about your workplace helps you make informed decisions regarding your career path. And secondly, it gives you the opportunity to share your thoughts with millions of people around the world. All you need to do is sign in, create a free account and start posting!

A quick word of caution though – don’t say too much, especially if you aren’t sure. A few words of encouragement rather than scathing criticism is usually best. After all, many people enjoy reading honest opinions.

You can now add user-generated content to your LinkedIn profile. This includes ratings and recommendations provided by other users, which will show up under "What others are saying" when you view your own profile or those of friends and colleagues. The feature was first introduced last year as part of a major redesign of the social network but it didn't take long before people started posting their opinions about companies they'd worked with.

We're taking a closer look here at what all this means for employers who want to make sure potential hires know everything there is to know about them -- including whether or not they have any bad reviews out there. And we'll also talk about how you should use these features yourself if you've got some positive feedback coming your way from coworkers and clients.

How do I review an employer?

Before you start looking through profiles of prospective employees, be aware that LinkedIn won't allow you to post negative comments unless you work directly with someone at the company whose name appears next to the review. So don't go hunting down candidates' names just yet! Instead, focus on finding information about specific roles (such as software engineer) within a larger organization to give you a better idea of whom you might like to hire.

If you find an opening, click on the "Apply Now" button, then fill out the application form. Once submitted, you'll receive an email confirmation asking you to confirm the job offer via phone call. If you accept, your LinkedIn profile will automatically update to include your new role. You may even get asked for references after you apply, so keep your list handy while browsing LinkedIn.

Once you've found a candidate you think would fit well with your team, follow the steps below to request a written reference. First, log into LinkedIn using your account credentials, then select Applications & Recruiters from the navigation bar across the top of your screen. Click on Job Requests to begin searching for positions that match your skillset and experience level. When you find one that looks promising, hover over the position title and click on Get Requested Reference. A pop-up window will open, letting you indicate why you're requesting the reference and providing contact details for the hiring manager.

Next, head back to your LinkedIn homepage and scroll down until you reach Recommendations & Insights. Click on Reviews to sort through the various categories available, such as Top Rated Companies, Most Recent Jobs or Best Company Culture. Then simply search for the person you want to recommend. Select the Review option once you locate him/her, along with his/her current employment status. Finally, hit Write Review. Your review will display immediately beneath the recommendation box. It will remain private for 90 days, during which time anyone viewing your profile can access the review without logging into LinkedIn. After 90 days, however, your reviewer's name will no longer be displayed alongside the recommendation.

Can you see employee reviews on LinkedIn?

Yes, thanks to a recent addition to the LinkedIn platform called Employee Reviews. These posts let professionals share their experiences working for different organizations and brands. They come straight from real people, offering insight into culture, compensation levels and more.

The good news is that you can easily track down employee reviews simply by typing in the full name of your target company. But before you dive in, remember that most of these posts aren't necessarily intended for public consumption. Some people choose to withhold their identities because they fear retaliation from their former bosses. Others decide to remain anonymous due to privacy concerns. In either case, you shouldn't read too much into the individual words used in these posts. For instance, the word "boss," when referring to supervisors, could mean anything from "manager" to "director."

Which is the best employer review site?

LinkedIn has its pros and cons, but ultimately, it's tough to beat Google for sheer volume of data. With millions upon millions of entries, the search giant provides users with plenty of opportunities to learn something new about virtually every brand imaginable. Plus, Google offers a wealth of helpful insights into each business based on the number of searches made related to certain keywords.

For example, say you're curious about the average salary for a particular career field. Just enter the keyword "salary" followed by the name of the industry. Google will provide a snapshot of median salaries for both men and women in that profession. Or maybe you'd rather figure out what percentage of employees in a given industry earn $50K annually or less. Entering "low income" instead of "$50k" will deliver results similar to the above example.

Google isn't limited to only US-based businesses. Simply type in the name of a foreign country and Google will return relevant info in multiple languages. Additionally, there are several ways to narrow down the results further. By selecting one of the following options, you can limit your search to a specific geographic region, set a date range, or specify the amount of years since joining a company.

When you run a search, Google shows you the number of pages returned along with links to the websites themselves. To save time, clicking the View All Results link takes you right to the page you were originally seeking.

On the flip side, LinkedIn doesn't collect nearly as much data as Google does. However, it does offer a few unique perks. One of the biggest benefits comes courtesy of the ability to connect with people outside of your professional sphere. Say you're interested in learning more about another industry entirely, for instance. Search for companies in that niche by entering their name in the Find People section of your Advanced Options dropdown menu. Next, click on Connections, then choose Other Industries. From there, you can build relationships with individuals in completely unrelated fields.

To help you navigate LinkedIn, there are two main sections you'll need to familiarize yourself with. On the left side of your home page, labeled My Network contains tabs for Groups, Contacts, Professionals and More. Each tab houses a collection of groups you belong to, contacts you've added and additional memberships you've chosen to join. Underneath each heading, you'll see buttons that let you browse through the entire group or filter the selections by category.

At the very bottom of your Profile Summary page, you'll notice three icons labeled Add Interests, Follow and Send Invitations. Use these tools to manage the types of updates you wish to broadcast publicly. You can also change your settings in the Account Settings area to control visibility of your activity feed.

Lastly, if you happen to find a connection you really dig, click on the blue heart icon located underneath the Recommendation Box. Doing so allows you to quickly exchange emails with your new pal.

How do I leave a review?

After receiving a favorable response from your supervisor, there are several methods to thank your co-worker in writing. Keep in mind that a simple Thank You note or handwritten card may suffice, depending on your relationship with the recipient. If you feel compelled to express your gratitude in greater detail, consider sending a personalized letter addressed to her or him.

In the body of the message, explain exactly why you appreciate their efforts and encourage them to continue doing great work. You can also ask for permission to mention them in future promotions or projects. Don't forget to sign off politely! At the end of the day, your goal is to create a mutually beneficial bond between you and your coworker(s). If done correctly, you could end up becoming lifelong friends.

Don’t worry if you haven’t received a prompt from a fellow member of staff yet. There's still time to submit your own review as long as you meet the same criteria. As mentioned earlier, you can only comment on the jobs of people you actually work with. Otherwise, you risk being flagged as spam and having your review removed altogether.

Remember that the purpose behind leaving a review is to demonstrate your appreciation for the company you currently work for, and not necessarily to bash your previous employers. That said, if you've had an unpleasant experience on the job, chances are high that you already have plenty of material to work with.

Have you ever left a review on LinkedIn? What did you write? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

A lot has changed since we last wrote about leaving feedback for a company. In early 2018, LinkedIn rolled out its own version of Yelp or TripAdvisor with a new feature called "Providing Service." This allows you to rate and review products, services, and people as part of your professional networking efforts. So what does this mean for business owners who want to get some positive word-of-mouth help from friends and colleagues?

As it turns out, if you're not already using LinkedIn's system, now might be a good time to start -- because there are several ways to use the service without having anything negative show up on your public page. First off, you don't have to wait until someone leaves a rating before you can post one yourself. You'll also find prompts throughout the app when asking others to rate you or providing them with recommendations. In addition, the ability to add photos to these posts will give you more opportunity to make an impact. Here's how to do all three things.

How do I leave a review on LinkedIn?

If you've used other social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, then you may be familiar with the idea of leaving a star rating. On those platforms, you typically click on someone's name to view their profile, which includes information such as age, gender, location, interests, education, employment history, and so forth. Then you scroll down to the bottom, and there's usually a place where you can either say something nice or critical (or both). The same thing applies here. To leave a review, simply tap the Review button above the person's photo.

You can only leave a review once per connection, but you can ask anyone else to leave a review by tapping the Request Recommendation option next to their picture. Asking for a review isn't quite the same as writing your own, however, as you won't receive any notification when they respond. It's kind of like sending a cold email that no one ever sees.

To create an actual review, just tap Write A Review below the request prompt. If you want to include a comment, you can type it right into the box after adding a short description of why you liked or disliked the person's work. Finally, tap Post Review when finished, and LinkedIn sends another message to let your contact know you left a review.

Note that while you can choose to share your review publicly, doing so requires a separate step beyond posting it directly. Clicking Share Your Rating opens a menu where you can select whether you want to share it privately or publicly. When you hit Publicly Share, you must first approve sharing your review with everyone who follows you. After you do that, you can decide whether you'd rather keep the review private or make it public.

This process looks similar to the way you would submit a testimonial to a website or online store. For instance, Amazon lets customers easily upload pictures of themselves holding packages and gives them the chance to leave a quick review. But unlike Amazon, you can't edit your review after it goes live. And since most users probably aren't going to take the time to fill out lengthy comments, many will opt to skip commenting altogether.

How do I post a review about a product or service?

When you need to leave a review for a specific item, you can go through the exact procedure described above. Just search for whatever you're looking for on Google or use the Find Similar Items tool in LinkedIn's mobile apps and select the result that best fits your needs. Once you've chosen the correct listing, you can review it by clicking on it under Reviews & Ratings within your Profile area.

The same steps apply when you want to offer a recommendation. Instead of searching for the item or person you wish to recommend, though, you'll instead be prompted to enter a note along with the reason for recommending them specifically. Again, you can use the space provided to write a brief blurb that explains why you think they should be recommended. Note that you can't change or remove your initial recommendation even if you later realize it wasn't accurate.

Finally, when you're ready to complete your review, you'll again be able to select between Private and Shared options. However, this time around, you can still edit your original text after hitting Post Review.

Where can I post reviews of companies?

LinkedIn doesn't currently allow companies to post reviews of their employees' performance, although you can suggest changes to certain aspects of a job position through the Suggestion Box. At least for now, companies can't post any sort of customer reviews either.

In fact, LinkedIn users cannot review individual members at all, making it impossible to leave a personal review unless you happen to know someone personally. That said, you can always check out other profiles to learn more about people you follow.

While you're looking at profiles, consider taking advantage of the other tools available within LinkedIn's network. There are plenty of groups dedicated solely to helping professionals improve their careers by offering advice and guidance. Some of these groups focus exclusively on topics related to particular industries or professions, whereas others cover more general career tips. No matter which group appeals to you, chances are you'll meet lots of helpful folks who can answer questions and offer suggestions as you move forward in your career.

What is a rating or review?

Reviews are an important aspect of customer service. They're often seen as a way to build trust between businesses and their customers by letting them know exactly what they can expect when it comes time to make purchases.

For example, if you have purchased a pair of shoes online from Zappos, chances are good that you'll see numerous other users posting similar experiences and giving their thumbs up to the brand. This helps to establish credibility for both the shoemaker and the retailer. It also lets others know that there really isn't anything bad going on behind those doors. You may not be able to physically go into the store and try on the shoes yourself (which would probably give you more accurate results), but seeing these glowing testimonials gives you a sense of comfort knowing that the shoe is likely going to fit well and will perform just like advertised.

Ratings vs Reviews

On social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even Google+, all posts must include either the words "rating" or "review," depending on whether you are looking to post something negative or positive.

"Rating" means that you are simply sharing your opinion and nothing else, while "review" indicates that you are providing additional information to back up your claim. For instance, "I love this product! 5 stars!" is a rating, whereas "This is one awesome product. My husband loves it too!" is a review. When writing reviews, remember that your job is to share your experience without making any assumptions about the person or organization receiving your comments.

When writing a review, never use phrases such as "bad," "terrible," or "poor." Instead, describe why you feel negatively toward a particular item, service, or human being. If possible, avoid using profanity as well.