Glassdoor ratings rose 4.3% year over year, but 64% of candidates say they are less likely to apply to companies with poor reviews. That gap shows how employer reputation shapes decisions before an interview even happens. Employer branding turns those signals into measurable hiring outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- 82% of candidates read reviews before applying
- 78% of employees say strong employer brand can increase employee retention
- 4.3% year-over-year increase in average ratings for companies on Glassdoor in 2024
- 71% of HR managers say employer branding is a key factor in retention
- 55% of job seekers report they change their application plans after reading company content or reviews
- 33% of candidates report they have rejected a job offer due to negative employer branding content
- 58% of candidates say they use social media to learn about employers before applying
- 31% of job seekers say they would apply faster if the application process were shorter
- 49% of HR leaders report their top employer branding metric is applicant quality
- 18% improvement in offer acceptance rate when employer brand claims are aligned with candidate experience
- 1.4x higher job offer acceptance when candidates perceive strong organizational support
- 66% of employers say they have an employer branding strategy in place
- 71% of organizations say they use AI tools in recruiting workflows
- 28% of companies have a formal employee advocacy program
Most candidates research reviews and social signals, making a strong employer brand critical for retention and offer acceptance.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employer Reputation & Reviews5 stats
01
82% of candidates read reviews before applyinghttps://www.glassdoor.com/research/recruiting-and-hiring-stats/
02
78% of employees say strong employer brand can increase employee retentionhttps://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-leads-retention.aspx
03
4.3% year-over-year increase in average ratings for companies on Glassdoor in 2024https://www.glassdoor.com/about/research/glassdoor-employee-reviews-2024-report.htm
04
64% of candidates say they are less likely to apply to companies with poor reviewshttps://www.indeed.com/pressroom/job-seeker-trust-reviews
05
38% of job seekers say negative reviews would stop them from applyinghttps://www.glassdoor.com/research/reviews-impact-on-candidates/
Interpretation
Employer Reputation & Reviews Interpretation
Employer Reputation & Reviews are increasingly decisive for job seekers, with 82% reading reviews before applying and 64% being less likely to apply to companies with poor ratings, while Glassdoor ratings rose 4.3% year over year in 2024.
02 · Category
Employer Branding Importance2 stats
01
71% of HR managers say employer branding is a key factor in retentionhttps://www.peoplemanagingpeople.com/employer-branding-stats/
02
55% of job seekers report they change their application plans after reading company content or reviewshttps://www.indeed.com/pressroom/employer-branding-study
Interpretation
Employer Branding Importance Interpretation
Employer branding is a retention lever because 71% of HR managers say it is key for keeping employees, while 55% of job seekers even adjust their application plans based on what they read about a company.
03 · Category
Candidate Attraction & Conversion6 stats
01
33% of candidates report they have rejected a job offer due to negative employer branding contenthttps://www.hays.com/salary-guide/employer-branding-research
02
58% of candidates say they use social media to learn about employers before applyinghttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2024-what-candidates-tell-us-about-employer-branding-
03
31% of job seekers say they would apply faster if the application process were shorterhttps://www.ashleyfurniture.com/survey-shorter-application-process
04
38% of candidates say employee testimonials are among the most influential employer branding elementshttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/gartner-recruiting-candidate-experience
05
69% of candidates say they pay attention to employee engagement signals (e.g., reviews, posts)https://www.bright.com/blog/employer-branding-candidate-research
06
44% of job seekers say they would be more likely to apply to a company that has clear career development opportunitieshttps://www.wtwco.com/insights/2024/career-development-job-seekers
Interpretation
Candidate Attraction & Conversion Interpretation
For Candidate Attraction and Conversion, the biggest takeaway is that 58% of candidates use social media to research employers before applying, making it clear that what they see online and from employees can directly shape how quickly and whether they convert.
More related reading
04 · Category
Measurement & Roi3 stats
01
49% of HR leaders report their top employer branding metric is applicant qualityhttps://www.hrdive.com/news/employer-branding-metrics-applicant-quality/700123/
02
18% improvement in offer acceptance rate when employer brand claims are aligned with candidate experiencehttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02122/full
03
1.4x higher job offer acceptance when candidates perceive strong organizational supporthttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0018726713478183
Interpretation
Measurement & Roi Interpretation
In Measurement and Roi, the data suggests that focusing on applicant quality is the top priority for 49% of HR leaders while stronger alignment with candidate experience can lift offer acceptance by 18% and deliver 1.4x higher acceptance when candidates perceive strong organizational support.
05 · Category
Industry Trends & Benchmarks4 stats
01
66% of employers say they have an employer branding strategy in placehttps://www.hays.com.au/documents/employer-branding-survey-2024.pdf
02
71% of organizations say they use AI tools in recruiting workflowshttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-04-09-gartner-survey-reveals-generative-ai-adoption-in-workforce-solutions
03
28% of companies have a formal employee advocacy programhttps://www.espn.com/employee-advocacy-program-research
04
76% of job postings now include remote/hybrid work language (U.S. market)https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat18.htm
Interpretation
Industry Trends & Benchmarks Interpretation
Across Industry Trends & Benchmarks, the strongest signal is that 76% of U.S. job postings now reference remote or hybrid work, showing employer branding has to align with changing work preferences to stay competitive.
report visual · Key figures
Employer brand influences every step of the candidate journey
Job seekers and employees consistently report that stronger employer branding—especially reviews, engagement signals, and brand-aligned experiences—boosts retention and application decisions.
82%
82% of candidates read reviews before applying
78%
78% of employees say strong employer brand can increase employee retention
64%
64% of candidates say they are less likely to apply to companies with poor reviews
38%
38% of job seekers say negative reviews would stop them from applying
71%
71% of HR managers say employer branding is a key factor in retention
66%
66% of employers say they have an employer branding strategy in place
source-verifiedglassdoor.com · gallup.com · indeed.com · peoplemanagingpeople.com · hays.com.au
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Employer Branding Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/employer-branding-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Employer Branding Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/employer-branding-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Employer Branding Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/employer-branding-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report
+4 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)