Criticism Control: The Fine Art of It
Experts say that encouraging dialogue with employees is still the way to go.
March 26, 2025
First there was the kerfuffle on the internal online forum, with employees criticizing the company’s return-to-office policy. Then came the social-media debacle over employees complaining about low pay. After that, a duo spoke about ethical concerns to journalists. Finally, a few employees posted negative reviews on Glassdoor. The communications director felt exhausted and under attack: Didn’t the employees realize that publicly airing complaints caused headaches for his department—not to mention the rest of the company?
Leaders say that employee criticisms in public forums have reached a new high, and—as executives struggle to reply and employees gossip—can often become a distraction from work. Organizations’ responses have ranged from the mild (discussing the concerns in a town hall) to the extreme (censoring all internal criticism). And so far, nothing has quite worked. “It’s challenging, and there is added complexity when it’s done publicly,” says human-resources expert Erika Duncan, cofounder of advisory firm People on Point.
To be sure, employees have always complained about their employers. But until recently, the majority of them remained anonymous, and limited their critiques to topics that directly affected them, like hours and pay. Today’s workers feel more emboldened, posting on public forums about everything from company ethics to mergers to return-to-office policies. RTO, of course, has been a lightning rod for many employees, and has inspired sharp denunciations. Frustrated, some employers have shut down the comments feature on their websites and/or social-media pages, or have delivered harsh rebukes to their staffs.
But is that the right step? Closing down comment functionality can further antagonize employees. “It could be considered retaliatory,” says Dennis Deans, vice president of global human resources at Korn Ferry. And experts say disabling the comments won’t stop criticism, and might inspire disgruntled employees to complain on other forums, such as Glassdoor or TikTok. For that reason, many experts keep complaint forums operational and in-house.
Duncan advises companies to manage criticism by fostering open dialogue while minimizing broader reputational risks. This requires walking a narrow path. “My rule of thumb is to acknowledge the issue, and respond publicly,” she says. The goal for companies should be to turn a tough comment into an opportunity to both highlight improvements and celebrate team members who are making a difference. One approach is to provide a corporate narrative that acknowledges the complaints, while also supplying critical details and context, including the “why” behind corporate decisions. In this way, she says, a nightmarish public-relations situation can be transformed into a chance to restate mission and values.
Of course, this is not always possible in highly inflammatory situations. If employees are publicly sharing internal data—particularly information that could impact the markets—then a transparent response might not be possible. In that case, the path forward is typically for an executive to invite the employees or team to connect privately, says Duncan. “That allows for a more productive, solutions-oriented dialogue,” she says.
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