Should I take a job at a company with bad Glassdoor reviews?

Look for patterns. 5+ reviews independently mentioning the same specific issue (poor management, sustained burnout, layoff cycles) is reliable signal. One angry review out of 30 positive ones is usually noise.

Specificity matters. Vague complaints ('terrible culture') are less reliable than specific complaints ('the engineering manager publicly criticises team members in standups'). Specific complaints are harder to fake.

Recency matters. Reviews from the last 12 months are more reliable than older ones. Companies change; cultures shift. Old reviews can mislead.

Cross-reference. Check LinkedIn — has there been recent senior leadership churn? Check the news for layoffs or restructures. Check former-employee LinkedIn profiles for tenure patterns.

Talk to people. The most reliable signal is direct conversation with current or recent employees. Ex-employees on LinkedIn often respond to brief polite outreach asking about culture.