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Glassdoor

Glassdoor is a US platform for employer reviews, salary information, workplace communities and job matching. Founded in 2007 by Robert Hohman, Rich Barton and Tim Besse, it launched publicly in 2008. Recruit Holdings acquired the company in 2018; Indeed operates its services following the 2026 merger of Glassdoor LLC and Indeed, Inc. Its job-seeker products combine employee experiences with job data, while employers use its branding and recruitment-related products.

Contents18 sections
Key facts

Formation

Glassdoor was co-founded by Robert Hohman, Rich Barton and Tim Besse, who had worked at Expedia. Recruit Holdings’ subsequent acquisition announcement lists its foundation date as June 7, 2007. Hohman was its early CEO, Barton its non-executive chairman and Besse its product and marketing leader.⁠[1][2]

Public Beta Launch

Glassdoor launched its public beta, allowing employees to share company reviews, ratings and pay information anonymously. Its early give-to-get model unlocked comparable data for other companies after a user contributed a review or salary survey. The platform sought to inform job applications and pay discussions with insights into employers and compensation.⁠[3]

US$40 Million Funding Round

Love Mondays Acquisition

Glassdoor announced the acquisition of Brazilian employer-review, salary-data and jobs site Love Mondays for an undisclosed amount. Its first acquisition outside the United States marked an expansion into Latin America. The announcement said Love Mondays would retain its brand for the foreseeable future.⁠[5]

Joining Recruit Holdings

Recruit Holdings announced completion of its Glassdoor acquisition, ahead of the originally expected July–September closing window. The cash transaction had been announced in May at US$1.2 billion. Glassdoor joined the group’s HR technology business alongside Indeed, which Recruit had acquired in 2012.⁠[6][2]

Christian Sutherland-Wong Becomes CEO

Glassdoor announced that former president and COO Christian Sutherland-Wong was leading the company as CEO, while co-founder Robert Hohman remained as chairman. Sutherland-Wong had joined in 2015, become its first COO in 2018 and president in 2019. The announcement also reported a workforce exceeding 1,000 worldwide.⁠[7]

Fishbowl Acquisition Through Its Parent

Glassdoor announced that its parent company had completed the acquisition of professional social network Fishbowl, without disclosing financial terms. Founded by Matt Sunbulli and Loren Appin, Fishbowl organized career discussions around companies, industries and interests. Glassdoor began displaying relevant Fishbowl conversations, expanding beyond reviews into real-time discussion.⁠[8]

Approximately 140 Job Cuts

Glassdoor published a CEO memo announcing approximately 140 job cuts, about 15% of its workforce. It cited a weakening recruitment market, declining revenue trends and lower employer-branding customer retention. The memo said hiring pauses and reductions in program and travel spending had not been sufficient.⁠[9][10]

Community Features and Rebranding

Glassdoor updated its mobile and desktop experience with bowls: discussion communities organized by industry, interest or company. Users could participate with their full identity, as an employee of a company or with only a job title. The update also introduced a new logo and visual identity centered on workplace conversations.⁠[11]

HR Technology Segment Workforce Reduction

Recruit Holdings disclosed approximately 1,300 job cuts across the HR Technology segment that operated Indeed and Glassdoor, about 6% of the segment’s April 1, 2025 workforce. The figure covered the whole segment, rather than Glassdoor alone. The company said the financial impact was largely reflected in its existing outlook.⁠[12]

Merger Into Indeed

Glassdoor’s terms-update summary confirmed that Glassdoor LLC and Indeed, Inc. merged on July 1, after which Indeed operated Glassdoor services. The revised terms define Glassdoor as Indeed, Inc. for contractual purposes. Glassdoor continues as a consumer-facing brand for hiring and workplace information.⁠[13][14][15]

Best CEOs List

Glassdoor announced its US 50 Best CEOs list, replacing Best-Led Companies. The assessment combined CEO approval, senior-management ratings and Review Intelligence analysis of leadership sentiment, using voluntarily submitted employee reviews. The announcement identified Owen Humphries as Glassdoor president and confirmed its place within Indeed and parent Recruit Holdings.⁠[16]

Topic: Products for Job Seekers

Glassdoor offers employee reviews, salary data, company information and anonymous communities. Glassdoor Recruiter combines job-seeker preferences, company knowledge and Indeed listings to suggest suitable roles. Its website says job matching, reviews and salary information are free to job seekers, combining employee experiences with recruitment information.⁠[15]

Topic: Employer Products and Indeed Integration

Employers can manage profiles, respond to reviews and use employer-branding products. Employer Branding Hub combines content and analytics for Glassdoor Enhanced Profiles and Indeed Company Pages. Posting a job through Glassdoor routes employers to Indeed, whose listings are distributed to Glassdoor. Paid branding and advertising products are separate from review policies.⁠[17][18]

Topic: Review Integrity and Removal

Glassdoor says it combines technical checks, account validation and human moderation to detect inauthentic reviews. It prohibits incentives or coercion and does not accept payment to remove reviews. It also acknowledges that it cannot fully verify every identity, employment relationship or statement. Content may be removed for policy violations; publication is not comprehensive factual certification.⁠[19][18]

Topic: Anonymity and Account Information

Reviews may appear anonymously to the public while the platform retains account information. Glassdoor says it may challenge legal demands for identities, but acknowledges that court orders can require disclosure and that anonymity cannot be guaranteed. Its current terms also provide for a Connected Profile, synchronizing profile data when users sign in through Indeed.⁠[20][14]

Topic: Organization and Public Channels

Sources

  1. START UP GLASSDOOR.COM ANNOUNCES BOARD OF DIRECTORS (opens in a new window)
  2. Announcement of Definitive Agreement for Acquisition of Glassdoor Expanding capabilities of HR technology platform (opens in a new window)
  3. GLASSDOOR.COM LAUNCHES PUBLIC BETA, OPENING DOORS TO EMPLOYEE SALARIES, BONUSES, REVIEWS AND RATINGS AT ANY COMPANY FOR FREE (opens in a new window)
  4. GLASSDOOR RAISES $40 MILLION IN NEW FINANCING (opens in a new window)
  5. GLASSDOOR ACQUIRES LOVE MONDAYS, BRAZIL’S LEADING EMPLOYER REVIEW AND JOBS SITE (opens in a new window)
  6. Recruit Holdings Announces Completion of Glassdoor Acquisition (opens in a new window)
  7. Glassdoor Enters Next Chapter Led By CEO Christian Sutherland-Wong (opens in a new window)
  8. Glassdoor To Power Fishbowl, A Fast-Growing Professional Social Network (opens in a new window)
  9. A Message from Glassdoor CEO, Christian Sutherland-Wong (opens in a new window)
  10. Press Releases | Glassdoor (opens in a new window)
  11. Glassdoor Launches Community Features To Drive Candid Workplace Conversations (opens in a new window)
  12. Recruit Holdings’ HR Technology Segment Announces Workforce Reduction (opens in a new window)
  13. Summary of Changes to Glassdoor’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy (opens in a new window)
  14. Glassdoor Terms of Use (opens in a new window)
  15. Job search, reinvented (opens in a new window)
  16. Glassdoor Unveils 2026 Best CEOs List (opens in a new window)
  17. Glassdoor and Indeed: Working Together to Help Employers Across the Hiring Journey (opens in a new window)
  18. When Does Glassdoor Remove User Content? (opens in a new window)
  19. Glassdoor’s Commitment to Authentic Reviews (opens in a new window)
  20. Protecting Your Anonymity on Glassdoor (opens in a new window)
  21. Glassdoor | About (opens in a new window)
  22. Glassdoor (opens in a new window)
  23. Glassdoor (@Glassdoor) (opens in a new window)