Case study
6months
The Senior Product Manager and the Glassdoor Problem
After layoffs, named Glassdoor and forum threads lingered in screening searches ahead of a strong LinkedIn. The case focused on displaceable surfaces and a refreshed public CV that could carry weight in results.
Industry
Executives & C-Suite Leaders
Profile
34-year-old Senior Product Manager
Challenge
Named in Glassdoor reviews & professional community forum posts following layoffs
The Reputation Management Challenge
A senior product manager left a high-profile technology firm following a widely reported round of mass layoffs. In the weeks that followed, several former colleagues posted detailed Glassdoor reviews naming her specifically in critical and at times personal terms. Separately, a product management community forum - a platform widely used by hiring managers and recruiters in the technology sector - hosted a thread titled "Anyone worked with [Her Name] at [Company]?" containing mixed, damaging, and largely unverifiable commentary. When prospective employers searched her name - a standard practice at the reference and offer stage in technology hiring - they found:
• The Glassdoor employer page with a review excerpt referencing her by name visible directly in Google snippet text • The forum thread ranking on Page 2 • An outdated personal blog from 2018 with minimal professional relevance ranking on Page 1 • Her LinkedIn profile - though substantively strong - ranking below all of the above
Three separate hiring processes stalled at the reference or offer stage without clear explanation over a 10-week period.
Baseline Search Results & Reputation Audit
Our Reputation Management Objective
Our Reputation Management Strategy
- Filed a Glassdoor name-mention removal request under personal data grounds - partially successful: snippet text was altered and her name removed from the Google-visible excerpt within 3 weeks
- Submitted a formal privacy-based removal request to the forum platform - the thread was locked by the moderator within 4 weeks, preventing further engagement and accelerating its search decline
- Conducted a comprehensive rebuild of her LinkedIn profile - executive-level summary, detailed project outcomes with measurable results, 8 new recommendations from senior colleagues, cross-functional stakeholders, and direct reports
- Replaced the outdated 2018 personal blog with a focused, professionally designed website covering her product management philosophy, anonymised case studies of past work, and thought leadership content; site indexed and appearing in search results within approximately 8 weeks of launch
- Launched a consistent LinkedIn publishing programme - weekly posts on product strategy, AI applications in product development, and cross-functional team leadership, building steady search traction over time
- Secured a guest contribution on a well-regarded, high-authority product management publication - indexed and ranking within 5 weeks of publication
Month-by-Month Reputation Management Milestones
Swipe the row to see every period. Connectors show progress.
Reputation Management Results (6 Months)
- Glassdoor snippet altered; her name no longer visible in Google preview text
- Forum thread locked and suppressed to Page 3 by month 5
- New professional website ranking at Position 2 within 4 months
- LinkedIn profile holds Position 1
- Outdated blog fully displaced from Page 1
- Candidate accepted a Director of Product role at a high-growth scale-up within 7 months of engagement start
Business Impact & Reputation Management Outcome
Third-party commentary posted without her knowledge or consent - in the chaotic aftermath of a mass layoff - had been silently and seriously undermining her career progression. By methodically rebuilding her owned digital presence and addressing third-party content at the platform level, she entered the hiring market with a Page 1 that reflected her actual calibre and career record. Her next role represented a significant step up in both seniority and compensation.
We work with job seekers facing exactly this kind of exposure. This was resolved through the same online reputation management engagement described here.
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