It’s Valentine’s Day. Romance is in the air.

People are going on first dates, hoping to make a good impression.

And somewhere, someone is about to learn a painful truth.

Because nothing stings quite like finding out the other person wasn’t that into you.

You thought the date went well.

But then you hear they’ve been telling their mates:

“Bit awkward. Talked about themselves a lot. Didn’t feel quite right. I got the ick.”

Ouch.

Now, you’ve got options.

You could text them, explain you’re actually really fun once people get to know you.

You could ask a mate to casually mention what a great catch you are.

You could even get your mum to write a glowing review:

“My child is a delight. Any partner would be lucky to have them.”

But would any of that work?

No.

Because you can’t make someone like you.

You can only take the feedback, work on yourself, and do better next time.

B&M Just Got Dumped

B&M, the discount retailer, just learned this the hard way.

At the end of the year they got caught trying to boost their Glassdoor rating.

Glassdoor flagged their page, warning job seekers that reviews might have been manipulated.

Now, B&M deny wrongdoing. They say they have a zero-tolerance policy for fake reviews.

But let’s be honest. Even having that conversation is a bad look.

Because what does it tell employees?

That instead of fixing what’s wrong, leadership cares more about looking good than being good.

That they don’t actually want feedback. They want flattery.

That their instinct, when faced with criticism, is to cover it up.

That’s not a company people want to work for.

That’s a desperate date texting, “Please give me another chance.”

And nothing kills attraction faster than desperation.

Glassdoor Isn’t That Important. But We Still Care.

Most people don’t check Glassdoor before applying for a job.

A bad review here or there won’t stop you hiring.

And yet, companies obsess over it.

Why?

Because no one likes hearing they’re not liked.

It’s human.

The problem isn’t caring. The problem is caring about the wrong thing.

Bad Glassdoor reviews aren’t the problem. They’re the symptom.

The problem is whatever’s making employees unhappy in the first place.

So instead of trying to fix the rating, fix the reason the rating is low.

What To Do Instead

If you find out someone doesn’t like you, you can’t talk them into changing their mind. You can’t rewrite the date in their head. You can’t explain the joke they didn’t get. You can’t make them see you differently just because you want them to.

The only thing you can do is listen. Maybe there’s something in what they said. Maybe you do talk about yourself too much. Maybe you weren’t as funny as you thought. Maybe they just weren’t your type, and that’s fine too.

It’s the same for companies.

If employees keep saying management is bad, or the culture is toxic, or the pay is too low, there’s probably a reason. You don’t fix that by asking people to say nicer things. You fix it by being better. Not overnight. Not in a way that looks good on paper but changes nothing underneath. You fix it properly, for the long term.

And if you do, the right people will see it.

Because no one likes a try-hard.

Not in dating.

Not in employer branding.

Not anywhere.