Why the percentage sticks
Glassdoor calculates CEO approval from recommend/approve responses tied to reviews mentioning leadership. A vicious "cons" section about the CEO weighs heavily even when the overall company rating is decent.
Search engines display CEO approval in snippets. Investors and journalists cite it. It's a blunt instrument that doesn't distinguish between a thousand honest responses and three coordinated attacks.
The reviews we targeted
Four reviews attributed CEO misconduct during dates the CEO was on medical leave — provable through public filings and press releases. Two others came from accounts that reviewed twelve companies negatively in one week. Classic drive-by pattern.
We filed CEO-specific disputes citing false statements of fact about the executive, not generic culture complaints. Glassdoor treats leadership allegations as higher scrutiny when backed by documentation.
Score recovery timeline
Removal of three reviews didn't instantly reset the percentage. Glassdoor recalculates on a rolling basis. The score climbed from 38% to 52% in three months, then 71% after eight months as legitimate positive reviews accumulated.
Executive ratings need both removal and time. Our Glassdoor Review Removal team sets realistic recovery curves so boards don't expect overnight fixes.