You’re comparing a) word of mouth that might spread across parts of a company, maybe a little further, impacting you when you apply for a job, to b) a nationwid

You’re comparing a) word of mouth that might spread across parts of a company, maybe a little further, impacting you when you apply for a job, to b) a nationwide, government-run system that will be involved in a wide variety of life situations. A) and b) are of wildly different scope, formality, import.