Tech firms top Glassdoor rankings despite year of controversy
Wed 6 Dec 2017
Happy tech staff have catapulted three big names to the top of the Glassdoor UK rankings, citing talent-filled workplaces.
Google, Facebook and Salesforce all found themselves in the top five in Glassdoor’s list of the 50 best places to work in the UK.
Employees can rate companies anonymously on Glassdoor, list pros and cons, whether they recommend the company, and their view of the CEO. Glassdoor is seen by many as a reliable indicator of workplace happiness because the people doing the rating remain unnamed.
Culture
Technology companies dominated the list, with Google once again placing top with a 4.5 rating. Facebook and Salesforce came fourth and fifth respectively, each with a 4.4 rating. The average score for companies on Glassdoor is 3.3.
Facebook and Google also found themselves in the top five in the U.S., with the social media giant hitting the top spot. Despite flag-waving for these companies on Glassdoor, there has been controversy over culture and sexism in Silicon Valley. James Damore was fired from his job at Google in August after sending out a controversial memo listing supposed differences between men and women.
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Microsoft and SAP placed on five different Glassdoor lists, in the UK, U.S., Canada, France and Germany, providing more evidence that tech firms are leading the way in employee happiness.
One pleased Googler described the company as one of the best in the world, noting a ‘sharing culture where everyone in different departments will work collaboratively.’ The reviewer also praised their workmates, calling them ‘excellent, bright, ambitious individuals.’
Facebook staff seem equally pleased, with a current worker arguing that everyone in the company is ‘driven by an absolute ambition to make the world a better a place.’ Another spoke of a high performance environment without too much pressure.
Robert Hohman, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder, said: “To help people find companies that stand out from the pack, the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards recognise employers that are truly best places to work because they’re determined by those who really know best – the employees.”
However, recruitment industry insiders have urged caution for those using Glassdoor. Bryonny Barton, head of product & technology at digital recruitment agency RedCat Digital, said: “Glassdoor is a powerful tool. It’s hard to tell the legitimate reviews versus the reviews that are left by employees that left on bad terms.
“It’s also natural for companies to retaliate to these negative reviews by asking their existing employees to leave a positive review. It’s an interesting argument as to how seriously Glassdoor should be taken, but it is a tool which people seem to take seriously when looking for a new job.”
