A company’s workforce is perhaps its most valuable asset, and no one knows more about a workplace than its employees. Employee opinions reflect basic measures, such as pay, perks, benefits, and hours worked. But they are also influenced by factors such as a company’s culture, work-life balance, and leadership — intangibles that can be lost in internal audits and consultancy surveys.
While companies have websites, public relations teams, and recruiters to tailor their message to prospective hires, employees have far fewer forums to communicate their views. Glassdoor.com, a career community website, provides the opportunity for employees to give their own opinions, and for potential employees to research the company. To identify the 54 Best Companies to Work For, 24/7 Wall St. examined reviews from current and former employees on Glassdoor.com.
The best companies to work for were concentrated in particular industries. For example, technology companies are well represented among the highest-rated employers, as are consulting firms. Of the 54 best companies, only nine received an average rating of 4.0 or higher on a scale of 1.0 to 5.0. Of these, five are in the technology space — Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD), Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE), and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). Several consulting firms also made the list. Seven out of the 54 best companies provided consulting services, including the Big Four auditing firms — EY, Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG.
The high pay associated with the technology and consultancy industries may also explain the relatively high worker satisfaction. Not only are software engineers and consultants some of the highest-paid individuals in the workforce, but employees at companies on this list tend to be paid more than similar professionals at other companies. According to a report from Glassdoor, just 10% of Glassdoor users who reported annual wages higher than $120,000 gave their employers a rating of 1 out of 5 versus 15% of employees earning less than $30,000 annually.
However, controlling for a range of other factors, the report found money does not have a very large impact on satisfaction. An employee’s experience with a company’s culture and values are far more important.
Being a market leader also appears to help. Many well-reviewed companies are the leaders in their respective industries, and as a result are financially successful. Apple, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), and Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) are all among the top-rated employers on Glassdoor.com and among the largest public companies in the world by revenue.
While ensuring a positive workplace experience seems to have paid off for many of these companies, a satisfied workforce does not guarantee financial success. A number of the 54 best companies to work for reported year-over-year revenue declines. T-Mobile recorded a net loss of $7.3 billion in its fiscal 2012, and made less than $250 million in profits in each of the two subsequent years. This may mean some of these companies are especially good at managing workforce morale. Or, the conditions that led to the declines will eventually undermine employee satisfaction.
Not surprisingly, satisfied employees also tend to approve of their CEOs. It would seem leadership matters, not just for running a company and producing returns for shareholders, but also for promoting employee satisfaction. Among the 54 best companies to work for, 34 have CEOs with an approval rating of 90% or higher. In all, just three CEOs have an approval rating below 80%, and all have the endorsement of at least two-thirds of their employees. By contrast, the average CEO approval rating on Glassdoor.com was 68%.
In order to determine America’s best companies to work for, 24/7 Wall St. independently reviewed employee ratings and testimonials on Glassdoor.com. Among the more than 200 companies reviewed, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 54 businesses that received the highest overall scores. Employee satisfaction is measured by Glassdoor.com on a scale of 1.0 through 5.0, where 1.0 is very dissatisfied and 5.0 is very satisfied. The average company rating on glassdoor is a 3.2. To be considered, a company had to have at least 1,000 reviews, with an average of 3.6 or higher.
Employers were also excluded if they were a government agency or bureau, a non-profit, or a subsidiary of a company. Employee totals and revenue figures are from the most recent fiscal year available. Sources include company documents and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings. For companies that do not provide data, Forbes estimates were used. For companies reporting revenues in foreign currencies, we converted revenue into dollars based on the effective exchange rate at the end of the company’s fiscal year.
These are the best companies to work for, according to 24/7 Wall St.
> Glassdoor rating: 3.9
> Number of reviews: 1,300
> CEO approval rating: 94% (Dan T. Cathy)
> Employees: > 1,000
> Industry: Fast food
> Revenue: $5.8 billion
Chick-fil-A is the only company in the restaurant industry to make the list of best places to work. On Glassdoor.com, employees praised the restaurant for its friendly workplace environment and flexible scheduling to accommodate other employee obligations. Another common sentiment among satisfied employees was one that the chain’s customers can likely relate too. To quote one employee review, “Free food was always the highlight of my day.” The relatively satisfied employees likely helped improve customer service at Chick-fil-A. This year, the company joined the ranks of 24/7 Wall St.’s Customer Service Hall of Fame.
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0
> Number of reviews: 1,300
> CEO approval rating: 96% (Mark G. Parker)
> Employees: 62,600
> Industry: Apparel footwear & accessories
> Revenue: $30.6 billion
The fact that the world’s largest sneaker manufacturer has some of the most satisfied employees may be surprising to some. At one point, the company had a reputation for using badly-treated sweatshop laborers in southeast Asia, but since Nike (NYSE: NKE) appears to have shed that reputation. Regardless, company reviews on Glassdoor.com were primarily by U.S. employees, who appear to like their jobs and the company’s leadership. All but 4% of Nike’s reviewers said they approved of CEO Mark Parker. A large share of the respondents mentioned a highly exciting and enjoyable work environment. Also, many respondents were Nike customers themselves and enjoyed the free gear they received as one of the perks.
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0
> Number of reviews: 5,400
> CEO approval rating: 95% (Tim Cook)
> Employees: 97,000
> Industry: Electronic equipment
> Revenue: $182.8 billion
Apple is one of the largest companies in the world by revenue. The company reported $182.8 billion in revenue in its fiscal 2014, up substantially from the previous year. The iPhone maker employs roughly 97,000 people worldwide, including around 4,400 temporary and seasonal workers. In the United States, employee wages range from as low as $13 per hour for Mac specialists, to $122,000 a year for software engineers. This was about 35% higher than the national average salary for software engineers. On the whole, Apple employees are very satisfied with the work environment and treatment from upper management. Satisfied workers reported great benefits and opportunities for advancement, although a lack of work-life balance was a common complaint. The employee discount was also frequently listed as a positive feature of Apple employment.
> Glassdoor rating: 4.1
> Number of reviews: 1,400
> CEO approval rating: 90% (Shantanu Narayen)
> Employees: 12,499
> Industry: Application software
> Revenue: $4.1 billion
Many studies show that well-paid employees are often more satisfied, which may be the reason software company Adobe scores so well in worker happiness. Computer scientists, the most common position to rate the experience of working at the San Jose-based company, earn an average base annual salary of $120,000, roughly $10,000 higher than the average national salary for that position. In general, employees who expressed their approval of the company said they truly enjoyed the culture and work-life balance Adobe had to offer. Many also spoke in praise of the perks offered. One senior computer scientist said, “Phenomenal benefits — from the health plans, to flexible vacation policy, and set company breaks.”
> Glassdoor rating: 4.1
> Number of reviews: 1,300
> CEO approval rating: 97% (Dara Khosrowshahi)
> Employees: 18,210
> Industry: Travel
> Revenue: $5.8 billion
Online travel company Expedia employs more than 18,000 people in more than 30 countries. Expedia runs Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, and a number of other travel websites. The holding company purchased Travelocity in January and will likely acquire competitor Orbitz in a $1.6 billion deal widely expected to be approved by antitrust regulators. As might be expected of a vacation and online travel company, Expedia employees have access to travel benefits, which were among the most cited perks in positive reviews of the company.
> Glassdoor rating: 4.2
> Number of reviews: 1,300
> CEO approval rating: 97% (Dominic Barton)
> Employees: 17,000
> Industry: Business services & supplies
> Revenue: $8.0 billion
McKinsey & Company describes itself as “a global management consulting firm that serves leading businesses, governments, non governmental organizations, and not-for-profits.” The vast majority of reviewers working for the consulting firm are happy to be there. A typical management consultant associate with McKinsey makes about $162,800 annually, slightly more than the national average of $156,800 for similar positions at other companies. While higher salaries help improve employee satisfaction, many reviewers praised McKinsey for being an excellent place to learn and develop skills through challenging work that will serve them for their entire career.
> Glassdoor rating: 4.4
> Number of reviews: 3,800
> CEO approval rating: 96% (Larry Page)
> Employees: 53,600
> Industry: Internet information providers
> Revenue: $66.0 billion
Google is famous for its employee perks. The company not only offers health and retirement benefits, but also travel insurance, legal aid, and education reimbursement, to name a few. However, employees noted some concerns, including how hard it was to get promoted and how large the company felt at times. Google is also one of a number of technology companies criticized for the lack of diversity in its hiring.
Still, Google employees are on the whole well compensated and very satisfied. The average annual salary of a software engineer at Google is $127,664, well above the national average of $90,374 for the same job and one of the highest compared to other companies.
> Glassdoor rating: 4.5
> Number of reviews: 2,600
> CEO approval rating: 95% (Glenn Johnson)
> Employees: 11,561
> Industry: Staffing
> Revenue: $918.4 million
Like many of the best companies to work for, Insight Global operates in the information technology industry. The company recently relocated its offices to Silicon Valley in San Jose, California. While the company continues to profit from strong tech sector growth, it does not manufacture computer components and therefore employs relatively few traditionally highly-paid software engineers. In fact, some employees at Insight Global reported relatively low pay. For example, the average annual salary of a recruiter at the company is $35,245, about 31% lower than the national average recruiter salary. Nonetheless, Insight Global workers are among the most satisfied. The company was frequently praised for its professional work environment. Current and former employees also cited available and fair advancement opportunities.
> Glassdoor rating: 4.5
> Number of reviews: 1,100
> CEO approval rating: 99% (Jeff Weiner)
> Employees: 6,900
> Industry: Internet information providers
> Revenue: $2.2 billion
Launched in 2003, LinkedIn describes itself as the “world’s largest professional network.” Based on employee reviews on Glassdoor.com, it is also one of the best places to work. More than 90% of reviewers said they would recommend a job with the company to a friend, and nearly 100% approve of CEO Jeff Weiner. Competitive salaries, smart co-workers, and great benefits were frequently mentioned in positive reviews. The base annual salary of $133,000 for a software engineer at LinkedIn is 47% higher than the national average salary of $90,374 for software engineers. One common complaint among dissatisfied workers, however, was lack of a work-life balance — evidence that even the best companies are not perfect.
> Glassdoor rating: 4.5
> Number of reviews: 1,100
> CEO approval rating: 94% (Mark Zuckerberg)
> Employees: 10,082
> Industry: Internet information providers
> Revenue: $12.5 billion
Based on employee feedback on Glassdoor.com, Facebook is tied as the best company to work for in 2015. The company received an average review of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Also, nine out of 10 employees said they would recommend working at the company to a friend. Employees who think highly of the company cited good pay and benefits and a fast-paced work environment. Facebook also offers generous perks, such as laundry service, free gourmet meals, and gym access. Facebook employees also approved of management policies. One review echoed a common sentiment, advising management to “keep doing what you are doing, putting people first…and treating your employees with great care and kindness.”
Employee satisfaction is important to a company’s success and Facebook’s performance in the stock market has reflected as much. Since its IPO price in May 2012 of $38 a share, the tech giant‘s shares have more than doubled and now trade around $94.