Glassdoor released its 2022 "Best Places to Work" list on Wednesday. The verdict: Tech companies ruled the rankings. Chip giant Nvidia topped the list, and a total of 40 tech companies ranked in the top 100 best places to work among large U.S. companies. This is up from 28 tech companies in 2021.
Glassdoor compiles its "Best Places to Work" list via its own algorithm, taking into consideration the consistency and quality of employee reviews submitted. As the pandemic wears on, workers report that tech companies continue to excel when it comes to offering flexibility and positive employee experiences, said Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao. A large number of tech companies have continued to allow employees to work from home either full-time or part-time, something Glassdoor heard from employees is a highly valued benefit.
“What we've seen on Glassdoor is that discussions of burnout have more than doubled over the course of the pandemic, and so that priority on employee experience has really shone through,” he told Protocol.
Even though tech companies are leading the list of the best large companies, those on top might not be the companies you expect. Some of the former heavy-hitters have fallen in Glassdoor’s rankings this year. Meta dropped to No. 47, its lowest ranking on the "Best Places to Work" list since first appearing in 2011. The company notably experienced a 600% increase in 1-star reviews over a fourth-month period on Glassdoor in the U.S. last year. Zoom also fell in the rankings this year. The videoconferencing platform is now listed at No. 100 after ranking at 22 last year.
While Zhao said this year was more competitive than ever, it’s also about how employers have responded to the uncertainty of the past year.
“I think this to some extent, it's about how companies actually respond to quick changing times, which especially in today's environment is particularly important,” Zhao said. He offered Nvidia as an example. Though the company is a graphics chipmaker and there has been a global chip shortage, Nvidia has been able to manage the crisis in a way that makes employees feel both satisfied and looped in on the conversation.
“They understand what's going on, and they feel empowered to actually address the problems that the company is facing today,” he said.
Companies like Meta and Zoom have also been bumped down by more unexpected tech-adjacent companies. These are the companies nestled within other industries that have integrated more innovative technology within their work practices. Zhao uses real estate company eXp Realty as an example. The company, which is ranked No. 4 on the list this year, has a fully remote workforce and was an early adopter of the metaverse for the workplace. The company has a virtual platform for employees to interact with each other and was well-positioned for remote work when the pandemic hit.
Overall, the top companies were the ones that proved to employees they could be both nimble and flexible. “That flexibility has been critical during the pandemic, as leaders need to respond to the quick-changing environment that we're in today,” Zhao said.
