Facebook Tops List of Best Places to Work, Survey Says

Americans' notions of the ideal workplace are changing as employees push for greater transparency into how they are compensated and where the top bosses stand on social and political matters.

Companies that workers consider more upfront about those concerns -- such as Facebook Inc., Alphabet Inc.'s Google and World Wide Technology Inc. -- were rated by current and former employees among the best places to work in 2018, according to the 10th annual ranking compiled by career website Glassdoor Inc.

Consulting firms Bain & Company and Boston Consulting Group also topped this year's list, which draws from millions of anonymous reviews left on the website rating staffers' career opportunities and compensation, their views on the chief executive officer's performance, the firm's culture and values and other job factors.

As the job market tightens, and employers grow increasingly concerned about their ability to attract and retain talent, many are trying to find the right mix of perks and benefits to offer employees, human resources experts say.

Companies that top Glassdoor's list seem to have cracked that code. Common themes emerge from employees' posts about those employers, including that they feel valued, they believe they are doing challenging work that delivers impact, and that there are opportunities for advancement. Employees also said leaders at these companies openly discuss big decisions about the firm's strategy and goals.

"Ten years ago, employees largely relied on reputation" to determine whether to work for a company, says Scott Dobroski, head of Glassdoor's awards program. Job seekers today have access to more information about the day-to-day experiences of a company's workforce through social media, as well as the values and interests of its executives.

When Shirley Ai was a senior at Harvard University in 2014, she said she weighed a job offer from Facebook against positions she was interviewing for with smaller tech companies. She chose Facebook and is now a software technical program manager on its Oculus virtual reality team.

"The main thing I was looking for was whether my values resonated with the mission of the company, and if I cared about the same thing the company seemed to care about," says Ms. Ai.

But even the best places to work have drawbacks. Reviewers commonly cited concerns about work-life balance inside tech and consulting companies, due to long hours and unnecessary meetings, says Mr. Dobroski.

Write to Kelsey Gee at kelsey.gee@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 06, 2017 10:14 ET (15:14 GMT)