Apple Inc. has made a remarkable resurgence, clinching a coveted spot among the 100 best workplaces in the United States. Despite falling off the list last year, the tech giant secured the 39th spot in Glassdoor’s annual ranking, known for its compilation of anonymous employee reviews. This development emerges amidst a shifting landscape in the tech industry that saw fewer tech entities on the list this year.
The Glassdoor list, curated since 2009, highlighted 31 tech-based companies, down from 41 in the previous year, allowing more representation for traditional industry players like banks, retailers, and manufacturers. Topping the chart was management consultancy Bain & Co., trailed closely by chipmaker Nvidia Corp., whose innovations bolster the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence.
Glassdoor’s lead economist, Daniel Zhao, observed a slight waning of appeal in the tech sector, noting, “Tech has lost some of its luster versus the past year. It’s still a great industry for jobseekers, but the shine has worn off to some extent. And the companies making a comeback, they’re the old guard, so it suggests we’re heading back to a more balanced job market.”
Apple’s reentry into this prestigious list follows its efforts to encourage employees’ return to office in 2022. While this might have contributed to its exclusion last year, the company’s comparatively restrained approach to large-scale layoffs in contrast to its counterparts likely played a role in its resurgence. Zhao pointed out that employees place a premium on “stability and security,” factors that could have worked in Apple’s favor. Additionally, the company’s robust performance in the market, marked by a 48% surge in its shares last year, probably bolstered employee satisfaction.
Among other prominent tech firms securing spots on the list were Adobe Inc. at 15, Microsoft Corp. at 18, and Alphabet Inc.’s Google at 26. Conversely, companies like Salesforce Inc., Intel Corp., Netflix Inc., and Yahoo Inc. dropped off the rankings. In the finance domain, Fidelity Investments soared to the 10th spot from 18th the preceding year. New entrants in the financial sphere, such as Raymond James Financial at 14, Barclays Plc at 72, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. at 82, made their presence felt, while BlackRock Inc. didn’t make the cut after being listed in 2023.
Work-life balance witnessed a surge in significance among employees last year, evident from a fourfold increase in mentions of “anxiety” on Glassdoor’s community forums. Nevertheless, attributes like career advancement retained their prominence. Bain’s ascendancy to the top spot for the sixth time was propelled by its reputation for fostering career growth, Zhao highlighted. Bain and Google are the sole two entities to have featured on the list consistently every year.
With certain tech giants witnessing a decline — Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, missed inclusion for the second consecutive year — more companies from diverse sectors filled the void. The number of retail companies doubled to 10, with notable brands like Lululemon Athletica Inc. and HEB Grocery Co. making recurring appearances. Simultaneously, manufacturing firms doubled their representation to six companies, including industry players like Boston Scientific Corp., Cummins Inc., and Texas Instruments Inc.
Companies aiming for Glassdoor’s list must boast a workforce of over 1,000 employees and garner at least 75 employee ratings across nine workplace attributes. Notably, the rating threshold led to last year’s top-ranked Gainsight Inc. dropping off entirely due to an insufficient number of reviews, Zhao concluded.
