The 11 top American companies to work for
America's workers have crowned a new employer as the best place to work, although it may not be a household name to most consumers.
Consulting firm Bain & Co. has climbed to the top of employment site Glassdoor's annual ranking of America's top employers, dethroning vacation rental site Airbnb from its perch. Bain & Co. may be best known as the early stomping grounds of former U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who ran its private equity unit, Bain Capital.
Many of the top-ranked organizations may not be easy places to work -- some are firms that require long hours and total commitment from their employees . Yet they share some things in common, such as an emphasis on building a strong company culture and accessible leadership. How eager employees are to come to work can make a difference in the bottom line, with recent research finding a link between employee satisfaction and an employer's financial performance.
Research from Glassdoor chief economist Andrew Chamberlain has found that the companies that made the cut outperformed the market. An investor who bought an equally-weighted portfolio of companies on the firm's "best places to work" list between 2009 to 2014 would have returned an average of 21.3 percent, compared with 14.1 percent for the S&P 500 index.
The top-ranked companies include "a lot of big name companies that are really high in demand in terms of getting jobs," said Glassdoor spokeswoman Allison Berry. "But they are also fighting for the best talent, looking for data scientists and software engineers."
While many of the top-rated firms are in high-tech, a number of old-school companies made Glassdoor's ranking of the 50 best companies to work for, suggesting that lavish perks such as Google's free massages and "micro kitchens" may not be the end-all and be-all of a happy workplace.
Airbnb, which topped Glassdoor's list last year, has slipped to No. 25 in the latest rankings. "One thing to keep in mind is they are still very highly rated on Glassdoor, but the things we're seeing among employees, which is common for pre-IPO tech companies going though growth, is it's harder to achieve work-life balance, and accessibility of leadership is a little more difficult," Berry said.
Glassdoor based its ratings on employee reviews posted on the site between November 2015 and October 2016, with each company receiving at least 75 reviews during that time. Ratings are based on a five-point scale, with five being the highest. Read on to learn about the 11 best U.S. companies to work for.
11. McKinsey & Co. (4.3)
Consulting company McKinsey is known as one of the country's most influential consulting firms, hired to solve problems for businesses ranging from Procter & Gamble to Apple. It's also a breeding ground for top corporate CEOs, with The New York Times noting that more than 500 current and former Fortune 500 CEOs once worked at the firm.
Employees give the firm high marks for interesting work, excellent support staff and the "smartest people," according to one Glassdoor reviewer. A typical management consultant associate earns an average annual salary of about $162,000, according to the employment site.
10. Power Home Remodeling (4.3)
Based in Chester, Pennsylvania, Power Home Remodeling specializes in helping homeowners upgrade their properties with energy-saving tweaks, such as new windows and roofing.
Employees praise the company for its "friendly and inclusive" culture, as well as its career opportunities. Remodeling consultants earn about $31,000 per year, according to the employment site.
9. Adobe (4.3)
A digital media company, Adobe is probably best known for its software programs like Adobe Reader and the Adobe Creative Cloud.
The San Jose, California-based company receives kudos from employees for its benefits, culture and open atmosphere. The typical computer scientist earns about $120,000 annually, while software engineers make about $104,000 per year, Glassdoor notes.
8. LinkedIn (4.4)
The social network for professionals isn't only catnip to employees -- Software giant Microsoft (MSFT) agreed to buy LinkedIn (LNKD) earlier this year for a whopping $26.2 billion.
LinkedIn employees rave about the company's culture and perks, such as money to help pay for dog walkers and free lunches. Software engineers earn about $132,000 a year, while account executives are paid about $89,000 per year, according to Glassdoor data.
7. In-N-Out Burger (4.4)
This West Coast cult burger chain, the only restaurant to make the top 11 companies to work for, is praised by employees for its friendly work culture and positive atmosphere.
Still, it's unlikely that In-N-Out will expand to the East Coast, according to Business Insider, which notes that the family-owned business doesn't franchise its outlets. It also serves only fresh food, which means the company's restaurants needs to be close to its distribution facilities.
The typical In-N-Out Burger worker earns $12.01 an hour, or above the $8.31 hourly rate earned on average by McDonald's employees, according to Glassdoor.
6. Fast Enterprises (4.4)
Centennial, Colorado-based Fast Enterprises, which develops and installs software for government agencies, is highly rated for its team-building efforts, good benefits and meaningful work.
Implementation consultants earn about $86,000 per year, while training coordinators pull in about $67,000 annually, according to Glassdoor.
5. World Wide Technology (4.4)
Founded in 1990, World Wide Technology works in systems integration, or linking computer systems together. The business was in the news recently because of its co-founder David Steward, who last month met with President-elect Donald Trump in what the company said was an "introductory" conversation. That prompted speculation that Steward might be considered for a position with Trump's administration.
As for employees at World Wide Technology, they praise its benefits and work-life balance. Senior network engineers earn about $123,767 annually, while project managers make about $81,000 each year.
4. Google (4.4)
Google (GOOG) hires only a fraction of the many applications it receives. It may be no surprise that the Internet giant has a stringent hiring process, although Google has moved away from the brain teasers it was once famous for, such as "How many golf balls would fit inside a 747?"
"Smart people, data-driven decisions and culture, a mission I can feel good about when I go to sleep every night. This is as good as it gets," one employee wrote in a Glassdoor review.
The typical software engineer earns $127,000 per year, while account managers are paid about $78,000 annually.
3. Boston Consulting Group (4.4)
The management consulting company Boston Consulting Group is known for its tough interviews, as well as giving many corporate executives their start, including PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi.
"Great career progression, opportunity to learn, collaborative culture, very smart teams, great benefits," one employee wrote in a review.
Consultants make about $145,000 per year, while project leaders pull in about $177,000 annually, according to Glassdoor data.
2. Facebook (4.5)
Created by Mark Zuckerberg while he was a Harvard student in 2004, Facebook (FB) now boasts more than 15,000 employees and almost 1.2 billion daily active users of its site. But as social media company has grown, it's also courted controversy, such as its role in spreading fake news during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Still, employees generally feel positive about working for Facebook, praising its open culture and perks. The typical software engineer earns about $126,000 per year, while research scientists make about $138,000 annually.
1. Bain & Co. (4.6)
Founded in 1973 by former partners from the Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Co. is known for its secrecy and tough hiring process. Only about one out of 10 MBA candidates who apply to Bain get hired, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Former employees include Mitt Romney and Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman. Current employees praise the company's "engaging and challenging work," as well as its benefits and culture, although some note the the environment can be stressful and require long hours.
A consultant earns about $138,000 per year on average, while support staff such as executive assistants earn about $67,000 annually, according to Glassdoor data.
Best of the rest
Below are the rest of the top companies to work for, from No. 12 through 50, based on Glassdoor's rankings.
12. Clorox
13. Nestle Purina
14. Paylocity
15. SAP
16. MathWorks
17. Salesforce
18. Forrester
19. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
20. Intuit
21. Delta Air Lines
22. Memorial Sloan Kettering
23. DocuSign
24. Concur
25. Akamai
26. Johnson & Johnson
27. H E B
28. Southwest Airlines
29. Zillow
30. NVIDIA
31. Keller Williams
32. Genentech
33. Trader Joe's
34. Costco Wholesale
35. Airbnb
36. Apple
37. Microsoft
38. lululemon
39. FedEx Freight
40. Space Exploration Technologies
41. BASF Corp.
42. Texas Instruments
43. Raising Cane's
44. Mayo Clinic
45. Ikea
46. Aegis Living
47. E. & J. Gallo Winery
48. QuikTrip
49. Gensler
50. Wegmans Food Market