Dive Brief:
- The best workplaces in technology are those that foster inclusiveness and allow workers to be themselves, according to Great Place to Work and FORTUNE's "Best Workplaces in Technology" list. The 2018 Best Workplaces in Technology list showcases tech companies whose cultures makes workers feel accepted, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability or position.
- Great Place to Work polled 79,000 employees throughout the tech industry on more than 50 workplace traits, including trust in management, camaraderie, fairness pay and innovation. At the top of the large company list are Ultimate Software, Workday, Inc., Salesforce, World Wide Technology, Inc., and SAP America, Inc.
- According to Great Place to Work, employees at best tech companies are six times more likely to recruit friends for their employers. These workplaces also have half the voluntary turnover that their competitors do, the reports says.
Dive Insight:
Absent from the list of best tech companies are some of the biggest names in the industry — Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Qualcomm and others. Interestingly, some of those, like Google and Microsoft, have been been facing age and sex discrimination claims in recent months. Salesforce, however, made the list; the San Francisco-based cloud CRM provider made headlines recently when it shelled out a total of $6 million to close the gender pay gap in its workforce.
The bottom-line advantages of inclusiveness alone could be enough for employers to diversify their staff: A new NC State study found a causal link between diversity and innovation. Other studies have shown that inclusivity efforts bring a good return on investment.
As the list of best tech firms shows, the "one size fits all" approach to recruiting, hiring and retention may not value differences, which an inclusive workplace requires. Many have turned to employee resource groups and alternative forms of feedback to take the pulse of their work populations. Employers, both tech and non-tech, can look to the top tech companies to see what building and maintaining a culture of inclusiveness entails.
