Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to identify which organizations are best liked by their employees. The survey was extensive, asking 80,000 employees of U.S. companies with 500 or more employees.
The results were surprising. For example, the three best-liked employers in California are:
- Delta Air Lines
- In-N-Out Burger
- Costco Wholesale
What about high-profile employers like Google, Apple, and Netflix, etc. Only one of the top three is even headquartered in California.
Could there be a flaw in how the data was collected? Not likely reading the description of the data collection process:
“All the surveys were anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions. The respondents were asked to rate their employers on a variety of criteria, including safety of work environment, competitiveness of compensation, opportunities for advancement and openness to telecommuting. Statista then asked respondents how likely they’d be to recommend their employer to others, and to nominate organizations in industries outside their own. The final list ranks the 1,461 employers that received the greatest number of recommendations in each of the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia.”
So, what do the results mean? I believe the value of this ranking is limited. For example, if you had job offers from Google and In-N-Out Burger, this ranking might not help to make your decision. The list may not be helpful for direct comparison purposes.
Where the ranking can be useful
If you are job-hunting and looking for good employers, this ranking could be used like a referral. If you work in Human Resources for one of these organizations, it says that you are doing something right because your employees like your company.
Here is a link to the survey: https://www.forbes.com/best-employers-by-state