It’s no secret that the tech industry is having a tough time. Apparently, so are its employees.
Google and Microsoft saw their rankings sink on Glassdoor’s list of the top 100 companies to work in 2024. Google’s ranking plummeted from No. 8 to No. 26, while Microsoft’s fell less dramatically from No. 13 to No. 18. And for the second year in a row, other big tech companies Meta, Zillow, and Zoom didn’t make the list at all.
Glassdoor’s annual Best Places to Work ranking compiles the top companies in the UK and US with 1,000 or more workers based on employee feedback through its platform. Its 2024 rankings were released Wednesday (Jan. 10).
The 2024 list followed a similar tune to last year’s. More tech companies dropped off the rankings. Gainsight and Box—the top two employers of 2023 noted for their “passionate” leadership and “clear metrics” to help workers advance their careers—were nowhere to be found. In fact, only 31 tech companies made the list, compared to 41 the prior year.
Why? It seems that the tech industry’s broader struggles are having real impacts on how employees feel about their companies.
Tech companies across the globe laid off more than 260,000 employees last year alone, according to online tracker layoffs.fyi. In the first nine days of 2024, companies in the sector have already laid off more than 2,000 workers.
“Even for large companies that have traditionally been stable, we heard employees were increasingly concerned about their employers’ business outlook,” Glassdoor’s lead economist, Daniel Zhao, told Quartz via email.
Indeed, the biggest cons for Google, Meta, Zoom, and Zillow employees included recent layoffs affecting morale, long hours, and bad management, according to their reviews on Glassdoor. Google, Meta, and X (formerly known as Twitter) also scaled back employee perks last year.
💪 Strong contenders: Apple and NVIDIA
Some tech companies have defied the odds. Apple, which had significantly fewer layoffs than other tech giants this year, rejoined the list at No. 39 after not making the cut in 2023. Chipmaker NVIDIA ranked impressively well at No. 2, praised by employee reviewers for its “passionate” and “smart” people, “great culture,” and “good benefits.”
Though tech has “lost some of its luster,” according to Zhao, he notes that it’s still well-represented on Glassdoor’s list.
🍔 One surprising discovery: In-N-Out
In-N-Out Burger, very much not a tech company, has consistently ranked as one of the best places to work since 2015, frequently breaking the top 10. Meanwhile, rival fast-food companies aren’t represented at all. Workers say they like the pay, benefits, people, flexible hours, and free meals.