Glassdoor’s annual ranking of the best places to work in the U.S. is based solely on employee reviews. The list focuses on the strength and ingenuity of each company’s culture and management, and provides a comprehensive list of company pros and cons, benefits, salaries and special features that set them apart.
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While this list highlights a diverse range of industries, including tech, finance and fast-food, it is clear that many entrants share a number of common characteristics related to culture, office design and more. For a facility manager that hopes to improve their own practices, there is a lot to learn from those included on the list.
Having an incredible work place doesn’t just mean that they offer top-notch resources and equipment (which, of course, they do), but that the offices themselves are innovatively and intuitively designed and laid out. These companies prioritize natural light, unique furnishings, communal spaces and artistic features in an effort to create an office that more closely resembles a community than a working space.
Many of the companies that make up Glassdoor’s top 100 have designed a floor plan that not only maximizes their employees’ productivity, but their happiness too. By implementing certain design philosophies or aspects of feng shui, they’ve improved the overall layout and resulting energy of the office. Many of these companies employ open concepts and insist that different departments sit with one another—an attitude that contributes towards a culture of inclusivity.
Facebook has secured the top spot on Glassdoor’s list for the third time in eight years, and for good reason.
Their office boasts an artist-in-residence program, offers a rooftop garden and adjustable desks—an effort to promote employee wellness—and prioritizes an open design that fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Of course, it is not possible for all offices to incorporate such an extensive list of features, but by consciously designing your office with employee well-being in mind, you will be able to cultivate a positive and enthusiastic culture of people who genuinely care about their employer.
In one way or another, the companies that make up Glassdoor’s top 100 all offer some form of employee perks. This trend was popularized by the tech community but has since made its way into all sorts of other industries. These days, when you wander into the offices of any innovative and culturally rich company, it’s typical you’ll find kitchens stocked with food, artisanal coffee and craft beer served straight from the keg.
For FMs introducing this kind of perk-program, it begins with coordinating with your CEO, HR manager or culture committee to find out what budget is available, and what sort of provisions you’re company would care to provide. Once the details have been set, FMs can schedule drop offs of supplies via a delivery company.
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But to crack the upper echelon of Glassdoor’s top 100, companies need to do more than just provide a bite to eat. With all the snacks being served, it only makes sense that these employers also offer up a place to break a sweat. Lululemon, which was awarded sixth place, promotes mental and physical well-being with an on-site yoga studio and gym. Employees can work out at their leisure and rid themselves of any personal or professional stress. This trend is becoming common in modern corporate culture, with FMs freeing up available space to be converted for recreational use.
If imitation is the highest form of flattery, FMs should make every effort to replicate the formula perfected by these 100 companies. By borrowing their philosophies and ways of doing business, you put yourself and your company in a position to succeed both financially and culturally.
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