Programmers, engineers and IT staff are in-demand. The mission of the Tech Culture Awards is quite simple. We have surveyed and selected companies who are looking for the best and brightest tech talent and are willing to go the extra mile to provide what they believe is the ideal tech culture.
We realize no list can be perfect or fully complete because – work cultures are constantly changing and to survey and evaluate all potential applicants could take a century or more.
To narrow the field, in order to be eligible to win, organizations must fill out a detailed questionnaire and submit a processing fee. The form itself is self-selecting – meaning, you have a good sense if you are able to answer the questions in an impressive manner or not before you even apply.
Our team spent months pouring over these submissions, reviewing photos, cross-checking details where possible and assembling the detailed justification for why each company was selected.
We further poured over submissions and gave each a grade and summary while pulling out impact statements we feel are differentiators.
Our hope is to capture the spirit of each company’s commitment to building what they believe is the ideal tech culture and presenting it to you in a digestible format. Our biggest challenge was picking what not to share because so many applications were brimming with important differentiators.
After reading through the responses, what has become quite apparent is there are geographic and demographic variables which need to be taken into account. For example, free alcohol may be more attractive in specific age groups. Having a location in an expensive city may not be desirable for people who don’t want such an expensive home.
Likewise, having a location away from the city will be a turn-off to some people as well.
Based on feedback from our last award grading, in 2017, we have factoring in location more heavily into our grading. Europe for example may not be as competitive in financial and creature-comfort perks as Silicon Valley but it could be potentially more competitive in vacation time. Also, certain areas of the continent have three-year paternal and maternal leave.
The point is, you shouldn’t just look at the grade we give – read through the submissions to get a sense for yourself if each company fits your needs. Please keep in mind the perspective of the answers may vary from third-person – when we are interpreting their answers to first-person when we believe it’s best to not to edit. We feel these responses are what you would get if you were in an interview situation and asked the company specific work-culture questions.
The annual Tech Culture Awards have rapidly become the industry standard measure which separates the truly best environments worth being part of.
If your real-world experience agrees with what we’ve presented or differs, we want to know about it. Please respond in the comments below the entry.
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COMPANY NAME |
LOCATION |
GRADE |
SUMMARY |
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Washington, DC |
A- |
Stable organization, potential for leadership development training, solid community service record and advancement opportunities. |
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Toronto, ON, Canada |
A |
Solid work life balance, focus on internal hiring, tuition assistance, perks fun, solid collaboration tools, free drinks, in-house chef and thank you trip to Antigua. |
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Atlanta, GA |
A |
Located in up and coming tech hub, Atlanta. Over 10 medical plans. Solid longevity, brand new 2,300 square foot gym with great views of the city, lounges have huge TVs and holiday parties at the W. |
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San Francisco, CA |
A+ |
Join a company built to last, growing at a steady pace while offering solid benefits, above-average medical, standing-desks, amazing training and other competitive amenities. |
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Santa Clara, CA |
A- |
“Cohesians” get family trips to Hawaii and Mexico, no set office hours, happy hours, located in Silicon Valley, massages, wellness days and company lunch. |
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Oslo, Norway |
A |
Work in Europe at a company where teamwork is valued, a very flat hierarchical structure, solid collaboration tools and above-average worker retention. |
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Irvine, CA |
A |
High-profile company – helped link the DNC hack to Russia. Located in a mini tech-hub, the “City of Innovation,” Irvine, CA, just an hour away or so from Silicon Beach. Semi-annual meetings to determine company confidence-level, and teamwork assessment. Career ladder for engineers and others. Competitive benefits for company size and creative meeting places. |
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Harrisburg, PA |
A |
A well-respected employee-owned tech company, great training, incredible employee longevity, solid medical a focus on work/life balance, charitable causes and advancement from within. |
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San Mateo, CA |
A+ |
A culture which encourages growth and learning while focusing on charitable causes. About 95% annual retention rate. Snacks, catered lunch, a jovial work environment with a strong focus on family. |
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Oakville, ON, Canada |
A |
The benefits of working for a family business and a technology market leader in tracking/IoT. Salaries reviewed regularly to ensure they are competitive with market. Tuition reimbursement, satisfaction surveys. Strong community service programs. Public transit nearby while located near a hiking trail as well as restaurants, a gym, etc. |
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Baskingstoke, UK |
A |
Overwhelming evidence that this is an amazing work environment from turnover of 5%, great opportunities for travel, rapid growth, perks galore, work/life balance, charitable giving, advancement, training and benefits. |
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Scottsdale, AZ |
A |
Annual spirit day, work passionately to cultivate a culture of engagement, Nextiva Cares philanthropy arm, annual on-site health fair, training classes, 2000 meals given to those in need, “work hard, play hard” mentality, Employees receive custom Nextiva items on their annual “Nextiversaries.” Free weekly breakfast and lunch catered by local vendors and healthy snacks. Core values: agile, innovating, embrace failing as a part of the road to success. |
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Irvine, CA |
A |
Solid corporate vision, employee empowerment, open-door policy, focus on well-being, amazing longevity of 98% and good perks. |
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Boston, MA |
A |
Great perks and benefits, recognition with cash incentives, family-feel, room for advancement, 12 weeks maternity, solid collaboration tools and a non-nonsense place to work. “Continuous learning” is one of their core values and they are a pure meritocracy. |
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Greenville, SC |
A |
Employee empowerment and opinions valued, solid advancement opportunities, travel stipend, $15 million given to community, exotic meeting places, chicken wing eating competitions, tenure of over six years on average. |
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Denver, CO |
A+ |
Company is a leader in electronic communications “Gridders” are encouraged to fill out frequent engagement surveys and almost 100% do. Corporate culture driven by the 4H’s: Happy, Hungry, Humble and Honest. Lots of room for promotion, tuition reimbursement, many training opportunities and the opportunity to give anonymous feedback to management. Best of all, meal allotments at local restaurants and potato sack races on the beach! |
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Mississauga, ON, Canada |
A |
Innovative culture, focus on growth, innovation and fun, weekly Lunch & Learns, no co-pay, full family coverage, transparent and flat organization and room for advancement via hyper growth. Company wants you to be able to broaden your skillset: “An Android Developer today can be an iOS Developer tomorrow.” |
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Calgary, AB, Canada |
A |
“SPLICErs” are foodies, willing to help others, eager to learn, quick to adjust, risk-takers and looking to improve. They work in a friendly culture actively screening for workers who fit and want to be a part of an organization with great benefits, collaboration tools, training and perks. |
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Sarasota, FL |
A |
A fun and techie culture, solid employee recognition, trophies, awards and sales incentives with good perks and inventive meeting places. |
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New York, NY |
A |
Great access to CEO, company has own constitution, great collaboration connectivity, unlimited vacation days policy, good perks and fun and of course a relaxing lounge with an artificial fireplace. |
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Munich, Germany |
A- |
In-house academy for training. Awards program at “Teamevents” run like the “Oscars.” Paternal and Maternal leave (you can take up to 3 years in Germany paid). Creative meeting places such as Sardinia (try the Bottarga and Mirto) which some of the finest spas and food around. Monthly Q&A with the CEO. |
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New York, NY |
A |
Transparent culture, work/life balance brought from Norway, offices styled like apartments and the ability to “Be your own CEO.” Unlimited budget for buying books you think will advance the company and your career is just one example of their commitment to employee development. Medical benefits and unlimited vacation with 5 weeks’ minimum also modeled after Norway. Company founders founded Tidal – so music is an important part of the culture. |
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Concord, ON, Canada |
A |
Professional development courses, monthly CEO town hall, mandatory time away from office. Excellent medical benefits, financial assistance for parking and transportation. Employee run committees:
Employee empowerment and annual hackathon |
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Mountain View, CA |
A- |
Important player in fast-growing SD-WAN space. Rapid growth, open office environment, relaxation pockets in office, Friday happy hour, baseball, cooking, etc. |
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Santa Clara, CA |
A |
Great tech pedigree and a start-up culture which believes in cubes, not open spaces. Free lunches, charitable focus, importance placed on worker satisfaction, personal development, focus on speed in development and network transformation. |
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New York, NY |
A |
Benefits of working for a multinational company, focus on health, charity, worker development, training and recognizing top achievers. Core attributes are speed, simplicity, and trust. |
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Pittsburgh, PA |
A |
Monthly awards, free-lunch Fridays, pot luck parties, Fully stocked rec room, C.O.R.E. (cultivate, overcome, respect, evolve) Values. Scotch bar happy hour. Solid longevity, sponsored kickboxing and more. |