5th annual Tech Culture Award for 2020.
Programmers, engineers and IT staff are in-demand. The mission of these 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 cultures could take a century or more.
And of course, in a post-COVID world, maintaining a great culture is more complicated – as judging them.
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 submit an application.
Our editorial 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 gave each organization 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. Each year, our biggest challenge is picking what not to share because so many applications are 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. Then again, COVID and other factors could alter a worker’s feelings about living in a big city.
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 edit at all. We feel these responses are what you would get if you were in an interview situation and asked the company specific work-culture questions
In addition, we sometimes decided to exclude a section from one company or highlight the same section from another if we felt the answer added little additional value or great value respectively. In some cases confidentiality requests prevent us from sharing entire answers with you.
We feel the Tech Culture Award has become the industry standard measure which separates the truly best environments worth competing for.
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 each entry.
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COMPANY NAME |
LOCATION |
GRADE |
EDITOR’S SUMMARY |
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Campbell, CA |
A |
When we first visited 8×8 in the 1990s, they displayed numerous patents on the walls of their corporate HQ – showing off their commitment to innovation. They have never stopped innovating, making a legendary leap from a technology supplier to a cloud vendor around 18-years ago – way before it was fashionable. 8×8’s commitment to worker satisfaction is commendable – using a “Play to Win” system to recognize teams and peers for a job well done. In addition, the company is devoted to diversity, inclusion and giving back to the community via high school internships and other activities. We are further impressed by 8×8’s Chief People Officer, Amelia Generalis, who reminds employees that if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of others.
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Los Angeles, CA |
A |
In the many years of this award we have focused on tech companies as they generally the most concerned about tec workers. In reality, every organization is becoming a tech organization. This was driven home when we received an application from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. CHLA can go head-to-head with many tech companies – they prioritize internal talent, IT has an open-door policy to management, there are a variety of free training options, virtual therapy dogs, community service activities and a focus on worker satisfaction as well as engagement. Finally, CHLA has a new office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion which is tasked with tackling diversity challenges across the organization. This team will be establishing training and benchmarks that the organization aligned for participation. One final note which impressed us was after COVID, their incredible team set up remote working technology supporting 2,300 employees within just 2 weeks!
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Oslo, Norway |
A |
The heart of Confirmit’s business is not technology, it’s people. The company’s mission is to make the complex simple so customers can turn insight into stories that fuel action. Confirmit makes great technology, but the goal is to be more than just a supplier. It’s to partner with customers to become an extension of their team, helping them to break down barriers to implement the solutions they need. Joining Confirmit means you will help shape the vision customers have for their company’s future. The company checks all the important boxes for a great culture – flexible work schedules, diversity commitment, a very flat hierarchical structure and a commitment to fun. Confirmit offers the stable and secure environment of a well-established company, but retains the agility, fun and attitude of a fast-moving technology company.
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Ridgeland, MS |
A |
At communications and IT provider C Spire, team members are given opportunities to weigh in at every aspect of the company. They host an Ideathon every year where teams can present fully thought-out ideas that are then created and executed for the company. This includes but is not limited to new software platforms, new company processes, and new services for customers in every line of business. In addition, there are very flexible options for childcare, steady compensation, and no layoffs.
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Fishers, IN |
A |
Edify is a company which is developing some of the most amazing next-level communications tech on the market and the founders have shown vision and execution. Moreover, they have coupled great tech with great perks and benefits – making it a great workplace to consider. There are opportunities for personal growth, leadership looks to you to vocalize your ideas, there are great training opportunities, medical benefits, a focus on community service and worker satisfaction
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South Jordan, UT |
A |
Medici Ventures is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Overstock.com launched in 2014. Their ambitious goal is to change the world by advancing blockchain technology. One of the major benefits of Medici is the feel of a small startup company while enjoying the health and wellness benefits of a larger company. The fitness center includes: locker rooms, fitness classes, workout equipment, and secure, indoor bicycle storage. There is a strong focus on community service as well as worker satisfaction. Medici Ventures offers a 19-acre campus with some of the most unique architecture in the state of Utah. Entities include the office building (Overstock Peace Coliseum); covered parking with dedicated electric vehicle charging spots; a greenhouse with an adjacent koi pond; an amenities building with a daycare, a health clinic, life coaching, and a fitness center; and a sport court. There is also public transit adjacent to the campus, making commuting convenient. The onsite café, featuring locally sourced ingredients as well as produce from the onsite greenhouse, serves both breakfast and lunch daily. The café bar offers various meal options including sandwiches and wraps, soups, salad bar, pizzas, a grill, and two daily entree specials. Multiple healthy options, approved by our onsite doctor, are featured on the menu. We are very impressed with the company’s mission and commitment to an excellent tech culture.
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Kanata, ON, Canada |
A |
Mitel is one of the most forward thinking of the incumbent phone system providers. They were selling cloud years before other large competitors for example. In 2007, they released an IP Turret so traders could trade at home during a pandemic. Yes, they were 13 years ahead of their time in that case! This is a company with 5 decades of stability that enters new markets like a startup. They have all the perks you could ask for with a focus on diversity and well-being. If you want to work in an established company which can also innovate with the best of them, Mitel is worthy of consideration.
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Midvale, UT |
A |
Online retailer Overstock.com is located in Silicon Slopes – a hub for business investment, developments, and technology. The company boasts a 9/80 flex schedule to encourage team members to maintain a healthy work-life balance and sponsors a “TotalBalance” program to establish and maintain an environment to promote the health and wellness of our associates through education and various wellness focused initiatives. Overstock’s CEO, Jonathan Johnson, is a leading example in addressing company culture and morale during the pandemic. Since employees have been working from home, Jonathan has continued to send a company-wide email at the end of every week to employees to check in, provide company updates, respond to any Q&A, encourage employees to take PTO, and recognize employees with significant tenure milestones. Furthermore, given the scope and breadth of what we do, there are always opportunities for growth and experimentation. Between the retail division of Overstock and its wholly owned blockchain subsidiary Medici Ventures with its nearly 20 keiretsu companies, which includes its blockchain-meets-capital-markets company, tZERO, there are often opportunities for team members to transfer to entirely new teams while remaining within the Overstock family. This provides unique and safe growth opportunities for our team members. The $100 million state-of-the-art campus provides a lounge equipped with meeting spaces, café, coffee and juice bar, and game room that allows for fun events and intuitive collaboration.
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Atlanta, GA |
A |
Rev.io delivers a usage-based billing platform and a powerful customer management system to scale with your growing business. They have a goal-oriented, high achieving, and enjoyable culture as defined by their ACT TOP core company values. Transparency is a priority for the company, even now that they have shifted to WFH. The CEO kicks off weekly all-employee meetings with reflections on the status of the business, as well as plans and the vision moving forward. 100% of our employees confirmed we were a “Great Place to work” in their 2020 company survey.
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