It would not be a controversial statement to say that many people in the modern world are very stressed. Modern pressures, over money, over the cost of living, and over issues with differing elements of technology, are a blight on the lives of many people. But another major contributor to stress in people’s lives is work.
People are having to work longer, for more of their life, and for lower pay. Work is becoming an increasingly dominant part of the lives of many people, with the line between work and personal time becoming blurred. Work is taking on less traditional shapes and forms, it’s stretching way beyond the old-fashioned idea of 9-5, and it’s beginning to dominate people’s free time. Often high levels of stress at work can come from a lack of satisfaction in what you’re doing.
If you’re looking to de-stress your life, finding a job with a greater degree of satisfaction, a lower level of domination of your life, and a far lesser amount of stress could be an important step. Finding a job with all of these things might be the cornerstone of a simpler and easier lifestyle.
Often, the most satisfying jobs can be found in highly skilled industries, and that is especially true for the technology industry. Companies across this sector of the economy rank very well for job satisfaction (and pay), and thus come with a far smaller quantity of stress. This is a list of the three most satisfying technology companies to work for, based on the results of satisfaction surveys of employees in businesses across the industry.
1. Facebook
The tech company with the most satisfied employees is, by an incredibly wide margin, Facebook. The social media giant has a 96% satisfaction rating from its employees, and just 44% of Facebook employees report feeling high levels of stress related to or at their work, the lowest of the 18 companies assessed in the same survey.
Early career pay of $116,000 and pay for those of more experience of $149,000, are contributing factors, along with wonderful facilities and benefits, including free lunch and snacks, beer, a game room, an on-campus barbershop, four months paid parental leave, for men and women, free health insurance for individuals, and cheap health coverage for those with dependents. All of these things help make work more enjoyable, and improve the quality of life for employees outside of working hours. No wonder Facebook’s employees are so happy and stress free!
2. Google
The search engine colossus which has dominated the internet since its infancy, and has become synonymous with it, which has a name that is often used as a verb for browsing the internet, is also an extremely good place to work.
A high level of pay, for both new and experienced workers, is not the only reason for a satisfaction rate of 86%, however. Bonuses and benefits such as free gourmet meals, laundry and fitness facilities, generous paid parental leave, and on-site childcare. One Google employee describes Google as “a company that treats their employees great and in return gets motivated and loyal employees.” It also helps that 73% of Google employees find their job meaningful, with 12% also saying that their job is not at all stressful – only 53 other Fortune 500 companies had a lower level of stress than Google.
3. Salesforce
This customer relationship and cloud computing company is far from a household name, particularly compared to towering monoliths Google and Facebook, but Salesforce employees are the second most satisfied, behind Facebook. The company ranks lower on this list than Google, despite having a greater level of satisfaction, because just 1% of workers say their job is free of stress.
But whilst Salesforce’s work might be demanding, difficult, and stress-inducing, it makes up for this in facilities and benefits to help their employees relax, to improve other areas of their lives, and to make workers feel fulfilled, satisfied and happy, making up for any stress.
The company, whilst smaller than the other two on the list, boasts a very similar level of benefits and facilities such as on-site fitness suites and massage therapists, standing and treadmill desks, aiding with employee fitness, free snacks and drinks, and dog-friendly offices – after all, everyone knows nothing helps you relax like a cute pet.
The company also encourages workers to get involved in voluntary work, and it sees these activities as central to employee satisfaction. Workers are entitled to seven days off a year to volunteer in a whole host of charitable activities. In addition, the company also coordinates trips and offers opportunities for their employees to volunteer and contribute nationally and internationally.