SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network on the internet, announced today the launch of the 2018 LinkedIn Top Companies list. The annual ranking highlights the 50 companies that are most sought-after by professionals, based on proprietary LinkedIn data that examines billions of actions by more than 540 million professionals on LinkedIn.
In the United States, Amazon (No. 1) dethrones reigning top company Alphabet (No. 2) for the first time since the list’s inception in 2016. Following a tumultuous business year for both Uber and Twitter, Uber falls from No. 5 to No. 12 and Twitter dips the furthest in the rankings (No. 17 to No. 43). Meanwhile, newcomers comprise over 30% of the list and represent a range of industries including retail (LVMH No. 19 and Nike No. 35) and sports (the NBA No. 33 and the NFL No. 39). The list excludes LinkedIn and Microsoft from consideration as is standard for all editorial efforts.*
The 2018 Top Companies realize they must find new ways to woo professionals and set an example for the way corporate America treats employees. Among the themes emerging:
- Purpose over perks: Foosball tables and all-you-can-eat cafeterias lose their appeal if workers cannot get the job done. Amazon (No. 1) attracts top talent by offering a corporate infrastructure that enables employees to see the impact of their work on a broad audience by not delaying launches with internal processes — even if employees need to find a vending machine for a snack.
- Diversity pipeline: Top Companies are testing bold tactics to build a diverse workforce. Oracle (No. 9) opened a charter high school on its campus to invest in STEM-based education, and Box (No. 44) eliminated four-year degree requirements to focus on hiring candidates for their skill sets over their degrees.
- Rethinking corporate healthcare: Employee health is top of mind for these companies, and they are breaking the corporate mold. Amazon (No. 1) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (No. 18) are part of a partnership with Berkshire Hathaway to develop a new healthcare company that aims to cut costs and improve coverage for employees. Apple (No. 6) is reportedly working on primary care clinics for employees that are expected to be at the forefront of combining technology with care.
"Professionals come to LinkedIn every day to talk about the things that matter to them — whether that's news, trends, ideas or insights — or to find the right people or jobs that will lead to new opportunities," says Daniel Roth, editor in chief, LinkedIn. "LinkedIn Top Companies examines billions of these actions to uncover the employers that are most in demand. Our list is designed to give all professionals a window into the world’s best employers so they follow them, learn from them and discover job opportunities.”
Here is what the highest ranked LinkedIn Top Companies are doing to attract and keep top talent:
- Amazon (No. 1) now offers to prepay 95% of tuition, textbooks and fees for its employees to receive training in "professions of the future."
- Alphabet’s (No. 2) newest offices include sky-high dog parks, indoor fire pits and bouldering walls.
- Facebook (No. 3) extended its bereavement leave policy last year to up to 20 days, a policy developed after Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg suddenly lost her husband.
- Salesforce (No. 4) does continuous audits of its salary data and has spent $6 million trying to ensure equal compensation across gender and race.
- Tesla (No. 5) has a carpool program that allows employees to drive a Tesla to work.
- Apple (No. 6) offers its employees a 25% discount on the company’s devices.
- Comcast NBCUniversal (No. 7) employees get complimentary access to Universal theme parks, discounts on resorts and early access to NBCUniversal movies and TV shows.
- The Walt Disney Company (No. 8) made an initial investment of $50 million at the beginning of the year in an ongoing education program specifically designed to cover tuition costs for hourly employees.
- Oracle (No. 9) recognizes its developers as inventors and creators of “world-changing tech” and encourages them to file patents.
- Netflix (No. 10) doesn’t have policies on vacation time, paid parental leave, dress code or expenses. “We trust our teams to do what they think is best for Netflix,” the company says.
The list includes rankings for the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India and the United Kingdom. Driven by LinkedIn’s editorial team, the Top Companies list was developed by analyzing billions of actions taken by LinkedIn’s more than 540 million professionals to come up with a blended score used to rank the winners in each country.
The complete U.S. Top Companies list, along with lists representing additional global markets, video interviews and special features, can be found here. You can share this information using #LinkedInTopCompanies.
About LinkedIn
LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful and transforms the way companies hire, market and sell. Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world’s first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has more than 540 million members and has offices around the globe.
LinkedIn Top Companies List Methodology
The Top Companies list is a part of the LinkedIn List franchise, which celebrates companies and individuals making an impact in the professional world, and it spotlights the companies that attract and retain top talent globally. The list is fueled by the billions of actions of our more than 540 million members to unveil where professionals really want to work and looks at data including job seeker reach and interest, engagement, and retention paired with an editorial lens.
*For fairness, we have removed LinkedIn and Microsoft from consideration for the LinkedIn Top Companies list as we do with all other lists in this editorial franchise.
