For many entry-level job seekers, a great culture tops the list of what makes a company a desirable place to work. But what exactly makes a company’s culture exceptional?
At its core, culture should be the ethos by which a business functions: it’s not just a mission statement or a good perk, but the view through which an employer looks at everything from how meetings function to what benefits are most valuable to a workplace. A company with a strong culture has real buy-in to that culture, from the CEO all the way down to the interns. A company’s culture is not only what makes that company a unique place to work, but influences how employees feel inside and outside of the office.
If company culture is important to you in your first job, we’ve rounded up 20 companies whose exceptional cultures are evident through their values, annual awards, and commitment to inclusion. Read on for a closer look at what makes these companies great places to work:
Gainwell Technologies is a leader in healthcare technology services for state governments, enabling the delivery of vital public health and human services programs. However, this employer is also a leader in curating an innovative and inclusive company culture, proven by their many awards. Some of these recent accolades include their recognition as one of the "Best Workplaces for Innovators 2023" and inclusion in Forbes' "America’s Best Large Employers 2023," highlighting their commitment to fostering innovation and cultivating a positive, mission-driven work environment. On top of that, their first-place ranking in "Learning & Development Design & Delivery" at the 2023 AXIS Awards showcases their significant investment in employee growth and development. Finally, Gainwell's presence on Comparably's list of "Best CEOs for Women 2023" and their recognition as the "Best Company for Diversity 2022" serves as a testament to their dedication to gender equality and D&I initiatives that move the needle. You can view all their awards that showcase their standout culture here, and learn more about their career opportunities here.
2. Samsara
Samsara, a tech startup pioneering the Connected Operations Cloud, has a culture centered around core values defining its business approach and interactions within the company. At Samsara, inclusivity is a key value, creating an environment that embraces diversity and encourages employees to bring their authentic selves to work. Samsara’s customers are unique: they are fleet managers, front-line workers, and public servants working in industries largely underserved by technology. Samsara employees have the opportunity to connect with the people who keep the global economy running, sell them products with real-world impact, and improve the sustainability, efficiency, and safety of our global operations. One of Samsara’s core values is "Focus on customer success," which is lived out by partnering with customers to solve their business problems, keeping an ongoing feedback loop, and delivering an exceptional experience that enables customers to achieve their goals. As a company, Samsara places great importance on teamwork, celebrating collective victories, supporting one another, and building a robust community. This January, Samsara was named one of the Best Places to Work in 2024 by Glassdoor, recognized as a winner of RippleMatch's 2024 Campus Forward Award, and received 5 2024 Built In Best Places to Work awards.
3. Notion
Notion, known for its versatile and innovative workspace solutions, has cultivated standout company culture with their deep commitment to empowerment, diversity, and open communication. Notion’s culture has an emphasis on collaboration – as a primarily in-office company (2 in-person days a week are required), working at Notion is an amazing opportunity to build relationships, work closely with teammates, and collaborate on projects without being glued to your computer. Notion also has a robust set of Affinity Groups. These groups support and celebrate culture and or identity, and are tied to Notion's IDEA pillars of Inclusion, Diversity, Equitability, and Anti-Racism aimed to help people find support within the larger organization. Finally, the perks & benefits at Notion include robust flexible time off, mental health & wellness benefits, commuter benefits, and a monthly stipend to use as you see fit. With all these great elements of culture, it’s no surprise Notion has been named to Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work multiple years in a row!
4. VMWare
VMWare’s ‘culture of possibility’ makes it an ideal workplace for driven, creative individuals. Performance and growth is centered around development, with ample opportunities given to employees for training and education. Parents are also given an extra hand thanks to a program designed to make raising kids with learning or behavior challenges easier. All that and more is why VMWare was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.
5. Triage Consulting Group
Named as a ‘Best Place to Work’ by Glassdoor, Modern Healthcare, and the Great Place to Work Institute, this healthcare consulting firm stands by the belief that its exceptional people are what makes it an exceptional company. Diversity & inclusion, work-life balance, career development, and fun are all important cornerstones of Triage Consulting Group’s culture, made evident by things like their Mentor Program, employee resource groups, training programs, and wide range of company events.
6. NCR
The best cultures start strong on day one (or better yet, before you even get to the office.) NCR excels at this, offering an award-winning onboarding process that’s designed to engage and connect employees from the moment they are hired. Additional highlights of NCR’s culture include consistent performance coaching, awards and recognition at all levels for good work, and career roadmaps designed to keep you moving toward your long-term goals.
7. eBay
Named one of Indeed’s top-rated workplaces of 2019, eBay stands out for their culture of innovation and diversity. Built around a “test and learn” philosophy, eBay inspires and fosters new ideas year round but particularly during an annual Hack Week that happens each summer. During Hack Week, employees get to work across teams and departments solving problems, which creates a culture that’s strong on working together and trying new things.
8. Adobe
Employee health and happiness is at the center of Adobe’s company culture, and that’s not just lip service. The company focuses on three tenets: physical, emotional, and financial well-being, and offers services like nutrition coaching, counseling sessions, and investment advice. These services have been implemented globally in all Adobe offices, and are tied to the company’s mission statement–creating a sense that these values will always be important to the business. That’s why Adobe was named one of the Best Places to Work in 2019 by Business Insider.
9. Garmin
Tech and navigation giant Garmin is a leader when it comes to strong workplace cultures, which is why it was named one of America’s best employers by Forbes in 2019. In addition to well-above average medical and financial benefits, Garmin offers money to all employees for professional development, assistance with pilot certification (Garmin products are used in aviation), and healthy living perks like discounted outdoor gear and free entry to races and other active events.
10. 3M
3M takes a numerical approach to workplace innovation and employee happiness through its “15% Culture.” The idea is that all employees should use at least 15 percent of their time pursuing ideas that excite them, giving everyone a chance to build passion projects into their daily schedules. Other highlights of 3M’s culture and benefits include flexible work schedules and mentorship for every employee.
11. Kellogg Company
Named one of World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 11 years running, Kellogg’s company culture is defined by integrity. The company operates around ‘K Values’ like accountability, passion, and humility, and everyone from the CEO down to the interns fully buys into the brand’s commitment to ethical business practices. That kind of company-wide devotion makes employees proud to work at Kellogg.
12. Starbucks
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t love Starbucks, and that includes all of the coffee chain’s employees. Starbucks is perhaps most well-known for its comprehensive college education program, but the business’s culture is strong across the board from training and development opportunities for all employees—called partners—to a commuter stipend to encourage greener transportation. Parental leave and paid time off also accommodate employees of all circumstances, so that anyone can succeed in their job here.
13. Gravity Payments
If you don’t know this Seattle-based credit card processing company, you’ve probably heard about its CEO: Dan Price. In 2015, Price decided to institute at $70,000 minimum wage for all employees—and took that salary for himself, too. He was quickly flooded with interviews and accolades, including being named America’s Best Boss, but years later the experiment has stuck and created a thriving workplace with employees who are happier, more financially stable, and share a strong bond with their leader.
14. Patagonia
Patagonia is more than just the maker of well known vests and other outdoorsy apparel. It’s a standout employer for parents, and was named one of Fatherly’s Best Places to Work in 2018 for its on-site childcare services, adoption and fertility assistance, and travel support for parents with babies. But for all employees, Patagonia’s culture stands out because the company stands by what it preaches and consistently advocates for and practices environmental responsibility.
15. Etsy
This online marketplace was named one of Business Insider’s best medium-sized companies in 2015 for its entirely employer-covered healthcare, generous PTO, and on-site fitness classes, among other things. Years later, the accolade holds up, but the culture is what stands out. Etsy’s Brooklyn headquarters truly fits the company’s brand as a haven for creatives, and employees are encouraged to take craft breaks and spend time outside during the day. The brand has also made a concerted effort to practice inclusivity: implementing gender-blind paternal leave, making all restrooms gender-neutral, and releasing regular reports on staff gender breakdown.
16. Zappos
E-retailer Zappos has long been heralded for its culture that reinforces customer service. Particularly noteworthy is the rule that every new employee must train and work in a customer service call center regardless of their position at the company—and that everyone has to chip in during the busy holiday season, too. This isn’t just for show or extra hands: it makes employees better at their jobs. “When our developers started going through this training, and were forced to use the systems and tools they created for our call center, they began noticing opportunities for improvement.” Other culture beliefs from Zappos include letting employees self-organize to work with various teams within the company, and practicing and reiterating company values whenever possible.
17. REI
You probably know REI for its Opt Outside campaign that famously gives employees the day off (and keeps stores closed) on Black Friday. But that’s just one example of outdoor retailer’s strong culture, which earned it a spot on Fortune’s Best Places to Work list in 2018. To coincide with the brand’s mission to get people outside, employees are given “Yay Days” to go have adventures and stipends and deals on outdoor gear to help them pursue their hobbies.
18. Trader Joe's
Yes, TJ’s makes your favorite frozen food and Two Buck Chuck. But the cult favorite grocery store is also one of Glassdoor’s 2020 Employee Choice Best Places to Work for its strong, positive culture and competitive benefits that comes from late founder Joe Coulombe’s belief that the key to good business is treating employees well so they, in turn, treat customers well. This is tied into the company’s seven core values, stores operating mostly independently, and the belief that everyone on the team is an equal rather than a peg in a hierarchy.
19. Zoom Video Communications
Zoom’s core culture tenant is happiness, and it’s working: the video conferencing company earned the number 2 spot on Glassdoor’s 2019 Employee Choice Best Places to Work list. At the core of the positivity manta is the ‘happiness crew’: a team purely dedicated to employee engagement. This group coordinates things like volunteer opportunities and events within the community around the company’s various office locations, and ensures that employees at all levels feel engaged, seen, and appreciated.
20. Edmunds
Gen-Zers and Millennials should look out for Edmunds, which was named a best workplace for Millennials in 2017 for its standout culture and benefits favored by young adults. The automobile shopping and information platform is overwhelmingly popular with its employees, of which nearly half are under 38, and offers incentives such as professional and personal development programs, and a Results-Only Work Environment where schedules and time off are completely up to the individual.
When thought about and implemented the right way, culture can transform a business and all the employees within it – and these 20 companies get it right. If you’re looking for an exceptional place to start your career, the companies listed above can be a great place to start.