Facebook’s Secrets to Being and Staying an Employer of Choice

Each year, the job search platform Glassdoor publishes its list of employers of choice in the United States. The results are compiled from evaluations done by users of the website. Unsurprisingly due to their unique corporate culture, Facebook rose to second place in the 2017 edition of this list, just behind the consulting firm Bain & Company, ranking first in the “tech” category.

Mark Zuckerberg is also doing well, ranking in the top 10 of the best CEOs for at least five consecutive years.

How does Facebook succeed in creating an unparalleled level of engagement and such a strong and unique corporate culture? Here are some tips to inspire you and help you use the social media giant’s best secrets in your organization!

1. Offer original advantages

Facebook is known for offering a series of benefits that are out of the ordinary. Free food, a positive and lively working atmosphere, shuttles to transport employees morning and evening, yoga and meditation classes, midday conferences on exciting topics on a regular basis, sporting challenges… Try to surprise and create a “wow” effect with extraordinary activities or benefits.

2. Bet on happiness at work

People who work at Facebook are extremely happy to be able to do so, according to a survey by the Payscale job website. Over 96% of the social media platform’s employees reported very high satisfaction with their work, the highest among peers such as Google (89%) and Apple (73%). Facebook employees are also less likely to experience stress compared to other companies in the same industry, with only 44% of employees.

3. Trust your employees

In its corporate culture, Facebook values ​​criticism at all levels and encourages employees to question managers’ decisions. Don Faul, a former Facebook associate, reports this to the Wall Street Journal in an interview: “You don’t get any merit for your title,” he says. “All that matters is the quality of the work, the strength of your beliefs and your ability to influence the people around you.”

4. Create a meaningful business mission

Nowadays, employees want more than a well-paid job that allows them to climb the ladder. They want meaningful employment, aligned with their deepest values. According to a Payscale survey, 81% of employees at Facebook believe that their work contributes to the creation of a better world. The social media platform’s rationale was put on paper in a little red notebook. This notebook, which is made available to internal employees, brings together the stories behind its creation and states its main mission: “to make the world more open and connected”. It is this mission that employees identify with in their desire to make the world a better place.

5. Promote hospitality and continuing education

Welcoming new employees is important in order to make them feel integrated and valued. The welcome program for new Facebook employees does exactly that. “This is one of the most fun and rewarding experiences of my career. I was able to fix bugs, develop new tools, meet other engineering colleagues, and learn more about the corporate culture,” said Jay Parikh, VP of Engineering at Facebook.