We compared Facebook vs. Google to find which company is better to work for — and the winner is clear
Dragan Radovanovic/Business Insider
- Facebook and Google are considered some of the best places to work.
- Employees at both companies report they're extremely satisfied working there — and the great perks don't hurt, either.
- But one company truly dominates as a best place to work in a head-to-head comparison: Facebook.
If you're faced with the decision of whether you should accept a job at Facebook or Google, consider yourself one of the privileged few.
Both tech giants are extremely competitive in their quest to hire the best and the brightest talent, earning them reputations as best places to work.
Once you've passed the intense interview process at each respective company, a number of awesome perks, great compensation, and most likely extreme contentment in your new job await you.
For years, Facebook and Google have duked it out on Business Insider's and Glassdoor's annual lists of the best places to work in the US. Both employers ranked in the top five on this year's Glassdoor list.
But while both tech giants are considered to be great companies to work for, Facebook edges out Google in a number of head-to-head comparisons.
Facebookers are happier to be there
Glassdoor
Employees from both tech companies are pretty happy to be there, but Facebook has the edge over Google.
To find the companies with the most satisfied workers for its annual Employees' Choice Awards, Glassdoor scanned its massive database of company reviews and ratings from current and former employees.
Reviews include employees' opinions on some of the best reasons to work for their employer, any downsides, advice to management, and whether they'd recommend their employer to a friend, as well as ratings on how satisfied they are with their employer overall, their CEO, and key workplace attributes like career opportunities, compensation and benefits, culture, and values.
Based on employees' reviews, companies received overall ratings on a scale of one to five, with five representing the most satisfied employees.
Facebook scored 4.5 out of 5, while Google scored 4.4.
"Every morning when I go in, I feel like the luckiest guy on earth for ever landing a job here," writes a Facebook data scientist in Menlo Park, California, on Glassdoor.
"From its openness to its diversity, Facebook has truly surpassed all tech companies in terms of culture, perks, and employee lifestyle," a software engineer at Facebook in Menlo Park writes.
Possibly because they get more freedom
Stefanie Loos/Reuters
Facebook trusts its people.
Don Faul, a former Facebook executive, told The Wall Street Journal that, compared to Google, which he says is more structured and places more importance on "manager" titles, Facebook employees are often placed in roles that cater to their strengths and are encouraged to question and criticize their managers.
And this kind of freedom is perhaps one of the best drivers for employee engagement.
"You get zero credit for your title," he said. "It's all about the quality of the work, the power of your conviction, and the ability to influence people."
They make more money than their Google counterparts
Glassdoor
We know money isn't everything when it comes to job satisfaction — but it certainly helps.
In fact, while a higher salary won't necessarily boost your happiness, researchers from the University of British Columbia and Michigan State University found that people with higher incomes reported feeling less sad, something Facebook employees surely know well.
According to data gathered by Glassdoor, a software engineer at Facebook makes about $126,780 per year, while a software engineer at Google makes $126,733 per year.
On the lower end of the spectrum, a software engineering intern at Facebook makes about $7,080 a month, whereas a software engineering intern at Google makes $6,634.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider