It’s true—the nicer and more popular a CEO is, the more in-demand that company becomes. We, at Woo.io found some fascinating data trends that shows what tech professionals want most from their next career. Read on to see which nice CEOs are trending right now and which unpopular CEOs are at the top of conversation (in a not-so-great way) at the moment.
Best Companies and CEOs to Work For
Uber: Dara Khosrowshahi
One great example of this is Uber. Visit any job search site and you’ll immediately notice Uber as one of the highest-rated companies to work for in part, no doubt, because of its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi. He replaced Uber’s old CEO, who left the company amid a chorus of demands for change. Since Khosrowshahi took over, Uber has risen in popularity as one of the most desirable companies to work for.
Microsoft: Satya Nadella
Another company that tops most every Best Places to Work list is Microsoft. Satya Nadella, the company’s CEO, has presided over the company since 2014. Over the past year, Nadella jumped from No. 29 to No. 20 on Glassdoor’s Top CEOs list—one of the biggest leaps in rank of any CEO.
WeWork: Adam Neumann
As co-founder and CEO of WeWork, Adam Neumann has turned the communal workspace giant into one of the most successful companies in the world—with a $21 billion valuation. The young CEO pushes a cool, laid-back vibe to his work environment as well, with the opportunity for employees to work from home as needed. As the company continues to grow, Neumann’s popularity will inevitably grow as well.
General Motors: Mary Teresa Barra
Mary Teresa Barra has established herself as one of the most-loved CEOs around—and an inspiration for women all over the world. The General Motors CEO has been working for H, since she was 18, trying to pay for her college tuition. She has not only turned the company around financially, but she’s somehow managed to establish a much-desired place work for employees as well.
Least Popular Companies and CEOs to Work For
Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg may be one of the wealthiest men alive, but he’s constantly criticized as a CEO. New scandals about Zuckerberg seem to appear every day, with the most recent causing Facebook’s shares to dip more than 25% year to date. Rumors of the company being an unpopular workplace are also never-ending, with it landing on several Worst Places to Work lists.
IBM: Virginia Marie “Ginni” Rometty
Chair, president and CEO of IBM, Virginia Marie “Ginni” Rometty has often been accused of having no vision when it comes to the company’s business needs. Many also claim she has a lack of industry understanding, which inevitably results of a lack of performance. For years, Rometty said she inherited the company’s issue from the previous CEO; however, the lagging numbers have continued to plague the CEO for the past six years.
Nest Labs: Tony Fadell
The Nest Labs CEO made a decision to leave the company in 2016; however, it was later revealed that employees pushed for this to happen. It was no secret that Fadell struggled to lead Nest under the ownership of Google—and everything continued to fall downhill from there. It was later stated that Fadell was often a roadblock, responsible for holding back any progress the company was making.
Tesla Motors: Elon Musk
Perhaps the most notoriously unpopular CEO is Tesla’s Elon Musk. It’s been said that he is often too distracted to hold a full-time CEO role, often devoting his time to other money-making ventures. Which brings us to our next point: Musk has made deals in the past that prove he is more focused on putting his own financial interests above those of the company. Finally, many employees claim that operations have been an absolute disaster under his management. That being said, Tesla has become one of the least popular places for developers to seek employment.
If there’s anything this research has shown, it the importance of assessing who you are allowing to lead your company if you are looking to hire top-notch employees. On the other hand, if you are a job seeker, do your research; it’s likely that the CEO of your future company will play a large role in your job satisfaction.
