Tag: Glassdoor Updates

How To Negotiate A Permanent Work-From-Home Arrangement

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The pandemic changed a lot for workers, including where they work. A study conducted early in the outbreak showed nearly one-third of U.S. workers were working from their homes — and presumably, some of those workers won’t want to return to the office when their employers call them back. “Working from home can provide employees many benefits,” says Ray Luther, executive director of the Partnership for Coaching Excellence and Personal Leadership at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, “including a much shorter commute time, fewer distractions, and a sense of freedom, that might not come from reporting to an office every day.”

But negotiating a permanent work-from-home arrangement may not be a slam-dunk. Employers have “traditionally worried about employee productivity when working from home,” Luther says, adding some managers may feel they’ll lose control of employees they can’t see in person.

It’s not impossible, though. “Employees who want to make working from home permanent would be wise to put themselves in their employers’ shoes,” Luther says. “What would my employer be concerned about, and how can I show them that those concerns are minimal risks? For most employees, if you can demonstrate high-productivity, accessibility, and still build productive relationships on your work teams, you will have addressed most managers’ significant concerns.” Here’s exactly how you can negotiate a permanent work-from-home arrangement.

Demonstrate your productivity.

To be allowed to continue to work from home, employers will want proof you’re as productive at home as you are in an office. “Quantify and qualify the work you’ve accomplished on a work-from-home trial or mandate,” says Luther. “How productive have you been on your own? How have you worked with co-workers to learn through the new office systems? Where have you helped develop solutions to the challenges that work from home has potentially caused?” You’ll need concrete answers to those questions to convince your manager you can be trusted at home.

Come prepared with proof of your productivity — and kick off your negotiation with hard facts.

Highest Paying Work From Home Jobs

Prepare an action plan.

While you’ve already been working from home, you and your manager may not have collected hard evidence of your ability to do so successfully. If that’s the case, Maureen Farmer, founder and CEO of Westgate Executive Branding & Career Consulting, suggests you develop an action plan that will help your manager assess your ability to work from home over a trial period. Talk to your manager about what milestones he or she would like you to reach during the trial — for example, 90 days — and agree to check-ins during that time to see if you’re on track. “The offer of work-from-home must demonstrate value and benefit to the employer foremost,” Farmer says.

Build trust.

“Once you’ve demonstrated you can be productive, show that your employer can trust you,” says Luther, who adds that most managers’ concerns about employees working from home are rooted in a lack of trust. “How does the employer know they can trust you, and what have you done to demonstrate that trust? Are you accessible when they need you?” Luther asks. “Be prepared to make the case for why they can trust you to deliver even if they can’t see you in the office.”

One way you might demonstrate your trustworthiness is by proposing a communication plan in your negotiation, says Farmer. Such a plan would “lay out the periodic and regular touchpoints with each of [your] colleagues to ensure projects remain on task,” she says. “The communication plan will offer a guarantee that [you] will be available on-demand throughout the day by phone, email, text or message service. The employee must reassure the manager of their availability.”

Show you’re flexible.

It’s important during the negotiation to “listen to your employer’s concerns about working from home and seek to understand any objections,” says Luther. “While these concerns might not be as important to you, they provide clues where you could show flexibility to it doesn’t turn into an all or nothing situation.” For example, perhaps your manager would be more comfortable if you came into the office one day a week or for critical team meetings. “Working from home can provide many benefits for employees, even if it’s only four out of five days per week,” he says.

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4 Tips For Working At Home With Your Significant Other

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For some, working at home with a significant other is a dream come true; but it can be a bit of a nightmare for others. “In relationships, we constantly navigate the balance of autonomy versus closeness, and too much of either can cause relationships to break down,” explains marriage and family therapist Talia Litman. When you work beside your spouse, “this delicate balance is challenged,” she says, “and the scale can tip toward too much closeness and not enough space.”

Without adequate space, work stress can spill into your relationship, says Melanie Shmois, a life and work coach for high-performing professionals at Mind Your Strength. Conversely, that lack of space can mean you can’t break away from your relationship problems, even for a few hours.

That’s why, Litman and Shmois say, it’s important to set expectations and boundaries if you’re working from home with your spouse. Here are four ways to make the arrangement work.

1. Set expectations from the start.

As soon as possible, sit down with your significant other and layout what you each need to work effectively says Shmois. “Some partners need silence and few interruptions,” she says, “while others thrive on having background noise and enjoy checking in and having lunch with the other person.” You can have a general conversation before you begin your work-from-home schedule, and regular, ongoing conversations to review your workdays. “I recommend having a 10-minute expectation meeting at the start of each workday so that each partner can review what they have on their schedule and when they need peace and cannot be interrupted when kids need to be taken care of, what appointments are there during the day, and so on,” Shmois says.

2. Schedule alone time.

Just like you would block off time on your calendar for a meeting during work hours, Litman suggests you block off time for yourself during after-work hours. “You can use this time to do anything you please: take a bath, catch up with a friend, read, review life goals, meditate, do extra work, play video games,” she says, adding that everyone should have at least one — and preferably two — “alone time” slots allotted each week. “Though it may feel odd to schedule time apart from someone you love, you are doing so to restore the balance of autonomy and closeness in your relationship, which will ultimately help you thrive as a couple,” she explains.

3. Create separate workspaces.

If your home allows it, consider creating individual workspaces during work hours. “When at all possible, I recommend working on different levels if you are in a home — or putting a screen in between the two of you, if you are in a studio apartment situation — and, when it is safe, for one or both of you to work at a coffee shop or library to maintain some separateness,” Shmois says. That distance can create some “intrigue,” she says, and it “decreases opportunities to interrupt each other, argue, or release stress on the other person because they are nearby.”

4. Establish connecting relationship rituals.

Despite being together (almost) 24/7, “you might find yourself less connected to your partner than ever,” says Litman. Work time can eke into personal time, laptops can enter spaces that are typically reserved for connection — such as living rooms and bedrooms — and “because you’re always together, you may think you don’t need to put in as much effort to nurture the relationship — but that’s not the case,” says Litman. It’s important, she says, to make time for “connection points throughout the day, like a pre-work hug and an after-work sharing of the day — like you would have done after coming home from the office.” Or, consider starting an evening ritual that allows you to transition from work time to couple time, such as exercising together, she suggests. “It’s also a great idea to have weekly events to look forward to, like Tuesday takeout and movie night or a walk on the weekends,” Litman says. “Just as you prioritize how to get all your work done, you also need to make sure you’re giving your relationship the attention it requires.” 

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Inside Glassdoor: Employee Feedback, Q3 2020

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Glassdoor is a platform that allows people to find a job and company they love. This is enabled through our core value of transparency.  The two key ways we understand employee sentiment are through our own Glassdoor reviews and our Pulse data.

Our Glassdoor profile is open and available for all to see. In support of being as transparent as possible, we’ve taken another step forward and shared our own internal Pulse survey results, externally. Taking a job or making a career move is one of the biggest decisions people make in their lives. We believe that sharing more about Glassdoor and  specific team’s current feedback, will help prospective candidates decide whether Glassdoor is a place they will love to work. That’s our mission…we want to help everyone find a job and company they love, including here at Glassdoor.

Just as we did last quarter,  we are publishing key highlights and the full report of our quarterly Pulse survey, including the quantitative metrics and the comments that meet our publishing guidelines.

Quarterly Pulse Survey Highlights, Nov. 2020

Below are some of the key takeaways from the quarterly Pulse survey conducted in November 2020. 

  • eSat: Employee satisfaction remains flat since  the Q2 Pulse survey and continues to be an area of opportunity.
  • Flexible working: Employees feel favorably about Glassdoor’s flexible remote working policy. 
  • Managers: Most employees feel they can approach their manager about a mistake and that their manager creates an inclusive work environment.
  • Strategy clarity & role clarity: Though both up 5 points, there is room for improvement in helping employees understand the day-to-day transition and long-term implications of our GTM transition and unfolding partnership with Indeed. 
  • Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging: While Diversity and Inclusion scores increased slightly, and employee perception of leadership commitment increased due to Glassdoor’s new D&I initiatives, we still have much work to do to cultivate a sense of belonging where everyone feels represented and treated equitably.

If you’d like to explore further, you can find the full results below.

Pulse survey data: November 16, 2020 Company
eSat: 69
Response rate: 76% (+2 since our July survey)

Questions:

  1. eSat: How happy are you working at Glassdoor? 
  2. Work Anywhere: I am excited that Glassdoor is embracing a flexible, remote working policy even after a vaccine is found.  
  3. Salary Transparency: I am aligned with Glassdoor’s commitments to create transparency in the workplace through publicly publishing salary data. 
  4. Salary Transparency Roll Out: Glassdoor was effective in rolling out salary transparency to employees. 
  5. Promotion Transparency:  Glassdoor’s decision to internally publish our promotion process helps ensure equitable and inclusive opportunities for advancement.  
  6. Strategy Clarity: I have clarity about Glassdoor’s go-forward strategy.
  7. Role Clarity: I understand my role in Glassdoor’s go-forward strategy.  
  8. Partnership Clarity: I understand why we are partnering with Indeed. 
  9. Diversity:  Glassdoor makes it easy for people from diverse backgrounds to be accepted
  10. Inclusion: Diverse perspectives are valued at Glassdoor.
  11. Belonging: I feel I can be my true self at work. 
  12. Leadership Commitment: The Sr. Leadership team demonstrates a visible commitment to diversity and inclusion. 
  13. DIB Changes: What should Glassdoor consider changing (doing less of, more of, or differently) in support of diversity, inclusion, and belonging? 
  14. My role in D&I: I understand my role in creating a diverse and inclusive Workplace.
  15. My role in D&I Comments: If you do not understand your role in creating an inclusive workplace, what would help you understand your role?
  16. Inclusive Environment: My manager creates an inclusive environment. 
  17. Team Objectives: My manager articulates clear objectives for the team. 
  18. Trust: I can approach my manager about a mistake. 
  19. Manager: I would recommend my manager to others. 
  20. Feedback: My manager provides me with feedback that helps me improve my performance.
  21.  What else? What else is on your mind?

Scores by department:

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Survey conducted using Glint Employee Engagement Tool

*Note: a snapshot of the organizational structure was taken on 11/12/20.  Since then, the Legal Team now reports into the Finance and Business Operations Teams and the Workplace Experience Team now reports into the People Team. 

Comments: 

We commit to publishing all Pulse comments as written, so long as they do not contain the following:

  • Explicit criticism of individual employees outside of our Sr. Executive team
  • Profanities, threats, libel, or discriminatory language targeted at an individual or group
  • Confidential, non-public internal company information (some examples include: source code or detailed financial results)
  • Comments prefaced with #private, to protect confidentiality

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How To Weigh Your 2020 Accomplishments After An Unprecedented Year

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The close of the year is our annual opportunity to revisit our goals, tabulate our accomplishments, and contemplate how we’ve grown. This informs the resolutions that we make for the New Year.

This year has been unlike any other; 2020 was uncomfortable, heartbreaking, triumphant, and tragic.  It’s been a year of worry, loss, growth, struggle, innovation, and resilience. It challenged and changed us.

So how do we weigh what we achieved this year, and how do we consult that to drive our 2021 goals? 

Surviving challenging times  

This year felt worrisome, frightening, exhausting, unhinged. Goals like professional advancement and professional development were dislodged in favor of a single goal-survival.

Making it through hard times is an accomplishment. Whether your challenge was learning to function from your home office, helping your kids do the same, putting on your PPE, and heading to your workplace, or weathering illness, grief, or job loss, the complexities of COVID altered our plans and taught us to adapt.  

And we did it. Writer Isabel Allende reflects: “We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.”

So, that the conference, where you hoped to present a paper, was canceled; that promotion that you hoped you’d clinch was sidelined. What strength, skill, or awareness did you discover instead? How are you different after this challenging year, and how will you use your newly acquired skills, wisdom, and grit in 2021?

A power skills crash course  

We’re still calling this “the new normal,” but when you’ve been working differently since the spring, it hardly feels new anymore. What’s “normal” is simply different now. During these difficult times, our soft skills have become survival skills. They have enabled us to make this work.  

Soft or behavioral skills aid our interactions with others, and help make professional life easier, more harmonious, more fluid. Some soft skills include accountability, adaptability, enthusiasm, time-management, communication, resilience, empathy, and teamwork.  Whether you learned to conduct more engaging Zoom meetings, calm customers who feel uncomfortable wearing masks, work remotely with students, or assist worried patients, these interactions call upon and refine your behavioral skills.

Behavioral skills matter at work. Josh Bersin, HR educator and thought leader, explains: “the skills of the future are not technical, they’re behavioral. Yes, engineers, designers, and technical people need to know how to build and fix things. But as IBM’s research points out, CEOs and business leaders now realize that they can ‘buy’ these technical skills (or build them internally, at ever-lower cost) relatively easily, it’s the soft skills or ‘power skills’ that take effort.”

Think about how the pandemic has pushed you out of your old life, and how you had to use your behavioral skills to navigate this new reality. Refining these “power skills.” is an important accomplishment to add to your 2020 list.

Honing these power skills to make you more resilient, a more astute communicator, and a better leader. “More than 45% of CHROs tell us people coming out of college have the digital skills they need: what they’re missing is skills in complex problem solving, teamwork, business understanding, and leadership. The data is quite clear: ‘digital skills gaps’ are being addressed: the leadership and behavioral skills are not.” Bersin points out.

Ask yourself: how did I advance my power skills in the last year? How did I become more aware of what my colleagues are going through? How did I communicate better? How might I continue that work?  

Delivering on diversity  

Systemic oppression and racism commanded the national conversation in 2020 as Black Lives Matter protesters and allies challenged injustice and violence that African Americans and minorities encounter in their everyday lives.

The ambition to deliver on diversity and to create cultures that are comfortable, suitable, and equitable for all contributors continues to emerge as a core corporate value. In his 2021 Workplace Trends Report, Glassdoor’s Chief Economist, Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, explains: “companies are being pushed to make tangible progress on diversity and inclusion like never before.” Dr. Chamberlain continues: “Racial injustice and economic inequality have come to the forefront of public consciousness in 2020. Despite decades of data showing dramatic racial pay and wealth disparities around the world, discouragingly little progress has been made. In 2021 and beyond, more companies will be seen as having a responsibility to make progress toward righting racial inequality and injustice within their workplaces.”

Employers and employees want equitable workplaces. “Now more than ever, companies are doubling down with their diversity and inclusion (D&I) programming efforts within their organizations,” Glassdoor’s team explains. Employees value diversity; in fact, according to Glassdoor research: “3 in 4 (76%) job seekers and employees today report that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers.”

As this challenging year winds down, ask yourself: what did I learn this year that I did not know? How will I use that knowledge to enhance the culture in which I work? How can I support my colleagues? How can I be a better listener? How can I be an ally, mentor, sponsor, and champion? 

Happy New Year!

Struggle is a demanding but effective teacher. As you reflect on 2020, give yourself credit for what you weathered, what you learned, what you taught, and how you changed. Welcome 2021; we’re ready!

Without those in-person conversation near the communal coffee pot, your team may not feel as close. But “there are so many new tech innovations happening right now trying to adjust for the new working and living style we are all facing, and some of them are pretty fun,” says Ehrlich. Explore tools such as Toucan that support virtual happy hours, or live streaming group events where you can all connect and watch movies or play games, she suggests. “The more your team feels like they are still a team,” Ehrlich says, “the more they can rely on each other, collaborate, and remember why the company is a great place to work.”

help end inequality

To help end inequality, shine a light on inequities in the workplace, and anonymously share your demographics to pinpoint pay and diversity disparities.

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Glassdoor Reveals Salary Ranges for All Roles

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Since Glassdoor was founded, we have been focused on driving transparency in the workplace: salary transparency in particular has been a cornerstone of what we offer. And I continue to believe that increasing workplace transparency is our biggest opportunity to create positive change in and out of Glassdoor. Today, we are excited to progress forward on transparency within Glassdoor: by sharing salary ranges for each and every role at our company.  We share this information for three reasons:

  1.  Our commitment to transparency as a business and with our product.
  2. Jobseeker visibility into how we pay across the entire company.
  3.  Ability to access information relevant to your pay, regardless of whether you choose to come to work at Glassdoor so that you can determine if you are being paid fairly for the work you do.

Increasing transparency is critical for employees and job seekers to make informed career decisions and to help ensure pay equity.  It is why we reaffirmed our commitment to providing greater transparency this summer. We are leaning into our strengths and pushing ahead to unlock information that shines a brighter light on culture, diversity & inclusion, and on our own business performance alongside compensation. As we continue to unlock more valuable insights for job seekers into employers everywhere, we will continue to adopt and practice the same level of transparency directly within Glassdoor’s own business.  

What Glassdoor Employees Get Paid

We know that salary is a top consideration for people when deciding what career path to pursue and deciding where to work. We believe in empowering candidates and employees with greater salary transparency so they can make more informed decisions in and outside of work. Provided below is a snapshot of Glassdoor salary ranges-  this can be filtered by country and department, too.

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For our senior executives, we are going a step further: we are disclosing the specific salary for the Glassdoor senior executive team. (Following the start of the COVID pandemic, Glassdoor’s senior executive team took reduced pay,  and as CEO I took a pay cut of 50%. This remains in effect although the salaries below reflect our salary prior to the pay cut.

  • Christian Sutherland-Wong, Chief Executive Officer: $550,000
  • Kate Ahlering,  Chief Sales Officer: $400,067
  • Carina Cortez, Chief People Officer: $374,000
  • Owen Humphries, SVP of Finance and Business Operations: $374,000
  • Anthony Moisant, SVP of IT & Chief Information Officer: $400,075
  • Annie Pearl, Chief Product Officer: $400,075
  • Amanda Runner, SVP of Marketing: $353,000
  • Bhawna Singh, SVP of Engineering & Chief Technology Officer: $400,075
  • Samantha Zupan, SVP of Corporate Communications: $353,000
  • Robert Hohman, Co-founder and Chairman: $400,075

We believe in the power of transparency.  It may make us uncomfortable at times, but we can and should learn to work through that discomfort. With transparency, we hold ourselves accountable, and as employers, it should inspire us to take action to reach greater pay equity therefore driving welcome societal change. We may not always get everything right at first but with transparency, we will see our strengths, we will find our flaws, and we will work hard to do the right thing for our employees, our business, and society.

Christian

How We Think About Pay & Rewards at Glassdoor

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Imagine a world where everyone can find a job and company they love, where everyone is treated and paid fairly, and a world where companies are held accountable to strive to become better employers. We believe with radical transparency, we can take steps towards making this world a reality.

One of the best examples of the power of transparency is with regard to salary. Today, very few of us share what we get paid. It’s taboo. But imagine a world where everyone shared their salary. While it sounds uncomfortable at first, you can quickly see that it would be better for everyone. It would empower every job seeker and employer to ensure that employees are paid fairly. Pay equity is something we are incredibly passionate about at Glassdoor.

To make this change in the world, we need to start at home. We are taking our first step by publicly sharing Glassdoor’s Total Rewards Philosophy. This is an important resource for anyone considering working at Glassdoor. Our next step will be to publicly share the pay bands for roles across Glassdoor in November. We do all of this in the pursuit of ensuring everyone who comes to work at Glassdoor will know with certainty that they are paid equitably. Our goal is to drive change everywhere, both by (1) leveraging the powerful salary transparency provided by our platform and (2) leading by example.

To learn more about Glassdoor’s Rewards Philosophy, see below.

Screen Shot 2020 07 13 at 8.25.45 PM

Total Rewards Philosophy 

At Glassdoor, our number one company value is transparency. We believe transparency empowers people with the right information to make the right decisions. Whether you are a job candidate considering working at Glassdoor, or an employee trying to learn more about your compensation package and how it can grow with your career, this document will provide answers to your questions about the compensation and rewards (Total Rewards) programs at Glassdoor. 

An Overview

Glassdoor is committed to providing a competitive and transparent compensation and rewards program to hire, retain and motivate amazing people who love working here. We apply four guiding principles for how we develop our Total Rewards. These goals (in order of priority) are:

  1. Equitable, ethical, and transparent approach
  2. Competitive and responsive to the market
  3. Globally consistent and locally sensitive
  4. Scaleable and operationally efficient

We maintain a performance-based total rewards approach that offers many types of total rewards  including base pay, variable pay, 401k or pension match, a long-term incentive plan for eligible employees and an array of benefits and perks. 

In support of pay equity, Glassdoor conducts regular compensation audits to remove any potential bias from our pay practices. If and when we find a pay gap by gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation or other potential divide, we will correct it. 

Types of Total Rewards  We Offer

Our total annual cash compensation, which includes base and variable pay, takes into account industry, location and various other factors to  target a competitive range for non-tech jobs and an even more competitive range for harder-to-fill, technical roles. In other words, for non-tech roles, Glassdoor pays higher than most other similar companies, and for tech roles Glassdoor pays higher than a significant majority of other similar tech companies.  Each employee is placed in a role that is consistent with their responsibilities, skills, and experience in accordance with our leveling guides. 

1. Base Pay

We regularly evaluate our pay based on the market. We use leading and widely recognized third-party compensation data providers, combined with Glassdoor salary data and insights we learn from our recruiting experience. In addition to staying informed on the latest market trends, we pay for performance and use a merit-based approach to increase base pay as employees get more experience and increase their value to the company. 

We review and generally update salary ranges on an annual basis. We proactively recommend base pay market adjustments when the salary range midpoint for a specific role changes by 10% or more, based on our research, benchmarking and budget.  

How we determine base pay:

  • We research: We use 3rd party compensation data providers and reference Glassdoor salary data to determine competitive base pay by role. 
  • We compare: We compare our salaries to salaries at other technology companies in each of the locations where we have employees. We also calibrate against pay for similar roles within Glassdoor, in addition to  taking into account current market pay trends we learn from our recruiting process. 
  • We develop pay ranges: For non-technical roles, we target paying competitively based on  various factors, including industry, location, benchmarking salary data and more. We target even more competitively for hard-to-fill technical roles. Once we identify the midpoint, we establish a minimum and maximum for each role to create a full pay range for each specific role.
    • Minimum = midpoint – 20%
    • Maximum = midpoint + 20%

An employee’s salary relative to the midpoint of their pay range is known as their compa-ratio (aka comparison ratio). Thus, everyone’s compa ratio should be between 0.8 and 1.2. 

  • We customize: We then evaluate performance, potential, and experience to determine where employees should fall in that range. In general, when someone is new to a role, pay is at the lower end of the range. Gaining more experience and/or performing well, their pay will progress up the range. Even though not everyone is promoted every year, merit increases are the company’s way of acknowledging growth and impact within a current level. 
  • Throughout it all, we strive to operate ethically and equitably. We make pay and bonus decisions without regard to race/ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, age, marital status or any other possible factor.

How we establish pay ranges for each position:

  • We use location-specific data based on employee residence and office location (for employees who work in a Glassdoor office location). Generally, states that are deemed “Tier 1” are home to the larger metropolitan areas and will reflect the highest salary ranges (e.g. San Francisco Bay Area in CA, NYC in NY, Seattle in WA). The salary ranges for Tier 2 states have pay ranges approximately 15% less than Tier 1. Tier 3 will include states with smaller U.S. cities (including our Ohio office) and have salary ranges approximately 20% less than Tier 1 salary ranges.
  • If a Glassdoor employee relocates or moves their prime residence, Glassdoor strives to preserve the employee’s compa ratio while taking into account location-specific pay data. Compa ratio is a metric that compares the salary an employee is paid to the midpoint of the salary range for their position or similar positions at other companies. For example, if an employee has a compa ratio of 0.8 in a Tier 2 city but moves to a Tier 1 city, their base pay is likely to increase but their compa ratio will remain the same.

How base pay can change throughout employee tenure:

  • Outside of promotion, Glassdoor offers merit increases. Merit increases are typically granted one time per year during our Spring review cycle to recognize an employee’s performance and organizational contribution. 
  • Merit increases are based on the individual’s performance against objectives, their contribution to organizational success, their position within the pay range and the merit increase budget. 
  • Merit increases may be suspended or cancelled due to external economic factors. Merit increases are not guaranteed. 

2. Variable Pay

We offer employees the opportunity to earn additional income through variable incentive pay, which depends on an employee’s performance. The structure of the variable pay we offer differs for sales/customer success employees and non-sales employees.

For Sales and Customer Success employees…

Glassdoor offers a Sales Incentive Plan. Targets are set based on roles ranging from 20% to 50% of overall cash compensation, tied directly to individual and/or team results and payable on a quarterly basis.  

For Non-Sales Employees…

Glassdoor offers a bonus plan. With the bonus program, target payouts are expressed as a percentage of base pay earned during the period and are set by level. The more senior you are, the higher the target percentage. 

  • Manager / Individual Contributor 10%
  • Senior Manager / Lead Individual Contributor: 15%
  • Director: 20%
  • Senior Director: 25%
  • Vice President: 30%
  • Senior Vice President: 35%
  • CEO: 60%

The bonus pool is funded based on company performance. If the company does well, we may “overfund” the pool. If the company doesn’t meet goals, the pool may be funded at a lower amount. Individual bonuses are allocated based on individual performance, experience, contributions to the company and value to the company.  The bonus program is discretionary. 

Keep in mind the bonus targets are just that — targets. Actual amounts paid may be above or below target based on employee performance and potential and company performance during the six-month review period. 

The Glassdoor Bonus plan is paid out twice per year: Fall and Spring

Assuming the bonus pool is fully funded, an employee who receives a “successful” performance rating for the period will likely get close to their target bonus ( 80%-120% of target), “exceptional” performance would be paid above target ( 120%-150% of target) and “inconsistent” performance paid below target ( 0%-70% of target). Generally, “change is needed” performance would not receive a bonus for the 6-month review period.

3. Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)*

LTIP is a reward system designed to support employees’ long-term retention. LTIP value is based on growth of key company metrics, including revenue and operating profit (EBITDA) over a 3-year period.  The better the company performs, the higher the value of each LTIP unit.  Employees will be awarded the  cash value of their LTIP units after a 3-year cliff vesting period. All tech roles (excluding fixed term roles, i.e., interns and temp roles) are eligible for the plan as well as manager-level equivalent and above non-tech roles. Eligibility is based on role and location. Grants are determined based on performance, potential and experience. LTIPs are typically granted during the Spring review cycle and each new grant has a 3-year cliff vesting period, which means an employee would not receive the cash value of the grant until three years after it is granted. 

The value per LTIP unit will be determined based on key company performance metrics such as our overall revenue and EBITDA (operating profit).  

  • Future LTIP grants will be given during the Spring review cycle, will have a 36-month cliff vesting period and will be forecasted to be worth an amount determined by our three year projections at that time.

Role and location determine eligibility the following way: 

  • Location: Employees are grouped by location – tier 1 (SF etc.), tier 2 (Chicago, etc), and tier 3 (OH, etc) and country specific outside of the US. 
  • Group: Employees are also grouped into 4 different categories of Professional, Sales, Technical, and Technical IT.
  • Management level: Each role has a management level attached to it, even if it is an individual contributor role. 

Together, these three factors create LTIP targets. The expected value of LTIPs are set to compensate employees based on third-party compensation data provider benchmarks. The amount of LTIPs granted are discretionary based on an employee’s performance, experience and long-term potential to Glassdoor. 

LTIPs are not offered as a part of off-cycle internal transfers/promotions. Instead, all off-cycle promotions and transfers will be reviewed during the spring and fall review cycle for incremental or new LTIP eligibility. 

4. Other Compensation + Rewards Information

Retirement Contribution

For US employees, Glassdoor offers a 401k match: Glassdoor will contribute $0.50 for each dollar you contribute up to $6,000, with immediate vesting. Vesting refers to the portion of your account balance you are entitled to under the Plan’s vesting schedule. You are always fully and immediately vested in any elective contributions you make to the plan and you will also be fully and immediately 100% vested on any 401(k) match that Glassdoor makes.   

For Dublin employees, Glassdoor offers a pension match – Glassdoor will contribute 1% of your salary for each 1% you contribute up to 5%. 

Glassdoor provides London based employees a contribution of 5% of base salary. 

5. Benefits

Benefits are a valuable part of the rewards we offer to employees. We pay 100% of the cost of employee healthcare coverage and 80% of the cost of dependent care coverage in the U.S. for our core plans, 90% of dependent care coverage for non-U.S.  core plans, and offer other perks and benefits to support our employees at work and in life. The range of benefits includes competitive medical, dental, life insurance, generous time-off programs, health & wellness programs and/or subsidies, commuter programs and more. In addition, we provide snacks and beverages, employee resource groups, paid time off to volunteer and more.

We strive to provide benefits programs using a consistent methodology across all offices and regions but within the context of local norms. We also strive to remove all unintended bias or discriminatory practices within our benefits programs through non-discrimination testing. 

Updated as of October 2020

Glassdoor’s Chief People Officer: My Mental Health Journey In & Out of Work

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Mental health is deeply personal in my everyday life. In addition to having family members who are surviving every day with their mental health issues, I suffer from and have been diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression. And according to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people suffer from mental illness. This Saturday, October 10th marks World Mental Health Day, I wanted to share my story and why I’m proud to work for Glassdoor, which offers many mental health resources to our employees.

It’s important to me to share my story because there continues to be a stigma about speaking about mental health.  While we are making strides on having more open conversations, it’s often still considered taboo.  

My extended family has many mental health issues from schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and everything in between.  For most of my adult life, I recognized that I didn’t sleep well, I would always think the “worst-case scenario” was going to come to fruition, I dwelled on a mistake I made years ago and pick apart how I should have handled the situation differently, I worried about the future and was so concerned about not doing things perfectly.

After I had my first daughter, I noticed this was getting worse, but just chalked it up to being a new mom and that it was “normal” to feel this overwhelmed and tired all the time.  And then, my physician diagnosed me with postpartum depression.  I was prescribed medication and assigned to group therapy.  I refused to take the medication because I thought that was a sign of weakness, and I only attended one group therapy session.  I only attended one session because I didn’t feel like my issues were worth talking about compared to the other women in the group.  I was “just” worried about being a terrible mother while one woman was dealing with a newborn who had heart surgery, and another with an older child was inflicting physical harm on her newborn.

7 Companies Who Care About Employee Wellness

Fast forward to my mid to late 30s where I’m the sole income earner for my household, I have two children, working in a fast-paced environment, getting little to no sleep, constant travel around the globe; Though I knew I was fortunate in so many ways, I was extremely stressed out.  And I noticed I couldn’t stop my racing thoughts of worst-case scenarios; I was worried about messing things up at work, losing my job, being forced to sell our house, and therefore letting my family down. 

My husband and I went out to dinner, and I just started sobbing in the restaurant.  He says to me, “I think you need to see someone about this.”  So, I did and was immediately diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression.  I started doing individual therapy and was prescribed medication for anxiety and depression and sleeping pills.  It took a few rounds of trying out different medications until we found the one that worked for me.  But when it finally did, it made a world of difference!  And the sheer pleasure I had from FINALLY sleeping a solid 5 hours was amazing. Keep in mind, medication was one way that helped me after consulting with my doctor, but please know it may or may not be right for you; consulting your physician is always a good idea.  

During the course of my treatment, my psychologist recommended group therapy, which I declined.  I knew it wouldn’t work for me, given my postpartum group experience because I’d be comparing myself to others.  She understood, made a note of it, and we moved on.  I share this because it’s important to be self-aware and advocate for yourself.  If you know something isn’t a good solution for you, share it with your physician.  They want to work with you to determine the best solution for YOU.  

I’ve now been on medication for about 5 or 6 years, and I feel like “myself” again, and I have more energy now in my 40s than I did in my 30s.  I still have moments of racing thoughts, inability to sleep, not wanting to get out of bed, but it is much less frequent than previously.  And through my therapy sessions, I have a treasure trove of coping mechanisms to calm my anxiety and work through my depression.

As previously mentioned, I’m proud to work for Glassdoor.  We understand that mental health is important as we offer many resources to our employees related to mental health, including:

  • Medical plans that include mental health resources and support services
  • Personal direction to local:
    • Psychiatrists
    • Addiction medicine physicians
    • Psychologists
    • Licensed clinical social workers
    • Marriage and family therapists
    • Medical social workers
    • Psychiatric clinical nurse specialists
  • Employee Assistance Plan to get mental health support
  • Monthly global company day off to completely unplug from work.
  • Virtual wellness classes
  • Connection Circles
    • Provide a safe space to process experiences and emotions
    • Practice building empathy and connection with others
    • Practice vulnerability, listening, and mindfulness

Additionally, in November, we’ll be launching a cost-effective global mental health solution for our employees to assist with access to care and mitigate fragmented mental health services experiences.  This will include digital programs, virtual coaching, and clinical therapy. 

If mental health benefits are as important to you as they are to me, I also encourage you to research the ratings and reviews on Glassdoor about mental health benefits at any company you’re considering working at. Just enter in a company name, then go to their Benefits section, and under the Insurance, Health & Wellness category, you can see how employees feel about mental health benefits and other related wellness benefits for that specific employer. I hope it gives you more information to truly find a job and company you love. 

This is my journey, my story.  What works for me will not likely be what works for you.  If you feel you need help with mental illness, consult your physician.  If you can’t do it alone, ask a friend or family member to help you.  If you need immediate attention, call 911 or your local emergency services.  And if you’re in the United States and need to talk to someone, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.        

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Glassdoor Launches New Diversity & Inclusion Products

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Now more than ever, companies are doubling down with their diversity and inclusion (D&I) programming efforts within their organizations as they recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion amongst underrepresented groups. Employees are equally passionate about gaining insight into their future employer’s D&I efforts, which are related to how organizations treat employees based on race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other traits to ensure their work experience is a pleasant one and aligns with their personal morals and values. 

Today’s job seekers want to know what potential employers are doing, not just saying, to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. According to a new Glassdoor survey conducted by The Harris Poll, job seekers and employees report that disparities still exist within companies concerning experiences with and perceptions of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Unfortunately, 63% of job seekers and employees say their employer should be doing more to increase its workforce diversity. But, significantly more Black and Hispanic job seekers and employees feel this way (71% and 72% respectively) than white job seekers and employees (58%). 

Today, we launched new product features that deliver greater transparency into the current state of diversity, equity, and inclusion within companies. These new product features come as 3 in 4 (76%) job seekers and employees today report that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers. These features are part of Glassdoor’s public commitment to leveraging its product and resources to help achieve equity in and out of the workplace. 

“Job seekers and employees today really care about equity, and for too long they’ve lacked access to the information needed to make informed decisions about the companies that are or are not,  truly inclusive,” said Glassdoor Chief Executive Officer Christian Sutherland-Wong. “We have a responsibility as a platform and employer to bridge the information gap that’s blocking the path to equity in and out of the workplace. By increasing transparency around diversity and inclusion within companies, we can help create more equitable companies and more equitable society, too.”

To help people better understand the current state of diversity, equity, and inclusion at a company, Glassdoor has introduced three new product features, including:

  • Diversity & Inclusion Rating: The “Diversity & Inclusion Rating” is Glassdoor’s sixth and newest workplace factor rating empowering employees to rate how satisfied they are with diversity and inclusion at their current or former company, based on a 5-point scale. The rating will appear alongside the five existing workplace factor ratings.  While the product was in stealth mode, employees across 12 companies started to rate their satisfaction with their company’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). So far, Salesforce has the highest D&I rating among this group, according to its employees, with a 4.6 rating. Other companies currently rated in terms of their employee satisfaction with D&I included.
  • Employees & Job Seekers Can Now Voluntarily Share Demographic Information: Glassdoor now enables U.S.-based employees and job seekers to voluntarily and anonymously share their demographic information to help others determine whether a company is actually delivering on its diversity and inclusion commitments. Glassdoor users can provide information regarding their race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, parental status, and more, all of which can be shared anonymously through their Glassdoor user profile. With these demographic contributions, Glassdoor will soon display company ratings, workplace factor ratings, salary reports, and more aggregate, broken out by specific groups at specific companies. This information will equip employers with further data and insights to create and sustain more equitable workplaces. As Glassdoor is committed to protecting our users’ anonymity and privacy, sharing demographic information with Glassdoor will be optional and displayed anonymously.
  • Diversity FAQ Across Companies: Glassdoor is also debuting a new Company FAQ resource, offering a list of the most popular questions job seekers ask about companies, including a section dedicated to diversity and inclusion (D&I). Responses to the FAQs are taken from the employee reviews which appear on Glassdoor. The tool provides easier access to relevant reviews about D&I at specific companies. 

We’ve also launched new D&I products to help employers improve diversity and inclusion at their companies. Read more here.  

GLASSDOOR’S DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITMENT: At Glassdoor, we understand that advocating for change in the world, including with these new tools, starts with change at our own company as well. To see how we’re taking action to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion at Glassdoor, please see this statement of action from our CEO, Christian Sutherland-Wong. Glassdoor’s inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Transparency report from our Chief People Officer, Carina Cortez, both published in July 2020. You can see more on Glassdoor’s own profile on Glassdoor, too.

To help end inequality, shine a light on inequities in the workplace, and anonymously share your demographics to help pinpoint pay and diversity disparities. 

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Glassdoor’s Diversity and Inclusion Workplace Survey

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Glassdoor’s vision is a world where workplace transparency leads to more inclusive company cultures and where every employee is treated equitably. Everyone deserves to work in a place where they can truly be themselves and feel like they belong, and understanding the state of diversity and inclusion (“D&I”) at a company is key. According to a new Glassdoor survey conducted by The Harris Poll, job seekers and employees report that disparities still exist within companies concerning experiences with and perceptions of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Glassdoor’s D&I workplace survey underscores how important D&I is to job seekers and employees today, revealing the differences among underrepresented groups and the talent employers may miss out on if they don’t embrace transparency around D&I. Today, we launched new product features that deliver greater transparency into the current state of diversity, equity, and inclusion within companies.

These new product features come as 3 in 4 (76%) job seekers and employees today report that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers. These features are part of Glassdoor’s public commitment from our CEO, Christian Sutherland-Wong leveraging its product and resources to help achieve equity in and out of the workplace. To help end inequality, shine a light on inequities in the workplace, and anonymously share your demographics to help pinpoint pay and diversity disparities, here.

The vast majority of employees and job seekers today are paying attention to the state of D&I at companies. Access to D&I insights, trends and data is a crucial step in the job search process. If job seekers and employees don’t have access to D&I information to make informed decisions about where to work, employers risk losing quality and diverse talent that otherwise may have contributed to their company’s success. 

“Many companies have been making commitments around D&I in recent months, but now job seekers and employees want to see action and a real change from employers,” said Glassdoor Chief People Officer, Carina Cortez. “It’s critical to understand how different groups look at D&I from their own work experiences, reinforcing the overdue need for all employers to improve when it comes to diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.” 

The survey found that among U.S. employees and job seekers: 

Diversity & inclusion is an important factor for the majority of today’s job seekers, but more so for underrepresented groups. However, inequities still exist as more Black and Hispanic employees have quit jobs due to discrimination.

  • More than 3 in 4 employees and job seekers (76%) report a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers. 
    • About 4 in 5 Black (80%), Hispanic (80%), and LGBTQ (79%) job seekers and employees report a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers.
  • Nearly half of Black (47%) and Hispanic (49%) job seekers and employees have quit a job after witnessing or experiencing discrimination at work, significantly higher than white (38%) job seekers and employees.
  • 71% of employees would be more likely to share experiences and opinions on diversity & inclusion at their company if they could do so anonymously.

Job seekers and employees want employers to step up their transparency around D&I. If employers don’t, they will miss out on diverse talent. 

  • Significantly more Black (71%) and Hispanic (72%) employees say their employer should be doing more to increase the diversity of its workforce than white (58%) employees.
  • About 1 in 3 employees and job seekers (32%) would not apply to a job at a company where there is a lack of diversity among its workforce.
    • But, this is significantly higher for Black (41%) job seekers and employees when compared to white (30%) job seekers and employees, and among LGBTQ (41%) job seekers and employees when compared to non-LGBTQ (32%) job seekers and employees.
  • Nearly 2 in 5 employees and job seekers (37%) would not apply to a job at a company where there are disparities in employee satisfaction ratings among different ethnic/racial groups.
  • 2 in 3 employees and job seekers (66%) trust employees the most when it comes to understanding what diversity & inclusion really looks like at a company, significantly higher than senior leaders (19%), the company’s website (9%), and recruiters (6%).

Among U.S. Employees and job seekers…

Screen Shot 2020 09 29 at 6.20.32 PM

*Among U.S. Employees only

“It’s not a surprise to see that the most trustworthy source of information around the state of D&I at a company is its employees,” said Cortez. “It’s important to listen to employee feedback, the good and the bad, to drive change that creates a workplace where everyone feels equally valued and respected.”

When it comes to understanding what diversity and inclusion is really like at a company, who do employees and job seekers trust most?

Screen Shot 2020 09 29 at 6.21.32 PM

“It’s critical to understand how important diversity and inclusion is to employees and job seekers today,” said Cortez. “Employers have to be transparent about their commitments to D&I, otherwise, they’ll miss out on hiring quality and diverse talent. And it’s not just about words, it’s about taking action to drive meaningful change.”

U.S. employees and job seekers would not apply to a job at a company…

Screen Shot 2020 09 29 at 6.21.48 PM
Survey Methodology: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor from August 25-31, 2020 among 2,745 U.S. adults ages 18 and older who are either currently employed or are not employed but looking for work. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact pr@glassdoor.com.

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4 Lessons I Learned From Designing an ERG Logo System

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In a June blog post, our CEO of Glassdoor Christian Sutherland-Wong stated “To date, Glassdoor has not done enough to fight racial inequities in society or to proactively foster a higher level of diversity and inclusion within our own company.… Going forward, we will focus on driving transparency on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We’ll begin with transparency and actions in our company.” Supporting our employee resource groups is part of this commitment to grow diversity and inclusion at Glassdoor. 

I’m a Senior Visual Designer at Glassdoor and have been on the Brand team for the past 3 years. When I was asked to create a logo system to establish a visual presence for the Glassdoor ERGs, I felt excited and uncertain. I couldn’t wait to be a part of such important work, but I was far from an expert when it came to know how to represent each ERG in a genuine and meaningful way.

Instead of rushing to a blank canvas to play around with logo ideas, I invited in the “not knowing” and took it as an opportunity to see what I could learn.

Lesson 1: Letting the Real Experts Lead the Way

Like many designers, I often start projects by creating a mood board of inspiration. Not this one. I realized that the creative insights wouldn’t be coming from me or any generic google search. Instead, I handed over the mood board creation to each ERG. What I got back was design gold.

LA FAMILIA: The Glassdoor La Familia mood board is full of rich textures, stunning artwork, and images of delicious meals. One section that the group particularly liked showcased vibrant, hand-crafted tiles.

PRIDE: The Glassdoor PRIDE mood board is overflowing with bright, uplifting rainbow graphics, incorporating all of the colors of the updated pride flag. The imagery emphasizes inclusivity, strength, and self-expression.

WING: The Glassdoor WING (Women in Glassdoor) ERG already had a logo that they liked so we used it as their “mood board” to inspire the new design. The logo was the word WING constructed out of overlapping geometric shapes. Made out of three triangles, the “W” especially stood out as it felt like a symbol worthy of a superhero.

BUILD: The Glassdoor BUILD (Blacks United in Leadership and Development) ERG made a beautiful mood board that includes striking images, gorgeous fashion shots, and a strong color palette of red, green, yellow, and black. They shared a variety of creative concepts such as using “building blocks” to reinforce the group name.

DICE: The DICE mood board conveys the power of a diverse community joining together. Visual inspiration includes colorful hands reaching towards the sky, empty seats surrounding a round table, and people linking arms in solidarity. 

The mood boards were unique, insightful, and full of life. Now I just needed to learn how to connect them together. 

2 Article Image Mood Board

Sample of images from the BUILD mood board

Lesson 2: Gathering Ideas From Other Companies

Next, I looked around to see what I could learn from other companies, especially those with the branding I admire. I discovered quite a range of techniques and approaches used to visually represent employee resource groups. Some companies apply clear systematic rules, while others treat each logo as their own individual project. Some use branded illustrations while others let group photographs take center stage. After compiling my favorite examples, I came away with a clear spectrum of design options. On one end were highly unique logos with little connection between the groups and at the other end was a very consistent system and brand experience with less individual expression. 

I needed to find the sweet spot for Glassdoor.

3 Article Image Research

Sample of ERG Design Research

Lesson 3: Brainstorming With Other Designers

At this point, I was still not quite ready to decide on a final design direction, so I shared the spectrum of research examples with the rest of the Glassdoor Brand team. Their fresh perspectives and ideas really highlighted the pros and cons of the various options. They pointed out the importance of creating a logo system that provides enough space for the personalities of each ERG to shine through. We also chatted about how we could be flexible with some design elements such as color while maintaining consistency with other elements such as the overall shape to visually link the groups together. 

I came away confident that we had landed on a solid design plan that balanced the top priorities.

Lesson 4: Putting It All Together

Inspired by incredible mood boards, a range of ERG logo examples, and insightful advice from my team, I got out my sketch pad and started drawing. I had learned so much during the exploration of this project that the actual designs flowed fairly quickly. It was like I had collected these amazing puzzle pieces during lessons 1 through 3, and the final “lesson” was about trusting the process and giving myself the freedom to play around with how they best fit together. 

The final ERG logo system uses a consistent diamond shape that visually connects the logos to each other, as well as to the graphic, for an overarching program at Glassdoor called “Embrace”. When it came to color, we decided to allow full flexibility to maximize creative expression. However, we made sure to include brand colors wherever possible and incorporated Glassdoor green into all of the logos to build continuity. We also linked the logos together through a similar illustration style as well as fairly symmetrical layouts.

4 Article Image Logos UPDATE

Final Glassdoor ERG Logo Designs

When I handed over the logo files, I realized another lesson I learned during the ERG logo system project was the gift of not knowing exactly how to do it. One of my favorite parts of being a designer is constantly learning new things and discovering areas where I can grow. However, this doesn’t just happen. It requires reaching out, connecting with other people, and asking for help. More importantly, it requires truly listening to the thoughts and perspectives that are shared. You never know who will inspire the best creative direction. And that’s what makes the design process so fulfilling.