What Men, Women Value in Tech’s Ideal Employers

The first-ever Dice Ideal Employer survey ranked the most admired employers among tech professionals and revealed what they value most among those companies. We examined how those values differ by gender. The top 10 ideal employers among men and women are very similar; in fact, the top five are exactly the same: Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Facebook. Among women, though, SalesForce and JP Morgan make it into the top 10 over Tesla and SpaceX, which are in the top 10 for men. More interesting, though, is which attributes women value among these employers. Benefits rank number one among women, followed by competitive salary, manageable working hours, challenging/interesting work and positive culture. Men rank benefits #4 and manageable working hours #8. This difference could underscore women’s roles at home and in their families as women are more often responsible for childcare and aging parents, leading to the need for benefits and manageable working hours in order to juggle it all. In fact, flexible working conditions/schedule rank #8 for women, while they don’t appear at all in the top 10 for men. The top 10 values among men include: challenging/interesting work, competitive salary, positive culture, benefits and open/transparent communication. When recruiting, it’s important to consider what candidates value most. Understanding needs and motivations among men and women can help attract and successfully land the very best talent. When competing for in-demand talent, companies should be forthright and honest about the strengths of their organizations and take into careful consideration the culture of their firms. If you as an employer value face-to-face interaction with your tech team, promoting a work-from-home culture while recruiting isn’t ideal. On the flip side, in a market that’s as tight as tech today, analyzing trends is critical to landing top talent. If the goal is to attract more women, promoting flexibility is key. Showing that you care who your employees are outside of the job will set you apart from the rest.