Is LinkedIn the best company to work?

With over 600 million users across more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, LinkedIn has become the largest professional networking platform on the internet. As a company, LinkedIn has seen tremendous growth since its founding in 2002, becoming one of the most recognized tech brands globally. But beyond its public image, what is LinkedIn actually like on the inside? Is its workplace culture as stellar as its products and financial performance suggest? Let’s take an in-depth look at what current and former employees have to say about LinkedIn as an employer.

Company Overview

LinkedIn is an American business and employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Launched on May 5, 2003, the platform is primarily used for professional networking and career development, allowing registered members to create profiles and connections to each other in an online social network which members can use for career opportunities, business deals, and recruitment. As of 2022, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet with over 875 million registered members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Omaha, Chicago, New York City, North Carolina, Mountain View, San Francisco, Mumbai, Bengaluru, London, Toronto, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Jakarta, Shenzhen, Dubai, Seoul, and Hong Kong. LinkedIn is currently owned by American technology company Microsoft, which acquired it for $26.2 billion in June 2016.

As of December 2021, LinkedIn reported having over 16,000 full-time employees. The company continues to grow at a steady pace, adding new members, features, and functionality to its platform. Its mission is to “connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”

Company Culture and Values

LinkedIn aims to maintain a culture that empowers its employees to have an impact on the professional world. Its stated core values are:

• Members first
• Relationships matter
• Be open, honest and constructive
• Demand excellence
• Take intelligent risks
• Act like an owner

The company strives to incorporate these values across all levels, from individual contributors to executives. Employees are encouraged to provide candid feedback, think big, innovate, and collaborate across teams.

LinkedIn also emphasizes upholding integrity, trust, and respect in all internal and external interactions. Leadership aims to create an environment where all employees can thrive and make a difference for the company and its members.

Perks and Benefits

LinkedIn offers robust compensation and benefits packages to attract and retain top talent. Some highlights include:

• Competitive pay – Employees receive competitive salaries and bonuses based on role, experience, and performance.
• Equity compensation – Many employees are offered stock options or RSUs (restricted stock units).
• Insurance plans – LinkedIn provides comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance options.
• Retirement plans – Employees have access to 401(k) plans with company matching.
• Parental leave – New mothers get 22 paid weeks off, new fathers/partners get 12 paid weeks off.
• Flexible vacation – Employees can take unlimited vacation days as needed.
• Wellness perks – LinkedIn offers onsite fitness centers, fitness reimbursements, and employee assistance programs.
• Work facilities – Offices feature onsite cafeterias, coffee bars, game rooms, and other amenities.
• Remote work options – Many roles come with flexibility to work partially or fully remote.

These attractive perks and benefits allow employees to thrive in both their work and personal lives.

Career Growth and Development

LinkedIn is dedicated to helping employees continuously learn and advance their careers. Some development opportunities include:

• LinkedIn Learning access – Free access to over 15,000 online courses for skills training.
• Coaching and mentoring – Programs to connect employees with leaders for guidance.
• Manager training – Courses to develop management and leadership skills.
• Hackdays – Paid time for employees to experiment and innovate on new ideas.
• Tuition reimbursement – Up to $5,000 a year for continuing education.
• Internal mobility – Ability to move across teams and departments.
• Diversity programs – Employee resource groups, leadership programs, and more.

By investing heavily in employee growth, LinkedIn builds a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

Work-Life Balance

LinkedIn strives to promote a good work-life balance for employees through the following programs and policies:

• Flexible and remote work options
• Unlimited vacation policy
• Parental leave
• Wellness perks and amenities
• Paid time off volunteering and “InDays” (days to pause and recharge)
• No email policy outside core business hours

While some roles at LinkedIn do entail working long hours at peak times, the company actively recognizes the need to avoid burnout and help employees sustain healthy lifestyles.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

LinkedIn partners with organizations like AnitaB.org, Black Girls Code, and DiverseAbility to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups in tech. Nearly 50% of LinkedIn’s global workforce and over 40% of its technical roles consist of women and minoritized ethnicities.

The company has several employee resource groups and initiatives focused on building community, empowering marginalized voices, and promoting equitable practices across the organization when it comes to compensation, hiring, retention, and advancement.

While there is still room for continued improvement, LinkedIn is relatively progressive in its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts compared to many technology firms.

Job Satisfaction and Employee Reviews

The following table summarizes job satisfaction levels among LinkedIn employees based on worker sentiment and company review data from popular sites like Glassdoor and Comparably:

Key themes from employee commentary include:

• Supportive, collaborative environment with approachable leadership.
• Cutting-edge technology and ability to work on meaningful projects.
• Competitive pay, great perks, and flexible work arrangements.
• Some very busy periods with expectations to work long hours.
• Large company bureaucracy can slow innovation and change.
• More diversity and inclusion efforts still needed.

Overall, the majority of reviews indicate satisfied employees who enjoy working at LinkedIn and find it to be a reputable company.

Pros of Working at LinkedIn

Based on employee feedback, the biggest pros of working at LinkedIn include:

• Prestigious brand name and reputation
• Ability to work on leading-edge technology
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• Good work-life balance policies
• Collaborative company culture
• Many career development opportunities
• Progressive mission to connect professionals

LinkedIn is widely seen as a desirable place to build one’s tech career thanks to its popularity, vast resources, talented peers, and professional growth potential. Many employees report joining because they admire LinkedIn’s product impact.

Cons of Working at LinkedIn

The most commonly cited downsides of working at LinkedIn include:

• Can experience periods of extremely long work hours
• Bureaucratic processes associated with large companies
• More diversity and inclusion efforts needed
• Hard to move up as quickly as smaller companies
• Not as nimble due to Microsoft ownership
• Some teams understaffed and overworked

While LinkedIn rated highly overall, employees do point out areas for improvement – particularly around workload, red tape, and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

Competitive Employer Reputation

LinkedIn frequently appears on rankings of top employers to work for, including:

• #12 on Forbes’ World Best Employers 2022
• #52 on Indeed’s Top Companies to Work For in 2022
• #6 on Glassdoor’s 100 Best Places to Work in 2022
• #32 on Glassdoor’s 100 Best Places for Pay and Benefits
• #1 on Comparably for Happiest Employees in 2022

LinkedIn’s combination of prestigious brand name, generous compensation, professional development opportunities, and overall positive work culture contribute to its reputation as an attractive place to build a career. It competes with the likes of Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and other large tech firms for top talent.

Conclusion

In summary, LinkedIn is widely considered one of the better technology companies to work for thanks to its competitive pay and perks, good work-life balance policies, collaborative culture, career growth opportunities, and prestigious brand image.

While the company still has areas for improvement around issues like diversity and workload, overall employee sentiment remains positive – especially from those who join LinkedIn to work on meaningful projects that leverage its professional network scale and resources.

Candidates interested in working for a well-established tech leader that empowers employees, values innovation, and provides the resources to develop in-demand skills may find LinkedIn an excellent fit for their career goals. However, those averse to occasional long hours and looking for a smaller, nimbler startup work environment may be better suited elsewhere.

Given its member base, brand recognition, Microsoft ownership, and steady growth, LinkedIn seems poised to remain one of the top technology employers into the future. It has cultivated an image as a dynamic, employee-focused company that presents professionals compelling opportunities to gain experience and expand their networks.

For most in the tech sector, LinkedIn would rank as a “dream job” employer thanks to its combination of positive culture, interesting work, generous benefits, and career advancement potential. While no company is perfect, LinkedIn appears to offer one of the better overall employment packages in the industry.