Career Corner: Glassdoor Announces 2018 Top CEOs

The top five CEOs had an approval rating of 98 percent or above. – Courtesy photo

By Angela Copeland

It’s often said that employees don’t quit jobs. They quit bosses. Can you relate? If you’ve ever left a job, there’s a good chance you might agree with this idea.

If you’re looking for a new job, one of the first things to consider is the management you’ll be working for. I often believe that finding the right environment is just as important (if not more so) than finding the perfect title.

Glassdoor recently released their 2018 Top CEOs list. The list is created based on anonymous U.S. employee feedback received on Glassdoor.com between May 2017 and May 2018.

A company CEO sets the direction of the company, and influences the managers below them. It’s safe to stay the CEO is a great place to start when you’re thinking of where you may want to apply next.

The number one spot this year was taken by Zoom Video Communications’ CEO Eric S. Yuan. Yuan has an impressive 99 percent approval rating. The top five spots are filled by Michael F. Mahoney at Boston Scientific (99 percent approval), Daniel Springer at DocuSign (99 percent approval), Lynsi Snyder at In-N-Out Burger (99 percent approval), and James Downing at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (98 percent approval).

Four CEOs have made the Glassdoor Top CEOs list for six years in a row, including Marc Benioff at Salesforce (#10 with 97 percent approval), Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook (#16 with 96 percent approval), Lloyd C. Blankfein at Goldman Sachs (#77 with 92 percent approval), and Tim Cook at Apple (#96 with 91 percent approval).

These A-ratings are very impressive compared to the average CEO approval rating of 69 percent for all CEOs.

Zoom Video Communication’s CEO Eric S. Yuan shared his philosophy on the kind of company he wants to create for his employees. “I need to make sure I’m happy and that my employees are happy. Asking myself that question, I realized if I’m not happy, my kids, my family will be impacted. Our employees will also be impacted. So that’s why our company culture is to deliver happiness. It’s personal to our company’s values. We’re going to care about each other, really focus on delivering happiness to each other. Ultimately, as a company, we deliver happiness to our customers.”

If you’re job seeking, you know that finding a job that fits both inside and outside of work is key. Unhappiness is like a domino. If things aren’t going well at work, chances are that they are going to follow you home to another area.

As you’re job searching, keep this in mind. Don’t simply look for the best title or the most money. Look for a great, healthy company. Very often, that starts with the CEO. Check out the entire 2018 Glassdoor Top CEOs list to learn more about the top 100 CEOs who made the cut. And, check out the company reviews on Glassdoor for even more information about how employees feel about their workplace.

Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.