How long you have worked for a particular company can affect your happiness at that company.
This is the question that prompted the latest research by the experts in employment at resume.io. They analysed thousands of Glassdoor reviews from the top 54 US-based companies, and created charts that compared job satisfaction between junior and senior staff.
Take a look at our results.
The best and worst employers for junior staff
Glassdoor reviews show that tech companies create the best working environments for their junior employees. Glassdoor reviews from junior employees show that big tech companies like Salesforce, Google and Microsoft are the best places for newbies to start a career.
Other familiar names include Dell Technologies, Meta and Apple.
Tesla made it to the list of top 10 despite Elon Musk’s demanding management style. Musk has banned Tesla from offering remote or homework options, and told staff that if they complained, they could “go pretend to work elsewhere.”
Food and beverage service is notoriously difficult, especially for those who are just starting out. It’s not surprising to see some well-known brands in the food and beverage service industry on the list of worst places to be a junior employee. McDonald’s Starbucks and Burger King all scored poorly with an average Glassdoor rating of 3.5 stars.
Comparing junior staff satisfaction to senior staff satisfaction
The study then compared the satisfaction levels of juniors and seniors.
Glassdoor reviews found that junior staff are significantly more satisfied than senior staff at companies such as Tesla, Santander and Oracle.
McDonald’s, PepsiCo and other companies report a higher level of satisfaction in the workplace. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It suggests that employees who stay at these companies can look forward to a happier and longer career, in an environment that supports them.
Companies with the most happy junior employees
Google’s junior employees are the most satisfied. According to Glassdoor reviews by new employees, the average rating for junior staff is 4.53 stars.
One junior UX designer posted a review that stated, “We move at light speed.” The work is always exciting, interesting, and meaningful. We also get a lot of support, and never-ending coffee and donuts.
Google’s values and culture are also in line with what young people desire to see at work – more diversity and inclusion. World Economic Forum survey found that more than half of Gen Z employees would not work for a business without a diverse management team.
Junior staff at tech companies are happier than their senior counterparts
Tesla is an excellent company for a junior employee. If you stay for too long, however, you may start to feel jaded. Glassdoor scores the reviews posted by younger staff members much higher. They are, on average, 0.77 stars more positive than the reviews of senior staff members at the electric vehicle manufacturer.
Glassdoor reviews reveal a similar sentiment among junior staff at Apple, Amazon and Microsoft. These employees report higher levels of satisfaction with their workplaces/jobs.
The long-term satisfaction of junior employees in the USA
The final part of the research created a timeline for job satisfaction among junior employees. It shows how it changes in a period of five years.
It seems that new job excitement is a real phenomenon. A Glassdoor analysis of more than 20,000 reviews between 2020 and 2024 shows a steady drop in job satisfaction for new employees, from 4.15 stars to 3.92.
Ashley Murphy of Resume.io has a BA in English Literature (Hons), Creative Writing, from the University of Manchester. He started working as a content writer for freelance in 2015. He is a specialist in the fields of technology, arts, current affairs, higher education and entrepreneurship.
