Redmond receives the Global Randstad Award 2015

Apr 25, 2015 07:27 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft and Google are challenging each other in many industry sectors these days, but one of the most interesting battles concerns the worldwide reputation that makes them the best companies to work for.

While Google has secured the leading position in the past, Microsoft managed to greatly improve its image across the world, so the company today received the Global Randstad Award 2015 that makes it “the most attractive employer brand worldwide.”

Obviously, this is quite an achievement for a company that's changing its approach towards products and customers from the ground up and it's definitely worth mentioning that Microsoft managed to overtake both Sony and Samsung, with the first actually being the previous year's winner.

This is the first time in 15 years when Microsoft wins the award, which is probably a sign that the new CEO Satya Nadella is indeed making a significant difference in the way the software giant now treats customers and employees alike.

“We take this commitment – both to our employees and to our millions of customers around the world – very seriously, and we’re particularly pleased to see Microsoft recognized as the #1 place to work for both women and men,” Stijn Nauwelaerts, general manager of human resources for Microsoft International, said.

Huge layoffs last year

We're not trying to give this story a negative spin, but it's clearly worth mentioning that Microsoft had more than 120,000 employees last year after completing the acquisition of Nokia's Devices and Services unit, out of which 18,000 were fired as the integration of this division advanced.

This was definitely a painful process for Microsoft and the impacted employees, but Nadella explained at the time that there was no other way to go, especially because the company had to reorganize departments in order to better integrate Nokia staff.

Another thing that needs to be considered is that today's award is based on a survey, with 67.8 percent of the respondents picking Microsoft as the top employer. Salary and benefits, long-term job security, and a pleasant working atmosphere were said to be Microsoft's secret weapons to make Redmond such a great place to work/

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