Jobs and career community Glassdoor recently released its annual report highlighting the highest rated CEOs in 2014, and Costco, J.Crew and Nordstrom execs topped the list in terms of retail companies.
And these rankings are based solely on employee opinion.
On Glassdoor, U.S.-based employees voluntarily and anonymously offer thoughts and comments on whether they approve or disapprove of how their leaders are running the company and this feedback determines the report rankings.
Glassdoor split the report into highest rated CEOs at large companies (1,000 or more employees) and small and mid-sized companies (fewer than 1,000).
LinkedIn’s Jeff Weiner took the number one spot with a 100 percent approval rating, followed by Ford Motor’s Alan R. Mulally with 97 percent and public relations firm Edelman’s Richard W. Edelman also with 97 percent.
The top three executives at small and mid-sized organizations all lead tech companies that provide software to grow and manage businesses.
Of the retailers that made the list, most were praised for good company culture and positive management. Here are the top ten retail executives in order of their respective rankings in the Glassdoor report:
Craig Jelinek, Costco Wholesale. Jelinek came in sixth on the overall list of fifty-one with a 95 percent approval rating. Employees noted often intense schedules, but touted Costco for its positive work environment, employee freedom and potential for growth.
Mickey Drexler, J.Crew. Drexler ranked seventeenth on the list with a 92 percent approval rating, and employees said J.Crew was a great company to work for with management who understand work/life balance and customer service.
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John J. Donahoe, eBay Inc. Coming at number twenty with a 91 percent approval rating, Donahoe’s eBay is stimulating and offers good career opportunities, according to employees, but at times the company can be overly political.
Blake Nordstrom, Nordstrom. At twenty-four on the list, Nordstrom had a 90 percent approval rating and employees said the company is good about hiring from within and management accommodates any issues promptly and fairly. Long store hours and excessive competition among employees were noted on the negative side.
Ed Crenshaw, Publix. Crenshaw ranked twenty-nine on the list with an 88 percent approval rating. Employees said Publix provides great employee benefits and a friendly work environment, but positive aspects have been declining over the years.
Glenn Murphy, The Gap. Murphy made thirty on the list with an approval rating of 87 percent. Gap employees said the company offers competitive pay and good growth potential, but some cited management’s overemphasis on selling credit cards.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com. King of the retail giant, Bezos ranked thirty-three with an 86 percent approval rating. Employees feel they work among the most talented people and, as a result, they excel, but Amazon’s Darwinian culture can make competition cutthroat.
Sharen Turney, Victoria’s Secret Stores. Turney came in at thirty-five with and 85 percent approval rating and employees cited positive feelings from management and staff, but said growth potential was limited.
Nick Coe, Bath & Body Works. Also with an 85 percent approval rating, Coe ranked thirty-eight on the list. Employees said the work environment at the company was good but that pay is under par.
Robert Hohman, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder, said, “We find on Glassdoor that a strong leader is often one who has the ability to clearly communicate the vision for the company and who helps employees see how their work connects to the big picture. In addition, top rated CEOs are commonly seen as relatable, accessible and transparent.”
View the full report results here.