I’m proud to announce that Great Place to Work has named Salesforce its #1 Best Workplace in Australia. This recognition is a win for all of us at Salesforce, because every employee is responsible for building and maintaining our exceptional culture.
This is our third year in a row receiving the award — we were ranked #2 last year and #1 the year before. We are grateful to once again be featured alongside so many other great companies that have committed to fostering inclusive workplaces. It has been a journey to get to where we are and there is work ahead, but this award shows that we are continuing in the right direction.
Being named the best workplace in Australia through a time of great change and growth is phenomenal — we’ve seen record-breaking growth in the first half of 2018 in Australia. The APAC region has become one of Salesforce’s fastest growing regions globally, and we welcomed our 3000th employee in June.
Salesforce’s intentional approach to culture
In Hawaiian culture, the word ‘Ohana’ represents the idea that families – related or chosen – are bound together, with their members feeling a sense of responsibility for one another. When Salesforce was created, all those years ago, Marc Benioff realised that the true meaning of Ohana didn’t really exist in corporate culture. So, he built Salesforce from day one around the spirit of Ohana.
Creating a strong and healthy culture is an ongoing commitment – a never-ending journey, not a destination. We are intentional about the culture we create for our employees and winning an award that’s based on the votes of the very people that make up our business validates the ongoing effort we’ve put into cultivating a workplace that lives and breathes our core values: trust, customer success, innovation and equality.
Here are some of our current initiatives that reflect these values:
A commitment to our community
Salesforce was founded with with a purpose beyond profit. Giving back and improving the communities in which we live and work is a core value of Salesforce and embedded in everything we do. This commitment comes to life through our 1-1-1 philanthropic model, which is based on the simple, yet effective, idea that we allocate one per cent of Salesforce’s products, people and resources to not-for-profits. In Australia we have also seen over 500 companies join us in this mission by taking the Pledge 1% commitment.
Our employees are encouraged to take up to seven days (56 hours) of volunteer time off each financial year so they can contribute to the causes that are close to their hearts, and they’re incentivised to take this time. Employees who complete all 56 hours (and more) are considered our Volunteer Rockstars, and the top 100 receive $10,000 in grants to donate to the not-for-profits of their choice.
This initiative has resulted in more than 18,000 volunteer hours contributed across Australia this year alone, which has included raising more than $76,000 in grants and leveraging our technology to support many not-for-profit customers including Starlight Children’s Foundation, Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), and Foodbank Australia.
As part of our commitment to equality and giving back to our community, we recently brought our global Circle the Schools program to Australia to support students across the country in developing skills that prepare them for jobs of the future. The students in our community require our support in navigating the changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We need to be active in ensuring technological advances don’t lead to inequality by acting now to advance equal opportunity in education.
I’m proud to lead this program, and we’ve already exceeded our goal of providing nine schools with a tailored action plan aimed at meeting jointly developed STEM education goals. Education is crucial for everyone in our society to have the best possible opportunity to succeed and live their best lives – we believe education is the true equaliser for all.
Equality for all
Our commitment to equality doesn’t end there. We passionately believe in equal rights. It’s why we supported marriage equality and the Yes campaign last year, and were thrilled when the Australian parliament chose to legalise same-sex marriage, celebrating alongside our LGBTIQ+ Ohana.
It’s also why we took an Equal Pay Pledge. We strongly believe in equal pay for equal work, and continually assess pay equity across the entire organisation. So far, Salesforce has spent $8.7 million to close the gender pay gap.
This investment in closing the gender pay gap and our dedication to boosting the number of women in technology recently saw Salesforce rank as the #1 place to work as a woman in 2018 by Marie Claire Australia.
At Salesforce, we also appreciate that starting or growing a family can sometimes be challenging, which is why we offer employees access to our Adoption and Fertility Program. We’re committed to providing our employees with the best possible care when it comes to planning, building and raising families. We understand that everyone is different, so we’ve provided flexible programs that support every family – no matter what they may look like – in Australia, including progressive adoption and fertility support, parental leave, and baby bonus policies.
Why culture matters
We believe a strong culture lays the foundation for a strong business. It’s our key to attract and retain the best employees, partner with the world’s leading brands, and drive change in our community. Earlier this year, Salesforce was named #1 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the first time – a pretty momentous achievement – and we’re proud to also be recognised here in Australia.
Our people are at the heart of our company. So, for us, the honour to be named the #1 Best Place to Work in Australia, alongside other inspiring Australian companies, is a testament to the diverse and talented people in our Ohana. We can’t thank our Ohana enough for their commitment to and belief in our culture. We couldn’t earn this incredible recognition without you all.
The next year is looking to be another great one for us. We’re investing in bringing new, innovative products to our APAC Ohana, and continuing to advocate for trust, customer success, innovation and equality.
Blaze your trail
Interested in joining our team? You’re in luck because we’re hiring!
