Microsoft beats Facebook at hiring innovators

Working for Facebook might come with certain perks, but the most innovative work environment isn't one of them. According to a new study, it's Microsoft who hires the most adventurous and innovative talent, while Facebook is "one of the least creative tech companies that a person could work for".

The study discusses employee character traits and company culture at tech giants IBM, Facebook, Apple, Google, and Microsoft and offers some insights that do not necessarily match the current perception of the companies.

For example, one of its key findings is that Facebook, a brand almost synonymous with innovation, falls behind when it comes to hiring curious and adventurous employees. Employees at the more traditional Microsoft on the other hand, are significantly more innovative than most people assume, the study concludes.

The research was conducted by jobseeker platform Good&Co. The company based its findings on data collected over a two-year period from 4,364 of its app users, all of whom are employed at IBM, Facebook, Apple, Google, or Microsoft.

When asked to comment on the results, Good&CO founder and CEO Samar Birwadker suggested the companies' original reputations are still in place, while the culture has changed.

Facebook has always had the reputation of being innovative, Birwadler told Fast Company. "I think that now becomes a subconscious thing, that Facebook is innovative, but the current place they're in as a business doesn't require them to personally be innovative", he said.

For Microsoft, it's the other way around. The company used to make a lot of money doing things the traditional way, but recently introduced a more consumer focused culture in order to keep up with social platforms and companies like Google, Birwadler explained to the news site. As a result, they now hire some of the most adventurous candidates.

"The data tell us that in adventurousness, Microsoft employees tend to be neck in neck with Apple's, and much more adventurous than Google, Facebook, or IBM employees," he adds.

Recent incidents seem to back up Microsoft's move towards a more, or perhaps too adventurous company culture. In an attempt to connect with potential talent from the Millennial Generation, the company introduced an artificial intelligence chatbot that learnt to be racist, and sent an email using language such as "bae" and "hella noms".

ALSO READ: PHOTOS: Why Microsoft’s new office is designed like a laboratory

Image: 123RF