How Gainsight Became Glassdoor’s No. 1 Place to Work in 2023

In January, the customer success software company, which has 1,300 employees across six countries and had never appeared on the list before, clinched the No. 1 spot for 2023. It received an overall score of 4.7 out of 5, beating out the tech giants and widely known companies that usually dominate. The win was not the result of some new corporate strategy or rebranding effort. It wasn’t directly tied to some great perks at the company, like “recharge days,” which refer to an extra day off per month, or being “remote first,” though those help. The win was a result of a corporate culture that, since he came on board as CEO in 2013, Mehta and his executive team have been intentional about making extraordinary.

Take a recent employer branding video the company made. Mehta stands in front of a wall of family photographs, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and talking about Gainsight’s human-first approach. Then he says, “But don’t take it from me. I’m probably a little biased.” Cut to Nikko Mehtadata, a guitar-wielding customer success manager in Tennessee; Nikolai Metyah, a beach bum engineer standing beneath a cabana in Hawaii; and Nicholas Mehtaverse, a sweater-vested business operations guy. Suddenly, a young boy pops into frame: “Daddy, is this another one of your work things?” he asks with his arms crossed. “We talked about this!” 

It was Nick Mehta all along, swapping costumes and posing as fictional employees in front of a green screen, embodying one of his company’s five core values: Childlike Joy. In the rest of the video, real employees from India, Israel and across America talk about why they love working at Gainsight. A blooper reel follows. 

The video, in all its goofiness, is a good demonstration of Gainsight’s winning culture, one that operates under the overarching commitment to put its people first.

“Of course we want to deliver value for our community,” says Carol Mahoney, chief people officer of Gainsight. “We just want to do that in a human-first way, because it’s the right thing to do. We’re capable of addressing the needs of our teammates, customers, partners and company simultaneously.” 

In other words, culture is paramount. Here’s how Mahoney says Gainsight creates a winning one.

Commit to Overcommunication

Every day, Mehta shares a “diary” entry with all employees about his priorities and accomplishments. Every week, he sends out a newsletter titled “Mehtaphysical Musings” about the latest and greatest in his world — business or otherwise. (He sometimes includes photos of his kids — a humanizing touch.) 

In a “Mehtaphysical Musings” to kick off 2023, Mehta credits the company’s Glassdoor achievement to “incredible teammates, alumni, customers, community and, of course, the power of Taylor Swift parody videos.” He includes a Zoom reaction video of himself hearing the news for the first time from Mahoney and VP of Teammate Success Kelly O’Blennis. He includes a Zoom reaction video of himself hearing the news for the first time from Mahoney and VP of Teammate Success Kelly O’Blennis, where the three raise a glass in celebration. Later in the newsletter, Mehta shares what he’s learned from surveying hundreds of growth-stage SaaS CEOs about what they are planning for the new year.

In addition to daily notes and weekly newsletters, Gainsight holds quarterly “Ask Me Anything” events, where, for 30 minutes, the executive team is available on Slack to field any question that an employee has, with the promise of a completely transparent answer. “Overcommunication is one of the key principles of human-first leadership and our most tangible expression of transparency,” Mahoney says. Even if the information to share is negative: “For us, it’s important that everyone at Gainsight knows exactly where they, and the company, stand.” 

Lead by Example

Mehta has a whopping 98% CEO approval rating on Glassdoor. That’s no accident, according to Mahoney. Mehta, a two-time CEO with Harvard degrees in biochemistry and computer science, doesn’t take things too seriously, except when it comes to engaging with his team. He responds to every employee email he receives, sends personalized birthday and anniversary notes to all employees, and connects with individuals on their first and last days with the company.

“Nick is without comparison. I have never experienced a leader as transparent, empathetic or as generally positive and welcoming,” Mahoney says. “The company trusts his decisions, follows in his footsteps, and he sets the tone for us all.” 

Act on Internal Feedback

Building a corporate culture that people love is hard. Maintaining it can be even harder. Gainsight not only gathers honest employee feedback — the company acts on it.

Gainsight’s HR department, called “Teammate Success,” drives a human-first culture by consistently measuring the impact of internal programs and incentives through engagement scores and surveys. “We take these very seriously, administering them multiple times a year,” Mahoney says. “That way we can test, review and optimize on a regular basis.” 

Gainsight structures its surveys so the outcomes are actionable, then trains its managers to take those steps if necessary. While other companies may struggle with agility or juggling culture against other business needs, Gainsight never loses sight of its employees.

“We recognize that our employees are in the field, every day, interfacing with customers, and if they love and respect the company as much as our management does, then we all win,” Mahoney says. “The respect isn’t blindly given; it’s earned by giving it to our employees first.” 

Prioritize Employer Branding

When a company can effectively advertise its value to the world and deliver on that value, it attracts and retains top talent and increases productivity and profits. 

Mahoney says the strength of Gainsight’s employee brand contributes to its bottom line, primarily through employee alignment and productivity. “A strong culture, messaged cohesively, maintains morale and increases profitability by saving on expenses associated with recruiting, training and onboarding,” she says. It also improves business performance by “cultivating a more effective, longer-tenured workforce.”

Employer branding is especially important in an uncertain economy, where employees want more transparency and communication than usual, and in a tight labor market, where companies are competing for hires. According to Glassdoor insights, 86% of applicants are likely to research company reviews and ratings when deciding where to apply for a job. The companies that have prioritized employer branding and culture will have the competitive edge. 

“Where to even start!!” a current senior consultant writes on Glassdoor about their time at Gainsight. “They truly trust you in your role and will support you all the way.”

“Benefits and perks can come and go throughout one’s career, but [a] good company culture that endures in challenging times is hard to find,” writes another employee.

“From day one at Gainsight I have felt connected and cared about by every layer of management,” another says. “The mission is not just lip service. This is a company I am very proud to work for and hope to build a career here for years to come.”

Learn more about Gainsight and its employer branding, including its five core values: Golden Rule, Stay Thirsty, Childlike Joy, Success for All and Shoshin.