Culture Head to Head

Discover how Salesforce and IBM stack up across purpose, values, behaviors, leadership and more—revealing how their distinct cultural profiles shape employee experience and business outcomes.

Culture Head to Head Series – Salesforce v IBM

Industries

Technology

Date:

Nov 2024

Expert:

Alastair Whiteley

Salesforce and IBM represent two leading players in the technology industry, each with distinct approaches to innovation, employee engagement, and workplace culture. While Salesforce is recognized for its dynamic, high-growth environment, IBM has a legacy as a global technology powerhouse. This analysis compares the two companies across key cultural behaviors and employee value drivers, shedding light on their strengths and opportunities for improvement as employers.

Culture Insights

Salesforce and IBM each demonstrate notable strengths in their workplace cultures. Salesforce excels in pay and rewards (+63.2%) and learning and development (+49.8%), reflecting its dynamic, growth-focused environment. IBM, on the other hand, outperforms in work-life balance (+37.2%), D&I (+60.7%), and collaboration (+51.6%), showcasing a more stable and inclusive workplace culture.

However, both companies face challenges in agility, career progression, and employee empowerment. For Salesforce, addressing work-life balance and fostering greater inclusivity could complement its strengths in rewards and development. For IBM, improving compensation, agility, and career progression could position it as an even more competitive employer.

Head to Head: IBM vs Salesforce on Culture Framework

Purpose

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Salesforce Purpose - Both companies report negative scores, with Salesforce demonstrating a stronger connection to its mission

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IBM Purpose - IBM’s low score highlights a significant disconnect between employees and the company’s purpose, signaling an area for improvement.

Work-life Balance

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Salesforce - Enhancing work-life balance could improve satisfaction and retention at Salesforce.

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IBM focuses on maintaining work-life balance compared to Salesforce’s more demanding, high-growth environment.

Empowered

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Both scores are negative, Salesforce, in particular, may benefit from fostering greater empowerment to enhance engagement.

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IBM employees feel limited autonomy in their roles but they are still ahead of competitor Saleforce in empowerment

Download the full report

Read the full report and see how Salesforce and IBM compare across our Culture Framework.

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