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Airbnb tops 'Best Places to Work' list. Which other favorites made it?

While the 'Best Places to Work' list for 2016 from Glassdoor is still dominated by tech companies and financial giants, a few employee favorite remain, despite their underrepresented industries. 

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Yuya Shino/Reuters/File
A man walks past a logo of Airbnb after a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, November 26, 2015. Airbnb topped Glassdoor's Best Places to Work 2016 list.

Airbnb, Bain & Company, and Guidewire top the list of Glassdoor's list of the 50 'Best Places to Work' for 2016. As in previous years, tech and finance companies dominated the rankings, but few names from unexpected industries kept their places as well. 

The recruitment firm's annual survey, released Wednesday, is based on employee ratings, and this year's version features some tumult at the top of the rankings. Google, the 2015 best place to work, has been replaced by Airbnb, the San Francisco-based rent-sharing website. Consulting firm Bain & Company and software publisher Guidewire trailed behind in second and third place.

While the Bay Area tech and East Coast finance companies continue to dominate much of the top 50 list, a great work environment can still come from the most unexpected places. 

In-N-Out Burger, for example, has been a mainstay. It is the only fast-food restaurant in the top 50 of the 2016 list and has cracked the top 10 multiple times. In 2013 and 2015, In-N-Out Burger ranked ninth and eighth, respectively. This year, the employee-loved fast-food chain slipped to 13. 

“Great company to work for with high standards and core values. They take care of their people and expect you to do the same for the customers,” One In-N-Out Burger employee posted on Glassdoor. 

Other industries that were scarcely represented, but had a few high-scoring companies included grocers, gas stations, and airlines. Each of those small industries have had favorites.

Grocers H E B and Costco Wholesale have reached high on the Top 50 list multiple times. H E B has been on the list since 2014 and peaked at seventh in 2015. It ranked 17th on the 2016 list. Costco Wholesale has appeared on  the list every year since 2012.

QuikTrip, the only gas station on the list, came in at 24th, falling three spots from its debut last year. Both years QuikTrip has been on the list, the gas station company has beaten out the tech giant Apple.

Southwest Airlines has traditionally ranked high on the Best Place to Work list - it is one of the few airlines to ever appear. In 2010, the company made its debut at the top of the rankings and has stayed on the list since. This year, the airline was joined by Delta Air Lines, which ranked 21st. Southwest came in 42nd.

The differences between a fast-food restaurant and a tech giant might seem stark, but Glassdoor’s CEO Robert Hohman says the top 50 companies have much in common. "Employees at Best Places to Work report feeling valued at work, a sense of community, and excitement for their company’s business outlook," Mr. Hohman said in a statement to Fast Company.

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