January 2025 Hugginess Survey Results

Hugging Face Overall NPS

HF NPS: 52 (+3 pts from May 2024)

Underrepresented HF NPS: 35 (-5 pts from May 2024)

Positive Themes

• Culture and Colleagues (36 mentions) – Kind, supportive, and smart colleagues.
• Flexibility (18 mentions) – Schedule/location flexibility and remote opportunities.
• Impact and Mission (15 mentions) – High impact on AI and fulfilling projects.
• Learning and Growth (12 mentions) – Exposure to innovation and growth opportunities.
• Work-Life Balance (8 mentions) – Balanced workload and mental health support.

Constructive Criticism

• Not a Fit for Everyone (10 mentions) – High autonomy may be challenging for some.
• Compensation Concerns (8 mentions) – Pay perceived as lower than competitors.
• Workload and Stress (6 mentions) – Small team size leading to high workload.
• Retention and Culture (4 mentions) – Low retention rates and inefficiencies.
• Isolation in Remote Work (3 mentions) – Some employees feel isolated.

Support Teams NPS

Support Team NPS: 48

Underrepresented Support Team NPS: 28

Positive Themes

• Efficiency and Responsiveness (10 mentions) – Quick and professional support.
• Kindness and Commitment (7 mentions) – Support teams go above and beyond.
• Collaboration and Transparency (6 mentions) – Open and collaborative problem-solving.
• Competence and Knowledge (5 mentions) – Strong expertise in HR, finance, and legal.

Constructive Criticism

• Manual Processes (4 mentions) – Expense reporting seen as tedious.
• Understaffing (3 mentions) – Delays in support responses due to team size.
• Limited Interaction (3 mentions) – Some employees don’t interact with support teams.

Productivity Why Summary

Average Productivity Rating: 4/5

Underrepresented Average: 4/5

Positive Themes

• Autonomy and Freedom (10 mentions) – Employees value high ownership.
• Supportive Culture (8 mentions) – Reduced meetings boost productivity.
• Exciting Work (7 mentions) – Meaningful and engaging projects.

Constructive Criticism

• Burnout and Energy Management (5 mentions) – Some struggle with energy levels.
• Context Switching (5 mentions) – Juggling tasks is challenging.
• Solo Work (3 mentions) – Limited opportunities for idea-sharing.

What are you most excited about for 2025?

• Hugging Face Hub Growth (10 mentions) – Expansion beyond AI developers.
• New Projects and Innovation (9 mentions) – Enthusiasm for upcoming initiatives.
• Open-Source Advancements (8 mentions) – HF’s role in driving innovation.
• Community and Collaboration (5 mentions) – Looking forward to teamwork.
• Transformers & Architectures (3 mentions) – Breaking LLM dominance.

A Note on Underrepresentation:

We deeply value the culture of trust and autonomy that we’ve built at Hugging Face, and can see clear paths from this culture to maximum impact. The flexibility of remote work, the ability to shape our own projects, and the intelligence and kindness of our colleagues continue to stand out as major positives. We appreciate our mission-driven nature, the opportunity to work on open-source and cutting-edge AI, and the transparency that allows us to thrive in an independent environment.

However, some folks feel that the high expectations we set for self-direction can make it challenging to navigate priorities, and that the fast-paced environment sometimes prioritizes immediate impact over deeper, long-term work. Concerns around compensation, employee retention, and professional growth remain present. Lastly, remote work is a key benefit for many, but it can also lead to feelings of isolation for some.

And, as in the last survey, most people at Hugging Face who identify as members of underrepresented groups in tech score each question slightly lower than those who do not identify themselves as members of an underrepresented group in tech. Look at the numbers in blue to see how our underrepresented voices responded to each question.

As the conversation around marginalized communities continues to shift, and in some cases be outright violent, we will do our absolute best to respond with empathy, care, and support. These numbers indicate to me that we still have room to improve our focus on hearing each others’ voices and creating a space for everyone to feel like they belong at Hugging Face.

Historical % Underrepresented

Jan 2025: 32%

May 2024: 37%

Sep 2023: 33%