Everybody eagerly awaits the announcement of Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list each year. It’s been 16 years and the franchise is going strong with employers, job seekers, college recruits and employees anticipating the announcement. Even the companies which fail to make the list try to analyze and understand the reasons they didn’t make the cut and what makes those who made the list so special.
The list which is published every year in Fortune magazine gives the readers who go through it a sense of what these companies do i.e., information about the perks they offer, pay package, recognition and awards they provide etc. what the readers do not know is the special intangible feature that is ‘work place culture’, which puts all these practices together. The experience of the employees in the work place goes beyond the perks and benefits offered and lies in the values and behaviors to which the employees collectively relate. Working at one of these top companies means that both the employees and employers agree to uphold certain ideals that sustain the companies operation and more often than not lead to its success. Every year the focus among the winners shifts a bit as they anticipate and react to the changing work environment and this year the top companies on the list focused more on employee wellness programs, professional development and issues related to having an increasingly global and mobile workforce.
So here goes the list of the top 10 companies to work for in 2013 according to Fortune magazine and why they made the cut!
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Google Inc.
It has been crowned No.1 for the fourth time this year and rightly so as its has introduced three wellness centers, a seven acre sports complex which includes a roller hockey rink, courts for basketball, bocce and roller ball and horse-shoe pits.
SAS
The previously third ranked data analytics firm has moved up the list to the No.2 spot due to its perk and creativity friendly approach. According to an employee the ‘creative anarchy’ is conducive to innovation. It has introduced an organic farm this year for its four cafeterias.
CHG Healthcare Services
The medical staffing firm boasts of employees that compete in talent show, trivia contests and dress as your favorite president competitions. Also the sales teams that meet their goals get extra paid time off. This year two on-site health centers have been introduced.
The Boston Consulting Group
The ‘red-zone report’ of this elite management consulting firm which is issued to employees who work too many hours for long weeks and helps them maintain a work-life balance is what makes this company stand out and make the No.4 spot on the list of the best companies. New consultants can delay their start date by six months and receive $10,000 to volunteer at a non-profit organization.
Wegmans
The North-eastern grocery chain allows its employees to reward each other with gift cards for good service and the employees love it so much so that they bring in their relatives (one in five employees is related).
NetApp
The employees at this data storage company get special recognition for their efforts. Vice Chairman Tom Mendoza asks managers to notify him when “they catch someone doing something right” and then calls 10 to 20 employees each day to thank them.
Hillcorp Energy Company
The oil and gas production company is a debutant on the list. It promised its employees in 2010 that if it doubles its production rate and reserve by 2015 then every employee will get a $100,000 check. Earlier the company had awarded 400 employees with $50,000 toward a new car.
Edward Jones
The private securities firm has a close-knit culture with 40% of new employees being hired through employee referrals. It maintains 11,000 small offices and conducts regular gatherings of ice skating, fishing tournaments etc.
Ultimate Software
the people-management software solutions developer boats of Google, Quicken Loans and New York Yankees as its customers. It covers 100% healthcare premiums for its employees along with dependents and treats them to a free vacation every two years.
Camden Property Trust
At Camden, an apartment management company the employees are sure to have fun as good times are a part of their business. The founders are known for their practical jokes and impersonations and the employees are offered discounted rentals. Also they get a 401(k) (A qualified plan established by employers to which eligible employees may make salary deferral (salary reduction) contributions on a post-tax and/or pre-tax basis) which matches 50% for up to 7% of pay.
Being known as a great workplace has become imperative to a company in the current environment as the external reputation of a company is more intrinsically linked with who they are internally. A company’s reputation for reliability, ethics, human rights, environmental practices is reflected in how they treat their employees who are at the core of the company’s success. Such lists have much more relevance in today’s times as more and more companies will better themselves to build a better society, one company at a time!
Source: Best Companies from CNN Money, The best companies to work for in 2013
