Fortune Magazine Names the 100 Best Companies to Work For

By Linda Orlando

Fortune Magazine recently released its ninth annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list, which evaluated 466 companies across the country to determine which are the best places to work. The rankings are determined by an evaluation of the policies and culture of each company, as well as the opinions of the company’s employees. Any company with more than 1,000 U.S. employees that is at least seven years old is eligible to be evaluated for the list. About 1,500 companies contacted the magazine or were recruited to participate in this year’s evaluation, but only 466 finished the exhaustive survey process.

Two-thirds of the total score given to each company comes from employee responses to a survey created by the Great Place to Work Institute in San Francisco, CA. The 57-question survey is given to at least 400 randomly selected employees from each company. Questions are determined to assess the employees job satisfaction, camaraderie with other employees, and their attitudes toward management.

The remaining third of the score given to each company comes from the magazine’s thorough evaluation of the company’s demographic makeup, pay scales, benefit programs, and other factors. According to the magazine’s website, companies are scored in four categories: credibility (communication to employees), respect (opportunities and benefits), fairness (compensation, diversity), and pride/camaraderie (philanthropy, celebrations). After all evaluations have been completed, a company may be excluded from the final tally of scores if news arises that may significantly damage the employees’ perceptions of that company’s management.

The biotechnology giant Genentech is at the top of this year’s list. According to Fortune, the company’s culture was the selling point that gave it top billing. The magazine said that based on the survey of Genentech employees, they believe their jobs have meaning and that the CEO is interested in knowing their opinions. They also feel that the company is supportive of their needs to balance work and personal life demands. Wegman’s Food Markets, which was ranked at the top of the list last year, came in second this year. Here is the complete list of Fortune’s top 10 best companies to work for:

• Genentech
  
• Wegmans
  
• Valero Energy
  
• Griffin Hospital
  
• W.L. Gore
  
• Container Store
  
• Vision Service Plan
  
• J.M. Smucker
  
• REI
  
• S.C. Johnson & Son

Fortune’s roundup of the 100 Best Companies groups some of the winners into particular categories. Fourteen companies on this year’s list pay 100% of their employees’ health-care premiums, with Boston Consulting Group ranked the highest in that category. Employees are allowed to telecommute at home at least 20% of the time at 79 of the Best Companies. The highest percentage of telecommuters work at Republic Bancorp (60%), HomeBanc Mortgage (37%), American Fidelity Insurance (33%), Morrison & Foerster (30%), and S.C. Johnson (23%).

Almost one-third of the Best Companies offer an onsite child-care center for employees. The five with the best average monthly rates are SAS Institute, AFLAC, Baptist Health South Florida, Bright Horizons, and Memorial Health. Twenty-five companies on this year’s list offer fully paid sabbaticals for employees. The top 10 best companies for people to feel encouraged to "balance their work and personal life" are American Century Investments, Republic Bancorp, Recreational Equipment (REI), Wegmans Food Markets, HomeBanc Mortgage, SAS Institute, Edward Jones, Standard Pacific, Robert W. Baird, and Russell Investment Group.

Seven companies in this years recap have discovered unusual ways to keep their employees happy by offering them terrific perks. Timberland employees receive a $3,000 subsidy if they choose to buy a hybrid automobile. S.C. Johnson & Son retirees are given a lifetime membership to the company fitness center. Employees of David Weekley Homes get 10% off the purchase of a new DW home. Employees of Eli Lilly who get pregnant can take the month off before their due date—fully paid by the company. Worthington Industries offers their employees onsite haircuts for just $4. J.M. Smucker provides 100% tuition reimbursement for employees, with no limit on the amount. And at Amgen, employees are given 16 paid holidays a year—nearly double the amount at most companies.

If your current job just isn’t offering you the satisfaction and benefits you deserve, then take a look at Fortune Magazine’s Best Companies list, and polish up your resume. There are 100 companies out there just waiting to make you happy!