Want to be Voted a Top 25 Company to Work For?

Who wouldn’t?  How great to be in the company of the likes of Google, Twitter, Southwest, Proctor & Gamble and 21 others who seem to make the list every year in Glassdoor's annual survey.  So what do these companies have in common that make their employees love to come to work?

1.    Core values.  Values that permeate every fiber of the company and not just a mission statement or a list that’s put in the annual personnel handbook.

2.    Smart people.  Many of the workers cite the high level of intelligence of their co-workers. Besides just raising the bar and staying challenged, smart people tend to foster innovation and creativity. 

3.    Teamwork.  Teamwork must be a way of life where collaboration and helping others is done without asking and without expecting a reward.

4.    Common goals.  Sadly, I’ve worked with many companies where the rank and file isn’t even aware of the corporate goals.  Uniting everyone under a common purpose is an essential ingredient in employee engagement.

5.    Work-Life Balance. Seems obvious, but in addition to allowing their employees some flexibility, creating a culture where balance is encouraged demonstrates how much a company values its employees.

6.    They give back.  Many of the companies on this list believe in fostering not only an internal community but an external one as well. Several donate both time and money to local and national causes.

7.    Customer Service. Many of the firms on the list don’t just give lip service to great service. Like one Progressive Insurance company associate cited, the company “promotes a sincere customer service culture.”

8.    Great benefits.  It’s nice to have a fun place to work, but the fun won’t last long if the benefit package isn’t there.  Offering a great, competitive benefit package is essential.

9.    Training.  There aren’t too many people that love to get bored on the job.  Offering training to their employees will not only keep the employees sharp and up to date but it’s considered a great benefit as well.

10.   Promotion and growth opportunities.  You have to wonder, what good is training if there’s no room for advancement? A culture that promotes from within creates positivity.

There may be many other attributes of a company that drives employees to say, “ this is the best company- ever”.  But first and foremost you have to foster a strong culture and value system. Once you do that, the rest should fall into place and maybe next year, you’ll make the list.