The Best Companies to Work For

Call it a hat trick: for the first time in the 15-year history of Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For list, we have a three-time champion, as Google reclaims the top spot for workforce happiness (it debuted on our list at no. 1 in 2007, and stayed there in 2008). We’ve had a couple double headers before -- Container Store, SAS and Edward Jones have all clinched the no. 1 spot twice -- but Google this year marks the first three-peat.

And while the perks of the Googleplex are epic -- everything from bocce ball to a bowling alley, from free food to free laundry -- what set it apart from the competition was one clear thing: its scores on our employee Trust Index, a blind survey of random employees that asks them about their general job satisfaction, attitude toward management, and sense of employee camaraderie.

[See also: Seven Job Search Rules to Break]

It’s this subjective stuff -- how employees really feel about their job and their workplace -- that makes up the backbone of our survey, which we conduct in cooperation with the Great Place to Work Institute, and of the list itself. Sure, the size of the swimming pool and the company match on the 401(k) plan matter, and we track those easily quantifiable things (you won’t find a more complete recreational facility than the one at Qualcomm, for instance, and the holiday party at Salesforce.com is truly epic). But this list is a measure of employees’ overall satisfaction with their jobs and the companies they work for -- which, smart CEOs will tell you, is worth its weight in gold.

Indeed, even in a tough economic climate, rather than cutting back on these niceties, the heads of the companies on our list know that investing in building and keeping a loyal workforce pays dividends. The voluntary turnover rates of companies on this list are astoundingly low; the lowest, SAS, is just 2.2%, but consider the rates of Intel (2.3%), General Mills (2.6%) and American Express (7%) -- and compare these figures with the corporate world at large, where rates in the 20s and higher are not uncommon, even in a rough job market.

So while the fitness facilities might help attract the best people, it tends to be the culture that keeps them. Who are this year’s Best Companies and what makes them so great? Read on.


1. Google
Courtesy: GoogleRank: 1 (Previous rank: 4)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 29,321

Website: www.google.com
What makes it so great?
Everything was up at Google last year -- revenue, profits, share price, paid search clicks, hiring -- and so, too, was employee love; the search giant climbed three slots in our ranking to reclaim the top spot. The reason? Employees rave about their mission, the culture, and the famous perks of the Plex: bocce courts, a bowling alley, eyebrow shaping (for a fee) in the New York office. Then there's the food: some 25 cafés companywide, all gratis. Wrote one Googler: "Employees are never more than 150 feet away from a well-stocked pantry."
Headquarters: 
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043

2. Boston Consulting Group
Courtesy: Boston Consulting GroupRank: 2 (Previous rank: 2)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 3,050
Website: www.bcg.com
What makes it so great?
A perennial of the top five of our list, the global consultancy invests 100-plus hours and thousands of dollars to recruit each consultant; once hired, they earn an average of $139,000 a year.
Headquarters: 
One Beacon Street, Boston, MA 2108

3. SAS Institute
Courtesy: SASRank: 3 (Previous rank: 1)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 2,430
Website: www.sas.com
What makes it so great?
Subsidized Montessori child care, unlimited sick time, intramural sports leagues, and a free health care center are just some of the perks at the software company's lushly landscaped campus.
Headquarters: 
100 SAS Campus Drive, Cary, NC 27513

4. Wegmans Food Markets
Courtesy: WegmansRank: 4 (Previous rank: 3)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 5,687
Website: www.wegmans.com
What makes it so great?
The family-owned grocery chain has made employee health a religion: More than 2,000 workers have enrolled in a free smoking-cessation program since 2009; this year it opened a new 24/7 health hotline.
Headquarters: 
1500 Brooks Ave., Rochester, NY 14624

5. Edward Jones
Courtesy: Edward JonesRank: 5 (Previous rank: 11)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 4,183
Website: www.edwardjones.com
What makes it so great?
With some 11,000 offices across the country, the investment firm escaped the recession with nary a layoff. Says managing partner Jim Weddle: "It's a great time not to be a bank -- or to be owned by one."
Headquarters: 
12555 Manchester Road, St. Louis, MO 63131




6. NetApp
Courtesy: NetAppRank: 6 (Previous rank: 5)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 5,123

Website: www.netapp.com
What makes it so great?
The data storage firm's pay-for-performance program triggered huge bonuses last year when revenues shot up from $3.9 billion to $5 billion. Employees received payouts of up to 31% of their salary.
Headquarters: 
495 East Java Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

7. Camden Property Trust
Courtesy: Camden Property TrustRank: 7 (Previous rank: 7)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 610
Website: www.camdenliving.com
What makes it so great?
This apartment-management firm, which manages properties that house 100,000 people in 13 states, is generous with employees -- last year it doled out surprise bonuses, from $100 to $5,000.
Headquarters: 
3 Greenway Plaza, Ste 1300, Houston, TX 77046

8. Recreational Equipment (REI)
Courtesy: REIRank: 8 (Previous rank: 9)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 1,659

Website: www.rei.com
What makes it so great?
The adventure-gear retailer scaled new heights last year with its first Manhattan store. Outdoor-loving employees take advantage of sabbaticals, free equipment rentals, and hefty discounts on merchandise.
Headquarters: 
6750 South 228th Street, Kent, WA 98032

9. CHG Healthcare Services
Courtesy: CHG Healthcare ServicesRank: 9 (Previous rank: 27)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 536
Website: www.chghealthcare.com
What makes it so great?
The staffing agency routinely acts on suggestions made by employees. This year it revamped its drug plan, built a gym at its Fort Lauderdale office, and made Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a paid holiday.
Headquarters: 
6440 South Millrock Drive, Suite 175, Salt Lake City, UT 84121

10. Quicken Loans
Courtesy: Quicken LoansRank: 10 (Previous rank: 29)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 1,300

Website: www.quickenloans.com
What makes it so great?
Employees of the online mortgage lender take immense pride in its move from the suburbs to downtown Detroit: "We're taking [the city] from its lowest point and bringing it back to the spotlight it deserves."
Headquarters: 
1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226


11. Zappos.com
Courtesy: ZapposRank: 11 (Previous rank: 6)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 1,640

Website: www.zappos.com
What makes it so great?
Now in its second year under Amazon.com, Zappos maintains its zany culture. New last year: Zfrog awards, which let employees pitch new business ideas, and on-site “laughter yoga” classes. But things aren’t all fun and games: A hacking incident where millions of Zappos customer accounts were exposed to cyberattackers lent a sober note recently. In an employee e-mail, company CEO Tony Hsieh called for “all hands on deck” to get through.
Headquarters: 
2280 Corporate Circle, Henderson, NV 89074



12. Mercedes-Benz USA
Courtesy: Daimler AGRank: 12 (Previous rank: 15)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 1,200

Website: www.mbusa.com
What makes it so great?
To celebrate the 125th anniversary of Karl Benz's invention of the automobile, the company gave bonuses based on tenure -- workers in the U.S. with more than 14 years of service got $1,400.
Headquarters: 
One Mercedes Drive, Montvale, NJ 07645

13. DPR Construction
Courtesy: DPR ConstructionRank: 13 (Previous rank: 22)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 1,432

Website: www.dpr.com
What makes it so great?
The construction firm wins praise for its open culture: Employees are free to attend all quarterly meetings, and workers feel listened to. Says one: "If I have a good idea, I am empowered to move it forward."
Headquarters: 
1450 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City, CA 94063


14. DreamWorks Animation
Courtesy: Dreamworks AnimationRank: 14 (Previous rank: 10)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 785

Website: www.dreamworksanimation.com
What makes it so great?
What animates the animators here is the accessibility of CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, who welcomes new hires and sends a daily update to the staff. As one employee puts it, "He makes it feel like 200 people work here, not 2,000."
Headquarters: 
1000 Flower St., Glendale, CA 91201










15. NuStar Energy
Courtesy: NuStar EnergyRank: 15 (Previous rank: 30)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 4,403

Website: www.nustarenergy.com
What makes it so great?
The company has never had a layoff, pays 100% of its workers' health insurance premium, and matches 401(k) contributions up to 6% of pay. It also lends the corporate jet to employees in times of crisis.
Headquarters: 
2330 N. Loop 1604 West, San Antonio, TX 78248

16. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
Courtesy: Kimpton HotelsRank: 16 (Previous rank: 83)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 780

Website: www.kimptonhotels.com
What makes it so great?
Traditions like the "Housekeeping Olympics," which features blindfolded bedmaking and the "vacuum dash," and a $10,000 employee prize for best service keep this hotel operator from feeling like a big chain.
Headquarters: 
222 Kearny Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94108

17. JM Family Enterprises
Courtesy: JM Family EnterpriseRank: 17 (Previous rank: 16)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 9,300

Website: www.jmfamily.com
What makes it so great?
The country's largest Toyota distributor offers profit-sharing, free haircuts, and a state-of-the-art child-care center. In the spirit of founder Jim Moran, it keeps a fleet of yachts for use by employees during appreciation events.
Headquarters: 
100 Jim Moran Blvd., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

18. Chesapeake Energy
Courtesy: Chesapeake EnergyRank: 18 (Previous rank: 32)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 9,366

Website: www.chk.com
What makes it so great?
A sleek new 63,000-square-foot child-care center that's big enough for 300 children is the largest such facility in the state -- and the latest addition to the natural-gas producer's perk-filled headquarters.
Headquarters: 
6100 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73118


19. Intuit
Courtesy: IntuitRank: 19 (Previous rank: 44)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 3,455

Website: www.intuit.com
What makes it so great?
The TurboTax maker uses its culture to spark innovation, with "idea jams," formal rotation programs for new employees, and four hours of "unstructured time" per week for employees to work on projects of their own.
Headquarters: 
2632 Marine Way, Mountain View, CA 94043

20. USAA
Courtesy: USAARank: 20 (Previous rank: 17)
2010 revenue ($ millions): 17,946
Website: www.usaa.com
What makes it so great?
Employees at the financial services firm for military members work in the largest private office building in the U.S. Among its features: a medical clinic, an indoor walking path, and tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts.
Headquarters: 
9800 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio, TX 78288


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