50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America Named at SHRM Annual Conference; SHRM/GPTWI List Finds Respect, Communication Key to Successful Company 6/28/2004
From: Frank Scanlan, 703-535-6043 or fscanlan@shrm.org, Jen Jorgensen, 703-535-6356 or jjorgensen@shrm.org, Will Gray, 703-535-6012 or wlgray@shrm.org, All of the Society for Human Resource Management, Web site: http://www.shrm.org/press/ ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 28 -- The 15-year-old software company Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) of Exton, Pa., and the private mutual insurance company ACUITY of Sheboygan, Wis., have been respectively named the number one "Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America." The first-of-its-kind national rankings list the top 25 small companies (50-250 employees) and the top 25 medium companies (251-999 employees). The rankings were released by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) during the SHRM 56th Annual Conference & Exposition in New Orleans. The companies were selected and ranked by the Great Place to Work(r) Institute (GPTWI). The list and related stories appear in the July 2004 HR Magazine and at http://www.shrm.org/hrmagazine and on the GPTWI Web site at http://www.greatplacetowork.com. "These organizations are outstanding examples of companies that value their employees and have worked hard to create a positive, productive organizational culture," said SHRM President and CEO Susan R. Meisinger, SPHR. "All of these organizations stress respect, honesty, and communication to keep their employees engaged and excited with their jobs. These smart people practices make the difference between good companies and great companies." The common thread among the 50 organizations is that all are dedicated to communicating clearly with employees and encouraging staff to voice their opinions. The winning organizations place a strong emphasis on respect and honesty with their employees. Finally, the top 50 companies find ways to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of their workers to keep them engaged and excited about their jobs. Top Five Small Companies AGI develops mission-critical software that helps analyze and visualize data from missiles, jets, rockets and satellites for commercial and military aerospace uses, including NASA's space shuttle. The company, which has 170 employees, saw revenues soar 47 percent last fiscal year. Despite this fast-paced environment, AGI remains focused on creating a cohesive, family-friendly workplace culture. The company serves daily breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and its kitchens offer free snacks and drinks. AGI also offers a laundry room with free washers and dryers. CEO and cofounder Paul Graziani justifies the generous perks by pointing to the employees' productivity and revenue increases. Advertising and marketing company Archer/Malmo of Memphis, Tenn., is ranked number two on the list and stresses a workplace culture focused on the individual. Number three is San Francisco- based health care consulting organization, Triage Consulting Group, where 40 percent of the executives are women, and employees receive an average of 120 hours of training per year. Number four is Northeast Delta Dental of Concord, N.H., where the company pays 100 percent of employees' health care. The mortgage banking company Advanced Financial Services, Inc. of Newport, R.I., is ranked number five. The company encourages employees to communicate their ideas to improve the organization by inviting six randomly-selected employees to participate in semiweekly breakfasts with the company president. GPTWI cofounder Robert Levering said, "The companies on this list set the standards for all workplaces. They show that companies can become successful by creating an environment where employees trust their management, have pride in their work and have positive relationships with their coworkers." Top Five Medium Companies The number one medium company, ACUITY, is a property and casualty insurer with a workplace culture based on fun, recognition, honesty and respect. The company, with 718 employees, offers excellent benefits, competitive salaries, training and continued education for its employees. ACUITY CEO Bob Saltzmann believes the success of these efforts helped turn around the company's turnover rate from 25 percent in 1999 to two percent in 2004. The number two medium company is the financial consultancy Russell Investment Group of Tacoma, Wash. Sixty-two percent of the company's employees have at least six years of tenure. The Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union of Santa Ana, Calif., is number three. Fifty-seven percent of its executives or senior managers are women and 20 percent are minorities. Number four is Genencor International, a biotechnology company, of Palo Alto, Calif. The firm offers new hires the "Go To" mentor program to help them quickly learn about the organization and the "Knowledge Exchange," which allows employees to work in different departments to gain new perspectives and skills within the company. The number five company is The Hospice of Marion County Healthcare Alliance of Ocala, Fla. The company has senior managers and employees shadow one another in their jobs, enabling both parties to learn more about their roles and the issues they face. "Being a top employer is critical to long-term growth and success," said Meisinger. "Too often only large organizations receive credit for great people practices. SHRM is very proud to show that smaller organizations can and do compete for top talent and may even have added flexibility or innovation to help employees perform well while loving their jobs." To learn more about the eligibility requirements and nomination information for the 2005 list, visit http://www.shrm.org/bestcompanies. ------ The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 185,000 individual members, the Society's mission is to serve the needs of HR professionals by providing the most essential and comprehensive resources available. As an influential voice, the Society's mission is also to advance the human resource profession to ensure that HR is recognized as an essential partner in developing and executing organizational strategy. Founded in 1948, SHRM currently has more than 500 affiliated chapters within the United States and members in more than 100 countries. Visit SHRM Online at http://www.shrm.org. Great Place to Work(r) Institute, Inc., (GPTWI) is a research and management consultancy based in San Francisco, with affiliates in 24 countries outside the U.S. GPTWI produces other "Best Companies to Work for" lists, including Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work for"(c) and uses a variety of employee assessment tools and educational methods to further its goal of "Building a better society by helping companies transform their workplaces." For more information about GPTWI, visit http://www.greatplacetowork.com. |