Best Companies to Work For

[Alter Ego]

SAS takes the prize again! When it comes to workplaces, few companies offer the kinds of perks the privately held software giant does: Employees at its Cary, N.C., campus can help themselves to everything from a tailor, a manicurist, and a hair salon, to summer camp programs for kids, to car detailing — all of which helped land the company at the top of our list of the 100 best workplaces last year. This year the feedback from employees — the core of our survey — was even stronger than last year, and SAS's scores increased significantly. "They were head and shoulders above anybody else," says Milton Moskowitz, the co-author of the list.

Landing the top spot twice in a row is a feat on the Best Companies to Work For list, where on-site gyms and 401(k) matches are de rigueur. (Free cafeterias, tanning beds, and an on-site life coach? Now we have a conversation.) The top five this year reflect some names familiar to readers of our list: Boston Consulting Group at No. 2, Wegmans Food Markets in third place, Google once again in the No. 4 slot, and data-storage company NetApp (No. 1 in 2009) is fifth. This year we welcome 10 newcomers to the list, including Hasbro, Morningstar, Stryker, and Darden Restaurants. We also welcome back many stalwarts: 13 companies have earned a spot on our list each of its 14 years, among them Cisco, Wegmans Food Markets, Microsoft, and — yes — Goldman Sachs.

How do we put the list together? Simply stated, we ask the employees themselves. We partner with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct an extensive survey of hundreds of employees at each company. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on employees' answers to questions about such factors as job satisfaction, management credibility, and camaraderie. (The other third is based on the companies' responses to detailed questions about pay, benefit programs, hiring practices, recognition programs, diversity efforts, and more.)

So who are this year's Best Companies and what's so great about them? Read on.

— Leigh Gallagher, Fortune Magazine

[Alter Ego]

1. SAS

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What makes it so great?

A 14-year veteran of this list, the software firm takes the top spot for the second year running.

Its perks are epic: on-site healthcare, high quality childcare at $410 per month, summer camp for kids, car cleaning, a beauty salon, and more — it's all enough to make a state-of-the-art, 66,000-square-foot gym seem like nothing special by comparison.

This year, strong employee feedback sent its numbers even higher. Says one manager: "People stay at SAS in large part because they are happy, but to dig a little deeper, I would argue that people don't leave SAS because they feel regarded — seen, attended to and cared for. I have stayed for that reason, and love what I do for that reason."

2009 revenue ($ millions): 2,310


2. Boston Consulting Group

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Rank: 2 (Previous rank: 8)

What makes it so great?

The consulting giant not only avoided layoffs in the downturn, but hired its largest class of recruits ever in 2010.

They're drawn by the firm's generous pay and a commitment to social work: Its Social Impact Practice Network (SIPN) offers a chance to work with the U.N. World Food Program and Save the Children, while BCG pulled its consultants off client projects to provide on-the-ground support in Haiti following the earthquake.

The company jumps up from no. 8 last year.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 2,750

[Радригес]

У них там в САСе есть свой садик и отель прямо на кампусе. Самая большая privately owned software company.

[Alter Ego]

3. Wegmans Food Markets

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Rank: 3 (Previous rank: 3)

What makes it so great?

This customer-friendly supermarket chain cares about the well-being of its workers, too. This year, 11,000 employees took part in a challenge to eat five cups of fruit and vegetables a day and walk up to 10,000 steps a day for eight weeks.

Another 8,000 took advantage of health screenings that included a flu shot and H1N1 vaccine — all covered by Wegmans.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 5,193

4. Google

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Rank: 4 (Previous rank: 4)

What makes it so great?

The search giant is famous for its laundry list of perks including free food at any of its cafeterias, a climbing wall, and, well, free laundry.

Last year, with revenue up more than 20%, Google sweetened this already rich pot of perks by giving every employee a 10% pay hike. Googlers can also award one another $175 peer spot bonuses — last year more than two-thirds of them did so.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 23,651

[Alter Ego]

5. NetApp

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Rank: 5 (Previous rank: 7)

What makes it so great?

It was a rebound year for the data-storage firm (no. 1 in 2009), as revenues jumped 33% and it hired hundreds of new employees.

Hourly executive assistants make $76,450 a year here, supplemented by a bonus of $21,917.

Employees also enjoy perks like free fruit on Tuesdays, free bagels and cream cheese on Fridays, and free espresso all the time.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 3,931

6. Zappos.com

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Rank: 6 (Previous rank: 15)

What makes it so great?

The online shoe retailer makes a big leap from no. 15 to no. 6 this year.

Now part of the Amazon.com family, the company's quirky, happy culture remains: Employees enjoy free lunches, no-charge vending machines, a full-time life coach on hand, and "create fun and a little weirdness" as one of the company's guiding tenets.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 1,190

[Alter Ego]

7. Camden Property Trust

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Rank: 7 (Previous rank: 10)

What makes it so great?

The Houston-based apartment management firm weathered the recession as employees pitched in to trim $6 million in costs, largely by renegotiating contracts and reducing pay.

One team sent a scrapbook to the CEO to show how much they love the company, while another planned and organized a "flash mob" dance routine for leaders' benefit.

One popular perk: Staffers can rent furnished apartments for $20 a night in locations like Orlando, San Diego, Denver and Austin for use on personal vacations.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 624

8. Nugget Market

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Rank: 8 (Previous rank: 5)

What makes it so great?

Rallies are an everyday event at this nine-store Northern California supermarket chain, where management uses a big flat screen computer monitor in each store to deliver important information about products, messages from the leadership team, employee awards, and pump up the troops.

Employees who watch diligently can be rewarded with bonuses that range from $20 to $1,500. Universal perk: everyone receives a 10% discount on store purchases.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 288

[Alter Ego]

9. Recreational Equipment (REI)

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Rank: 9 (Previous rank: 14)

What makes it so great?

After 15 years of service, employees at this adventure gear retailer are entitled to a four-week paid sabbatical; after that, they can take one every five years.

Employees also receive 50%-75% discounts on full-price REI branded apparel and equipment, free rental of equipment like skis and kayaks, and an annual gift of REI gear.

A separate Challenge Grant program provides up to $300 worth of gear to employees that participate in a challenging outdoor adventure (one cycled 500 miles across Iowa).

2009 revenue ($ millions): 1,455

10. DreamWorks Animation SKG

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Rank: 10 (Previous rank: 6)

What makes it so great?

The creators of "Shrek" and "Kung Fu Panda" are lavished with free breakfast and lunch, movie screenings, afternoon yoga, on-campus art classes and monthly parties.

CEO Jefferey Katzenberg still takes time to call job candidates to encourage them to join.

Any DreamWorker can pitch a movie idea to company executives — and can take the company-sponsored "Life's A Pitch" workshop to learn how best to do it.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 725

[Alter Ego]

11. Edward Jones

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Rank: 11 (Previous rank: 2)

What makes it so great?

The investment adviser has made diversity a priority with new recruitment programs to bring people of color into a workforce that is 93% white. As the company itself says, it "does not aspire to be a firm of middle-aged white men."

2009 revenue ($ millions): 3,548

12. Scottrade

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Rank: 12 (Previous rank: 27)

What makes it so great?

Discount stockbroker thrives by going against the grain: Its brokers offer no advice to customers and do not work on commission. Its workplace bucks trends too — no one has ever been laid off, and no office has ever been closed.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 863

[Alter Ego]

13. Alston & Bird

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Rank: 13 (Previous rank: 30)

What makes it so great?

For a decade the law firm has had its own child-care campus a block away from its offices. The facility was expanded this year and now provides day care to 110 children, with subsidized rates for parents in lower-salaried ranks.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 551

14. Robert W. Baird

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Rank: 14 (Previous rank: 11)

What makes it so great?

Employees of the investment adviser praise the integrity that prevails here. "I have worked with a number of firms," says one manager, "and Baird [has] the most hard-working, honest, ethical people in our business."

2009 revenue ($ millions): 718

[Alter Ego]

15. Mercedes-Benz USA

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Rank: 15 (Previous rank: 49)

What makes it so great?

The sales and marketing arm of the German car maker offers flexible work schedules, compressed workweeks, and a generous telecommuting policy, as well as a gym with two personal trainers and an on-site car wash, of course.

2009 revenue ($ millions): 9,000

[Alter Ego]

No layoffs -- ever!

These employers survived the Great Recession while staying loyal to their workers. Meet 15 of this year's Best Companies that, as of mid-January, have never had a layoff.

SAS

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Best Companies rank: 1
At the beginning of the recession, SAS CEO and founder Dr. Jim Goodnight assured employees that there would be no layoffs. He has kept that dictum. Instead, the company, which has never had layoffs due to economic woes, instituted hiring freezes in all but growth roles, such as R&D and sales positions. Plus, there was a company-wide mandate to cut back on travel and expenses by holding conference calls and video conferencing.

Wegmans Food Markets

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Best Companies rank: 3
This Northeast grocery store chain has never been forced to layoff staff. Even when it has closed an underperforming store or eliminated a department -- such as photo finishing and video rentals -- it has kept the employees and retrained them for new positions. The company has also steadily added jobs by opening new stores every year and expanding its distribution centers. This "stretched" the company to its capacity at times, but management said they would rather retain trained staff than have to invest in new hires later.

[Alter Ego]

Nugget Market

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Best Companies rank: 8
The Sacramento-area supermarket chain has never been forced to lay off any of its employees. During the recession, many part-time associates requested more hours, which the company offered rather than hiring new associates. Additionally, Nugget actively promotes from within. The company remains family-owned by the Stilles, who continue to approach the operation of the 84-year old chain with a "we're all in this together" attitude.

Scottrade

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Best Companies rank: 12
Scottrade has a 30-year tradition of never laying off an associate. No hiring freezes and no reduction in benefits. In fact, it added nearly 800 new employees last year as it opened 92 new branches. Throughout the recession, the company continued to reward its staff with quarterly bonuses, even though profits had shrunk because of lowered interest rates. "Scottrade is committed to sharing its profits with associates and, of course, keeping them employed and providing opportunities for advancement," said founder and CEO Rodger Riney

[Alter Ego]

Stew Leonard's

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Best Companies rank: 18
The quirky grocery store chain has never had layoffs. If a position is no longer needed, the employee is reassigned to a suitable job within the company. If a position is not immediately available, special projects are assigned, such as repainting machinery in the receiving department. In slow economic times, management turns to employees for their help in controlling costs, and they cite the workforce as the source of many of its best ideas.

The Container Store

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Best Companies rank: 21
As sales dipped in 2008, the Container Store froze wages and stalled 401(k) matching in order to avoid layoffs. After a significant turnaround in the following year, the company lifted the freeze and reinstated its match, as well as strengthening the already generous benefits package enjoyed by full-time workers and part-timers alike. "While conventional wisdom may tell us downsizing automatically drives a company's stock price higher and increases productivity, it actually doesn't," said CEO Kip Tindell. "Layoffs take a huge, lasting toll on morale and productivity in the work place. Laying off people is not the best way -- it's the easy way."

[Alter Ego]

NuStar Energy

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Best Companies rank: 30
Chairman Bill Greehey and CEO Curt Anastasio have a verbal no-layoff policy that relies on team effort, asking employees to cut or defer all but the most necessary costs during hard times. According to a company spokesperson, "At NuStar, it's a sacred trust that if you do a good job, you'll always have a good job."The company refers to its shareholders as "unitholders," and offers a long-term incentive program that allows employees to become shareholders. And it pays; investors have had a shareholder return of 65% over the past three years.


QuikTrip

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Best Companies rank: 34
The 52-year old convenience chain has a corporate purpose spelled out "to provide an opportunity for employees to grow and succeed." That has helped the company avoid ever having had to layoff any of its 11,000 workers. During the recession, the company continued to add new stores, and many of the positions were filled using the company's mantra to "hire from within." By recruiting from within QT's own talent pool, the company said it saved on operational costs because of less training and development.

[Alter Ego]

Baptist Health South Florida

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Best Companies rank: 42
The non-profit hospital system is in quick-growth mode and plans to open a new Miami hospital in April, which will result in the addition of approximately 1,000 new jobs. It is also expanding its outpatient services. The company has been able to forgo layoffs by realigning some of its positions and giving its staff opportunities to be considered for other jobs within the company.

Baker Donelson

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Best Companies rank: 50
The law firm prides itself on investing time and money to recruit top talent. And it doesn't want to waste that talent to layoffs. "If you lose valuable people who make your clients happy, then you stand to lose clients, which financially doesn't make sense," a spokesperson said. "The loss of an employee is much like the loss of a family member in many areas of our firm. We just don't take letting people go lightly."

[Alter Ego]

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

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Best Companies rank: 61
With health and safety its first priority, Children's looked at ways it could help employees hold onto their jobs during the recession. Staff members were promoted from within instead of hiring externally. Employees were given new opportunities, which ultimately helped their advancement within the organization. In CEO Donna Hyland's monthly "What's On My Mind" e-mails to staff, she kept employees up-to-date on the company's health during the recession and how they were addressing important issues, as well as how staff could help reduce costs.

Publix Super Markets

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Best Companies rank: 68
Through careful planning, focusing on training and development, and managing costs, the 80-year old employee-owned grocery chain that operates in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and has been able to bypass layoffs and continue its expansion plan, opening new stores in 2010. Even when stores undergo remodeling, associates are offered transfers to nearby locations. "Our challenge is to ensure that there is enough work and that productivity isn't compromised," a spokesman said.

[Alter Ego]

S.C. Johnson

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Best Companies rank: 71
Since its founding 125 years ago, S.C. Johnson has never had a layoff in the U.S. If a position needs to be eliminated, the company takes on the costs of the excess positions until the individuals have retired, left the company, or have taken on a new role in the organization. Re-training is offered to those who have moved within the company. Turnover remains a low 2%.

CEO Fisk Johnson reassured employees during the global recession by telling them, "Layoffs would be a last resort. There are many other measures that the company would take to avoid something as drastic as layoffs, so focus on your work and don't worry about your jobs."

Arkansas Children's Hospital

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Best Companies rank: 76
The hospital reduced overtime and premium pay, reduced work hours and offered voluntary unpaid time off to help avoid layoffs during the recession, which is still causing aftershocks. "We are still weathering the recession," said a spokesman. "For the first time in many years we have been impacted with a lower in-patient census. We have always been able to flex our staffing to meet patient needs and this has worked quite effectively for us during this time."

[Alter Ego]

Darden Restaurants

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Best Companies rank: 97
The chain operator of Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurants has never experienced layoffs, even during the darkest days of the recession. Hours and shifts were adjusted; the company cut down on business travel and increased the use of phone and video conferencing. Facilities maintenance was centralized, and supply chain functions were automated, which allowed for more sustainable (and less costly) energy, water and cleaning supply usage in restaurants.

"We believe those are the places to find savings, not at the front lines where service has to be generous and noticeable. Because when you reduce staffing, not only do you break a bond with employees, the guest experience suffers as well," said a spokesperson.