Culture is Key

Congratulations to all the 2009 Fortune Best 100 Companies to work for! It says a lot about a company that makes it on that list, especially those that return to the list year after year. It shows a commitment to taking care of your employees and providing more then just a paycheck.

People want to feel important and appreciated, not just feel like a cog that turns the wheel of productivity in a stuffy office building. A full-time employee spends more waking hours at their place of business then anywhere else and they want it to be a positive environment.

Other companies should take notice to some of the things these industry leaders are doing. Of course, it is a lot easier to provide great perks to employees when you are a multi-billion dollar company, but money isn’t everything. There are plenty of businesses that earn far more revenue then some of the others on the list. It is all about a mindset.

The leadership has to be focused on providing their employees with reasons to come to work everyday besides obligation, and it doesn’t have to be monetary. The overall attitude and company culture that is exhibited from the top down will have an enormous impact on the entire company.

I encourage business owners and management to evaluate the practices in place in your office. Of course bottom-lines must be met, but in the long run I believe you will find that those employees that care about more then just the end result will be much more valuable and productive in the end.

Here is the complete list:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2009/full_list/