The Great Workplace

Gold Medal Winner, Human Resources and Employee Training, 2012 Axiom Business Book Awards Trust, Pride and Camaraderie—transform your company into a "Great Place to Work" The Great Place to Work Institute develops the annual ranking of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. In this book, the authors explore the model of a Great Place to Work For-one which fosters employee trust, pride in what they do, and enjoyment in the people they work with. They answer the fundamental question, "What is the business value of creating a great workplace?" and brings the definition of a Great Place to work alive with anecdotes, best practices, and quotes from employees working at the best workplaces in the U.S. Reveals the essential ingredients in and the trends of the best places to work Explores Great Place to Work model developed in 1984 and validated through its enduring resonance in both the United States and in over 40 countries around the world Written by Michael Burchell and Jennifer Robin two Great Place to Work Institute Insiders If you organization is struggling with the challenges of leveraging human capital, discover why some companies have what it takes to be great.

Foreword xi by Robert Levering Preface xv 1 Introduction: The Value of Creating Great Workplaces 1 SAS: Taking Care of Their Greatest Asset 2 Credibility: “I Believe in My Leaders” 27 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP: Inspiring Excellence Google: Finding the Googlers in a Very Large Haystack 3 Respect: “I am a Valued Member of this Organization” 61 General Mills: Developing Great Managers SC Johnson: A Family Company 4 Fairness: “Everyone Plays by the Same Rules” 97 Scripps Health: All for One and One for All 5 Pride: “I Contribute to Something Really Meaningful” 127 Wegmans Food Markets: Proud of Their Contributions to Communities W. L. Gore & Associates: An Innovative Culture and a Culture for Innovation 6 Camaraderie: “The People Here Are Great!” 155 Camden Property Trust: Building a Fun Community for Employees and Residents Microsoft: Geniuses Welcome 7 Global Perspectives: Great Workplaces around the World 183 8 Taking Action: Creating Your Great Workplace 203 References and Resources 223 Acknowledgments 225 About the Authors 229 Index 231