WHAT MAKES IT SO GREAT?

Ok , You might say Google is exceptional and it’s stock at $500 is one of the reasons to make it No. 1 but what about others?

Surprisingly , if you look at the Top 10 “ Great Places to work for in 2007-Fortune ) , most of them care for their employees in their own ways and high salaries is not the only reason to keep them on TOP .

So what makes it so great :

Paid sabbaticals
Friendly timings
Upper Cap in salary ( CEO’s would hate this )
Benefits for families
Discouraging long working hours
Promoting diversity
Preference to existing employees for promotions
Investing in training & development
Offices with amenities & luxuries
Freedom of communication ( Blog/ Q&A forums)
Unusual Perks like valet parking , free grocery delivery
All employees to be stock owners

TOP 10

2. Genentech
Biotech leader has uncommonly loyal staffers. "Wild horses could not drag me away," says one employee. Last year 537 employees took a six-week paid sabbatical, which is available for every six years of service.

Headquarters: South San Francisco
Top 3 (of 9) U.S. locations: South San Francisco, Vacaville , Oceanside
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 6,633
Website: www.gene.com


3. Wegmans Food Markets
Private grocery chain gets thousands of letters every year from shoppers coveting a Wegmans in their neighborhood. The chain, founded in 1916, now operates in 71 stores in five states.
Headquarters: Rochester, N.Y.
Top 3 (of 93) U.S. locations: Rochester, Buffalo Grove , Syracuse
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 3,820
Website: www.wegmans.com


4. Container Store
Storage retailer pays sales employees 50% to 100% above industry average. Nearly one-tenth of all employees take advantage of "family friendly" shift, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., allowing for school dropoffs and pickups.
Headquarters: Coppell, Texas
Top 3 (of 38) U.S. locations: Coppell, New York , Houston

5. Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods has long had a salary cap limiting pay of top execs, currently at 19 times average full-time pay. But founder and CEO John Mackey went further, reducing his salary to $1 and forgoing all future stock options.
Headquarters: Austin
Top 3 (of 223) U.S. locations: New York, Austin , Washington
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 5,607
Website: www.wholefoods.com

6. Network Appliance
Data-storage company climbed 21 spots as employees cheered enhanced benefits for parents of special-needs children, widespread use of flexible schedules (95% of employees), and a soaring stock (up 50% in 2006).
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Top 3 (of 50) U.S. locations: Sunnyvale, Research Triangle Park , Mclean

7. S.C. Johnson & Son
This household-products company subsidizes hotel stays for employees who live 25 miles or more from work and offers discounts at its newly expanded child-care center for families making under $60,000 a year.
Headquarters: Racine, Wis.
Top 3 (of 15) U.S. locations: Racine, Bay City , Fresno
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 7,000
Website: www.scjohnson.com

8. Boston Consulting Grp.
Employees working more than 60 hours a week at this management consultant are placed in a "red zone" and advised by a career mentor. A push to hire more women resulted in a 25% rise in female consultants from 2004.
Headquarters: Boston
Top 3 (of 14) U.S. locations: Boston, Chicago , New York
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 1,505
Website: www.bcg.com

9. Methodist Hospital Sys.
As gas prices soared last year, Methodist sent employees (everyone except top execs) a $250 gift card for use at Chevron stations, prompting more than 500 staffers to e-mail thank-yous to CEO Ron Girotto.
Headquarters: Houston
Top 3 (of 9) U.S. locations: Houston, N.A., N.A.
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 1,413
Website: www.methodisthealth.com

10. W.L. Gore & Associates
Great ideas (Gore-Tex, Glide dental floss) come from all corners at this nonhierarchical Delaware company, which prefers to promote from within. (CEO Terri L. Kelly joined Gore as a process engineer in 1983.)
Headquarters: Newark, Del.
Top 3 (of 28) U.S. locations: Elkton, Flagstaff , Newark
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 1,984
Website: www.gore.com

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