Top 10 Companies to Work for in Tough Times

New Rankings Applaud Small- and Medium-Sized Companies
by Kristina Cowan, PayScale.com

Gas prices are rising, food is getting more expensive and foreclosures continue to climb. So it may be surprising that while some larger companies are shedding employees, there are still great companies and employment opportunities to be found at small- and medium-sized companies. Though salaries tend to be slightly lower at smaller companies, the other benefits can make up the salary difference.
What Makes a Great Employer in Tough Times?

A great employer cultivates credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie, according to The 50 Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America, an annual ranking by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Great Place to Work Institute (GPTW).

And the best companies to work for do simple things well, such as making sure employees feel known by others, relevant -- and are able to gauge their own progress, according to Patrick Lencioni, a management consultant and author of "The Three Signs of a Miserable Job."

The Winners Are...

Dixon Schwabl, an advertising firm in Victor, N.Y., was the winner in the small category (50-250 workers); Ultimate Software, an information technology company in Weston, Fla. was the winner in the medium category (251-999 workers). Two-thirds of each company's score was based on employee-survey responses, and one-third was based on GPTW's evaluation of companies in five categories: credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie.

Top 5 winners, small category (50-250 workers)

1. Dixon Schwabl Advertising (Victor, N.Y. )
2. Badger Mining Corporation (Berlin, Wis.)
3. SnagAJob.com (Glen Allen, Va.)
4. Heinfeld, Meech & Co., P.C. (Tucson, Ariz.)
5. McMurry (Phoenix, Ariz.)

Top 5 winners, medium category (251-999 employees)

1. Ultimate Software (Weston, Fla.)
2. ACUITY (Sheboygan, Wis.)
3. Integrity Applications Incorporated (Chantilly, Va.)
4. Stark Investments (St. Francis, Wis.)
5. Hoar Construction, LLC (Birmingham, Ala.)

Employees at these firms and others in the top 50 say their employers succeed at the simple things Lencioni mentioned. They credit management with creating positive work environments employees enjoy coming to each day, so much so it feels like a second family.

What Sets Winning Companies Apart

* Taking Personal and Professional Interest in Employees
Winner Dixon Schwabl takes interest in employees' personal and professional development year-round, says public relations supervisor Karen Sims. Teams meet each day, and there is an all-company meeting each week. This constant communication is one reason why the work culture is so positive, notes Sims. Away from the office, employees enjoy a variety of sports teams, including softball, soccer and bowling -- and sometimes even employees' families play.

* Helping Workers Gauge Their Success
At Ultimate Software, the CEO and management let teams know how well they're performing, and co-workers and managers alike applaud each other on a job well-done, says Greg Miller, engineering talent manager at the company. "We're actually given the business reason for concrete proof that what we're doing makes a big difference with the company," he said. Miller added that while Ultimate Software does spend money on excellent benefits, some of the most important things, such as showing genuine concern for employees, are inexpensive.

* Valuing Employee Input
Management seeks regular feedback from employees at ACUITY, a property and casualty insurer in Sheboygan, Wis., which placed second in the medium-sized business category. Stephanie Schreiber, manager of commercial underwriting says, "The employees have a lot of valuable input about how to do things better, and the company seeks that out so much," notes Stephanie Schreiber, who has been with ACUITY a little over 12 years.

* Offering Continuing Education
ACUITY also strives to help managers do a better job of managing, says Schreiber, by sending them to management courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Fluno Center for Executive Education. Continuing education helps employees to "put technical stuff aside and look at how to be the best for your team, being able to give, work directly with employees to get the best out of them," Schreiber