Cultures of Ownership and Trust: How Companies Become Great Workplaces

Great Place to Work Institute announced the 2009 "50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America," produced in conjunction with the Society for Human Resource Management and published in the July issue of HR Magazine. This year's #1s, 166-person sand-mining operation Badger Mining and 942-person technology development company Ultimate Software, perfectly demonstrate that cultivating a strong workplace culture and a great work environment can lead to greater innovation, productivity, and bottom-line success. One way leaders at the best workplaces achieve these results is by empowering employees to think creatively, solve problems, and make decisions.

This year's #1 Small-Sized Company to Work for, Wisconsin-based Badger Mining, has a relatively flat-structure without a lot of room for upward growth. However, the organization still succeeds at creating opportunities for employees to contribute and grow. All associates at Badger are asked to join cross-functional teams, such as the Wellness Team or Safety team, and have a stake in decisions outside their core area of responsibility. Such practices achieve an ownership-mentality among employees who feel a greater responsibility for the success of the business; as one employee commented, "I have never seen, heard of, or will likely ever see a place where so much ownership and trust is placed directly in the hands of the associates (employees). This is the reason our facilities run with unheard of efficiencies and our culture of teamwork is so strong."

At Ultimate Software, a Florida-based software development firm and this year's #1 Medium-Sized Company to Work for, teams select their own work, self-organize, and manage projects. A widely utilized open-door policy means that management and employees are regularly in communication; one employee commented on this policy, "The VP's doors really are open when you have questions." CEO and Founder of Ultimate Software, Scott Scherr, believes that the participation of all employees is critical to the success of the business. This echoes the actual experience of Ultimate employees, one who stated: "I have a sense of wanting to do my best not only for the excellent compensation and benefits package but because I want, and feel as if, I contribute to the overall success of the company."

Great Place to Work Institute has produced the "50 Best" list of the past six years. Of this year's winners, Institute CEO Ricardo Lange commented: "Being a great workplace is a real business priority for the companies that appear on the 50 Best list. Leaders at these companies make decisions and treat employees in a way that recognizes that they are only as successful as their employees make them."