From Judy Hedding,
Your Guide to Phoenix.
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If you should happen to find yourself in the position of looking for a job in the Phoenix area, why not try to join one of the companies names as one of the best places to work in the country? Maybe your entry into the job search market wasn't voluntary, but was due to firing or layoffs. Have people told you that this may be the best thing that has ever happened to you, and that your next position could be even better than the last? Do you dare to believe that this could be true?

You probably have heard of "Fortune 500" or "Fortune 1000" firms. Fortune is famous for providing information on the best performing companies in the world, ranked by revenue, growth, return, size and stock performance. But you might not know that Fortune also provides a list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" that are headquartered in the United States.

This year Fortune picked their best 100 places to work from a pool of 279 candidates. Employees of these companies across the country responded to questions and provided comments about their employers. Fortune also evaluated materials and information provided to them by the companies themselves.

So what makes these companies the best places to work? Many of them offer financial benefits that most workers did not receive in the past, such as stock awards or stock options. But money wasn't the only important characteristic of a supportive workplace. One of the factors that weighted heavily this year was the company's sensitivity and efforts relative to laid off employees in the wake of the September 11th tragedy and the ensuing recession. The other factor, also related to the terrorist attacks, was the perception of community spirit and giving to the victims and their families, as well as the clean-up workers.

Of these 100 companies, more than 40 of them have a presence of some sort in the greater Phoenix area. The next two pages contain the lists and the links of the 'Best Places to Work' in the Phoenix area. Good luck!

Next page >> Best Places To Work 2002: The Companies

More Best Places to Work for Other Years