In the largest and most prestigious survey of its kind, Fortune magazine has just unveiled its annual list of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" and Pfizer is on it.
New York City - Pfizer is the 57th best company to work for in America, according to an annual survey released this morning by Fortune magazine. Others in the pharmaceutical industry among the top 100 are Merck at #82, Eli Lilly at #93, and Johnson & Johnson at #98.
At the top of this year's list is Edward Jones, a stock brokerage firm based in St. Louis, Missouri. According to a press release issued by the magazine, "In this time of cuts and layoffs, what qualities must a company possess to make Fortune's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For? One quality is a willingness to come up with new ways to keep employees satisfied, and to treat them with respect and dignity. That approach explains why 80 companies on the list avoided layoffs last year...When layoffs did happen, companies on the list offered generous severance and compassion during the layoff process. And that compassion was even more evident after September 11, when the response to the tragedy from the companies on the list was extraordinary."
Continuing to do the little things, such as providing free coffee, can also mean a lot in times of uncertainty. Why? "Simple," say Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz of the Great Place to Work Institute, who put together the list for Fortune. "No matter how rough the economy, retaining top talent is a huge issue. In fact, losing people in key positions during downturns can be disastrous. So if it makes a bit of difference, why bag the free cuppa joe?"
Fortune has been publishing the "best companies to work for" list for the past five years. Pfizer made the list two years ago, the first time we applied. We did not enter the competition last year, since our energies were focused on the Pfizer/Warner-Lambert integration.
The list is compiled from an ever-growing pool of candidates. This year 279 companies applied, up from 234 last year. Two-thirds of the score is based on how randomly selected employees respond to the Great Place to Work Trust Index, a survey instrument measuring the quality of workplace culture. The remainder of the score is based on the evaluation of company responses to the Great Place to Work Institute's Culture Audit.
The complete rankings and accompanying stories appear in the February 4, 2002, issue of Fortune, as well as at http://www.fortune.com/lists/bestcompanies/index.html.
In recent months, Pfizer organizations in Brazil, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico have made similar "best employer" lists.
