Are you still waiting for things to look up in the job market? You may be waiting a while…All indications are that we are in for a bit of a bumpy road for the next patch. But, all is not lost for job seekers! Did you know that workplaces that have been recognized as “great,” such as those highlighted here on GreatPlaceJobs, historically outperformed the general market and are less likely to have to resort to layoffs during tough times?

These award-winning employers typically offer better job security, which is a terrific benefit for anyone who needs a job!

In fact, the Wall Street Journal notes that socially responsible investing has actually done well this year compared to benchmarks. Despite odds stacked against them, the article states:

As of Oct. 30, a total of 15 out of 91 faith-based and secular socially responsible funds that invest in stocks had outperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average benchmark, some by more than 10 percentage points, according to investment researcher Morningstar.

Among the best performers is Parnassus Workplace Fund, which outperformed the Dow, was sprung from Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” The principle of companies treating employees well is the driving force for the fund.

Fund manager Jerome Dodson notes:

“As time goes on, I’ve become convinced that investing in a company that’s a good place to work will do very well for you over time,” Mr. Dodson says. “There’s a connection. When you get this kind of socially good management, you get overall good management.”

The fund’s screening process includes gauging corporate governance and good accounting practices — factors that also reflect better-managed companies, Mr. Dodson says. Among his non-Fortune picks are Baldor Electric, a Fort Smith, Ark.-based maker of motors and generators. The company has a literacy program for its employees, and 15% of its pretax profits go to its workers.

Fortune Magazine touts its winning companies as firms that “not only pamper employees in good times, they look out for them in bad.”

Let’s face it, when companies are laying off workers left and right, wouldn’t it be comforting to be employed by an organization that strives to define itself as one where “trust between managers and employees is the primary defining characteristic?”

The Great Place to Work® Institute, which produces FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For® list, measures workplaces by three relationships:

• The relationship between employees and management.
• The relationship between employees and their jobs/company.
• The relationship between employees and other employees.

This is not to say that award-winning employers don’t sometimes experience financial crisis just like the rest of the competition, but when statistics show these companies outperforming the market and trust and relationships serve as philosophical underpinnings of these organizations, it makes sense to turn to designated great workplaces during difficult financial periods. GreatPlaceJobs is here to help connect you with the very best rated employers!

Miriam Salpeter
GreatPlaceJobs Career Advice Expert
www.keppiecareers.wordpress.com

Tags: Better Job, Great Workplace Careers, Job Search

This entry was posted on Monday, November 10th, 2008 at 5:26 pm and is filed under Great Workplace Careers, Job Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.