Great Places To Work

You know one when you experience it, but accurately describing it is difficult. Generous benefits may help distinguish it; they do not, however, strictly define it. And once you've found it, letting go of it is nearly impossible.It, of course, is a great place to work. Some people are lucky to stumble upon their ideal work environment early in their career; others transit from job to job in search of such an elusive nirvana. A great place to work can make getting up in the morning worthwhile; it can also significantly influence the joy and satisfaction you experience with the "other" part of your life that happens after you punch out.Because what we do for a living—and where and with whom and for whom we do it—is so critical, we decided to take a closer look at some of the great places to work in the architecture and design field. The eight firms profiled here (two each of four firm sizes) were chosen from dozens that participated in a comprehensive survey that took both an objective and subjective look at management strategies. We believe that they highlight some of the more effective and fun approaches to motivating employees to do their very best work. Our selection process was definitely not scientific; much weight was given to "report cards" that employees submitted anonymously regarding their own personal experiences with the firm, its leadership, its culture, its treatment of employees and its role within the industry and the community.So what makes a firm a great place to work? Is it impromptu ping-pong games on Friday afternoons? Field trips to architectural points of interest? The feeling that your contributions are valued and recognized? The impact of your work on satisfying a client's objectives? The flexibility to work the hours that best fit your lifestyle? The collegiality of team members? The answer to all of these questions is yes, but there's also more as you'll discover by reading on. Whether you agree or disagree with our choices, one thing's for certain: take this to your next office meeting and it will surely generate some lively and engaging discussion about your firm's "great places to work" factor—and that will have made this project worth getting up in the morning to do.