Great Places to Work

Right now, lots of us are happy just to get a paycheck that doesn’t bounce. But there are dozens of companies in Minnesota that offer employees something more, from generous retirement plans and cool office environs to subsidized child-care and no-cost health care. Here, 48 companies that treat their employees like customers.

Photo by Darrell Eager

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GREAT FOR EMPLOYEE VOICE

Great River Energy

Maple Grove
500 Minnesota employees
In 2005, Great River’s newly appointed CEO David Saggau wanted to involve more staff in developing the company’s long-term goals. So management created the “Connect the Dots” program, which works like this: Each year, a select group of 11 employees serve as informal leaders. “Regardless of title, they have influence,” says Kandace Olsen, vice president of communications and human resources. Saggau sits down with the group and reviews the goals and then each person interviews 10 to 12 other employees. Then the original committee meets with senior staff and a facilitator to share what they’ve learned.

Ultimately, 120 staff members (out of about 880 company-wide) are involved in the process, which has been responsible for adding “safety” as a core value and adjusting how the company approaches cost management, making it the responsibility of every employee. Matt Herman, an environmental compliance coordinator, has been both an interviewer on the committee and an interviewee, providing grassroots input.

“You can see how the imperatives change from the original drafts,” Herman says. “When you see the final list, you feel a sense of ownership, since you were part of the process that created it.”
 

Caribou Coffee

Brooklyn Center
190 Minnesota employees
Monthly town-hall meetings at company headquarters allow departments to check in with each other. Employees can ask CEO Mike Tattersfield questions and sample the latest brews.
 

HealthPartners

Bloomington
10,180 Minnesota employees
A two-way collaborative dialogue with employees is a priority at HealthPartners. Employees offer  feedback on regular surveys and twice-weekly departmental “huddles.” There’s an emphasis on how individual employees impact the organization.
 

GREAT FOR FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY

Lancet Software

Burnsville
40 Minnesota employees
If everybody in the company knows the bottom line, they will step up to the financial challenges. At least that’s what the management at privately owned Lancet Software believes. Every month, all 40 employees are sent financial statements that show how the company is measuring up against its annual goals. Any employee can ask about the details regarding expenditures. The only off-limit topic is individual salaries, though departmental figures are included. Since not everyone hired is an accountant, a financial-orientation class is offered to new employees. Consultant Deb Gerber has been with the company for 11 years. “You see the numbers they see, so you have more trust in the people making the big decisions,” she says. Gerber says she’s also more conscious about how her activities affect the bottom line. “I’m not going to go to a conference just because I want to go to Miami,” she says. “Everyone is accountable.”
 

Summit Brewing

St. Paul
50 Minnesota employees
Financial reports are shared with all employees. The company wants employees to have enough faith in the company to literally buy into it, via an employee-stock purchase plan.
 

Beehive PR

St. Paul
13 Minnesota employees
The 13-person staff is involved in assessing and evaluating the broader financials. Budgets for professional development, wellness, technology, and marketing are prioritized by the entire team.
 

GREAT FOR TUITION REIMBURSEMENT

Bremer Financial

St. Paul
1,200 Minnesota employees
Helping employees advance and enhance their current skills is the motivating force behind Bremer’s tuition-reimbursement policy. Full-time workers are eligible for up to $5,250 per calendar year for undergraduate degrees and $7,500 for graduate degrees. Once someone is approved, they are reimbursed for courses and textbooks, without a lot of strings attached. Since Bremer is a bank, most of the programs are related to finance, accounting, human resources, and business communication. Approximately 30 people a year take advantage of the reimbursements, including Stacy Kennedy, a human-resources manager who recently finished a master’s degree. Over several years, Bremer covered her full tuition, which would have totaled more than $24,000. “I feel lucky to have an employer that places such a high value on continued development and exposure in the field,” Kennedy says.
 

Capella University

Minneapolis
1,300 Minnesota employees
Employees can take all of Capella’s classes for free, though they’re responsible for buying their own books. Reimbursements of up to $5,000 a year are also available for courses at other accredited institutions in Minnesota. Family members get a 50-percent discount on courses at Capella.