houston's top workplaces 2012

4 EMPLOYEE-PLEASING PERKS

6 NO. 1 LARGE COMPANY

8 BEST LARGE COMPANIES LIST

16 NO. 1 MIDSIZE COMPANY

18 BEST MIDSIZE COMPANIES LIST

18 SPECIAL AWARDS

26 NO. 1 SMALL COMPANY

30 BEST SMALL COMPANIES LIST

36 THREE-PEAT WINNERS

38 I LOVE MY JOB BECAUSE ...

40, 41, 42 COMPANY Q&A

43 JOINING A TOP EMPLOYER

2012

Created on Adobe Document Server 2.0

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Section E

HOUSTON’S

TOPWORKPLACES

xxx Houston Chronicle TopWorkplaces | chron.com | Sunday, November 11, 2012 | 3

Survey factorsThe statements on the employee surveywere divided into the following factors.Percentages shown indicate howstrongly each factor correlates with howemployees in the Greater Houston arearate their workplaces. The closer to 100percent, the more important the factor.

Connection 75%Direction 73%Execution 70%My work 67%My manager 60%My pay and benefits 47%

Survey statementsThe survey factors above weredetermined by employees’ responses toa variety of survey statements, rankedon a seven-point scale, and an analysisof the way the responses correlatedwith each other. Again, the closer to 100,the more important the statement is toemployees.

Factor: ConnectionI feel genuinely appreciated at thiscompany. 67%I am confident about my futureat this company. 66%My job makes me feel like I am part ofsomething meaningful. 63%

Factor: DirectionI believe this company is going in

TOPWORKPLACES About the survey

the right direction. 69%I have confidence in the leaderof this company. 65%This company operates by strong valuesand ethics. 60%

Factor: ExecutionSenior managers understand what is reallyhappening at this company. 61%At this company, we do things efficientlyand well. 59%New ideas are encouraged at thiscompany. 56%I feel well-informed about importantdecisions at this company. 55%

Factor: My workThis job has met or exceeded theexpectations I had when I started. 57%I get the formal training I want for mycareer. 50%There is not a lot of frustration at myworkplace. 48%I have the flexibility I need to balance mywork and personal life. 45%

Factor: My managerMy manager cares about my concerns. 58%My manager helps me learn and grow. 54%My manager makes it easier to domy job well. 54%

Factor: My pay and benefitsMy pay is fair for the work I do. 44%My benefits package is good compared toothers in this industry. 34%

TOPWORKPLACES Determining the winners

The list has been expandedMore than 72,500 Houston-area

employees weighed in with opinionsfor this year’s TopWorkplaces section— rating their companies in such areasas opportunities for advancement,the value of their pay and benefits,and their bosses’ communication andmanagement skills.

Pennsylvania-based research firmWorkplaceDynamics invited 1,383 localcompanies to participate and surveyed244 of them, then tallied the results todetermine winners.

For the first time since its debut in2010, the list has been expanded tothe top 150 companies. Last year, itincluded the top 100 companies plusanother 42 companies that met a na-

tional standard for top workplaces. Intotal, 44 employers earned spots on thelist all three years, including five thatmet the national standard last year.

The local survey participants em-ploy 154,398 people in the area; 125,503of the employees received surveys, and72,517 responded. The organizationson the list included public and privateentities and nonprofit groups.

The Houston TopWorkplacesrankings show:

1 Top 35 Large (out of 51 partici-pants with 500 or more employees inthe region)

1 Top 45Midsize (out of 75 partici-List continues on E8

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4 | Sunday, November 11, 2012 | Houston Chronicle TopWorkplaces | chron.com xxx

TOPWORKPLACES Something extra

Cruises, elder care and free visits to the gym:Companies offer an array of valued perks

Some companies host employeepicnics. ARC Specialties takes its65 employees and their families on an-nual trips, including cruises to Mexico,weekend getaways to San Antonio anddeep-sea fishing expeditions in PortAransas.

In June, employees and spousesspent a few days at a resort in Cozu-mel, with all expenses paid.

“I like the people who work here,”said ARC Specialties’ president, DanAllford, who started his roboticscompany in his garage in 1983. “I enjoywatching them having a good time.”

The annual trips — along withgifts of a Rolex watch after 10 years ofservice and catered lunches every Fri-day— are wildly popular. That meansAllford can focus on the business ofmaking robots for oil field equipmentmanufacturers rather than worryingabout staff turnover.

“This is the best place I’ve everworked,” said Noe Trevino, a welderwho started at ARC Specialties as ajanitor’s helper.

Through Allford’s urging, Trevinostarted taking welding classes, paid forby the company, and hopes to get hisassociate degree next year.

ARC Specialties is one of the area’sbest places to work, according tothe annual TopWorkplaces surveyconducted for the Chronicle byWork-placeDynamics. It’s one of many com-

By L.M. Sixel

Perks continues on E10

panies on the list that offer generousand sometimes unusual benefits.

Some perks are fun. Others go rightto the employees’ bottom line, mak-ing it easier to save for retirement orreceive health care when companiesare picking up 100 percent of the cost.

Many of the companies make it easierfor employees to juggle their personallives or improve their health throughdiet and exercise programs.

The Houstonian Hotel, Club &Spa enjoys holiday time, and one ofits cherished traditions is its annualTurkey Toss.

A few days before Thanksgiving,employees are summoned to an out-of-the-way service corridor that has beencleared so it sort of resembles a bowl-ing alley. Each employee is announcedwith much fanfare and presented witha frozen turkey.

The waiters, cooks and housekeep-ers then fling their frozen poultrycarcasses down the hallway, trying tohit a line of soda cans. Distances aremarked with sticky notes and the in-formal contest —which has been goingfor two decades —has been launched.

“We have some real athletes,”said Anne Nolen, training manager

for the Houstonian.In a two-hour window, 450 to 500

frozen turkeys fly down the hallway,she said. It’s more of a “turkey scoot,”she said, because none of the frozenbirds actually gets airborne.

At the end of the corridor — afterthe distance has beenmeasured andrecorded— employees bag their birdsand take them home for Thanksgivingdinner.

Virtually all of the 275 employeesat Texas First Bank participate in its401(k) plan. It’s not hard to figure outwhy.

The bankmatches employees’contribution dollar-for-dollar up to8 percent of their salaries, said ScottOwen, human resources director inLaMarque. After six years, the em-ployer’s portion is 100 percent vested.

Texas First Bank launched theattractive match in part because it

Trey Hoover, left, shares a laugh with his co-workers during a weekly free lunch at ARC Specialties.Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

Black ElkEnergy en-gineers BenGolson, top,and CharlieDineen workout. BlackElk paysmonthly duesfor employeeswho go to thegym at leasteight times amonth.

James Nielsen /

Houston Chronicle


NO. 1 LARGE COMPANY Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

WhenAnadarko Petroleum Corp.took the top spot as the best largecompany to work for in the Houstonarea during the past two years, manyemployees pointed to the leadershipandmanagement style of its then-CEO,James Hackett.

The challenging and empoweringenvironment Hackett created dur-ing his eight years at the helm is stilla core part of the company’s culture,according to Anadarko’s new CEO, AlWalker.

“My job is to perpetuate the strategyand culture we’ve developed up untilnow,” saidWalker, who took over thetop job inMay. “I’m not here to be achange agent.”

And it seems to be working. For thethird consecutive year, Anadarko wasnamed to the top of the Chronicle’sTopWorkplaces survey, as selected byWorkplaceDynamics.

One of the toughest jobs of a CEOstepping into the shoes of someonewho’s known as a rock star — espe-cially someone who is so closely tied tothe success of a company— is keep-ing alive the magic. Think SouthwestAirlines after the legendary HerbKelleher. OrMicrosoft after Bill Gatesstepped down from day-to-day opera-tions.

Their successor CEOs did it, andWalker, who worked alongside Hack-ett since joining the company in 2005as its chief financial officer, figures hecan, too.

Walker was careful to emphasizewhen he was promoted that he wasn’tchanging the strategy or core values,which seemed to put employees atease.

But it’s still no easy task, saidWalk-er, who describes himself as a “morebehind-the-scenes” type of leader.

“Getting to the top is easier thanstaying at the top,”Walker said. Oneof the biggest challenges is to keep get-ting better. That means encouragingemployees to be innovative, encourageentrepreneurship andmake it fun tocome to work.

NewCEO still follows philosophythat values ‘servant leadership’By L.M. Sixel

Anadarko CEOAlWalker says “servant leadership” focuses on the needs of others rather than the leader.Dave Rossman

And carrying on the tradition ofvalues such as “servant leadership,”which focuses on the needs of otherpeople rather than the interests of theleader, as well as Hackett’s financiallegacy.

“My challenge is to perpetuate thatand, where I can, to make it better,”saidWalker, who uses monthly birth- Anadarko continues on E8

day celebrations, periodic updates andcasual conversations over lunchin the company cafeteria to makesure the culture stays employee-centered.

The philosophy of servant leader-ship encourages empowerment andsupport of colleagues, and it differ-entiates Anadarko from other energy

companies, said RoryMadden, plan-ning and commercial manager for theMozambique region.

It’s also different because it doesn’tcreate a hierarchical pecking orderthat divides the workforce into thein group and the out group.

“Every company has its rainmak-


pants with 150-499 employees in theregion)

1 Top 70 Small (out of 118 partici-pants with 149 or fewer employees inthe region)

Notes aboutthe survey

WorkplaceDynamics required aresponse rate of at least 35 percentfor employees based in the Houstonmetro area.

For employers with 85 or feweremployees, at least 30 responderswere required.

For larger employers, surveyscould be sent to employees in arandom sample.

For employers with 2,500 or feweremployees, surveys were sent to atleast 500 employees.

For employers with morethan 2,500 but fewer than 5,000employees, surveys were sent to atleast 20 percent.

For employers with 5,000 ormore, at least 1,000 surveys weresent.

Employers are ranked bysize bands because smalleremployers tend to score higherthanmidsize employers, which inturn tend to score higher than largeemployers.

List from page E3

1 Anadarko Petroleum Corp. 1985 Public Oil and natural gas exploration and production 1 1,9992 TransCanada Corp. 1951 Public Energy infrastructure 2 5053 Plains All American Pipeline 1998 Public Pipelines 2 6684 Whole Foods Market 1980 Public Food/grocery 7 1,3005 Insperity 1986 Public HR and business performance solutions provider 8 1,1296 West Houston Medical Center 1985 Parent company Health care 3 8537 Enbridge Energy Partners 2001 Partnership Energy 1 6028 Noble Energy 1932 Public Oil and gas exploration and production 1 7609 Wood Group Mustang 1987 Parent company Energy engineering and contract management 2 2,47310 Statoil 1972 Public Oil and gas 1 57211 The Menninger Clinic 1925 Nonprofit Health care — hospitals 1 50612 Spectra Energy Corp. 2007 Public Gas processing, storage and distribution 2 91113 Superior Energy Services 1989 Public Energy industry services 17 81014 Occidental Petroleum Corp. 1920 Public Oil, gas, chemicals 1 1,74615 Gillman Automotive Group 1938 Private Auto dealership 3 55716 Landry’s Corporate Office 1986 Private Restaurant and hospitality 65 52617 Enterprise Products 1998 Public Petroleum, gas and petroleum products 4 1,62518 Memorial Hermann Healthcare System 1907 Nonprofit Hospitals 14 19,14419 Sun Coast Resources 1985 Private Wholesale fuel and oil distribution 1 91720 Kinder Morgan 1996 Public Pipeline transportation and storage 18 1,50421 The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa 1980 Private Hospitality, entertainment, recreation and travel 1 72722 Southwestern Energy Co. 1929 Public Energy/oil and gas 5 82123 Clear Creek Independent School District 1948 Public Primary/secondary school 47 5,48224 Nexus Health Systems 1992 Private Specialty Hospitals 4 58625 Energy Transfer Partners 2002 Partnership Gas and oil Industry 5 55426 CenterPoint Energy 1866 Public Utility 43 4,84027 Stage Stores 1925 Public Family apparel stores 32 68228 Accenture 1989 Public Consulting 1 1,08629 University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 1941 Government Comprehensive cancer care center 5 18,90030 Universal Weather and Aviation 1959 Private Aviation services 1 61531 KPMG 1897 Partnership Certified public accountants and consultants 1 74932 IHS 1959 Public Business information and analytics 5 67233 Beaumont ISD 1983 Government Primary/secondary school 34 3,15134 Texas Dow Employees Credit Union 1955 Nonprofit Credit union 6 52135 UT Health Science Center at Houston 1972 Government College/university 1 5,981

Area LocalRank Company Founded Ownership Sector locations employees

Large companiesHere are top workplaces in the Houston area based on surveys of employees at companies with 500 or more workers. The sur-vey was conducted by Workplace Dynamics. These are the top 35 companies out of 51 participants.

ers, the golden people, the gods of theircompanies,” Madden said. “We don’tget that at Anadarko.”

That, in turn, makes the 1,999 em-ployees feel as if they’re co-owners inthe company and that everyone’scontribution— from the receptiondesk to finance — is important, Mad-den said.

Senior geologist Lauren Peschierworked for other exploration and pro-duction companies before she got toAnadarko. She said she really appreci-ates the ability to change jobs everytwo to three years.

“You can get a wide range of experi-ence,” said Peschier, who is focused onEast Texas but is looking ahead to Af-rica, Brazil and other far-flung placeswith oil and gas reserves.

Walker refers to the process ofchanging and expanding responsibili-

ties as “re-potting” employees.“People can only grow as big as the

pot they’re in,”Walker said. Makingsure employees have a steady diet ofnew challenges and opportunitiesmakes it less likely they’ll change com-panies. It’s great for the company, headded, and is a big contributor to theannual turnover rate of less than5 percent.

Peschier also appreciates that theculture promotes family-friendlyflexibility that allows her to attend“Donuts withMom” and other school-related functions as well as work fromhomewhen one of her children getssick.

“There is no penalty to say familyis first,” she said. “Anadarko reallyrecognizes the happiness of the wholeindividual.”

[email protected]/lmsixel

A second Anadarko tower is going up in TheWoodlands, just west of thecompany’s headquarters at 1201 Lake Robbins.

Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle

Anadarko from page E6


wanted to reinforce the role the bankplays in financial planning, Owen said.It’s also a selling point for recruitingnew employees and retaining existingones.

But it’s not the only perk. Aweekor two before Christmas each year, topbank officers fan out to its 23 locationswith special envelopes. Each employeewho has been on board for at least ayear gets an extra month’s salary.

It’s very exciting, said Owen, de-scribing the tradition begun in 1973 asemployees cluster around when theofficers arrive with their fistful of goodcheer. Everyone shakes hands, or getsa big hug, and employees are thankedfor their hard work.

Other perks help working parents.One of the biggest problems these

moms and dads face is scramblingwhen the baby sitter calls in sick ortheir school system celebrates a holi-day and there is no one to watch thekids. Some companies have launchedbackup child care with center-based orin-home services.

Microsoft, which has about 200employees in the Houston area, hasadded backup elder care. Each em-

ployee receives up to 100 hours of careper employee per calendar year. For anominal cost of $4 an hour, a certifiednursing assistant, home companion orother trained professional will providein-home care.

Adults who need care are notrequired to live with theMicrosoft em-ployee or even reside in the same state.

Care can be scheduled up to 30 days inadvance or on the same day.

“Wewanted to provide a nation-wide program that would assist ouremployees with a safety net for thosedays when regular care arrangementsfell through, as this tends to be a verystressful time for employees,” Micro-soft representative Tracey L. Shavers

Jr. wrote in an email.Health and fitness programs are

popular at many companies. To makesure employees actually use theworkout facilities, Black Elk Energylaunched an incentive program. BlackElk will pay the monthly membershipfee for employees who use one of thehealth club locations eight or moretimes each month.

It was a Christmas gift to employeeslast year, human resource specialistHilaryMcVay said. The CEO took atour of the workout facilities and fig-ured everyone would benefit.

So far, about 80 employees, or67 percent of the 120 employees wholive near one of the gyms, are goingoften enough to take advantage of theperk. That, in turn, has contributed toa reduction in health insurance premi-ums, McVay said.

Black Elk, which pays 100 percentof the premium cost, saw its rates fall8 percent starting in June, she said.They’ve never dropped that much inone year, she added.

Nor have employees ever looked soslim and trim.

[email protected]/lmsixel

Perks from page E4

Noe Trevino works at ARC Specialties, a robotics company. “This is the bestplace I’ve ever worked,” said Trevino, a welder who started at ARC as a jani-tor’s helper. ARC takes employees and their families on annual trips.

Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

Proud to be named one of the Top 100 workplaces for 2012.Thank you to all of our outstanding employees for everything you

do to support over 400 properties.

landrysinc.com


Rewards large and small goa long waywith employees

NO. 2 LARGE COMPANY TransCanada Corp.

As TransCanada Corp. has workedto build the disputed Keystone XLpipeline from Canada to the Texascoast, it has kept its focus on its em-ployees.

“Yes, we’ve got a lot more namerecognition than we did five yearsago, for instance,” said Lee Hobbs, thecompany’s top executive in Texas andits senior vice president over U.S. pipe-lines. “But it’s not translating, as wecan see, into employees being unhap-py. I think part of that is because we’revery open with them about where weare. ... We’re not afraid to talk aboutthe issues.”

The company’s Houston office, with600 full-time employees and contrac-tors, earned praise fromworkers forits efforts to reward and engage them.

Much of that may have been a resultof the company’s system of regularbonuses for overall performance and

By Zain Shauk

TransCanada Corp. lead gas controller KevinWager, foreground, monitorspipelines with Howard Earl, supervisor of gas control.

Thomas B. Shea

small thank-you gifts for individualswho volunteer for difficult projectsor stand out on an incremental goal,Hobbs said.

TransCanada also encourages col-laboration and input from all employ-ees, he said. “When we have thoseteammeetings, my expectation is thateveryone will contribute,” Hobbs said.“And I don’t care what level you’re at.You will have good ideas.”

Employees responding to thesurvey said they felt appreciated atTransCanada.

“It is challenging, and I feel thatI am a valued teammember as aperson as well as for my skill set,” oneemployee said in a response to theWorkplaceDynamics survey.

For another, the company standsout for a simpler reason: “It pays verywell.”

[email protected]/zainshauk

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Keeping workforce in loophelps the flow of success

NO. 3 LARGE COMPANY Plains All American Pipeline

To foster a stable and transparentwork environment, Plains All Ameri-can Pipeline holds quarterly staffmeetings to discuss financial and op-erational progress with the 668 peopleworking in Houston.

CEOGreg Armstrong said he puts alot of trust in those workers to handlemost of the daily decision-making.

“Once they understand the missionand have the right information, therest is on them to make the right deci-sions,” Armstrong said. “We empowerthe employees with a lot of authority.”

Not only was Plains ranked amongthe area’s top workplaces this year, itsCEO received the leadership award inthe large-company category.

“Plains All American has best-in-the-industry people in senior manage-ment,” one employee wrote. Theyare “very honest and caring for

By Simone Sebastian the growth of the company.”The pipeline company, which has

more than 4,600 employees, stores andtransports crude oil, refined fuels andnatural gas liquids.

Armstrong has been with Plainssince 1981, when he joined the staff ascomptroller. He rose to chief financialofficer and was named CEO in 1992.

The office has a business-casualdress code and flexible schedules thatallow employees to adjust the begin-ning and end of their workdays by acouple of hours. The headquartersstaff has Friday afternoons off.

Armstrong said he is a strongbeliever in pay-for-performance andrecognizing employees for their indi-vidual accomplishments.

“People really value knowing wherethey stand,” he said.

[email protected]/SimonesNews

Larry Durr, a Plains All American Pipeline driver, prepares to load crude oilgathered from area wells into a Plains station in northwestern North Dakota.The Houston-based company has more than 4,600 employees.

Plains All American Pipeline

Energizing the World,Bettering People’s Lives.®

nobleenergyinc.com

Noble Energy,

Inc. is one of the

nation’s leading

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in the exploration,

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around the world.

RECOGNIZED AS A

TOPWORKPLACE IN HOUSTONFOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS.


Grocer’s core values inspirea notable bag of benefits

NO. 4 LARGE COMPANY Whole Foods Market

The 20 percent discount on grocer-ies could be reason enough to makeemployees ofWhole FoodsMarketsmile.

But that’s only one of the things theAustin-based grocer does to help thework environment. Its core valuesinclude an explicit commitment to itsworkers’ “happiness and excellence.”It touts several benefits to empowerthese workers to build careers:

1 Employees who work at least 20hours a week can become eligible forbenefits.

1 Employees can vote on benefitsevery three years.

1 They can earn a share of the prof-its based on factors they can control.

1 They have stock options andtraining opportunities.

“Our success is dependent on thecollective energy and intelligence of

By Katherine Feser our teammembers,” company spokes-womanMary Langdon said. “Eachand every teammember is a valuedcontributor to the success ofWholeFoodsMarket.”

She said the employees, much likethe company itself, volunteer, helpraise funds and otherwise supportcommunity and global causes.

From a single store in Austin in1980,Whole Foods has grown to a$10 billion publicly traded companywith 335 stores worldwide. The firstexpansion outside Austin was toHouston in 1984, when the chainopened its third store in the hometownof co-founder JohnMackey.

Whole Foods employs 1,300 in theHouston area in six stores and a bake-house. It plans to open at least threemore stores over the next two years.

[email protected]/kfeser

Whole Foods employee Knicole Rink checks out Jean and Jim Eldridge inSugar Land.Whole Foods started with one store in Austin in 1980 and nowhas 335 worldwide. Six of those locations are in the Houston area.

J. Patric Schneider


Service starts by servingemployees ‘very well’

NO. 5 LARGE COMPANY Insperity

Business plans usually begin with arevenue model. Insperity began witha list of “key tenets” that co-founderPaul Sarvadi and his partner devel-oped before even incorporating.

The list outlined “what kind of busi-ness would we want it to be,” includ-ing how to reward employees for goodwork, said Sarvadi, chairman andCEO of the human resources manage-ment company based in Kingwood.

Before “corporate culture” becamea buzz concept, Sarvadi said, it waslaying out “what kind of workplace wewould have that made a big difference”at the company.

“It was really kind of a weird wayto start a business, but it has reallyserved us well because it’s all about thepeople at the end of the day,” Sarvadisaid.

Insperity, formerly Administaff, has

By Kiah Collier grown from a two-employee, three-client firm founded in 1986 to a pub-licly traded company with $2 billion inrevenue last year.

It has 2,100 corporate employeesin 56 offices nationwide and 100,000clients.

Some of the company’s creedsinclude charitable giving and encour-aging volunteerism among its 1,129local employees by paying them up to12 hours a quarter to do good deeds.

Beneficiaries range from the Ameri-can Heart Association and Habitat forHumanity to various autism charitiesand homeless shelters.

“We feel like that always leads tomore volunteerism ... and demon-strates one of the key components ofour values,” Sarvadi said.

Sarvadi said an annual “detailedculture survey” measures how thecompany is doing in that regard.

One employee wrote in response to

this year’sWorkplaceDynamics sur-vey: “If more people across the countryhad the opportunity to work at a placelike Insperity, there would be a muchhappier and productive workforce inAmerica.”

Sarvadi said the company attempts

to practice what it preaches.“We’re a service company,” he said.

“You can’t expect that if you’re notserving employees very well.”

[email protected]/kiahcollier

Maria Cady, a graphic designer, andMatt Loftiss, a design manager, work inmarketing for Insperity, a human resources management company. “It’s allabout the people at the end of the day,” co-founder Paul Sarvadi says.

Jerry Baker

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38

CENTERPOINT ENERGY IS PROUD TO BE AMONG HOUSTON’S

TOP PLACES TO WORK. OUR EMPLOYEES MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.

CenterPoint Energy achieves excellent business results through the skills, ideas and abilities

of our talented workforce. We encourage the growth and development of our employees –

just one reason we’re a great place to work in Houston.

CenterPoint Energy is Always There for its employees, whether furthering their potential on

the job, offering volunteer opportunities to support our communities, or helping employees

balance work and family life.

Go to CenterPointEnergy.com/Careers to learn

more about why we’re a great place to work!

GIVING MOREPOTENTIALY U

HoaTax Analyst

DannyLine Mechanic


NO. 1 MIDSIZE COMPANY DavidWeekley Homes

Chairman says reality, hope build staff loyalty

When DavidWeekley Homes had tocut staff during the housing downturn,the company’s founder started gettingnotes from some of the employees whowere let go. But their words weren’twritten out of anger or bitterness.

Their messages were sympathetic:“I got notes from people who got laidoff saying, ‘It must be so hard foryou,’ ” said DavidWeekley, chairmanof the Houston-based home buildingcompany.

Weekley, a native Houstonian whofounded the company at 23, said hetries to approach leadership with alevel of authenticity that helps employ-ees feel valued.

“A good leader defines reality andgives hope,” he said, reciting his favor-ite definition of leadership.

That philosophy helped the builderearn the best workplace spot amongmidsize companies in the Houston

By Nancy Sarnoff

DavidWeekley says the home-building company he leads “is a high-performance organization.”Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle

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area byWorkplaceDynamics.Weekley attributes a lot of the suc-

cess to John Johnson, the company’sCEO.

Johnson has been with the com-pany since 1990. During his tenure,the business has expanded into newmarkets and earned a spot on Fortunemagazine’s list of “100 Best CompaniestoWork For” seven times.

Visiting employeesWhile Johnson is often traveling to

other cities where the company buildshomes, he makes a point to visit eachemployee in the corporate office aboutevery two weeks.

“He walks around to everyone’sdesk, shakes your hand and says hi,”said Sarah Springer Leone, who worksin marketing for the company.

The company employs 276 people inits two Houston offices and 801 acrossthe country.

Besides the feel-good environment,there are very tangible perks at DavidWeekley Homes.

Employees receive profit sharing, aswell as a discretionary quarterly100 percent match for up to the first8 percent contributed to their 401(k)plans. The health plan provides housecalls from nurse practitioners. Andworkers have access to chaplains whovisit the company weekly.

Charitable giving is a big part of thecompany’s culture.

Over the past 20 years, theWeekleyFamily Foundation has given morethan $70 million through philanthropyand community involvement.

“Doing things for others helps usgain a sense of balance,”Weekley said.

MarkMostaert, a senior projectdesigner, has been with the companyfor almost 15 years.When asked what’skept him there that long, he mentionsthe leadership.

“When we went through the hardtimes, we saw companies folding. Thedecisions David and Johnmade keptus afloat,” he said. “I can’t imagine be-ing anywhere else.”

Not singing ‘Kumbaya’Each division of the company holds

quarterly meetings that center aroundthemes. There’s been the “office Olym-pics,” the “fall festival” and the “’70spsychedelic party.” Managers pass outpeer and performance awards.

Financial results are also presentedat the meeting — for all to see.

“We don’t want everyone to thinkwe sit around and sing ‘Kumbaya,’ ”

Weekley said. “This is a high-performance organization.”

Since the downturn, DavidWeekleyHomes has been hiring and rampingup revenue fromwhen it went into thered during the recent housing crash—one out of two times the company lostmoney. The first time was in 1985.

Sales are expected to come in atjust under $800million this year, andthe company’s goal is to be a $5 billioncompany by 2025.

With manymanagers in their 50s,plans are being put in place for thefuture. The main focus: employees, thecompany’s brand and financial sustain-ability and growth.

[email protected]/nsarnoff

Designer Randy Delpilar works onplans for new residences at the of-fices of DavidWeekley Homes.


“

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“

”


Midsize companiesHere are top workplaces in the Houston area based on surveys of employees at companies with between 150 and 499 localworkers. The survey was conducted by Workplace Dynamics. These are the top 45 companies out of 75 participants.

1 David Weekley Homes 1976 Private Home building 2 2762 Hilcorp 1989 Private Oil and gas exploration and production 2 3803 The Container Store 1978 Private Storage and organization 3 1794 Mattress Firm 1986 Public Furniture, home furnishings and accessories 100 4255 Atria Senior Living Group 1998 Private Assisted living 5 2536 Alvarez & Marsal 1983 Private Professional services 1 1877 EOG Resources 1985 Public Exploration and production 1 4998 St. Regis-Houston 1904 Public Hotel 1 2119 Edward Jones Investments 1922 Partnership Financial advisers 198 43410 Shell Federal Credit Union 1937 Cooperative/Mutual Credit union 10 20911 Medcare Pediatric Group 1991 Partnership Pediatric rehabilitation center 3 28412 Linn Energy 2003 Public Oil and natural gas exploration and production 1 29013 Microsoft 1975 Public Enterprise software 1 20214 Amoco Federal Credit Union 1937 Cooperative/Mutual Credit union 6 17215 Houston Freightliner, Western Star 1996 Partnership Motor vehicle dealership 200 19716 Idera 2004 Private Systems management software 1 20117 Stress Engineering Services 1972 Partnership Engineering 2 25018 Houston Zoo 1922 Nonprofit Nonprofit 1 37019 EnerVest 1992 Partnership Oil and gas company 1 28720 Cornerstone Mortgage Co. 1988 Private Mortgage lending 9 31721 Burns & McDonnell 1898 Private Engineering/architecture/construction 1 21122 Custom Air Products & Services 1999 Private HVAC 1 17923 Cyberonics 1987 Public Medical devices and products 1 38124 Money Management International 1958 Nonprofit Nonprofit 8 29725 M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates 1965 Private Architecture 1 25826 UHY Advisors TX 1971 Private Professional services 2 40327 Primrose School of The Woodlands & Spring 2001 Private Private school/preschool/childcare 4 16028 RiceTec 1990 Private Agriculture 2 32229 MEI Technologies 1992 Private Advanced technology 1 32930 CBRE Houston Central Operations 1906 Public Commercial real estate 2 44531 Legacy Community Health Services 1981 Nonprofit Community health center 6 31732 John L. Wortham & Son 1915 Partnership Insurance consultants and brokers 1 24833 Hunton Group 1981 Private Industrial services 7 28934 The Lanier Law Firm 1990 Private Law 2 16735 Hercules Offshore 2005 Public Services 1 19336 MyFitFoods 2006 Private Healthy food industry 29 39837 EagleBurgmann 1884 Private Mechanical sealing devices 135 18138 Newfield Exploration Co. 1988 Public Petroleum, gas, and petroleum products 2 37239 Texas First Bank 1973 Private Commercial bank 23 25940 Star of Hope Mission 1907 Nonprofit Human and social services 1 19341 Rowan Cos. 1923 Public Oil and gas drilling and exploration 2 30442 EDP Renewables North America 1998 Parent company Renewable energy 1 19243 Berkeley Eye Center 1959 Private Health care 14 20944 AMEC Oil & Gas Americas 1980 Public Engineering 2 45945 Valassis Communications 1970 Public Direct marketing 2 227


SPECIAL AWARDSWorkplaceDynamics selected

15 categories of special awards forcompanies that scored highly onemployee responses to certain surveystatements. Employees rated thesestatements on a seven-point scale,from strongly disagree to stronglyagree. Excerpts of employee commentsprovide a glimpse into the variousworkplaces.

Leadership, large company

1 Greg Armstrong, chairman andCEO, Plains All American Pipeline1 Sector: Pipelines1 Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 6681 Criteria: I have confidence in theleader of this company1 Comments:

What does the leader of this com-pany do well?

“Communicates andmake employ-ees truly feel they are a part of thesuccess or failure of the company.

“Evaluating and determining thestrategic direction of the company forgrowth.”

and let their team shine and do thework— not micromanage the situa-tion.”

“Provides extra incentive rewards,such as bonus program, givingprogram, etc., instead of just a pay-check. Provides open book policy,which is informative.”

Leadership, small company

1 John Schiller Jr., chairman andCEO, Energy XXI1 Sector:Oil and gas exploration

and production1 Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 1431 Criteria: I have confidence in theleader of this company1 Comments:


“Appreciates personnel commit-ment; exposure to employees; compen-sation towards employees is generous;very good leadership.”

“He has done a phenomenal job ofgrowing the company, providing his

employees with job security andbenefits, giving us confidence that heknows what is going on within hiscompany, and promoting his vision toinvestors in continuing his vision ofgrowth.”

Managers

1 DavidWeekley Homes1 Sector:Home building1 Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 276

Special awards continues on E30

Gary Coker, a supervisory controland data acquisition technician,prepares for a new SCADA system atHilcorp’s plant in Sweeny.

Hilcorp

Leadership, midsize company

1 Jeffery Hildebrand, chairman andCEO, Hilcorp1 Sector:Oil and gas exploration andproduction1 Headquarters: Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 3801 Criteria: I have confidence in theleader of this company1 Comments:


“Our leaders are good guides inthat they knowwhen to stand back


Incentives and rewards gowell beyond pizza parties

NO. 2 MIDSIZE COMPANY Hilcorp

Greg Lalicker had just landed froma business trip to Alaska, and he wastired.

Lalicker, president of Hilcorp,wasn’t there to close a big businessdeal. He was in Alaska to carry outone of the company’s monthly “LiftingCost” meetings. During the meetings,the privately held oil and gas explo-ration and production company’sfinancial and operational results areshared in an open format, and ques-tions about where Hilcorp stands onany given topic are discussed candidlywith employees.

Eachmonth, the information isshared with employees in the corpo-rate office on one day, then Hilcorp ex-ecutives fan out across the country thenext day to meet with field employees.

Lalicker believes it’s worth theeffort.

By Tanya Rutledge “I get just as much out of thesemeetings as the employees do,” hesaid. “You can only really understandhow they are feeling about their workif you go there and open up dialogueand focus on getting better.”

The meetings are just one pieceof a multifaceted employee recognitionand reward program that started outas a loose collection of incentives whenthe company was founded in 1989and has now become part of Hilcorp’sculture.

Last year, each of Hilcorp’s 1,000employees (380 in Houston) receivedtheir choice of a $50,000 voucher fora new car or $50,000 in cash afterHilcorp met three targets — dou-bling the company’s value, its oil fieldproduction rate and its net oil and gasreserves — over five years.

The programwas rebooted last yearwith a new five-year plan calledDream 2015. If the targets are doubled

the time. But we understand what ittakes to win, and we reward thoseefforts.”

Tanya Rutledge is a Houston-basedfreelance [email protected]

again, each employee will receive$100,000.

“You hear about offices that havepizza parties andmargarita machines— this is not that kind of place,”Lalicker said. “What we do for a livingis hard, and we don’t succeed all

Hilcorp plant operators RobertWilson, left, and David Tarver attend ameeting at the Old Ocean Plant in Sweeny. Both have nine years of service.

Hilcorp

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Retail chain doesn’t putits employees in a box

NO. 3 MIDSIZE COMPANY The Container Store

When employees take on a full- orpart-time retail job at The ContainerStore, they aren’t necessarily lookingto one day move up into management.

That’s because if the employees’primary interest is in dealing with cus-tomers, the companymakes it reward-ing and lucrative for them to remainin that position. The average annualsalary for a full-time store employeeat The Container Store is $46,000. Thecompany says it pays full- and part-time wages that are 50-100 percentabove the industry average.

John Norman, regional director atThe Container Store, with 179 employ-ees in three Houston stores, said part-time employees are called “prime-timers,” a term they coined them-selves. “They are the ones there infront of the customers during busy re-tail times when customers need themthe most,” said Norman, who startedas a part-time employee 20 years ago.

Norman said some prime-time em-ployees have been with the companyfor 15 years or more. Andmore than80 percent of the company’s workforceis part time.

By Tanya Rutledge “We spend as much in trainingand development on them as on anyemployee,” Norman said.

Prime- and full-timers alike arehonored at the Coppell-based compa-ny’s annual “We Love Our Employees”Day and given gifts from cupcakes togoody boxes filled with about$100 worth of products donated byvendors.

The company also offers medicalbenefits and even pet insurance.

The Container Store’s practices andbusiness philosophies are featured innational marketing textbooks and areincluded in a best-practices study ina class at the Texas A&MUniversityCenter for Retailing Studies.

Norman said the 5,000-employeecompany’s priority is to let workersforge their own career paths.

“People don’t love working forus because there’s a pingpong tablein the back room— there’s not,”he said. “They love it because theyare good at their jobs, and they arecomfortable knowing that theyare part of something bigger than aretail store.”

[email protected]

Carol Koszela and CavanaMewborn stack storage bins at The ContainerStore on Post Oak. The company’s practices are featured in textbooks.

Dave Rossman

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Headquarters staff staysalert to needs on front line

NO. 4 MIDSIZE COMPANY Mattress Firm

Every department at MattressFirm’s headquarters is staffed with atleast one employee who got his or herstart in one of the company’s 1,000 re-tail bedding stores across the country.

That strategy is very much bydesign.

“The field sales and operationsteams are on the front line making ithappen,” said Abby Ludens, directorof talent acquisition and retention forthe publicly tradedmattress retailer.“We put a lot of importance on thatteam, and we promote fromwithin, sothat the overall feel and culture of thecompany is connected.”

Mattress Firm, which completedits acquisition of competitor MattressGiant inMay, finds other ways to keepcorporate employees and field employ-ees connected.

The company has its own internal

By Tanya Rutledge YouTube site with thousands of videosdemonstrating best practices, whetherit be techniques for greeting guests asthey enter a store or understandinghow the company’s financing programworks.

Mattress Firm also sets aside a sec-tion of its internal communicationsportal, called the BedPost, for employ-ees to offer shout-outs to co-workersfor helping themwith a task or forputting forth other positive gestures.

“We realize that we have a talentedgroup of people that can teach eachother,” Ludens said. “Learning anddevelopment doesn’t just come fromthe corporate headquarters, it goes oncompanywide. All across the coun-try, we have great ideas.We think it’simportant to share them.”

And because many of the corporateemployees in Houston got their startin the field, that line of communicationbetween the executives and the field

and sales operations employees staysopen at all times.

“Our leadership team came upwithin the organization,” Ludens said.“That creates a consistent culturewhere people feel connected.”

The company has 3,000 employeesnationally. That includes 518 employ-ees locally — up from 425 since thesurvey was done.

[email protected]

Mattress Firmmanager ChristopherWilson helps customerWindi Pasto-rini. The company wants executives and field employees to feel connected.

J. Patric Schneider

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Bingo with snappy prizesamong the bevy of benefits

NO. 5 MIDSIZE COMPANY Atria Senior Living Group

Bingo games with big prizes aren’treserved for the residents at AtriaSenior Living Group. The employeesat AtriaWestchase have regular bingotournaments of their own, with prizesthat include laptops, Kindles, televi-sions and gift cards.

The quarterly employee bingo tour-nament was started after employeessaw the residents enjoying their ownbingo games, said Kim Parnell, execu-tive director of AtriaWestchase. Shesaid off-duty employees even show upto take part.

The only staffmembers not eligiblefor the bingo prizes are managers.They embark on adventures of theirown, including a recent fishing charteron Lake Conroe.

Parnell said the Louisville, Ky.-based Atria Senior Living Group—with 253 employees in four facilitiesacross the Houston area and one inBeaumont —makes it a priority toreward employees for their efforts.

“What we do is hard. It’s seriousbusiness, caring for the elderly,”Parnell said. “So we do everything

By Tanya Rutledge we can to make it a fun place towork.”It also provides financial incentives.For example, Atria, which has 9,500

employees, also offers Atria Cares, anemployee-funded 501(c)3 that providesgrants to hourly employees in timesof financial crisis. So far, the fund haspaid out $919,000 in grants to 1,200employees.

The Atria Rewards program recog-nizes long-term hourly employees withtenure and performance bonuses —more than $25 million worth so far.

And three AtriaWestchase employ-ees are using the company’s tuition-reimbursement program to attendcollege.

Parnell, who has been with Atriafor 13 years, said the positive workingenvironment has enabled thecompany to gain industrywide at-tention for its employee tenure. Inher facility, for example, half of the 61employees have been there five yearsor more.

“That’s pretty unusual in the health-care industry,” she said.

[email protected]

Kim Parnell, executive director at AtriaWestchase, says Atria Senior LivingGroup has made rewarding employees a priority.

Gary Fountain © 2012 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. In this document, “PwC” refers toPricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (a Delaware limited liability partnership), which is a member firm ofPricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate legal entity.


NO. 1 SMALL COMPANY Energy XXI

Drawing on lessons learned over a careerMany of John Schiller’s friends went

to work for major oil companies aftergraduating from college in 1981.

Schiller headed to Lafayette, La.,and one of the independents, SuperiorOil Co.

From there, he moved through awho’s who of independent energycompanies before founding EnergyXXI in 2005, and he says that experi-ence, and especially his work for threeinfluential managers while still in his20s — Joseph Reid, James Hackett andRichard Hebert — shaped his manage-ment style.

This year, his exploration and pro-duction company was namedbest workplace among small compa-nies in the Houston area byWorkplaceDynamics.

As a young petroleum engineer atSuperior, Schiller was allowed to makedecisions and cut deals.

“You were empowered the day

By Jeannie Kever you walked in,” he said.He found the same environment

when he followed Reid to BurlingtonNorthern, where he also worked withHebert and Hackett, who later went onto run a number of other companies,including Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

“When you’re 26 and you’re aroundall these powerful executives and yourealize they’re willing to come intoyour office and tell jokes and go tolunch ... they worked hard, but theyplayed hard, too,” Schiller said.

That is a mantra around EnergyXXI, where many of the employeespreviously worked with Schiller andother members of the managementteam.

“I signed right up,” said productionsupervisorWesley Stout, who hadworked with Schiller and several otherexecutives at Ocean Energy before thatcompany’s merger with Devon Energy.

“Wemove fast.We don’t have to gothrough a lot of red tape, other thanthe government and BSEE,” Stout

Geologist Allen Berlin, left, and geophysicist Ross Saunders compare notesat Energy XXI. Empowerment is a theme at the company, which has grownrapidly over the past half-dozen years.

Dave Rossman

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Energy XXI continues on E28

said, referring to the U.S. Bureau ofSafety and Environmental Enforce-ment.

Melissa Castro, an engineering tech,also worked at Ocean and then Devon.

“When they started Energy XXI,as soon as I could come back, I cameback,” she said. “I love the manage-ment style, the freedom to do otherthings besides your normal day-to-dayoperations. If I want to learn some-thing, all I have to do is ask.”

With about 230 employees, includ-ing 143 in the Houston area, the com-pany is focused on the Gulf of Mexico,although it also has some assets

in south Louisiana.After aggressive growth during the

past six years, Energy XXI has become“more choosy,” Schiller said, althoughit continues to look for new assets.

Schiller said the companymeetswith employees every quarter to up-date them on the business, and he eatslunch every other month with employ-ees who have had birthdays, an idea hesays he picked up fromHackett.

The company offers a discountedstock plan for employees, whichhe said “gives everybody thefeeling we’re all competing

Energy XXICEO JohnSchiller saysthe compa-ny’s discount-ed stock planfor employees“giveseverybodythe feelingwe’re all com-peting for thesame team.”

Dave Rossman

Xxxxxx Xxxxxx / Chronicle

Plains Exploration &Production Company (PXP)

is an independent energy companyengaged in the upstream oil and natural

gas business. Current activities are focusedonshore and offshore in California, the

Eagle Ford Shale and the Gulf of Mexico.

"People buildingvalue together tofind and produceoil and natural gassafely, reliably andefficiently.”

Plains Exploration & Production Company

Pla

Explore current employment opportunities at www.pxp.com/careers.

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for the same team.”Mark Fanning, a reservoir engineer

who joined the company almost fiveyears ago, said he was impressed bythe fact that Schiller takes EnergyXXI’s geologists and engineers to NewYork to talk directly with investorsabout their projects.

In larger companies, Fanning said,

“you never even saw the CEO and up-per management.”

Castro said more traditional perks— a 9/80 workweek that lets workerstake off every other Friday, for example— are great, but not the true allure.

“For most of us,” she said, “I thinkit’s being able to work with each otherthat’s the best part.”

[email protected]

Energy XXI from page E27

Energy XXI focuses on the Gulf, though it also has some Louisiana assets.Dave Rossman

www.swn.com NYSE: SWN

Powering our country,powering our community.Thank you to all of ouremployees who arepowering SouthwesternEnergy.

A balanced approach to solvingthe world’s energy needs.


Firing on all cylindersvia a happyworkplace

NO. 2 SMALL COMPANY Christian Brothers Automotive

Katie Rohr has done a lot of job-hopping over the last few years. Butbecause of her employer’s flexiblestructure, all three of her most recentjobs have been with Christian BrothersAutomotive.

Rohr started with the companyin 2008 as a franchise performanceconsultant, later took on the role ofexecutive assistant to the CEO andis now a legal assistant for the autorepair company.

“The company takes the time torecognize what you are good at andskilled at,” Rohr said. “Because of that,I have foundmy niche.”

Rohr is one of about 50 employeeswho operate from Christian Brothers’corporate office in Houston.

On any givenMonday, many ofthose employees can be found par-ticipating in the company’s weekly

By Tanya Rutledge morning prayer meetings. On Fridays,the departments take turns bringingin homemade or restaurant-preparedbreakfasts as the centerpiece ofan hourlong social networkingsession, which is closed with aprayer. The sessions are heavily at-tended.

Lewis Ten Have, Christian Brothers’chief operating officer, said suchmeet-ings are often followed by impromptuminiature golf tournaments in the hall-ways. And recently, one vacationingemployee returned to find her officedecorated in bubble wrap.

Ten Have believes that comic reliefin the workplace goes a long way inmaking employees happy and commit-ted to their jobs.

“We bring in good people, and thenwe help them gravitate to what theylike to do,” Ten Have said.

That philosophy extends to thecompany’s franchisees as well.

There are more than 100 ChristianBrothers auto repair locations acrossthe country (20 in Houston), mostlyrun by franchisees. If the companyand franchisee agree the business isnot a good fit, Christian Brothers takesover the store and works to return

as much of the franchisee feesas possible.

“The culture of a company startsout with how you treat people,” TenHave said.

[email protected]

Christian Brothers departments take turns bringing in breakfast on Fridays.The weekly event is part of a social networking session that lasts an hour.

J. Patric Schneider

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Special awards from page E18

1 Criteria:Mymanager helps melearn and grow

Mymanager makes it easier to domy job well

Mymanager cares about my con-cerns1 Comments:

How does your manager make iteasier to do your job well?

“Nomicromanagement tactics.”“She sets up weekly meetings to go

over any concerns or new projects.”What does your manager do to

demonstrate that they care about yourconcerns?

“Weekly planned encounters todiscuss goals, ideas and tasks. Mycommitment toWeekley Homes andwork ethics are respected— numerousverbally and written acknowledge-ments. Given the opportunity to putprograms in place andmanage theprocedures/tracking. No doubt my

manager is the go-to for revising aprocedure ... always improving is theway of heart. Always open-minded.LISTENS to those that are impacted.Fully aware that many can bring ideasto the table. Again ... listens.”

What does your manager do to helpyou learn and grow?

“I am constantly being given newtasks and responsibilities withgrowing complexity that help me gainmore understanding about howeverything connects and fits together.Questions and discussions over items/issues are also highly encouraged,especially if it is an issue that hasn’t

been encountered before.”

New ideas

1 Anadarko Petroleum Corp.1 Sector: Oil and natural gas explora-tion and production1 Headquarters:Houston

DavidWeekley leads DavidWeekleyHomes, which also took top honorsfor midsize companies.


Small companiesHere are top workplaces in the Houston area based on surveys of employees at companies with 149 or fewer local workers. Thesurvey was conducted by Workplace Dynamics. These are 1 through 35 of the top 70 out of 118 participants.

1 Energy XXI 2005 Public Oil and gas exploration and production 1 1432 Christian Brothers Automotive 1982 Private Complete automotive repair 20 513 Encompass Home Health 1999 Private Home health care services 5 1294 Brookstone 1963 Partnership Commercial building construction 1 605 Hotze Health & Wellness Center 1989 Private Health and wellness center 1 766 Chesmar Homes 2005 Private Home builder 15 597 Neighbors Emergency Center 2009 Private Health center 4 1048 Harbor America 1997 Private Professional employer organization 1 809 Hospice Compassus 2006 Cooperative/Mutual Health care 2 5810 Planning Design Research Corp. 1977 Partnership Architecture 1 7811 Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates 1983 Private Insurance and risk management 1 7512 Texas Emergency Care Center 2006 Partnership Health care 4 11613 Oil & Gas Solutions 2007 Private Engineering 1 5214 Stream Realty Partners 2006 Private Leasing, property mgt., tenant rep. 1 7315 2H Offshore 1998 Parent company Global engineering contractor 1 10816 Trendsetter Engineering 1996 Private Subsea design and manufacturing 1 5817 Colliers International 1957 Private Agents/brokers 3 6418 Pariveda Solutions 2004 Private Information technology 1 5619 Pieper-Houston Electric, Houston Office 1958 Private Electrical 1 6020 Gallagher Benefit Services 1961 Public Health and welfare consulting 3 10321 Recreational Equipment, Inc - REI 1938 Cooperative/Mutual Outdoor retailer 1 6522 St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School 1943 Private Primary/secondary school 1 5523 Blinds.com 1996 Private Home improvement 1 12724 Geriatric Associates of America 1996 Private Physicians practice 1 5425 Lasco Enterprises 2003 Private Restaurant and wine bar 5 5326 SouthWest Electronic Energy Corp. 1964 Private Manufacturing 1 6627 Fred Haas Toyota Country 2002 Private Auto dealership 1 13228 Simmons & Company International 1974 Private Energy investment bank 1 11829 Congregation Beth Israel 1854 Nonprofit Religion 1 5530 ESCAPE Family Resource Center 1983 Nonprofit Nonprofit private 1 7231 Southwest Infiniti 1988 Private Auto dealership 1 6732 Employer Flexible 2003 Private Human resources 2 7233 SpawGlass 1953 Private Building construction 1 9234 Ryan 1991 Private Corporate tax advisory firm 1 8035 Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld 1945 Partnership Legal services 1 99


LEADER IN

SUBSEA SOLUTIONSCONTEMPORARY

WWW.TRENDSETTERENGINEERING.COM

CAPPING STACK SYSTEMSBOP SUBSEA ACCUMULATORMODULESCONTROLS & DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT

CONNECTION SYSTEMS FIELD DEVELOPMENTFRONT END ENGINEERING DESIGN & DETAILED DESIGNINTERVENTIONTOOLING INSTALLATIONTOOLING

MANIFOLDS & FOUNDATIONS ROVTOOLING


1 Greater Houston employees:1,9991 Criteria:New ideas are encouragedat this company1 Comments:

How does this company encouragenew ideas?

“We nurture an atmosphere of

positively questioning howwe can dothings better.We don’t penalize peoplefor good ideas that result in failure.”

“It is a core value to be commer-cially focused and take measured,intelligent risks.”

“I’m allowed to experiment, and Igo to conferences/follow blogs to see

how other people are doing things.”

Doers

1 Neighbors Emergency Center1 Sector:Health center1 Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 104

1 Criteria:At this company, we dothings efficiently and well1 Comments:

What impresses you most abouthow this company does things effi-ciently and well?

“Quality of care provided topatients; it is easy to treat yourpatients, as patient care is the primaryfocus of the entire team.”

“The way everyone works togetherto get things done as efficiently, quicklyand the best way possible.”

Meaningfulness

1 Hotze Health &Wellness Center1 Sector:Health center1 Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 761 Criteria:My jobmakes me feel like

Hotze Health &Wellness Centerreceptionist Becky Diaz meets witha client.

J. Patric Schneider


36 Allegiance Bank Texas 2007 Private Financial institution-bank 7 11437 Newmark Homes Houston 2009 Partnership New homes construction 15 6838 Home Health Resources 1997 Private Home health care services 1 10039 The Kilburn Law Firm 2008 Private Law 1 8640 Jetco Delivery 1976 Private Trucking industry 3 10241 Black Elk Energy 2007 Private Energy industry services 1 9642 Stallion Oilfield Holdings 2002 Private Oil and gas field services 1 12343 Cadence Bank 2010 Private Retail and commercial bank 1 9344 Brookfield Office Properties 1923 Public Integrated development, construction, management 5 10545 APQC American Prod. & Quality Center 1977 Nonprofit Consulting 1 6046 Binkley & Barfield 1972 Private Consulting engineers 1 6947 Easter Seals Greater Houston 1947 Nonprofit Full spectrum disability assistance 1 8048 Children’s Assessment Center 1994 Government Local government 1 5149 ARC Specialties 1983 Private Robotics 1 6550 EEPB P.C. 1987 Private Certified public accountants, consultants 1 7251 Briggs & Veselka Co. 1973 Private Certified public accountants, consultants 2 14852 OCuSOFT 1986 Private Vendor serving health care industry 1 8853 TechTrans International 1993 Private Language and logistics services 1 10154 AmCap Mortgage 2002 Partnership Mortgage lending 4 8255 Kirksey 1971 Private Architecture 1 9756 Myron F. Steves & Co. 1955 Partnership Insurance wholesaler-property and casualty 1 14857 Robbins Brothers, Engagement Ring Store 1921 Private Destination engagement ring store 2 5558 Burleson 2005 Private Law 1 6459 Insource Technology Corp. 1992 Private Infrastructure, systems, managed support 1 6860 Applus RTD 2002 Private Non-destructive testing, inspection services 1 10161 Excelerate Energy 2003 Private LNG importer, regasification services 1 7662 Surveying And Mapping (SAM) 1994 Private Surveying, photogrammetry, SUE, LiDAR 1 5363 Protiviti 2002 Parent company Consulting 1 9564 Community Resource Credit Union 1935 Cooperative/Mutual Credit union 4 11765 JV Industrial Companies 1998 Private Turnaround Services 4 14666 Jack Henry & Associates 1976 Public Vertical industry software products, services 1 12767 City of West University Place 1924 Government Local government 1 11568 Benchmark Hospitality International 1980 Private Hotel 1 5269 InterMoor 2004 Parent company Oil and gas 1 6470 Greenberg Traurig 1967 Partnership Law 1 87

Small companiesHere are top workplaces in the Houston area based on surveys of employees at companies with 149 or fewer local workers. Thesurvey was conducted by Workplace Dynamics. These are 36 through 70 of the top 70 out of 118 participants.


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Employees get extra time offso they can be rejuvenated

NO. 3 SMALL COMPANY Encompass Home Health

April Anthony understands thatcaring for elderly patients in theirhomes can be emotionally taxing. Soshe makes sure Encompass HomeHealth employees get the time off theyneed to recharge.

All Encompass employees earn fourweeks of paid time off each year, andthey are able to start taking it afterjust 90 days of employment. Encom-pass makes sure that any unused timedoesn’t go to waste. As much as 40hours of unused time per year, up to400 hours total, can be socked awayto use in case of an extended employeeillness.

Anthony, CEO of Encompass,which has 129 local employees whoare spread out over five Houston-areaoffices and are deployed daily toclient homes, said the company’sgenerous time-off policy is based

By Tanya Rutledge on the demanding nature of thejob.

“Our employees know that it willnever be OK for them to come in tiredor spent or give a half-baked effort,”Anthony said. “That day, they are car-ing for someone’s parent. They haveto work hard every single day, so wegive them lots of time off so they canbe rejuvenated. It keeps them engaged,and presents a positive return to ourpatients.”

Encompass also provides a car forany employee who drives more than14,000miles per year. The company, aMedicare-certified home-health careservice provider that employs morethan 3,500 people nationally, offers aFord Escape.

Employees can take intensivetraining courses at the EncompassDevelopment Center in Dallas.Some of the courses are taughtby Anthony herself, as well as

the company’s chief operatingofficer.

The development and educationcenter helps breed new career pathsfor employees, based on their areas ofinterest. Last year, 74 percent of thecompany’s supervisory positions were

filled by existing staff.“The idea is to create an environ-

ment that fosters professional devel-opment and gives them access to newopportunities,” Anthony said.

[email protected]

Pam Pallera, a physical therapist with Encompass Home Health, does ashoulder exercise with Fay Allison, a client of Regal Estates of League City.

Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle

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Construction firm installsa culture that’s connected

NO. 4 SMALL COMPANY Brookstone

Keeping lines of communicationopen between office and field employ-ees in the commercial constructionindustry can be a full-time job.

Brookstone President Steve Dish-man is up for the challenge.

“It’s very common in our industryto have a field mentality and an officementality,” he said. “There is a gap inbetween, and if it’s not bridged, it cancause a lot of frustration.”

Efforts to do that include a com-panywide outing to a Sugar LandSkeeters baseball game andmonthlymeetings where employees share ideason successes andmistakes to learnfrom.

On the thirdWednesday ofeach month, Brookstone, a 60-persongeneral contractor and constructionmanagement firm, takes a majorstep toward closing that gap with

By Tanya Rutledge its all-staff “lunch and learn”meetings.

In addition, the company’s em-ployees are provided as many as 10training opportunities per month. Theparticipants are required to return tothe office and present the informationto their peers.

“Not only does it help usleverage the education that our staffis getting, but it gives them the oppor-tunity to practice their public speakingskills,” Dishman said. “Standing upto practice public speaking helps givethem a lot of confidence.”

Despite the cyclical nature of theconstruction industry, Dishman saidBrookstone has maintained its regularstaff outings, including hunting andfishing trips, and kept annual raisesand bonuses intact.

In addition, Brookstone recentlyhired outside consultants to work withan in-house steering committee to

establish a formal wellness programto help employees adopt a healthierlifestyle.

Less formally, Dishman said, threeoffice smokers have all quit withinthe last few years based on peer pres-sure.

“There is a groupmovement behindwellness now,” he said. “Everyone isvery engaged in changing theirquality of life both inside and outsidethe office.”

[email protected]

One of Houston-based Brookstone’s construction projects is at St. Martin’sEpiscopal Church near the Galleria.

Eric Kayne

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Special first-day gifts setthe tone for new employees

NO. 5 SMALL COMPANY Hotze Health &Wellness Center

Whenmost people start a new job,they might get a welcome package thatincludes some paperwork and somecheap company swag. At Hotze Health&Wellness Center, the first-day pack-age includesWaterford crystal.

Hotze employees get moreWater-ford as their tenure progresses withthe health and wellness center. Theyreceive two pieces at Christmas andanother on each anniversary.

“We try to make the first dayspecial,” said Pat Phenix, director oftalent, recruitment and development.“It sort of sets the tone.”

While theWaterford gifts are a hit,Phenix said cash gifts are evenmorepopular.

Birthdays are celebrated with flow-ers and a $50 gift card to Zappos or alocal spa.

Amore formal program called 3Gs

By Tanya Rutledge (goals) allows employees to submitideas each month for increasing ef-ficiency or customer service or ways tomake or save the companymoney. Thereward for having an initiative imple-mented is a $50 cash bonus.

Hotze, which offers patients a healthprogram using bioidentical hormonetherapy, also gives a “cut the fat”bonus to any employee who finds away to save the companymoney. Thatperson receives 10 percent of thecompany’s savings during the firstyear.

Phenix said one employee took theinitiative to renegotiate a deal with oneof the company’s vendors that endedup saving $14,000.

Hotze’s 76 employees pack all ofthis idea-sharing into a shorter work-week, since they are given a half-dayeach Friday to jump-start the week-end.

Monthly employee appreciation

Shell FCU is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Anyone who lives, works, worships or attendsschool in Harris County, TX can do business at Shell FCU. Minimum $5 savings account required for membership. Existing Shell FCU loans not eligible for refinance. Thisoffer cannot be combined with any other offer and Shell FCU reserves the right to discontinue promotions without notice at any time for any reason. Loans closed at aShell FCU branch qualify for special incentives. Special loans such as restructured, indirect loans, credit builder and boost loans are not eligible for incentives. Interestwill continue to accrue each month during deferment. 1% CASH BACK offer applies to loans closed at a Shell FCU branch and is calculated based on the financedamount minus any ancillary products (ex. GAP, Extended Warranty, etc). The calculated 1% will be deposited into member’s primary savings account within 48 hoursafter closing. Rates offered based on credit score. Underwriting criteria apply. Rates and terms are subject to change at any time without notice. See a Loan Officer forrates available for other loan types including home equity, mortgage and signature loans. For full details about promotion and prizes, visit www.shellfcuis75.com

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events can include an ice cream party,in-house chair massages, a wine tast-ing or a bus trip to a Houston Astrosgame.

Especially popular, Phenix said, isthe free company wellness programfor employees and their families.

“That’s a huge benefit thatpretty much everyone takesadvantage of,” she said. “They’d becrazy not to. It’s what we are allabout.”

[email protected]

Hotze Health &Wellness Center employees stretch before a staff meeting.Hotze has a free wellness program for employees and their families.

J. Patric Schneider

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Antonio Saldivar is a master tech in REI’s bicycle department. REI, whichhas two stores in the Houston area, is among the companies that have beenrecognized for making the TopWorkplaces list for three straight years.

Houston Chronicle file

1 Akin Gump1 Allegiance Bank Texas1 Alvarez & Marsal1 Anadarko Petroleum Corp.1 Blinds.com1 Brady, Chapman, Holland &Associates1 Burns & McDonnell1 Cornerstone Mortgage1 EDP Renewables North America(formerly Horizon Wind Energy)1 EnerVest1 Enterprise Products1 EOG Resources1 M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates1 Gillman Auto Group1 Greenberg Traurig1 Hilcorp1 Hospice Compassus1 Hotze Health & Wellness Center1 Kinder Morgan1 Legacy Community Health Services1 Linn Energy1 Medcare Pediatric Group1 Memorial Hermann HealthcareSystem

1 My Fit Foods1 Noble Energy1 OCuSOFT1 Plains All American Pipeline1 Planning Design Research Corp.1 Recreational Equipment, Inc. - REI1 RiceTec1 SouthWest Electronic Energy Corp.1 Southwestern Energy1 SpawGlass1 Spectra Energy Corp.1 Stage Stores1 Stream Realty1 Texas First Bank1 The Menninger Clinic1 Valassis

These companies made the National

Standards list in 2011 and the Top

Workplaces list in 2010 and 2012:

1 Briggs & Veselka1 Houston Freightliner, Western Star1 Kirksey1 Ryan1 UTHealth

Source: WorkplaceDynamics

The following companieshave made the list of TopWorkplaces for three yearsstraight:

Akin Gump

THREE-PEATS

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I am part of something meaningful1 Comments:

What do you findmost meaningfulabout working at this company?

“Changing people’s lives! That’ssomething you can’t find at most jobs.”

Ethics

1 Chesmar Homes1 Sector:Home builder1 Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 591 Criteria: This company operates bystrong values and ethics1 Comments:

What impresses you most about thevalues and ethics of Chesmar Homes?

“All associates seem to be on thesame track in living by the core valuesput forth by Chesmar leadership. It isa unique group that makes up a greatsupport system.”

“Chesmar Homes does the rightthing.”

Clued-in seniormanagement

1 The Container Store1 Sector: Storage and organization

1 Headquarters: Coppell1 Greater Houston employees: 1791 Criteria: Senior managers under-stand what is really happening at thiscompany1 Comments:

The things I like most about my jobare:

“I work with great people. There istons of training and support. Great

Special awards from page E31 atmosphere. The customers are as niceas co-workers. It’s pretty darn close toperfect!”

Communication

West HoustonMedical CenterSector:Health CareHeadquarters:NashvilleGreater Houston employees: 853

Criteria: I feel well-informed aboutimportant decisions at this companyComments:

The things I like most about my jobare:

“Nurse-patient ratio is excellent. Iget along well with my co-workers. Mysuperiors are approachable andopen-minded.”

“The director cares about myworkand encourages all the staff to continuetheir education.”

Appreciation

1 TransCanada Corp.1 Sector: Energy infrastructureHeadquarters: Calgary, Alberta1 Greater Houston employees: 5051 Criteria: I feel genuinely appreci-ated at this company1 Comments:

What makes you feel appreciated atthis company?

“People returning safely home afterwork. Rewards for work completed.Compliments when extra effort wasmade.”

“I have never worked for acompany that I believed is as ethical asTransCanada.”

Seth Tobey, left, Vince Ruffino, Donna Newcomb, Scott Merovitch, JanaBlackburn, Ron Brooks and Terry Shakasizas take part in an enthusiasticmoment during a weekly meeting at Chesmar Homes.

James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle



2H Offshore“I feel appreciated, I feel my

opinions do not go unnoticed, andmyco-workers are all wonderful to workwith.”

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld“The people. I think everyone, from

the youngest file clerk to the mostsenior partner, are genuinely kind,caring people.”

Clear Creek Independent SchoolDistrict

“Everyone is very accommodatingand ensures that the teachers havewhat they need in order to give ourstudents the very best education. It isa pleasure to work in such a positiveenvironment, and I look forward togoing to work each day.”

Alvarez &Marsal“One of our core values is ‘fun,’

characterized as like your work and

I love my job because ...SATISFACTION

those with whom you work.”

Kinder Morgan“It demands that I give my best.”

Memorial HermannHealthcare System

“At the end of the day, I feel like Ihave made a difference in someone’slife.”

Amoco Federal Credit Union“When I am at work, I still feel like I

amwith family. I feel my job is secure.I love what I do and feel confident inmywork.”

Beaumont ISD“I have a passion for teaching,

learning and I work with wonderfulprofessional people who care aboutme!”

CenterPoint Energy“It is vital to society to maintain a

way of life that is not enjoyedby other countries.Without thereliable delivery of electricity,the economywould flounder,society would be at risk to mutinyagainst authority and we wouldnot be able to enjoy the advances intechnology because almost everythingrelies on electricity in some form tooperate.”

Employer Flexible“It allows me to be me. I can domy

best at all times.”

Spectra Energy Corp.“We help the U.S. function.”

St. Vincent De Paul CatholicSchool

“The support of the staff andfamilies we serve.”

Medcare Pediatric Group“Seeing the smiling faces

of the kids every day.”

Benchmark HospitalityInternational

“I can be myself. Whether it’s timeto have fun or be serious. There aremany personalities throughout theoffice, but yet we all work as one unitand one family.”

Briggs & Veselka Co.“I have great co-workers, I love my

job because it doesn’t feel like a job. Ihave fun at work.”

Easter Seals Greater Houston“Wemake a difference in the lives

of children and families. I also feelsupported with my own children andfamily.”

Accenture“I love my job because of the people.

Whether local or in a different state, Iam connected to an awesome network

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of individuals that have not onlyAccenture’s best interest at heart, butmine as well.”

Cadence Bank“I am challenged each day and have

the opportunity to create the future.”

Enbridge Energy Partners“... of the friends I make here

and the opportunity to move up theladder evenWITHOUT a collegedegree. My boss is very flexible andvery fair.”

HomeHealth Resources“I love working with geriatric care.

I always referred to the clients as myown parents or grandparents.”

Congregation Beth Israel“My ideas and perspective are

valued. The kids and fellow teachersare great.”

Robbins Brothers,The Engagement Ring Store

“How could I not! I work withdiamonds and happy couples!”

Gillman Automotive Group“Because working for a family

business that operates withthe structure of a publiccompany offers the best of bothworlds.”

EagleBurgmann“Room to grow.”

Houston Zoo“I work with amazing animals and

wonderful people.”

John L.Wortham & Son“I like solving puzzles.”

MoneyManagementInternational

“It allows me to help people pay offtheir debt and have a feeling of self-worth.”

EOG Resources“I can contribute.”

Newfield Exploration Co.“We are a family.”

Rowan Cos.“There is so much room for growth,

and I’m being exposed to new areas ofthe world constantly.”I love my job because ... continues on E46

RiceTec brings leadershipand innovation to the fieldof rice with our superiorhybrid seed products. Wealso bring worlds of flavorto your table through ourRiceSelect brand, includingour famous Texmati rice.

We appreciate and value ouremployees. From our farmtech reps to our sales andoffice staff, we thank themfor making us one of the

best places to work.

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SPECIAL AWARDSWorkplaceDynamics selected 15special award categories forcompanies that scored highly onemployee responses to certainsurvey statements.We askedseveral companies what led to theirawards.

Ethics, ChesmarHomes

1 Sector:Home builder1Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston Employees: 591 President:Don KleinWe spoke with Donna Newcomb,Chesmar human resourcesadministrator:1Q:What ethics issues come up inhome building?1A:Not treating our vendors fairlyor paying our bills on time. Notbeing respectful to our associatesor not treating our customers in anethical manner. Not dealing witha maintenance issue in a timely oreffective manner.We have Realtorsthat are loyal to us and bring usbuyers, and it’s important that we dealethically with them.

1Q: How does an ethical approachmake Chesmar a better workplacefor your employees?1A: It makes for a happierenvironment all around. It giveseverybody a framework to workwithin so you knowwhat is expected.You are treated fairly, so you areexpected to treat everyone in thatmanner.

1Q:What does Chesmar do toencourage ethics in the workplace?1A:Aswe come on as an associatehere, we take an oath that we are goingto do our best. From that point on, ourmission statement is at our core.Weare careful to keep it in our culture.

1Q:What is the missionstatement?1A: I am dedicated to being theBuilder of Choice for my Customers,Contractors and Chesmarians

(company employees) offering theBest NewHome Value with QualityWorkmanship. I do this with ChesmarPride, Integrity,Warm Smiles, aFriendly Attitude and an EnthusiasticSpirit.

1Q: How do you keep that

attitude foremost?1A: Every Tuesday we have aleadership meeting. The very firstthing we do is recite our missionstatement; we take turns reciting it orwe say it all together.We say it with agreat deal of enthusiasm, and it’s animportant part of our meeting.

Q&AChesmar Homes

It’s almost a day at the beach for Chesmar Homes warranty administratorChristian Del Rio, with his tropical-themed cubicle.

James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle

By Louis B. Parks


Training, Edward JonesInvestments

1 Sector: Financial advisers1Headquarters: St. Louis1 Greater Houston employees: 4341Regional leader:Ruben Hope

We spoke with Patti Ardoin, fieldtrainer in Houston with Edward JonesInvestments:1Q: Does Edward Jones in Hous-ton have a formal training proto-col?1A:We have the same training every-where. It’s a blended training that weget throughout our careers, if you are anew financial adviser or a veteran likeme.We offer study online, they canparticipate in virtual-led courses, andthey fly to Tempe or St. Louis, whichare our home offices, for classroomtraining and role play.

1Q:What training does a newrecruit go through?1A: It’s a strenuous interviewingprocess to become an Edward Jonesfinancial adviser.When they hit theground after they pass their test, theyare sent to programs in St. Louis. Thenthey get “hands on” in the branches.

If anyone is uncertain about anything,they can call or go for more training.We have all kinds of help, because wewant them to succeed.We considertraining not an expense, but an invest-ment in our future.

1Q: So they are not in competitionwith other financial advisers in theoffice?1A:One of the things that Jonestakes pride in is mentoring, which wecall one of our most treasured tradi-tions.We are set up individually. I ambymyself and have an assistant.Wedon’t compete with each other. In mostfirms, financial advisers in an officecompete with each other.Wementoreach other, because we want every-body to succeed. I may bring a newfinancial adviser in my office and theysit with me a day. They may sit in withmy clients. I may show them things onreports. And they may have questions.

We have field trainers, mentors andoffice training.

1Q:What about secretaries andassistants, do they also train?1A:Yes. All of us are learning thebest way to serve our client. That’severybody’s mission.

1Q:What about

continuing training?1A:You’ve got your continuing edu-cation you have to keep up with, yourqualification education. But we haveour own training. Regulations change,you get more knowledge, new prod-ucts come out with solutions for yourclient. The longer you’ve been here, themore you learn and the more in depthyou are going to get.

Edward Jones financial adviser David Carter listens as financial adviser andfield trainer leader Patti Ardoin gives him a training session.

Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

Q&AEdward JonesInvestments

By Louis B. Parks

Thanks to our dedicated team forchanging lives every day—20,000 and counting.

LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES START HERE: hotzecareers.com

hotzehwc.com


Communications,WestHoustonMedical Center

1 Sector:Health care1Headquarters:Nashville (HospitalCorporation of America)1 Greater Houston Employees: 8531 CEO: Todd Caliva

We spoke with CEO Todd Caliva:1Q:What is the importance ofgood communication in a medicalfacility?1A: Effective communication is vitalto a patient-first mentality. I want allof our employees to be aware of whatis going on, to understand what ourgoals are and howwe are doing as acompany, and what’s important to us.It makes an impact on our culture.When you have strong culture in ahealth-care organization, turnover is alot lower and patients benefit the most.

1Q: How doesWest HoustonMedical foster good communica-tions?1A: First, I send out a mass emailthought for the day every morning toall of our employees — inspirationalquotes — so that they hear frommeand know I am aware of what they do

every day.We have an employee advi-sory group that meets every month,and every department has a repre-sentative in that group. If you have anissue you think we need to address,you bring it to the employee advisorygroup.We have an open-door policy.We do have a chain of command, butevery employee knows that if theydon’t think they’ve gotten an adequateresponse, they can go all the way up tome. The other piece, from a communi-cation standpoint, is a commitment tohave town hall meetings every quarterwith all of our colleagues.

1Q: So you are using communica-tions to build a sense of family?1A: The thing that sets health careapart is that it can be very emotional.It’s the most rewarding career becauseyoumake a difference in people’s livesevery day. It can also be very emotionalwhen you see people who just got

news that they have cancer. You haveto work side by side with people whoshare your values and in whom youcan confide and who truly support youlike family away from family.

1Q: You have monthly employeeparties and celebrations. Why?

1A: It builds our morale, and it letspeople celebrate the great thingswe are doing, andmost importantly,lets them feel appreciated becausewhat they do every day is hardwork.Wework hard, but we playhard and take time to smell theroses.

Q&AWest HoustonMedical Center

West HoustonMedical Center CEO Todd Caliva, second from right, checksin with staff members in the emergency department. From left are BubbaAlford, KenWall, IJ Okoro, Mario Lopez and Stephanie Ross.

Gary Fountain

By Louis B. Parks

Akin Gump’s Houston office is very proud to be named one of the city’sTop 100 Workplaces 2012 by the Houston Chronicle. A workplace isonly as good as its people, which is why we have one of the bestworkplaces in Houston.

We thank our attorneys and staff for putting us here … and keeping us here.

AKIN GUMP – a Top 100 Workplace


Prioritize the companies by yourown interest in the company, theirproduct or service, their reputation.Which ones would you be proud towork for? Do you know anyone whoworks for that company? Youmightbe able to network your way in to thecompany and find out what it’s liketo work for the company from aninsider’s view by working your owncontacts.

—Mary Bass, executive search consultant,Spencer Stuart

Begin with the list of your top threepreferences and go from there. Thetop-employers list gives the job seekeran awesome advantage by allowingthem the opportunity to dive in andfind out what makes each companya top employer. Job seekers are ableto gain insight into the culture, sizeand industry of each recognized

employer, as well as obtain employeeperspectives. All of these componentsare very important to not only yourapproach in applying, but decidingif the potential employer and youwould be a good fit. “Can I see myselfworking with this company … as a partof their team?” If the answer is yes,then make sure your image reflects it.

—Debbie Totah, senior manager,talent acquisition, Cyberonics

If you have identified the company,but they don’t have your dream job,look for similar positions and apply.Try to make a connection in thatcompany through LinkedIn. Jobsthat are posted on LinkedIn will havethe name and title of the person whoposted the job.

—Nicole Van Den Heuvel, directorof the Center for Career Development

at Rice University

Joining a happyworkforceADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS

Bass Totah Van DenHeuvel

How can a job seeker drill down into a list of top-rankedemployers to land a job with one of them?

In today’s technological world, what role does face-to-face networking play in the job search process?

HawkinsLee

Face-to-face networking in a jobsearch is imperative. Most people getthis wrong, though— they wait untilthey need a job to begin to network.Networking should be a continuousdevelopment of relationships and noton an as-needed basis. You shouldstart to build your network beforeyou are in need of something. Alwaysapproach networking in terms of whatyou can do for someone, not what theycan do for you. If you are building yournetwork and asking what you can doto help instead of asking how otherscan help you, networking tends to bemore effective.

—Dustin Lee, human resources/organi-zational development consultant, Memorial

HermannMemorial City Medical Center Face to face continues on E44

Ramchand

We live in a world of possibility,with many technological advancesthat were not available even fiveyears ago. It is important that wegive our students access to the latesttechnology, but perhaps evenmoreso, it is critical that we continueto emphasize the importance offace-to-face networking. Thereis no substitute for in-personcommunication and knowinghow to succinctly verbalize yourprofessional goals, or as we callit in business school, the elevatorpitch.We often find that if a studenthas the foundation of in-personcommunication, they can then apply

By Tanya Rutledge


and entrepreneurs depend on theirrelationship and network. Goodpeople contribute to a successfulcompany, and assessing how you fitwithin the corporate culture can bestbe determined in person.

—Gilbert Alba, practice leader,business advisory and executive search,

SolomonEdwardsGroup

that skill set to all of the digital andonline channels.

—Latha Ramchand, dean of theC.T. Bauer College of Business,

University of Houston

Even in the age of online job boardsand soft-copy résumés, face-to-facenetworking is still the best way toget people to connect a face witha name. Though opportunities forthis personal interaction are morechallenging, it is essential that peoplelooking for employment actively seekways to connect with others in person.Joining various work or industry-related groups is a great way to buildrelationships, network and hear aboutpotential openings and opportunities.

— James Hawkins, director ofhuman resources, Anadarko

Petroleum Corp.

Despite online networkingand job search tools, face-to-facenetworking is crucial to a job search,as a personal recommendation maymake the difference between gettingan interview and your résumé notmaking the cut. Successful CEOs

Face to face from page E43

Social media are excellent for fourthings:

1Learning about organizationalvalues and culture so that you

knowwhich employers are ones forwhom you would like to work.

2Learning about events such asconferences or other continuing

education opportunities that willenhance your visibility and skills.

3Finding out about job openingsor recruiting events sponsored

by employers.

4Developing relationshipswith people who work in a

What is the best wayto use social mediain looking for a new job?

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Stress Engineering Services is an independent, employee-owned, consulting engineeringcompany. Since 1972, we have been providing solutions for companies and industries thatrequire in-depth technical knowledge and proven performance in the fields of engineeringdesign and analysis, thermal and fluid sciences, instrumentation, and testing.

We are continually seeking exceptional individuals who desire to work in an environment oftechnical excitement and professional cooperation where personal contribution is well rewarded.If you are a top-notch subsea engineer, structural mechanics engineer, metallurgist,riser/pipeline engineer, or fitness-for-service specialist, we would like for you to join our team ofemployee owners.

Contact us at: [email protected]

We are honored to be recognized as one of the

2012 Houston Chronicle Top Workplaces


chosen career field or for a particularcompany.

The key is to use social media todevelop relationships, not to go onlineand start asking strangers for jobs.LinkedIn groups are one of the bestways to connect with hiring managers,but you have to use the same type ofetiquette that you use in real life sothat you are viewed as a desirablepotential employee rather than as anobnoxious spammer.

— Janet Scarborough Civitelli, Houstoncareer coach, VocationVillage.com

Be selective in deciding whichsites to post your résumé to. Doresearch. Use sites that are reputableand professional. Use professionalnetworking sites such as LinkedIn fora targeted search of hiring managers inyour career field of interest. Be carefulto not oversaturate your résumé byresponding to multiple jobs within thesame company.

— Julia Liebelt, vice president of humanresources, Landry’s

Utilizing social media can be a verydangerous process when searchingfor a job. You don’t necessarily wantto mix work with play. Using your

Alba Scarborough

Liebelt Lipari Wright

Facebook profile or Twitter accountmight seem like a great way to get yourmessage out to the masses very easily,but most times, it’s more detrimentalto your job search than not.When apotential employer is looking at socialmedia, more often than not, they’relooking for things to take you out ofthe mix, not things that will help youget an interview. Leave your socialmedia for social situations, and letprofessional sites take care of yourprofessional situations. Professional

sites only include pertinentinformation that employers need tosee that can only help you get your footin the door.When using professionalsites, however, it’s up to you to takecharge andmake things happen. Youcan’t rely on people coming to youwithjob offers lined up. Ensure that yourprofessional profile is updated andcomplete, and then start sending it outto appropriate individuals, whetherthat is for networking purposes, orapplying directly to jobs.

Christopher Lipari, founder and CEO,Mach Interview

LinkedIn is one of the most-usedrecruiting and job search social mediatools, and it’s vital to be on LinkedInand have appropriate informationshared. However, I suggest avoidingtoo muchminute detail. Leavesomething to discuss in an interview.Also remember that you can likely domanymore roles than your résuméor social info reflects, so be sure tokeep it high level. You could leverageFacebook to get your friends to helpfind a new role. Twitter — not somuch.

GregWright, director, IT acceleration,Houston Technology Center

STAFF

BUSINESS EDITORLaura Goldberg

TOPWORKPLACES EDITORRonnie Crocker

DESIGNERFrances Thiel

BUSINESS COPY CHIEFBill Montgomery

COPY EDITORConrad Bibens

RESEARCHERKatherine Feser

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Work/life flexibility

1 Oil & Gas Solutions1 Sector: Engineering1 Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 521 Criteria: I have the flexibility I needto balance mywork and personal life1 Comments:

What do you appreciate most abouthow this company supports work/lifeflexibility?

“You determine what your workhours are.”

“4-10 schedule and flexibility towork from home.”

Training

1 Edward Jones Investments1 Sector: Financial advisers1 Headquarters: St. Louis1 Greater Houston employees: 4341 Criteria: I get the formal training Iwant for my career1 Comments:

What formal training have youfound most valuable?

“Face to face interactions with mypeers.”

Special awards from page E37 “Product information/knowledge.”

Benefits

1 Insperity1 Sector:HR and businessperformance solutions provider1 Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 1,1291 Criteria:My benefits packageis good compared to others in thisindustry1 Comments:

What aspects of your benefitspackage do you findmost valuable?

“Education assistance, PTO, healthbenefits.”

“Low deductible/100% coverage.”

Direction

1 Christian Brothers Automotive1 Sector: Complete automotive repair1 Headquarters:Houston1 Greater Houston employees: 511 Criteria: I believe this company isgoing in the right direction1 Comments:

What excites you about thedirection this company is taking?

“Growth is rewarding andchallenging.”

Noble Energy“Good pay. Awesome benefits.

Great company.”

Pieper-Houston Electric,Houston Office

“I see it as a career and not a job.”

Southwestern Energy Co.“My opinions matter.”

Blinds.com“Everybody is so open to

personality and all aboutindividualism! There’s so littlenegativity that the environment isnothing but optimism and smilesALL DAY LONG.”

Occidental Petroleum Corp.“It provides a lot of autonomy.”

Brookfield Office Properties“The people I workmost closely

with are of the highest qualityand competency. The benefits areexcellent with plenty of vacation,personal time, paid holidays, healthinsurance, compensation, event ticketdrawings, summer hours, roundtable

discussions at pizza Friday, andcomplimentary beverages andsnacks.”

Stage Stores“I love merchandising and retail,

period.”

Brady, Chapman, Holland& Associates

“Everyone here is interested indoing their part to make the wholesucceed.”

St. Regis-Houston“I have the power to spoil our

guests.”

Star of HopeMission“It is Christ-centered.”

Superior Energy Services“We go to places you never

dream or imagine withequipment.”

The University of Texas MDAnderson Cancer Center

“It is my hope to kill cancer.”

Quotes compiled byKatherine Feser

I love my job because ... from page E39

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www.ryan.com

At Ryan, we’re proud of our flexiblemyRyanwork environmentthat allows employees to achieve the highest level of successand productivity in all areas of life, including professionaland personal endeavors. We remain committed to deliveringsuperior client service and results, while providing employeesincredible flexibility for work-life success.

© 2012 Ryan, LLC. All rights reserved.

RyanisProudtobeRecognizedasOneofHouston’sTopWorkplacesin2012!

Avery special thanks toouremployees forvoting

Ryanoneof theTopWorkplaces inHouston.

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houston's top workplaces 2012

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