Police departments and military personnel count on Tactical Electronics' equipment to help defuse bombs and retrieve video in other potentially deadly situations. The people who create that technically sophisticated gear do so with the knowledge that what they build absolutely cannot fail once it's in the field. That makes it all the more impressive that this small employer at the top of Great Rated's…

Sometimes employees get sick. Sometimes employees have babies. Sometimes employees' babies get sick. Such illnesses, life events and family crises are an inevitable part of adulthood. So why do 43 million Americans working in the private sector still lack the paid time off necessary to deal with them?

That's a question the Obama administration has mulled since a working families summit in June. And the president recently …

Great Rated! is excited to announce its 2015 People's Picks in manufacturing and production. These 15 companies stand out as the top workplaces in these sectors, based on anonymous surveys of their employees:

Large Companies:

1. Hilcorp
2. Stryker
3. Devon…

The well-worn picture of the American Dream typically involves a comfortable home, a decent car and enough in the bank to spring for a vacation every now and again. Less emphasized in this picture, but implied nonetheless, is that people who've worked hard to acquire these things will actually have time to enjoy them.

So it was a little disheartening to find in the…

As we prepared for an exciting new year at Great Rated!, my colleague Ed Frauenheim recently wrote this excellent article on our blog that I wanted to share with this community as well. – Kim Peters

The word of the year for 2014 was a hopeful one for workers.

Merriam-Webster recently announced…

It can be tempting to dismiss the glowing praise of those who work at great employers in technology and other fields flush with cash. After all, what’s not to like about free smoothie stations, unlimited time off, Cadillac health plans and the other accoutrements of organizations that seem to spare no expense in attracting talent? But dig deeper, and you’ll find that some of the…

Smaller firms can have a hard time standing out in the battle for talent. But they have a secret weapon: their workplace culture.

Many small and medium-size firms boast high-trust work environments that are a strong lure to job seekers. When these Davids wield their culture weapon smartly, they can beat out the Goliaths for great candidates. The trick is to know and cultivate your strengths, be transparent about what you have to offer, and take every opportunity you can to…

Looking in from the outside, it can be easy to wish for the plump benefits package of a giant organization like American Express or the energy-infused camaraderie of a startup like NewsCred but conclude that similar great workplaces just aren't…

The end of the fiscal year is a time of change at most companies. It's during the fourth quarter that many corporate leaders begin to take a hard look at whether they've met their expectations for the year and start to plan the next. For these reasons, it's a period popular for both layoffs and promotions. Some argue this is the best time of year to ask for a raise, as well.…

Just before the Giants claimed the World Series for the third time in five years, my colleague at Great Rated Ed Frauenheim penned an excellent piece on the Great Rated blog that I wanted to share with this community as well:

A LESSON FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: HOW WORKPLACE CULTURE CARRIES THE…

At Great Rated, we recently analyzed 50,000 confidential employee surveys to create our list of People’s Picks: 20 Great Workplaces in Technology. For human resources professionals, the no.1 organization in the large-companies category offers a telling example of the practices that help create a true sense of connection between team members and their organization.    …

At Great Rated, we're truly excited to share our recent People's Picks: 20 Great Workplaces in Technology, based entirely on the results of confidential employee surveys. Not only do these companies offer fantastic benefits and opportunities for advancement. They've also created magnetic work cultures within a sector that can be particularly challenging for recruiters because the…