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 workforce is highly skilled and highly sought. Here's a closer look at what the top organization on our list in the small companies category does to help attract and retain talent. 

Visionist: Proving Employee Development and Camaraderie Matter

Even for an organization with only 43 people, Visionist is exceptional for the number of categories in our Trust Index survey where employees were unanimous in saying the company does things right. This is a particularly difficult feat in sensitive areas like employee advancement. Yet 100 percent of Visionist team members say the company awards promotions to those who best deserved them, compared to an average of 74 percent of employees among Fortune 100 companies we've surveyed. Likewise, Visionist's employees unanimously say their managers let people accomplish their jobs without looking over their shoulders. These results boil down to something that can benefit any workplace: Actively involving the employee in his or her own career.

"I really enjoy the fact that management really wants you to be happy with the project you're working on and also is genuinely concerned with your career goals," says one Visionist employee. "One of the first questions they ask you is where you want your career to go. I told them that I had a career goal of being a software architect. Consequently, management will often contact me about project opportunities with prototyping or designing, encouraging me to pursue my career goals. It feels good to know that I have the backing of my company to pursue any career path I choose and not feel stuck in a single profession."

Like many of its peers in Silicon Valley, this Maryland company also backs up this investment in employees with wide-ranging perks to keep its people happy. These include free takeout meals for team members who've recently taken home a newborn, four weeks of paid time off, and group activities like skeet shooting and pancake breakfasts. These types of programs don't exist in a vacuum. At Visionist, employees confirm that these benefits help create a widespread camaraderie that spills over into their work as a team.

"There are activities that influence the attitude and the value associated with being a part of something bigger than one's self," another Visionist employee says. "The company president and CEO has events during each calendar year at his home for employees. There, he caters the food, has singing, games and just all-around fun for all who attend, from the youngest to the oldest."

Kim Peters is CEO of Great Rated!, where she focuses on developing strategic business partnerships.