I OBS
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION:
MelbourneINDUSTRY: Information
technology consultingRANK LAST YEAR: 7
NO. OF EMPLOYEES, 207
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 4100 takes it on trust"). "You
After four years in the
upper echelons of theBest Places to Work list,
CBS has finally crackedthe big one in 2012.The point of being agreat place to work is
that you have to be ableto produce that
environment
consistently," OBS
managing director
Andy Neumann, pictured,
tells BRW (see "OBS
can't just achieve a setof conditions and forgetabout it. You have to be
able to do it again andagain."
For CBS, as with so
many others on the list,
that repeatable culture isone based on mutualtrust, good intentions
and camaraderie. The
free beer, fresh fruit andability to knock off earlyto do the school run
don't hurt either.
'-IM
Urn
DDW
m
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2 NETAPP AUSTRALIA
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: North Sydney
INDUSTRY: Data storage and management
RANK LAST YEAR: 3
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 173
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 144
Don't look for the managing director of NetApp
Australia and New Zealand, Peter O'Connor, in somecushy corner office with sweeping views. He sits at
one of the smallest desks in NetApp's open-plan
layout, in the middle of the floor near the photocopier.Not that he or any of NetApp's other staff are chainedto their cubicles staff are allowed to work wheneverand from wherever they like, provided the job gets
done. NetApp's employees also get to interview
potential co-workers in a bid to maintain the culture.
I GOOGI,E
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Pyrmont
NSW
INDUSTRY: Information
Technology
RANK LAST YEAR: 1
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 500
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 35,106
Yes, that ratio of
employees to
applications is right.
Googlers can almost
legitimately call
themselves One Per
Centers, and part
of the reason is
20 per cent. That's thetime staff can spend
working on their ownideas and projects, which
has yielded products
such as Google Maps
and Google Sky.
Eighteen weeks
maternity leave at fullpay, $4000 referral
bonuses and the
GoogleServe20 progam;i offering a full week plus
20 additional hours of
free volunteering time, all
add to the appeal of thisAm.. Place to work.
4 IAMB MARKETING
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: St Leonards, NSW
INDUSTRY: Digital marketing
RANK LAST YEAR: 2
NO, OF EMPLOYEES: 35
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 1087
Toxic work environment? Take a tip from E-Web
Marketing and buy your staff a few Lymphasizers
special trampolines designed to flush toxins from theJumper's lymphatic system. E-web's Gen Y-heavy
workforce also get to enjoy bean bags, a Playstation,karaoke machine oh, and a massive 250 to 300hours paid training time every year.
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ALTIS CONSULTING
HBO OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Information management
RANK LAST YEAR: 10
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 78
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 1103
6 StLESFORCE.0011
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Information management
RANK LAST YEAR: Debut
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: Not disclosed
JOE APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 1 594
Of all the informationthat Altis filters for itsclients, this is the bit it
has based a business on
"Happy staff = happycustomers = profits". Welike the way that addsup. Day-to-day, Altis
achieves that through a
philosophy of
"connecting with
courage, heart and
"I have the best job in
the industry,"
Salesforce.com's vice-
president of enterprise
sales, Tony Armfield,
says in such a way thatyou actually believe him
insight" whether that's
with clients, spouses or
each other. A $150 giftcertificate is given eachmonth to a staff memberwho's lived up to the
philosophy and the firm
recently did its bit by
taking the entire teamand their families to theNovotel Twin Waters on
the Sunshine Coast.
Salesforce (see "Mascota morale builder") sells
cloud-based tools forcreating a "social
entrerprise" and tries tolive up to the highestideals of corporate
behaviour, not least
through its "1-1-1"model of workplace
philanthropy.
Since its inception, the
company has devoted
1 per cent of its equity,
1 per cent of its
employees' time and
donated 1 per cent of its
product output to goodcauses. A big beneficiary
is the Homeless Connect
fairs, where street people
are offered food,
massages and haircuts.
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7 CORDELT1
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION:
Canberra
INDUSTRY: Professional
services
RANK LAST YEAR: 11
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 217
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 120
Cordelta is a consultancy
in the business of
helping the public
and private sectors
improve their
management, technologyand people, so it's
important to set ashining example on all
those fronts. Founders
8 THE PHYSIO CO
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: South Melbourne
INDUSTRY: Healthcare
RANK LAST YEAR: 12
NO, OF EMPLOYEES: 52
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 360
The founder of The Physio Co, Tristan White, only
hires physiotherapists he thinks can live by four values:
respect everyone, be memorable, find a better way andthink big, act small. These values are important
because The Physio Co specialises in theunglamorous end of the profession, aged care, where
problems sometimes can seem intractable. It's the
genuine sense of social service that keeps White'sbusiness a great place to work. And if you're ever inthe support office and wondering who the GeorgeGarraway and Marjorie Cullen meeting rooms are
named after they were memorable residents of thefirst nursing home The Physio Co ever visited.
Matthew Ryan and Ken
Gutterson have created
a structure that does notentrench a hierarchy
based on longevitynew partners can buy
into the firm's equity foras little as $1. Generousholidays are another
Cordelta perk staff get23 days a year off plus
the days betweenChristmas and New Year
9 ATIASSILAN
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Information technology
RANK LAST YEAR: 5
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 253 (in Australia)
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 6240
This software developer has, over its decade in
existence, rewritten the workplace rulebook like it wasso much code. There's not much hierarchy business
cards are a recent phenomenon and no
performance reviews either (performance bonuses
come in the form of $50 gifts awarded betweenpeers). Atlassian's quarterly "FedEx" days where
staff get 24 hours to bring a pet project up topresentation stage have been so successful in terms
of the company's product development, it's engineers
have begun running them for other organisations. Co-
founder Mike Cannon-Brookes is adamant that
Atlassian's unique culture would survive the public
listing he's refused to rule out, he told BOSS magazine
earlier this year. Part owner Accel Partners bought inbecause of the culture as much as anything else.
I 0 TIM (.ROE I
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY Recruitment
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 35
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 67
Staff lunches atTRC Group tend to be
more exciting than pizza
thanks to the recruiter'stradition of honouring
each staff member's
country of origin by
having traditional foods
brought into the office.The recruitment
company celebrates and
tells stories about high
achievers in weekly
meetings and awards
prizes at its annual
general meeting to those
who have demonstrated
its values over the year.
TRC Group's central
management philosophyis: "We cannot motivate
employees to do
anything, we can only
help them want to
motivate themselves." It
does this by helping
employees to feel part ofsomething larger thanjust a company.
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HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY, Information technology, software
RANK LAST YEAR 24
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 133
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 2000
The local offshoot of this multinational software
company offers staff up to 60 hours of training a yearand up to 30 hours for volunteering. It also holds a
raffle each quarter in which three employee names arepulled out of a hat. The leadership team takes the
winners and their partners out to dinner. "It's a socialnight out, rather than work related," a spokesman says.
This gives our employees [the chance] to get to knowthe leadership team on a personal level."
I 2 AMGENAUSTRALIA
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Biotechnology.
pharmaceuticals
RANK LAST YEAR: 25
NO. Of EMPLOYEES: 183
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 820
Medicines developer
Amgen Australia expanded
its horizons last year whensent 30 mice on the Atlantis space shuttle mission to
test bone density. "We hope this experiment will
support the development of future medicines for bothastronauts and earthlings suffering from bone loss," it
says. The company's more down-to-earth employees
benefit from up to 150 hours of training a year, an
additional week of leave after five years of service,one week's paternity leave and 15 hours allowed each
year for volunteering, such as with the company's
corporate philanthropy partner Carers Australia.
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Media
RANK LAST YEAR: 8
NO, OF EMPLOYEES: 183
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS, 3243
The agency has a scale
of benefits for maternityleave (or paternity leave,
if the male is the primary
carer), ranging from
eight weeks' paid leave
for staff with up to threeyears' service to 10weeks for three to five
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Manufacturing (beverages)
RANK LAST YEAR: 39
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 618
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: About 3000
If you work for a company that produces drink brands
including Johnnie Walker, Baileys and BundabergRum, it would be sad not to drink them, so that is whatthe UK-based Diageo's Sydney staff can do each
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening at the in-
house bar in McMahon's Point after being trained in
the company's responsible alcohol policy. Key staff get
opportunities to work overseas. All get four days extraleave a year, 12 weeks' maternity leave and a week's
paternity leave.
years and rising to 12weeks for more than five
years' service. Employees
with more than fouryears on the clock get an
extra week's annual
leave. All staff can
compete for the monthlyMagic Unicorn Award,
the winner being
someone "who has been
curious, shown a new
way of thinking or
approached a problem ina new way," the
company says.
14 DIAGEO AUSTR ALIA
11 MCAFEE AUSTRALIA 13 MON CO:11111 NICATIONS
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MEDIACAVV1
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Media
RANK LAST YEAR: 43
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 284
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 933
Rather than give passive rewards for notable work, this
media buyer offers monthly winners a choice: they can
take a $50 cash prize or undertake a challenge that
will give them $1000 if done successfully. "Thechallenge is bespoke to the individual as everyone hasdifferent trigger points to be brave," MediaCom's head
of people and culture, Efi Richter, says. Challenges
have included swimming with sharks, flying someone
to Queensland to make their way back to Sydney
without any money and delivering a two-minute stand-up comedy routine. The prizes have included big-ticket
fashion items, travel vouchers and extreme sports
vouchers from RedBalloon. To date, everyone has
taken the challenge. The company also offers 25 days
annual leave, as well as two days off a year to
volunteer.
16 IVIRWED GROUP
HEAR OFFICE LOCATION: Morayfield, Old
INDUSTRY: Education and training
RANK LAST YEAR: 9
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 35
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 468
Have you just chalked up a personal or a professional
milestone? Have you just marked your anniversary of
employment with this train-the-trainer specialist? The
company celebrates those events with its staff and
has even created its own MRWED memorabilia to dish
out. In addition to (or perhaps despite!) such
inducements, the company gives staff up to 152 hours
of training a year, as well as 38 hours a year half
Ilkof last year's figure to devote to voluntary work
The online retailer of
experiences such as
kayaking trips, cooking
classes and wine tasting
and which consults to
other companies on
getting the most out ofstaff describes a range
of workplace quirks of its
17 REDBALLOON
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Retail
RANK LAST YEAR: 29
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 54
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 3000
own, such as birthdays
off work, chair races and
cheering on new staffwho make a client call
for the first time. "It's thesum of our values that
makes RedBalloon such
a great place to work,"
says employee
experience manager
Megan Bromley.
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18 C3 BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION:
Melbourne
INDUSTRY: IT, consulting
RANK LAST YEAR: 45
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 69
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 2000
The provider of business
intelligence and
information management
software has a diversestaff, with more than 20
19 SILVER CHEF
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Brisbane
INDUSTRY: Financial Services
RANK LAST YEAR: 37
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 119
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS, 1800+
Silver Chef offers therestaurant and cateringindustry a rent-try-buy
model for procuring
nationalities represented
in a workforce of just 69.It offers each of them 80
hours of training a year,
with a further eight forvolunteer work. The
company says that in
tough times, demand forbusiness information
management grows as
companies seek to getmore information out of
the data they have on
existing customers.
equipment. The company
gives staff access to 22hours of training and 40
days of leave a year, as
well as paternity leave ona case-by-case basis. It
encourages innovation,
with a suggestion boxfrom which a monthlywinner is selected and
awarded an iPad.
20 DUE ALCOCK HOMES
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Perth
INDUSTRY, Construction
RANK LAST YEAR: N/R
NO, OF EMPLOYEES, 163
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 1266
This company specialises
in the construction of
single-storey houses. It
holds a themed stafffunction each month andthese have included
Mexican. football. circus.
A Minute to Win It andOlympics. The events
also recognise staffbirthdays and
anniversaries of service.
There is a history oflong-serving staffgeneral manager Dean
O'Rourke began his
career there as an
apprentice. The company
allows all staff eighthours of volunteer work
a year.
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21 DISTRIBUTION CENTRAL
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Information
technologyRANK LAST YEAR: 15
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 102
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 268
Fast growth at
Distribution Central has
not prevented theinformation technology
business from keeping
its staff happy. It was
established by its
executive chairman,
Scott Frew, in 2004 andmakes its money by
assisting in the process
of moving technologyproducts from vendors to
resellers. It turns over
- -
BEST PLACESTO WORK 2012
about $180 million ayear. Employee numbers
are up from 90 last yearand 74 the year before.
Three senior managers,
including Frew, invite a
rotating group of nine
employees to dinner
once a month. This
allows for a relaxed
discussion of thebusiness and forfeedback to be provided
in a non-threatening way
22 OPTIVER
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Financial services
RANK LAST YEAR, N/R
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, 170
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 1642
The high-frequency
trading firm returns to
the list this year aftermissing last year. (It
made it in 2010 in 35thplace.) Its business relies
on complex algorithms
and its staff tend to beyoung, very intelligent
and handsomely
rewarded. Competition
for jobs is fierce and it
receives a high number
of applications each year.
Staff are entitled to three
months' maternity leave
at full pay. Paternity leave
depends on length of
service. An in-house
barista makes more than
600 coffees a week (see"Keep 'em caffeinated").
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23 MARBLE GROUP 25 EMPLOIIIIENT OFFICE
Specialist recruitment
firm the Marble Group
has benefited from the
fast growth in the mining,
engineering and
construction industries
since being set up in
2006. The company'smanagement has elected
not to diversify the
business into other areas
so as to maintain the
reputation of its staff asexperts in the industry
24 ALLUVIUM
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Melbourne
INDUSTRY: Environmental consulting
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 43
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 150
Alluvium is an environmental consulting firm that
specialises in the restoration of rivers and water
catchments. The firm is owned by its employees andstaff are kept up to date with its financial performanceStaff are a mix of scientists, environmental engineers
and natural resource managers. Alluvium won the best
consulting engineering firm (revenue less than$50 million) award last year in the BRW Beaton ClientChoice Awards. It has offices in Melbourne and
Townsville, Queensland.
they service. Staff,
especially high
performers, get a range
of perks, including heath
programs and trips to
Queensland. All are
trained extensively
before they are allowedto speak to clients.
Co-founder Gary Denton
describes his staff(mostly recruitment
consultants) as the heartand soul of the business.
Brisbane-based
recruitment agency
Employment Office has
been in business since
2003, providing clients
with a low-cost
recruitment model. Staff
have the opportunity to
own a business within
the group. Listed travel
agency Flight Centrebought half of the
26 SEVINHEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Brisbane
INDUSTRY: Education and training
RANK LAST YEAR: 19
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 89
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 1600
It stands to reason that a business that is expert in
keeping its clients' staff safe is good at keeping itsown staff happy. Sentis describes itself as a firm thatuses psychology to helps its clients achieve safety,
leadership and well-being in their workplaces.
It has offices in Australia and the United States andreturns to the Best Places to Work list this year afterassuming 19th position last year. The company's
executive team appoints staff members to champion
one of its four values to ensure they are not just"words on a wall".
agency in 2007.
The business runs
monthly "buzz nights"
where all staff celebrateany recent achievements
The awards are handedout and all award
recipients get a
celebratory shot of
alcohol (consumption,
however, is not
compulsory).
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney HEAD OFFICE LOCATION, Brisbane
INDUSTRY: Recruitment INDUSTRY: Employment services
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A RANK LAST YEAR: 27
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 46 NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 38
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 1698 JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 2002
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27 READIF1(
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION:
Melbourne
INDUSTRY: Information
technology
RANK LAST YEAR: 18
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 123
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: N/A
Software company
Readify was set up in
1999 and has become a
leading provider of
Microsoft development
consultants. Based in the
Docklands precinct of
Melbourne, Readify hasa highly mobile
workforce. Most of its
staff are based in clients
offices and they are
given the opportunity to
choose how they work,including what
equipment they use.
Technical staff get timeset aside for further
study. Managing director
Graeme Strange says
fast, innovative and
sustainable growth isimportant to
shareholders and staffalike.
28 WAVELENGTHINTERNATIONAL
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Professional
services/staffing and
recruitment
RANK LAST YEAR: 30
NO OF EMPLOYEES: 62
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: N/A
Medical recruitment and
locum services business
Wavelength International
is a regular on the Best
Places to Work list. (It
was ranked 30th in both
29 KIANDR1 IT
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION:
Melbourne
INDUSTRY: IT
RANK LAST YEAR: 16
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 57
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST
12 MONTHS: About 800
The business's three
directors were friends athigh school when they
started the business in
1995 out of theirparents' lounge rooms.
Kiandra IT provides
2011 and 2010.)Wavelength provides itsstaff a "snooze/chill-out"
area at its Surry Hills
head office. It also holds
an annual awards night
(Wavie of the Year
Awards). Staff are paid a
bonus if they refer a
successful employment
candidate. They also get
an extra five days of
annual leave.
information technology
infrastructure and
software developmentfor large and small
clients. Staff shortages
have been a common
problem for fast-growing
information technology
companies. Kiandra co-
founder and managing
director Cameron
Brookes says making
investments in staff andthe company itself is an
important factor in
keeping employees
happy.
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30 MIDAUSTRALIA
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Advertising and
marketing
RANK LAST YEAR: 36
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 367
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: About 2000
OMD puts all of its staffin one of four houses:
Redbacks, Great Whites
Stingrays and Tiger
Snakes. Each team
31 AUSCOU
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Warners
Bay, NSW
INDUSTRY: Financial
services/superannuationRANK LAST YEAR: 13
NO, OF EMPLOYEES 115
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 120
32 NIOIAEROSPACE
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION:
Edinburgh, South
Australia
INDUSTRY: Defence
RANK LAST YEAR: 33
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 225
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 2500
competes in regular
events such as trivia and
lawn bowls. The media
agency also has an
annual ski trio for about
Mining might not be
recognised for its
flexibility and gender
diversity but resources
superannuation company
Auscoal is breaking with
the trend. In a bid to
encourage workplace
flexibility, the Warners
Bay-based company
offers employees a
higher than average 12
80 of its staff from itsfour offices. A "gorilla ofthe month" award goes
to an outstanding
employee and is
weeks' paid maternity
leave and an option to
extend their annual
leave. Embracing what itdescribes as a "safari
suit culture", every
Auscoal employee gets aday off on their birthday
and is encouraged to doat least one day of
volunteer workevery year.
presented by the
previous month's winner
who makes the
presentation dressed ina gorilla suit.
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Employees at this
Adelaide engineering
professional services
supplier to the defenceforce are supported byan "army style"
camaraderie, along with
punching bags to relieve
their stress. It offers
assistance to staff whoneed to travel or relocate
for work, which is
commonplace for Nova
employees, and benefits
such as laptops andmobile phones.
;3 ERNST &VOUNG
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Accounting and
professional services
RANK LAST YEAR:
NO. OF EMPLOYEES. 4652
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST
12 MONTHS: 40.306
Ernst & Young is
frustrated by the "boring
desk-bound, work-
obsessed, number-
cruncher label normally
bestowed on
accountants. Flexibilitygoes a long way to
encouraging work-life
balance and a more
diverse workplace,
according to the firm.It offers employees
incentives such as up to18 weeks paid materniti
leave (after five years'
service), flexible work
conditions, higher than
average superannuation
contributions and options
to purchase additional
annual leave. Ernst &
Young believes
education plays an
important role in staffengagement, with the
company dedicating
more than 230.000hours a year to learning
and development.
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35 ,IDS
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION:
Melbourne
INDUSTRY: IT. professional
services
RANK LAST YEAR: 20
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 51
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 720
34 MIAMI ATTORNEYS
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: Law
RANK LAST YEAR: 17
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 67
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 199
The Sydney commercial
law firm uses rewards to
encourage loyalty and
team-building. Its
managers and legal staff
are all given iPads to
"encourage innovation"
and all employees are
given flowers and a card
from the chief executiveevery year to celebrate
their "Swaabiversaries".
Loyalty is rewarded withjewellery a blue box
from Tiffany for three
years' service and giftsevery two years thereafter
and every quarter"Swaab superstars"
(employees who perform
outstandingly) are given
Westfield gift vouchers.
Coming together and holding quarterly face-to-face
meetings between its Melbourne, Sydney andBrisbane offices and encouraging its employees tonetwork and share ideas with each other is animportant part of team building for IT consultancy firm
JDS. The company also encourages its employees to
socialise outside the office, with regular barefoot
bowls tournaments, Texas hold'em poker games andtrivia niahts.
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36 RCI
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Gold Coast, Queensland
INDUSTRY: Hospitality
RANK LAST YEAR: N/R
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 80
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 578
Queensland time share company RCI which hasmore than 3 million members worldwide with about
3700 affiliated resorts aims to attract and retain itsbest performing employees through incentives such as
paid maternity leave, flexible work conditions and
workplace competitions. The company, which startedin the mid 1970s and offers holidays to time shareowners, encourages its employees to participate in
team building activities to "create a buzz, boost moraleand engagement and to have fun".
37 ZINC GROUP
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION:
Melbourne
INDUSTRY: Marketing
RANK LAST YEAR: 40
NO OF EMPLOYEES: 36
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 125
Melbourne privately
owned promotional
marketing agency Zinc
Group recognises the
direct impact thatrewarding, training and
retaining its topperformers has on its
bottom line. The
company has its own
beach house thatemployees and their
families are free to useand offers various other
-perks" such as freebreakfast each morning,
Staff are eligible for paid
parental leave, with Zinc
paying the differencebetween the federal
government's paid
parental leave scheme
(18 weeks' at minimum
wage) and 60 per cent of
an employee's total
salary for 10 weeks(1,11-sn nrsn,
38 12C DESIGN 8.111 AN AGEIIENT
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Glebe. NSW
INDUSTRY: Architecture
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NO OF EMPLOYEES: 38
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS, 205
Working from a renovated inner-city Sydney pub, it
seems only natural that architecture firm i2C would offer
its employees cold beer on tap served, naturally, from
company-labelled schooners. Its Melbourne and Sydneyemployees are treated to monthly "food experiences",
elaborate lunches and an annual two-day team-building
weekend. But its not all about indulgence: health and
fitness expenses, such as gym memberships and
exercise equipment. are reimbursed dollar for dollar and
massages and facials are also handed out,
39 JUNIPER NETWORKSAUSTRALIA
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION, North
Sydney
INDUSTRY: IT
RANK LAST YEAR
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 109
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST
12 MONTHS: 50
For three-quarters of the
employees of IT services
company Juniper
Networks,
"telecommuting", or
working from home, is
the norm. For those who
do go to its NorthSydney offices. Juniper
provides many creature
comforts, such as three
state of the art gamesrooms. Having fun is one
way to encourage
greater staffengagement, according
to Juniper. It holds
regular competitions,
such as an annual table
tennis and pinball
tournament.
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40 ADCON1ON N1EDIA GROUP
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION:
Melbourne
INDUSTRY: Media
RANK LAST YEAR:
NO. OF EMPLOYEES. 76
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 1966
Digital media is new and
happening, so it is only
fitting that digital mediacompany Adconion
Media Group has equally
quirky ways of attractingand retaining its people.
The company plays a
game of Wheel of
41 OLIKSIIA ER r
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Torquay
Victoria
INDUSTRY: Retail
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NO, OF EMPLOYEES: 561
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 4528
The groovy sport and
surf retailer Cluiksilver
walks its talk with itsworkforce. As a retailerpromoting an active
lifestyle to its buyers, it
also promotes a similar
ethos to its employees.
Lunchtime surfing and
snow trips are a givenand helped by the
Fortune at each staffmeeting in which five
employees are
nominated by their peers
for excellence in their
day-to-day work. Thenominees spin the wheel
to win a prize (ranging
from travel vouchers and
adventure experiences to
iPads, subscriptions and
beauty vouchers).
Adconion has offices
across Europe and the
United States and offersemployees three weeks'additional annual leave.
Rad: Niki Sh:nme, Hugh
1Nanner End Jai hi wit n In
allikAllvetrs Torquay °nice
company's most recent
initiative in the form ofThe Boardroom a
library of boards of all
shapes and sizes
available for any team
member to use before or
after work or during
lunchtime (see story
"Seats on boards".
Quiksilver employees are
living the dream,
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HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: North
Ryde, NSW
INDUSTRY: IT
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 208
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST
12 MONTHS: 300
At Hitachi Data Systems
most of the perks areplain to see. A mix of12 weeks paid maternity
leave, two weeks paid
paternity leave, five days
of time allowed for
S XSVt
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Lane
Cove, NSW
INDUSTRY: IT
Rank last year: 42NO OF EMPLOYEES: 197
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 1700
There are so many great
things about working forSAS that it's hard to
volunteer work and20 hours for
development and
learning bring this IT
provider in at the 42nd
spot. The company also
has a three-part set ofvalues called the HitachiSpirit: wa (harmony, trust
respect), makoto
(sincerity, fairness,
honesty, integrity) and
kaitakusha-seishin
(pioneering spirit,
challenge).
know where to begin.
Let's just mention the240 hours of learning
and development a year,
extra annual holidays
linked to length oftenure, 22 weeks ofminimum wage for those
on maternity leave in
addition to the 18 weeks
of government pay and
matching employee
super contributions up to3 per cent.
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Christies Beach, South Australia
INDUSTRY: Social services
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 36
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 85
One of the main joys people get from their job ishaving a sense of purpose, which is something that
shines through for the employees at Re-Engage Youth
Services, a social services organisation that aims to
get troubled young people back on track. It workswith students who have been referred by schools as
being disengaged with education and having complex
needs.
-15 THOUGHTWORkS
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Sydney
INDUSTRY: IT
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 2 14
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: N/A
ThoughtWorks is a global software consultancy thatsays it was founded as a social experiment i.e. hire
smart passionate people and set them loose on toughproblems. The results speak for themselves with
offices around the globe, including four in Australia. Itsunique appeal is based on a "three pillars" approach tocreating a workplace these are running asustainable business, championing software
excellence and advocating passionately for social andeconomic justice.
-12 HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS 13 RE-ENGAGE YOUTHSERVICES
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lb CHECK POINT
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: St Leonards, NSW
INDUSTRY: IT
RANK LAST YEAR: 46
NO OF EMPLOYEES: 50
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 80
Another IT consultancy flies in the top places to worklist with Check Point. a software group, taking out the46th spot. With the company offering 80 hours to
each employee to spend on learning and development,
maternity pay and 16 hours a year for volunteer workthat should be no surprise. What may surprise,
however, is the icing on the cake all employees ofthe global organisation and their spouses were taken
to spend a week chewing the fat at a resort on theMexican Riviera in January 2012 to celebrate hitting arevenue milestone,
47 ADIDAS AUSTRALIA
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Mulgrave, Victoria
INDUSTRY: Apparel and merchandising manufacturer
and retailer
RANK LAST YEAR: N/A
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 484
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12 MONTHS: 19,500
Nearly 20,000 people tried to get a role at AdidasAustralia last year a tall order given that thecompany employs fewer than 500. What got potentialcandidates excited, apart from the global brand name,
were the 35 hours for each employee to spend on
learning and development, eight weeks of paidmaternity leave above the statutory minimum and
superannuation that is paid on total earnings
including bonuses and car allowances.
48 ABBOTT
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Botany,
NSW
INDUSTRY: Health care
RANK LAST YEAR: N/a
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 617
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 3500
This global, broad-based
healthcare companyscores on the top 50 list
by dint of a range of
employee-friendly
practices. This includes
superannuation payment
above the obligatory
9 per cent and between50 to 160 hours onlearning and
development for each
employee, depending on
their role. The icing onthe cake is probably the
family friendly policies of
18 weeks' paid maternity
leave and two weeks'
paid paternity leave.
49 KIKKI K
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Port
Melbourne, Vic
INDUSTRY: Retail
RANK EAST YEAR: N/a
NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 670
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 14,344
The high-end stationarystore gives lots of perks
to employees, including a
paid day off on their
birthday so they cancelebrate with friends
and family or even just
stay in bed! What's mostnotable is if employees
want to go to Sweden onholiday, the company
(whose founder KristinaKarlsson, pictured, is
Swedish) will pay for the
accommodation and
contribute to the airfare
and the employee isn't
even obliged to visit the
company's Swedish-
based design centre(see story "Swedish
sojourn on the house").
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30 SOLENTIAT
HEAD OFFICE LOCATION: Surry
Hills, NSW
INDUSTRY: IT
RANK EAST YEAR: N/a
NO OF EMPLOYEES: 35
JOB APPLICATIONS IN PAST 12
MONTHS: 995
This software company
believes in keeping its
staff fit and healthy. Tofoster this, it provides
lunch every Tuesday to
get all its staff to sitdown and eat with eachother. It also offers
personalised kung fu
lessons (see story "Kung
fu fighters work better")
undoubtedly to ensure
that any fat gained at thelunch is burnt off. Otherperks include maternity
leave of two weeks' pay
per year of service.
Fighter; CEO
tic wpm TawnsileadS the hung fusessions
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