101 Best Companies' Best Practices

The 101 Best Companies to Work For are the employers of choice in our industry. Find out why they have the workers you want and why your workers want them.

June 1, 2002
Professional Builder

The secret of the 101 Best Companies to Work For in the Residential Construction Industry is, on its face, simple: investment. Management at these companies invests in the employees and the organization in both word and deed. Workers invest in each other, in themselves and in the organization. Universally, management and employees together invest their time, efforts and talents to deliver a superior product and satisfied customers.

Investment doesn’t always equal money, though. Creating a company that scores high on the trust index — respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie — has little to do with dollars or decimal points. Likewise, job satisfaction is just as dependent on clearly defined responsibilities as it is on annual income.

Training and professional development require investment, but more of time and commitment than of money at most organizations on this list. Communication requires effort and truth, just as management credibility builds upon consistent adherence to and execution of a mission and vision understood by all.

The result of all this investment? Companies with committed employees who work together to deliver consistently better results — more homes built and sold to more satisfied customers at a lower overall cost and a higher margin — the best definition of the best companies.