For some job seekers and professionals, a large corporate environment just isn’t what they’re looking for when it comes to company culture. Many job seekers and employees prefer small and medium workplaces, where they enjoy a more intimate company culture. For job seekers looking for this type of office environment, a new list provides the best small and medium workplaces in America. 
Great Place to Work, a global research and consulting firm, has revealed the 50 Best Small & Medium Workplaces list. The list, published by Fortune magazine, is in its ninth year of recognizing the top small and medium companies in the United States with an exceptional company culture.
Coming in at the No. 1 spot on the Small Workplaces list is Ruby Receptionists, a Portland, OR-based virtual receptionist firm. The company is making its appearance on the list for the first time, while Acuity, a brand commerce and digital marketing firm, returns to the top spot on the Medium Workplaces list for the fourth consecutive year.
The list was compiled by evaluating the practices and policies from the nation’s small and medium workplaces, including aspects of company culture such as:
- Foundational Culture: More than half of the companies on both lists include a CEO who also founded the business. This suggests these leaders started their companies conscious of the company culture they hoped to create.
- Vacation Time/Flexibility: Nearly every company on the list offers flexible scheduling, including summer hours and telecommuting options.
- Wellness Plans: All of the companies on the list pay between 50 and 100 percent of employees’ healthcare premiums.
- Stakeholder Success: Most of the listed companies offer a form of additional cash compensation for employees, whether through employee stock ownership plans, automatic 401k investments, or profit sharing programs.
Job seekers may find small and medium workplaces more attractive than large companies because smaller organizations offer employees more direct interaction with managers and company leaders, as well as greater flexibility when it comes to rules and guidelines. Many workers enjoy the teamwork involved in a smaller company, where employees frequently work together closely on projects.
The two lists of the best small workplaces and the best medium workplaces are below:
Best Small Workplaces
#1 Ruby Receptionists
#2 Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation
#3 Badger Mining Corporation
#4 Studer Group
#5 ENGEO Incorporated
#6 Talent Plus, Inc.
#7 Walker & Dunlop
#8 Root, Inc.
#9 McMurry
#10 Granite Properties, Inc.
#11 Radio Flyer, Inc.
#12 City of Rancho Cordova
#13 Xactly Corporation
#14 Akraya, Inc.
#15 Kahler Slater
#16 ZocDoc
#17 Assurance Agency, Ltd.
#18 Navigator Management Partners
#19 Dixon Schwabl
#20 Paramount Staffing
#21 AnswerLab
#22 Integrated Project Management Company, Inc.
#23 Professional Placement Resources, LLC
#24 Conductor, Inc.
#25 Insomniac Games
Best Medium Workplaces
#1 ACUITY
#2 Integrity Applications Incorporated
#3 Quantum Health
#4 Pinnacle Financial Partners
#5 EILEEN FISHER
#6 Ryan, LLC
#7 OtterBox
#8 Rally Software Development
#9 Cirrus Logic
#10 Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC
#11 Return Path, Inc.
#12 Snagajob
#13 CustomInk, LLC
#14 Noblis
#15 Spectrum
#16 Spokane Teachers Credit Union
#17 dunnhumbyUSA
#18 Embrace Home Loans, Inc.
#19 DELTA Resources, Inc.
#20 Holder Construction Company
#21 Veterans United Home Loans
#22 4imprint, Inc.
#23 CALIBRE
#24 Mercedes-Benz Financial Services
#25 Higher One
Job seekers, would you consider working at small or medium workplaces over a larger company? Why or why not? Share your thoughts below!
