Great Place to Work Unveils World’s Best Multinational Workplaces

NEW YORK – October 27, 2011 – Great Place to Work, a global research, consulting and training firm, today announced its first-ever Top 25 World’s Best Multinational Workplaces List at a gala awards ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange. Microsoft topped the list at no. 1, followed by SAS, NetApp, Google and Fedex Express, rounding out the top five. In addition, Cisco, Marriott, McDonald’s, Kimberly Clark, and SC Johnson took the honors in the top 10.

Since launching the first Best Companies to Work For® lists in partnership with FORTUNE magazine in the United States and Exame in Brazil in 1997, Great Place to Work now recognizes leading workplaces in some 45 countries, including, this year, in China. The World’s Best Multinational Workplaces List is the first integrated look at survey data from employees and managers from thousands of companies across six continents; making it the world’s largest annual study of workplace excellence.

“This list recognizes global companies that have demonstrated a truly serious commitment to creating workplaces that foster trust, pride and camaraderie amongst their employees,” said José Tolovi, Jr., Global CEO of Great Place to Work. “Each and every one of the companies on this inaugural ranking should be proud of this noteworthy accomplishment. Based on this survey, we can say, without a doubt, that these 25 companies are the best workplaces in the world.”

“We’re thrilled that Microsoft’s commitment to innovation and our passion for how technology can transform people’s lives is recognized around the globe,” said Lisa Brummel, Chief People Officer at Microsoft. “Microsoft is a great place to work not only because of what we do, but because of the quality of the company culture that our employees have collectively created.”

Based on data from surveys taken by more than 2.5 million employees, representing a 10-million strong workforce, and workplace culture analytics from more than 5,500 companies, these rankings form the world’s largest and most respected yearly studies of workplace excellence and management practices. Positions on these rankings are highly sought after by companies from around the globe –helping to bolster profitability and recruitment efforts, according to Tolovi.

SAS CEO Jim Goodnight said, “This great recognition proves yet again that creating a culture of happy, healthy employees drives productivity and allows SAS to focus on continued innovation and customer service. At SAS, we emphasize the importance of treating employees well – not just in our US headquarters but in our offices around the world. Our corporate culture helps employees be motivated and challenged, which benefits our customers as well. We look forward to continuing our deep investment in employee satisfaction, wellness and creativity.”

"Earning recognition as one of the World's Best Multinational Workplaces is a great honor" said Tom Georgens, President and CEO, NetApp. "We believe creating an environment where our employees and innovation thrive contributes directly to the success of our customers and partners."

To view the entire World’s Best Multinational Workplaces list, please visit: http://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-companies/worlds-best-multinationals.

For more information about Great Place to Work, please visit www.greatplacetowork.com.

Great Place to Work