2011 CareerBliss Leap Awards Reveal Top 50 Companies with the Biggest “Leap” in Employee Happiness

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CareerBliss, the leading online career community helping people find joy and success at every step in their careers, announces new data revealing what companies made the biggest strides to increase employee happiness year over year. CareerBliss evaluated more than 250,000 independent company reviews to determine the top 50 deserving companies. The company with the greatest leap in employee happiness is large box-retailer Target. Just behind Target, financial institutions such as American Express and Wachovia - a Wells Fargo Company made the list, followed by retailers such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot to round out the top 10. Common themes amongst all recipients include a company’s dedication to employee incentive programs, work-life balance, comprehensive benefits and career advancement programs.

TOP 50

2011 CareerBliss Leap Awards

Rank		Company		This Year Avg Score		Last Year Avg Score		Difference (%)

1		Target		3.888		3.281		12.135
2		American Express		4.166		3.646	</td>	10.404
3		Wachovia		4.138		3.68		9.162
4		Infosys Technologies		4.025		3.58		8.914
5		Wal-Mart		3.678		3.238		8.801
6		Macy's		3.762		3.335		8.539
7		Convergys		3.563		3.137		8.527
8		Home Depot		3.772		3.374		7.964
9		Wipro Technologies		3.918		3.569		6.985
10		Fidelity Investments		4.265		3.916		6.976
11		Pitney Bowes		3.762		3.421		6.821
12		Abbott Laboratories		4		3.665		6.709
13		Merrill Lynch		4.075		3.757		6.362
14		Cardinal Health		3.738		3.42		6.35
15		Blue Cross Blue Shield		3.915		3.604		6.206
16		Bank of America		3.938		3.632		6.123
17		Intel		4.165		3.868		5.946
18		Accenture		4.074		3.787		5.741
19		Verizon		4.036		3.76		5.527
20		Honeywell		3.886		3.62		5.322
21		General Motors		3.853		3.592		5.228
22		Avaya		3.952		3.694		5.168
23		Dell		3.717		3.465		5.055
24		American Red Cross		3.795		3.557		4.745
25		Sprint		3.882		3.652		4.6
26		Comcast		3.707		3.479		4.562
27		Oracle		3.949		3.724		4.513
28		Pfizer		4.065		3.847		4.355
29		Cox Cable		3.871		3.674		3.945
30		NASA		4.009		3.819		3.799
31		Citibank		3.862		3.684		3.564
32		IBM		4.005		3.828		3.527
33		Motorola		3.918		3.744		3.473
34		United States Army		4.154		3.982		3.431
35		Boeing		4.115		3.948		3.327
36		Best Buy		3.612		3.459		3.061
37		JP Morgan Chase		3.882		3.733		2.979
38		AT&T		3.832		3.683		2.971
39		Time Warner Cable		3.785		3.645		2.801
40		Raytheon		3.857		3.717		2.799
41		General Dynamics		3.741		3.61		2.616
42	United States Navy		4.142		4.018		2.475
43		United States Marine Corps		4.18		4.057		2.46
44		General Electric		4.042		3.951		1.822
45		BAE Systems		3.694		3.612		1.645
46		Ford		3.893		3.828		1.296
47		Allstate		3.664		3.601		1.258
48		Lockheed Martin		3.8		3.751		0.965
49		United States Air Force		4.117		4.079		0.763
50		Cisco Systems		3.991		3.972		0.378

Heidi Golledge, CEO and Co-founder of CareerBliss says, “What is unique about this award versus any other award out there is that employees, independent of their company, can review and evaluate their employer based on factors that determine work-place happiness. Each company on our Top 50 list should be proud to know they are making a difference in fostering a happy work environment.”

Companies which saw the greatest leap included Target with a 12 percent difference and American Express with a 10 percent difference from 2010. Cisco Systems had the smallest leap in employee happiness year over year with just less than one percent of change between 2010 and 2011.

Factors That Impact Employee Happiness

A consistent theme seen in a majority of the award recipients in the Top 50 list was a comprehensive benefit plan. Comcast, one of the world’s leading media, entertainment and communications companies offers employees a competitive benefit package that includes above average health insurance, a dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match, free financial planning services, life and disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, commuter benefits, legal benefits, adoption benefits, long-term care insurance, pet insurance, and more. In addition they offer free XFINITY TV and Internet, and discounted XFINITY phone service for employees living in a Comcast service area.

“We take great pride in caring for our employees, our customers, and our communities,” said William Strahan, Comcast Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “We believe it’s essential to invest in proper training, communication, competitive pay and benefits, and professional growth opportunities to create a supportive and motivating work environment where diverse employees thrive.”

Another factor contributing to a leap in employee happiness is career advancement. The United States Navy offers service men and women an enriching career advancement program. Members stated the United States Navy training programs offer skills applicable in both the public and private sector.

"Navy leadership remains committed to taking care of our Sailors and their families. Competitive traditional benefits such as outstanding health care, opportunities for education, training, and a retirement plan coupled with innovative life-work balance initiatives implemented over the last several years make Navy an attractive long-term career choice. Serving in today's Navy also provides the millennial generation the opportunity for service to our Nation,” says Ms. Stephanie Easter ADCNO for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations) N1B, US Navy.

Work-life balance is a factor that attributed to improved employee satisfaction levels year over year. Matt Miller, CTO and Co-founder of CareerBliss says, “Our data continues to show that even more important than salary, is a company’s commitment providing a balanced work environment that allows employees to enjoy ample time with their families and friends outside of work.”

Bliss Leap Award Methodology

CareerBliss evaluated more than 250,000 company reviews and ratings from employees nationwide to determine the top 50 honorees. All assessments are derived from 2010 and 2011. There must be a minimum of 50 reviews per company to qualify. CareerBliss data evaluated the key factors which impact work happiness, including: work-life balance, one's relationship with their boss and co-workers, their work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, their daily tasks, and job control over the work that they do on a daily basis. The data accounts for how an employee values each factor as well as how important that factor is to the employee’s overall happiness.

About CareerBliss

CareerBliss is an online career community designed to help everyone find happiness in the workplace. An information hub for everyone who works, employers, job seekers and recruiters, CareerBliss offers the ability to find out what makes them happy and the ability to seek that out in other jobs or improve it in their current one using our PhD Board of Advisors, more than six million independent company reviews and salary comparisons, and more than three million job listings.

For more information, visit: www.CareerBliss.com