Fortune: These 4 North Carolina Companies Among Best To Work For

CHARLOTTE, NC — The business magazine Fortune, in partnership with analytics firm Great Place to Work, has released its annual list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States.

Hilton took home the top spot on the list for the second year in a row, with Ultimate Software and Wegmans Food Markets rounding out the top three.

North Carolina had four of the best companies to work for in the nation, according to Fortune.

No. 16: Kimley-Horn, Raleigh, NC

• Industry: Professional services
• Rank last year: No. 18
• Employees: 4,247
• Percentage of women: 36.5 percent
• Percentage of minorities: 19.2 percent
• Revenue in 2019: $917 million

Says Fortune: “One of just 12 companies on the list that pay for 100% of employee health care costs, this engineering and design consultancy leverages a tradition of rewarding new hires as much as 20-year veterans with profit sharing and new opportunities. Some examples include generous year-end bonuses (in 2018, 89% of staff received a minimum bonus of one month’s pay), an in-house MBA-like training program and Red Envelope Day (surprise bonuses or gift cards all around), and Teamwork Awards (on-the-spot $50 rewards for hard work).”

No. 48: Red Hat, Raleigh

• Industry: Information Technology
• Rank last year: No. 50
• Employees: 6,110
• Percentage of women: 25.9 percent
• Percentage of minorities: 21.1 percent
• Revenue in 2019: $3.36 billion

Says Fortune: “The CEO of Red Hat, Jim Whitehurst, will assume the role of president of its parent company, IBM, when CEO Ginni Rometty departs in April. That move-up speaks to the innovative culture the Raleigh-based software company is fostering. ‘Everybody gets to contribute. That’s not just a tagline; it’s genuinely a core part of how the company is built … Best ideas win, regardless of origin,’ said an employee.”

No. 61: SAS Institute, Cary, NC

• Industry: Information Technology
• Rank last year: No. 60
• Employees: 6,908
• Percentage of women: 41.3 percent
• Percentage of minorities: 21.6 percent
• Revenue in 2019: $3.27 billion

Says Fortune, “At this North Carolina business-analytics software maker, leadership’s focus on a healthy quality of life stands out. For instance, the company encourages employees to sweat it out at an on-site health care center, and an on-site childcare center means that busy parents can rest assured that their children are safe and cared for. One employee says, “SAS has been pioneering the quality work-life balance since the ’70s. Everyone participates in sports at lunch, inclusion groups across the company hold events regularly, and the work culture is stress-free.”

No. 77 Bank of America, Charlotte

• Industry: Financial services and insurance
• Rank last year: No. 92
• Employees: 171,651
• Percentage of minorities: 45.6 percent
• Revenue in 2019: $113.6 billion

Says Fortune: “The banking giant doesn’t let its vast organizational scale get in the way of a fulfilling employee experience—and believes all types of people can bring something unique to the company. Bank of America’s support-services department employs more than 300 people with cognitive and developmental disabilities and provides them with an environment where they can advance their careers and realize their potential. On the volunteer front, the company’s Better Money Habits program is committed to improving the financial lives of ordinary people, with more than 3,400 employees having worked with nearly 600 nonprofits across the U.S. to provide financial resources to at-risk youths, single parents, and the elderly.”

To be considered for the list, companies submitted an application detailing over 200 data points describing their HR programs and practices. Great Place to Work, an analytics firm that has partnered with Fortune to create the list for the past 23 years, then conducted an anonymous survey of each company's workforce.

In total, 85 percent of the evaluation was based on what employees reported in the survey about “their experiences of trust and reaching their full human potential as part of their organization,” according to a methodology section for the rankings on Fortune’s website.

Companies need to employ at least 1,000 U.S. employees to be considered for the list, and government agencies aren’t eligible.

You can read the full methodology here.

Here are the top 10 companies to work for in the United States in 2020, according to Fortune:

1. Hilton
2. Ultimate Software
3. Wegmans Food Markets
4. Cisco
5. Workday
6. Salesforce
7. Edward Jones
8. Stryker
9. American Express
10. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

The full list of companies on the 2020 list is available on Fortune.