Trust & Appreciation--Common Thread in 2017 Fortune's "Best Companies To Work For"

LOS ANGELES - March 13, 2017 - PRLog -- Fortune just released its 20^th anniversary top 100 "Best Companies to Work For." While many companies on the list offer excellent benefits and compensation, it's not surprising that trust—by coworkers and mangers—tops the list of what employees say makes their company great, says Dr. Noelle Nelson, author of "Make More Money By Making Your Employees Happy".

"It's also not surprising that most of these companies outperform and are more profitable than their competitors," says Nelson. "Employees who are treated with respect, feel their input matters and are part of something greater than themselves have been shown to be more dedicated on the job. That affects the bottom line."

In a 2016 Adobe worker study, three quarters of the office workers they surveyed said they "would rather work long hours doing the work they love than shorter hours doing work they don't enjoy." Nearly half would move to their dream job even if it pays them less. "That's telling. Companies with high employee turnover rates and low employee productivity need to take note. Most employees will give their all if it's the right work environment," says Nelson.

For companies to be more like those listed by Fortune, Nelson suggests:

--Bosses should praise often instead of criticizing. "Everyone makes mistakes, but most of the time, employees do their jobs well," says Nelson. "Employees need to hear a 'good job' from their bosses from time to time, and not just hear from them when they mess up."

--Keep employees in the loop. "No one likes to work in a vacuum," says Nelson. "For employees to be at their best, they have to know their work has meaning."

--Share large and small successes with employees. "Make sure every employee knows that he or she contributes to the company's success," says Nelson. "Single out employees who went the extra mile—stayed late to finish a project, thought outside the box to solve a tricky problem. Prominently note their good work to all to show they are appreciated."

Corporate culture plays a big role in employee satisfaction. "Management has to see their employees as the company's biggest asset and treat them as such," explains Nelson. "Most importantly, appreciating employees' work must be sincere and consistent. Employees know when a boss is being genuine or not."

For more information including appreciation suggestions, go to http://www.noellenelson.com, Facebook.com/HappyEmployeesEqualProfits (https://www.facebook.com/HappyEmployeesEqualProfits),

Fortune's Best Companies to Work For list: http://beta.fortune.com/best-companies/list

2016 Adobe worker study: http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/acom/en/aboutadobe/pdfs/Future-of-Work-2016.pdf