And the winner is ... 12 that went above and beyond

Keller Williams Realty

Keller Williams is a big national company with hundreds of offices, but agents still have a clear sense of what's expected from them on a local level. Mike Weiland knows. He spent 10 years working for another company but joined one of the Twin Cities Keller Williams offices last year. Since then, he's appreciated having strong leadership at a very local level that provides not only training and development opportunities, but also a clear sense of direction at a time when the industry is changing quickly -- and not always in positive ways. "I think we were appreciated at the other company, but we were left to our own devices," Weiland said. "Having someone remind you of what you've committed to on a regular basis is productive and very helpful." Weiland said Perry Hurth, for example, is one of several managers available not just electronically, but face-to-face on a regular basis. And for Weiland, that kind of presence means always knowing what's expected of him and his team. "I'm an independent contractor, so I know what my responsibilities are," he said. "But I appreciate having a support system."

The Emily Program

Lisa Diers, a registered dietician and yoga instructor at The Emily Program, said managers give employees freedom and flexibility. It was a common theme among her co-workers. "I don't feel any sense of micromanagement," said Diers, who has worked at the eating disorder clinic in St. Paul for five years. "There's a great sense of autonomy. I'm very self-driven. I like to know that I'm trusted and I can try something out and if it doesn't work out, I'm trusted that I won't continue it." Diers recently produced the clinic's first yoga DVD with the blessing of founder Dirk Miller, who gave her wide latitude to test the waters. Others who filled out the workplace survey said management "values our ideas," "empowers us to use our best judgment" and encourages employees to take time away from work to get more training.

Kwik Trip

At Kwik Trip's annual year-end employee meetings, everybody who walks in the doors -- about 10,000 employees from more than 350 Kwik Trip stores in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin -- gets a handshake from the owner, president and CEO, Don Zeitlow. Many, in fact, are greeted by name, said local district leader Todd Williamson. "It's a family-owned business that really treats you like family. The culture that's created because of that, it just kind of breeds wanting to do well." But employees get more than that handshake and hello; they also receive above-average pay and benefits, sharing 40 percent of the company's profits. There's an extensive training program, as well as programs designed to help community members and employees facing disasters or medical hardships. The Families Helping Families program, for example, recently assisted a Kwik Trip employee whose house had burned, Williamson said. "It's just a positive culture, from the ownership on down."

Eagle Ridge Academy

The Container Store

Lots of stores claim to care about their employees, but The Container Store's employee-first culture isn't an empty promise. The proof is in its 10 percent employee turnover -- an almost unheard-of low rate in the retail industry, for which a 50 percent average is considered a conservative estimate. "We firmly believe that our employee is the No. 1 stakeholder," said John Urbin, general manager of the Edina store. "We take care of our employees, so they take better care of our customers, and, ultimately, all of the shareholders of the company benefit." The company wants its employees to have fun and feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment. It probably doesn't hurt that the pay, $11 per hour and up, is high by retail standards. The company's mutually beneficial attitude extends to its vendors and service professionals, Urbin said. "Why not take care of the people you work with? Then they'll take care of you," he said. "Unfortunately, that's not the way of the world, but we're showing that it can be."

The Nerdery

New employees at The Nerdery are encouraged to put a slash at the end of their title and affix a "co-president" on the other side. It's the company's way of helping people to feel a sense of leadership toward the organization as a whole, and to take responsibility for helping to improve it. "It's something we take pretty seriously here, the idea of everybody not being just kind of pigeonholed into whatever role they happen to be in, but that they have the opportunity to shape the organization as they see fit," said CEO Mike Derheim. For example, the company recently created a department to focus on UX (user experience, in programmer parlance), when one of the developers said he felt the company should improve in that area. "He talked everybody into giving him the task of leading that charge," Derheim said. Annette Johnson, who has occupied several positions in the company, recently found a new niche herself: She helps others advance according to their interests and talents.

Pediatric Home Services

Roger Fazendin Realtors

With only about 50 employees, this Wayzata-based company is relatively small but is the largest independent family-owned company in Minnesota. Still, the company puts a big emphasis on listening to staff and being open to new ideas. Some of that happens when a group of 11 people, including agents and staff, gets together every quarter to discuss topics and ideas that might help agents sell more houses and that might help improve the way the company operates. Such brainstorming sessions don't end there. There's a retreat every year aimed at increasing the connections among staff members. It's the kind of culture that has helped retain such strong talent as agent Shelley Geenen, who left Fazendin to try another company, only to later return to continue a career that's lasted nearly 20 years.

NetApp

Employees who go beyond the call of duty at NetApp rarely have to wonder whether their bosses notice the extra effort. They're likely to get a call from Vice Chairman Tom Mendoza from the company's Sunnyvale, Calif., headquarters, thanking them for their contributions. Mendoza recently phoned sales assistant Erin Milbrandt, for example, when she organized a successful golf tournament for customers and partners. "He's kind of a standout executive, who puts on a good example of how we should treat each other at NetApp," she said. That attitude trickles down to local managers, who are similarly careful to make employees feel appreciated. About a month ago, when a house belonging to an employee's parents in Iowa was damaged in a tornado, a team of co-workers from NetApp traveled to Iowa to help out, Milbrandt said. "Building strong relationships is really encouraged here, beyond just the working relationship."

Thrivent Financial

Plunkett's Pest Control

All of Plunkett's new employees go through four weeks of classroom and on-the-job training, but that's hardly the end of their professional education. "We're going to put the tools in their hands and heads that they need to do this job safely, effectively and within the law," said technical director Jay Bruesch. So later during their first year, technicians attend a two-day "rookie camp" training session at the corporate office in Fridley. And every year, all employees attend four all-day training meetings, a two-day state-sponsored recertification seminar, and monthly all-day training meetings during the winter. Each person also pursues 10 hours of independent study. All of this training covers not only the latest available technical information on pests and pesticides, but also new regulations, safety practices and people skills. The idea, Bruesch said, is that "the more you know, the more confidence you have in yourself, the more confidence your clients have in you and, consequently, the more you enjoy your job."

Microsoft