By all rights, Noran Neurological Clinic in Minneapolis should be a terrible place to work. Just ask its president.
"This is a highly charged, highly stressful environment," said Dr. Steve Janousek. "It has all the potential to be one of the worst places to work in Minnesota."
In fact, it's just the opposite. Noran is one of the Star Tribune's Top Workplaces. It has made the list five years in a row — every year the survey has been conducted — one of just 14 companies to achieve that distinction.
"It really is a good vibe-y place," Janousek said. "I would love to take some credit for how happy people are, but I can't. I walked into kind of a happy culture, I think."
Culture — the word pops up a lot in conversation with leaders of the five-time Top Workplaces winners. It suggests that some of the factors that make an organization a nice place to work are as intangible as good vibes. Oh, generous benefits are always welcome, and few employees would say no to a fat paycheck. But perhaps just as important are qualities like cooperation, friendliness, responsiveness and mutual respect.
"We reinforce this culture of service to our fellow team members," said Tom Gunkel, CEO of Mortenson Construction in Golden Valley.
"We wrap it in a culture of wanting to help each other out," said Todd Butzer, Edina-based regional director of Keller Williams Realty.
"We work really hard to create a culture of appreciation," said John Estrem, CEO of Wayzata's Hammer Residences, which provides services to people with developmental disabilities.