Outside Magazine, September 2011
Wednesday, August 03, 2011 13

How We Picked Them

By:
Johan Smith, left, and Palmer West, founders of technical-apparel brand Aether, in their Los Angeles showroom

Johan Smith, left, and Palmer West, founders of technical-apparel brand Aether, in their Los Angeles showroom    Photographer: Peter Yang

The yearlong selection ­process for Outside’s Best Places to Work began with outreach, supported by the Outdoor Industry ­Association (outdoorindustry.org), in which we got the word out to ­eligible applicants: nonprofit and for-profit ­organizations with at least 15 employees working in the United States. Our ­research partner, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania–based Best Companies Group (bestcompaniesgroup.com), then sent registrants employer questionnaires and confidential employee-satisfaction surveys to collect information about benefits, compensation, policies, job satisfaction, environmental initiatives, and ­community-service programs. Results were analyzed by Best Companies Group ­experts, who selected the 50 companies, ranking them according to which best-­enabled employees to balance productivity with an active and socially and ecologically conscious lifestyle.

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Comments

13
Daniel

No REI?! Bummed... who are you sending the survey to?

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Steav

Agreed, Daniel - no REI ??? I am surprised.

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Steav

Agreed, Daniel - no REI ??? I am surprised.

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RJB

Also - I don't see Timberland - I always heard they are awesome to work for!

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RJB

Also - I don't see Timberland - I always heard they are awesome to work for!

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DJN

Had you bothered to read the three sentences detailing the selection process, you would have probably realized that REI, Timberland, Nike, etc. probably aren't on the list because the didn't submit an application to be on the list.

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Anonymous

as a fulltime REI employee for over 3 years i can confidently tell you it's the pay.

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Mark@dero.com

How do we apply next year for Dero Bike Racks?

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Tom

REI is too focused on aggressively pumping their employees to sell, sell, sell memberships as opposed to just focusing on consulting and outfitting the customers. Can't walk through there these days without six employees asking if you're a member of the co-op...

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Anonymous

I Can't believe Eddie Bauer made the list!! Makes you wonder who the surveys were sent to. I am currently employed as a Store Manager and it's FAR from the best company to work for. They discriminate, harass and retaliate against their employees, just check with the EEOC and Human Rights and Wage and Hour :)

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Anonymous

I Can't believe Eddie Bauer made the list!! Makes you wonder who the surveys were sent to. I am currently employed as a Store Manager and it's FAR from the best company to work for. They discriminate, harass and retaliate against their employees, just check with the EEOC and Human Rights and Wage and Hour :)

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lizzie

REI REI REI.

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GC

You have to question the selection methods and credibility of the folks involved with fact checking when a magazine like Outside makes a huge blunder by listing the self proclaimed biggest Fracking company in the world Chesapeake Energy as one of the best places to work. This company is the epitome green washing scum.

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