Melbourne IT services group OBS has been named Australia’s Best Workplace for 2012, in a list dominated by businesses in technology sector.
After four years near the top of the BRW list, OBS has finally claimed top spot, followed by NetApp, which gives its employees the chance to interview potential coworkers in a bid to maintain the culture, and Google, which offers eighteen weeks maternity leave at full pay.
The list is determined by the Great Place to Work Institute, with 291 companies entering this year’s survey and over 68,000 employees responding.
Two thirds of a company’s score is derived from its employee responses to the survey, while the rest of the score is taken from the company’s demonstration of its workplace culture.
Participation was open to companies with at least 35 full time or part time employees, including public or private companies, non-profit organisations, multinational branch officer, associations and government bodies.
A new addition to the list this year is Kikki.K, which has entered the top 50 as one of only a handful of retailers on the list.
CEO Paul Lacy believes the company is an attractive place to work because it’s a family business.
The company provides a three-month supply of nappies for team members with newborns, a paid day of ‘Birthday Leave’, and subsidised travel costs to Sweden, where the brand’s design influence lies.
Australia’s top 20 employers for 2012 are:
1. OBS
2. NetApp Australia
3. Google
4. e-Web Marketing
5. Altis Consulting
6. Salesforce.com
7. Cordelta
8. The Physio Co
9. Atlassian
10. TRC Group
11. McAfee Australia
12. Amgen Australia
13. Ikon Communications
14. Diageo Australia
15. Mediacom
16. MRWED Group
17. RedBallon
18. C3 Business Solutions
19. Silver Chef
20. Dale Alcock Homes
