For the seventh consecutive year, Fortune magazine named St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to the “100 Best Companies to Work For” list.
The annual list recognizes companies with exceptional workplace cultures that foster employee engagement and trust. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, and winners were ranked based on an employee opinion survey results.
According to this year’s survey, 95 percent of St. Jude employees believe the hospital is a “Great Place to Work” and 97 percent said they have pride in the work they do. St. Jude has more than 4,200 employees on its campus in the heart of Memphis.
“Creating a sense of purpose and pride for every individual gives work special meaning and makes it much more than just a job,” said James R. Downing, M.D., St. Jude president and chief executive officer. “It is important for employees to feel connected to our mission so that we can continue to accelerate progress against childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”
St. Jude has initiated employee-inspired programs to foster a successful workplace culture. The hospital established a town hall meeting series, which gives all employees a platform to propose ideas and vote up topics for discussion. The meetings open the floor for St. Jude employees to engage directly with the president and CEO, along with other leadership members.
St. Jude Select, a yearlong leadership program for non-management employees, develops staff members through seminars, team-building exercises, networking and exposure to senior leadership. The St. Jude Leadership Academy provides a formal program to enhance the skills of the hospital’s mid-level managers. St. Jude also offers a host of professional development courses for a variety of other employee needs.
In addition to professional development, St. Jude offers a variety of benefits for employees, including college tuition assistance, identity theft protection service, adoption assistance, an onsite credit union, paid maternity leave and a sick-leave donation bank.
“Every St. Jude employee is essential to achieving our lifesaving mission,” said Dana Bottenfield, vice president of Human Resources at St. Jude. “Our goal is to cultivate a dynamic culture that attracts top talent and creates a workplace where our employees are inspired to deliver on the hospital’s promise of ‘finding cures, saving lives’ every day.”
The full list is online at https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/100-best/2017, and the magazine will be on newsstands March 9.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. To learn more, visit stjude.org or follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch.