Making the ‘Best’ list

Many things make a company a great place to work: Its leadership, the way it innovates, how it empowers its employees, the compensation and benefits it offers, its culture events.

Many other items could be added to the list, such as how a company watches out for the health and wellbeing of its team members. Over the past year and a half of the pandemic many companies have taken great strides to make sure their employees have been kept safe and healthy by allowing staff members to work remotely, reminding them of proper health practices even while out of the office, and, besides checking on their work tasks, communicating with employees to make sure they were well.

Thankfully, Prairie Business staff works for a great company. Not a perfect company, but one that tries hard to make sure its employees are taken care of.

Many people could say much the same about the company they work for – and as this issue of Prairie Business attests, many have done just that.

The magazine received more than 1,500 nominations in its 50 Best Places to Work contest this year.

It’s just one sampling that shows people are excited about their jobs and the companies that provide them. That’s good news not only for the businesses that have been nominated, but it’s great news for all of the region’s residents, consumers and managers alike. If people feel appreciated and are happy in their jobs, they are more productive. If they feel appreciated and valued, they are more apt to go the extra mile. There is less turnover and more innovation. And the end result of that is a better company.

It’s not rocket science. Tell someone how much they are appreciated and valued, and then show it, and see what results are achieved because of it.

One employee at First International Bank & Trust, a company that received 177 nominations, said she feels extremely blessed to work for a company that values her contributions. The result: “I leave at the end of the day feeling accomplished and knowing that the sky is the limit.”

Another said that working at the bank rewards the employee with job satisfaction. It also offers not only “the means for you to grow within but they encourage it.”

An employee at Gate City Bank, which had 240 nominations, said the company “likes to celebrate all the little accomplishments as well as the big accomplishments.” It invests in “employees from the beginning, which makes the turn-around rate much lower.”

Other comments about these and the 48 other companies in this year’s list tell similar stories. Some of the businesses who made the list you may have seen here before, but there also are some new names on this year’s list. Congratulations to all of them!

Until next time, Andrew Weeks

I look forward to hearing from you at aweeks@prairiebusinessmagazine.com or 701-780-1276.

PUBLISHER KORRIE WENZEL

AD DIRECTOR STACI LORD

EDITOR

ANDREW WEEKS

CIRCULATION MANAGER BETH BOHLMAN

LAYOUT DESIGN JAMIE HOLTE

ACCOUNT MANAGER

NICHOLE ERTMAN 800.477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203. Subscriptions are available free of charge. Back issue quantities are limited and subject to availability ($2/copy prepaid). The opinions of writers featured in Prairie Business are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork are encouraged but will not be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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Prairie Business magazine Box 6008 Grand Forks, ND 58206-6008 Beth Bohlman: bbohlman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

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