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MITRE's Good Fortune MITRE is #40 on Fortune Magazine's List of 100 Best Companies to Work For
MITRE's state-of-the-art labs and equipment, work and recreational environments, and family- and employee-friendly corporate policies all contributed to Fortune placing MITRE on its list of "100 Best Companies to Work For." In January, MITRE was awarded the No. 40 position on Fortune's annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. The honor is much coveted: more than 1,000 companies competed for a spot this year. Although a multi-tiered evaluation process is used to determine the winners, the lion's share of the scoring—about two-thirds—is based on what employees themselves have to say about their company's workplace environment. Apparently Fortune's editors liked what they heard from the surveys completed by 250 MITRE employees chosen at random. MITRE executives believe the Fortune award is confirmation of all the work that has been done over several years to recruit and retain top-notch employees. "All of us share in the long-term benefits of working for a company that is strongly committed to public service, conscious of the well-being of its employees, and staffed by employees for whom excellence is a way of life," MITRE President and CEO Marty Faga wrote in a company-wide e-mail after the award was announced. "This award confirms that." Moreover, MITRE won the award after a year that severely tested the strength of many companies. The nation's first recession in a decade, coupled with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, led to declining business and painful job cuts. The steps MITRE took to keep its commitment to its employees during tough times reflected well on MITRE's corporate character and presented the company in a good light—both for current and prospective employees. "How you manage both the good and the bad times is important in terms of the image your company has in the outside world," said Bill Albright, director of Quality of Work Life Benefits for MITRE. A Place in The Sun MITRE has won growing recognition in recent years for the work environment it provides its employees. It has won awards from the Northern Virginia Family Service, the Massachusetts Psychological Association, the AARP, and many others for providing a healthy and fulfilling workplace. But the Fortune list is, in Albright's words, "the granddaddy of them all," because the magazine places so much emphasis on the feedback it gets from a randomly chosen group of company employees. There was another reason MITRE wanted a place on the Fortune list. For most of its history, MITRE has kept a fairly low profile, working as a behind-the-scenes player for its government clients. But the healthy job market of the late 1990s left fewer available workers, and fewer still who consider employment with nonprofits. National recognition like the Fortune award will raise MITRE's profile with those in the job market and serve as proof of the company's value to those already employed. "This shows the grass isn't necessarily greener elsewhere," said Lisa Bender, vice president and chief human resources officer. "This draws people to work for us as an employer of choice." MITRE worked hard to earn the Fortune honor, putting together a package for the "100 Best" nominating committee. MITRE emphasized our corporation's commitment to the public interest, its training and educational opportunities, its benefits, its commitment to employees active in civic affairs, and other features. But in the end, the most convincing words may have come from MITRE employees themselves. 250 employees were asked to fill out a survey to measure the workplace environment at the company. The survey was divided into five categories—credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie—with questions designed to assess the level of commitment employer and employees had to each other and to creating a healthy work environment. The Fortune survey showed MITRE getting high marks from its employees in most areas—in many cases, higher than the average of the other companies on the 100 Best list. According to the survey, 90 percent of MITRE's respondents agreed with the statement, "MITRE encourages work/life balance," compared with an average of 77 percent for the entire Fortune 100 Best list. Seventy-five percent of MITRE employees surveyed agreed that "management is paid fairly related to other employees," 12 percent higher than the average of those on the list, and 80 percent agreed that "employees are paid fairly for the work done," compared with a 72 percent average for the other companies. And 78 percent of MITRE respondents said they planned to work at MITRE until they retired, 12 percent higher than the 100 Best average. The Fortune survey results were confidential, but the corporation already knew how MITRE employees felt about their company. In May, MITRE conducted the Gallup Q12 Survey, which included, among other things, this statement: "My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person." Seventy-five percent of the respondents in MITRE either agreed or strongly agreed with that statement. "The Fortune results are a validation that MITRE's policies, procedures, and management practices are among the best in the nation," said Albright. "It's a culmination of a process we've been working on for a number of years. Our thought was that it would make our employees feel good, and it would also make it easier for us to attract high-quality staff should the need arise." Treating employees well is relatively easy on sunny days. But how is it done when storms strike? Our Character Showed As Fortune's editors noted on their Web site, it wasn't easy to be good in 2001. The recession forced companies to slash benefits and, in many cases, lay off employees. In that climate, being considered good enough for the Fortune list was a special challenge. "We gave companies credit for coming up with creative ways to keep employees satisfied, and for offering generous severance and compassion when they had to make cuts," Fortune's editors wrote on the Fortune Web site. "These companies also rose to the occasion following the tragedies of September 11, and that is what being one of the 100 Best is all about." MITRE, like other companies, was deeply affected by September 11. But the company responded in several ways. It mobilized a team of experts to aid in the search for survivors at Ground Zero. A Web site, "MITRE Responds," was established to provide travel and security updates and resources for individuals wishing to help. It provided several avenues for employees to talk through their trauma and grief. MITRE also granted civic leave to employees volunteering their services in New York or Washington and sponsored seminars on Islam and the Middle East to encourage employees to learn about these cultures. "We found out we can weather stress," said Bender. "September 11 showed the deep character that exists in this organization. The most important thing it brought out was the desire to serve the public interest, and how we can respond flexibly and immediately to do so." Preserving the ideals that lie at MITRE's core remains one of the company's main priorities, and receiving this award reinforces that commitment. MITRE will continue to maintain its focus on MITRE's values and code of ethics and on providing policies that make good business sense while helping employees achieve a good work/life balance. Employees of The MITRE Corporation often say their company is a good place to work. Recently, they said the same thing to Fortune magazine—and now Fortune's editors have passed the word on to a worldwide readership. "I'm especially pleased at the importance given to our own employees' participation in the selection process. We have a unique role as a not-for-profit national resource, and our employees are our most important asset," said Faga.
Page last updated: May 21, 2002 | Top of page |
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