'Why I Work Here'

Joshua Richards Geologist (four-year employee) - Golder Associates - Jacksonville - No. 18 / Large Company - Consulting [Photo: Jon M. Fletcher]

"I guess you would call it freedom to work. When you come here, there's no pressure. I don't feel any pressure that if I make a mistake I'm going to be very scrutinized and really sheltered from progression in my career. We promote an honest and moral culture, to where everybody seems to own up to mistakes. We look at them, we analyze them, we determine how we can not do them in the future, and then we move on."

Candie Mitchell Administrative assistant (new employee) - Bit-Wizards - Fort Walton Beach - No. 7 / Small Company Technology [Photo: Ray Stanyard]

"As far as feeling respected and feeling valuable, I do, and I think that trickles down from a CEO or any type of leadership. If they don't treat those low people on the totem pole like they're worth something, nobody else will either. I've had jobs where I've done something that might be more 'important' as a position, and I didn't get the respect that I get here."

Connie Lance Assistant sales/marketing manager (11-year employee) - Bouchard Insurance - Clearwater - No. 32 / Midsized Company - Insurance [Photo: Mark Wemple]

"They gave me a free rein. I tend to be 'out there' sometimes, and I like to get involved in a lot of different things. From what I started doing, with a very set thing every day, I think they realized there were things outside of my normal job description that I am very good at and allowed me to expand on that. I wear multiple hats. I run our marketing department. I still work in the sales department as an assistant sales manager. They've taken what I do best and said, 'Go with it.'"

Patrick Anderson Senior loan officer (new employee) - Residential Finance Corp. - Tampa - No. 29 / Midsized Company - Financial services [Photo: Mark Wemple]

"I've been in the industry for a while, and I really felt that in some previous companies I didn't have the support I needed. The training was probably one of the best trainings I've been through. It was hands-on. It wasn't a webinar, where you're just sitting there and somebody's spouting out information. There was always someone there. We're not a small company, but we're not a large company, so I was very surprised that they would invest that much time and money into it."