A major business paper here in Boston just rated Jobcase as one of the best places to work in Boston. I am proud and humbled at the same time. You see, I don't think we have an easy work environment. I think we have an important one, an often fun one, an often stressful one, and an always successful one - but not easy. Startup cultures are really only romantic in hindsight or from the outside. This is hard work. Jobcase does not have any big Private equity firm backing us or a ton of cash raised. We grow like Pacino said in "Any Given Sunday": fighting for every inch. But I am always hopeful that we have 'good stress' not bad. Stress about striving to achieve great things with limited resources, stress about not wanting to let down our members, or each other; stress about achieving the vision of a platform that really does empower working men and women in the US and then globally. But not stress about politics, or disrespectful treatment or other junk that sometimes leaks into the workforce. The fact that 90% of our employees took the time to complete surveys that resulted in the BBJ naming us one of a dozen or so "best places to work" suggests we are getting it mostly right. And that’s critically important for a company whose entire mission is to help everyone 'get it mostly right'!

One major thing to point out though – there is no absolute ‘best place to work’. What is implied is “best place to work …FOR YOU”. I am sure, for example, that Jobcase would be a lousy place to work for a different type of employee than the team we have built. Likewise, my team might be miserable in a different company’s culture – even if that company was a success. The trick in your work life is to find the culture that synchs with your view of your worklife.

When you look for a good fit for you – some things to consider are: big company versus small company; heavy management and mentorship or stronger focus on individual independent contribution; work-life balance; results oriented rewards or effort oriented; conflict management – open, slow and tactful, fast and candid, avoidance; career advancement potential internal/external or non-existent – and of course – compensation philosophy. (I have to share my quick view here – there are basically 2 types of managers when it comes to compensation. One who thinks “Joe is doing a good job, what’s the minimum amount we need to pay Joe so that Joe wont’ quit” and the other who thinks “Joe is doing a good job, how much money can I get to Joe to reward him and incentivize him to keep doing better and better”. The latter manager is very rare indeed – but MUCH smarter. Find that person.)

Anyways, this is a long post – even for me – so I’ll wrap up. The point of finding the right job is to find the one that synchs with your workstyle and your view of how work fits into your life. Just because one company’s employees love it – doesn’t mean its right for you. And just because someone hates a culture, doesn’t mean its necessarily wrong for you. The key is alignment. We preach honest expectations to the companies that work with us.

There is no absolute ‘right’ culture – just right FOR YOU. I am so pleased that we are building the ‘right’ culture for the team that is serving over 50 million Jobcasers today. I commit to striving to ensure we keep it ‘right’ for them – so that we can keep helping you find the ‘right’ one for you. Happy Friday - Fred

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2016/04/19/bbj-announces-the-2016-best-places-to-work.html