Counselor honors the top industry workplaces through an exclusive survey and rankings. Find out what makes Pacesetter Awards a great place to work!

37. Pacesetter Awards (asi/75640), Chicago, IL

The Pacesetter Awards team outside of their Chicago headquarters.

Employees’ favorite perk: Pacesetter Awards’ employees enjoy many acts of appreciation throughout the year, such as pizza parties, monthly doughnut day and an annual holiday party, complete with gifts for all. But the premier event is probably its annual employee appreciation day, held at the end of Pacesetter’s busy season. “The company shuts down on a Friday in late summer and employees get a chance to enjoy a paid day off with their co-workers,” says Debra Johnson, HR manager. “We’ve done luncheon boat tours on Lake Michigan, baseball games, horse races, the zoo, amusement parks and picnics to name a few.”

Tip for finding/retaining great staff: Pacesetter looks for employees who want to grow with the company. Management does this by touting growth and lifelong learning to create employee engagement and often promotes from within. In addition, its family atmosphere is a key to retention: “When you achieve a sense of family within your organization, you have little turnover, high morale and a lifetime of collective memories,” says Roy Newton, CEO of Pacesetter.

Company culture mantra: “Helping people recognize what’s important,” says Jason Newton, president. “We strive to create a lasting positive effect for our clients, employees and society.”