Fortune magazine released its annual ranking, 100 Best Companies to Work For, and Louisiana-based businesses are absent from the list. While some of the companies have offices or chains in the state, none are headquartered in Louisiana. The companies are chosen by a 57-question employee survey created by the Great Place to Work Institute. It includes questions about management credibility, job satisfaction and camaraderie. Results are also based on demographic makeup, pay and benefit programs, management philosophies, internal communications and employee opportunities. Louisiana Machinery employment coordinator Angelle Porch said, “If it’s based on the culture, I would say that Louisiana is one of its own.” Louisiana Machinery sells and services construction and earth-moving equipment. Ashlon Albert, industrial engineering senior, said he thinks the culture of the region is more influential on the ratings than the location itself. Salaries may also be an issue, he said. Porch said the economy and the national perception of the state influence how state job opportunities are evaluated. “There’s such a bad stereotype of our state,” Porch said. Gulf Coast regional manager for Jobsintheus.com, Patrick Erb, said it has been more difficult to find workers since Hurricane Katrina. There are not many big companies in the state, he said. “What benefits are important to the individual would determine how they rank the company they work for,” said Rhonda Hebert, recruiter for Baton Rouge based engineering firm Shaw Group Inc. Toni Bunch, another Louisiana Machinery employment coordinator, said two main criteria are taken to take into account: income levels and the entire employment package. “It depends on the individual,” Porch said. Many oil and gas industry headquarters have been moved to Texas, Erb said. Porch said she has recently seen a “mass exodus” of workers in California and Texas applying with Louisiana Machinery. “If none of them are based here, that doesn’t mean they don’t have offices here,” said Matthew Daniel, chemical engineering junior. Joel Rachal is an engineering supervisor for Entergy, a New Orleans-based electricity provider. While Entergy is a big company with excellent worker benefits, it may not be on Fortune’s radar, Rachal said. “Are we a glamorous company? No. Are we high-tech? No,” Rachal said. “But we do provide a vital service for Louisiana.” Rachal said he does not think surveys like this will affect whether graduating students seek out-of-state employment. “I think there are a lot of good opportunities in the state, and I think we will continue to see growth in the state,” Rachal said. Leroy Rogers, finance sophomore, said big investment banks never recruit from LSU. Albert said he has decided to leave Louisiana when he graduates because there are more job opportunities outside the state and he wants to see new things. He said he will pursue employment with an international company when he graduates. The management at Entergy realize they must do a lot of recruiting to bring new talent to the company, Rachal said.
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Louisiana businesses absent from Fortune’s ‘100 Best’
By Emily Holden
January 30, 2008