This weekend, I analyzed key sentences from the Phoenix Business Journal’s “Best places to work” section (December 9, 2011). What are common themes that create really enjoyable places to work?   The following tips will help those working, those in transition and others just starting out in their careers.

1)Good places hire the best. They wait to get the right fit and provide them great benefits.

2)You have a “feeling that you are part of something.” You do not get treated like another aisle in a grocery store.

3)Good places have people with integrity. They will have a high moral and ethical code.

4)Good places motivate you. They keep you moving forward.

5)They provide continuous training and the ability to advance.

6)They “invest a lot in the front-end to make sure people are successful.”

7)The “culture recognizes that workers have lives outside the office.”

8)They are “fun places to work.”

9)Good places “don’t overreact to a tough economy.”

10)Good places “make use of a disruptive moment and convert loss into opportunity.”

Lastly, a note to human resource managers. Invest in what you have and that will help you in the long run.