REI Ranks Number Eight on FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” List
Highest-ever ranking and 15th consecutive year of recognition as an employer of choice
Jan 19, 2012
REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.), a national retailer providing quality outdoor gear and clothing, announced today that it is number eight on FORTUNE magazine’s 2012 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.” The recognition marks the highest-ever ranking for REI and 15th consecutive year of being named to the list.
“We are humbled to once again be named to FORTUNE’s ‘100 Best’ list, especially because it is largely based on candid employee feedback,” said Michelle Clements, senior vice president, Human Resources for REI. “Our more than 10,000 employees maintain an unwavering commitment to our values and culture – which is the reason why we remain an employer of choice and are successful in helping others lead healthy active outdoor lifestyles.”
The company is one of only five companies to be on the list each year since its inception in 1998, including two previous book versions. REI also ranked highest of the Washington state-based companies on the 2012 list, which includes six others.
REI offers a unique benefits program to its employees, such as healthcare options for full- and part-time employees, generous retirement plan contributions, gear and apparel discounts, employee gear grants, free equipment rentals, a public transit subsidy, adoption assistance and paid sabbaticals after 15 years of service.
The full list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” is available at www.FORTUNE.com/BestCompanies and will appear in the early February issue of FORTUNE magazine.
To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America; 280 firms participated in this year’s survey. More than 246,000 employees at those companies responded to a survey created by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible. For information on how to apply, visit www.greatplacetowork.com.
About the REI Co-op
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation’s largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of 23 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 184 locations in 42 states and the District of Columbia. If you can’t visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI Outlet or the REI shopping app. REI isn’t just about gear. Adventurers can take the trip of a lifetime with REI’s active adventure travel company that runs more than 100 itineraries across the country. In many communities where REI has a presence, professionally trained instructors share their expertise by hosting beginner-to advanced-level classes and workshops about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to—and steward—the outdoor places that inspire us all.