Eight years ago, Denise Gredler had a vision that great places to work should be recognized for providing an environment in which employees thrive and grow.

Gredler founded BestCompaniesAZ and has realized her dream through an annual competition that fosters a competitive spirit in Arizona’s business community. Those companies that are recognized as best places to work are promoted on Gredler’s Web site and through the news media. Underlying all this effort is a desire by Gredler to help Arizona employers attract and retain talented employees.

The first competition attracted 100 applicants and 20 were selected as winners. Today, about 300 companies participate in the competition and 100 are recognized as outstanding places to work.
But Gredler doesn’t stop there. She provides a mix of human resources, public relations, marketing, branding and award-consultation services to winning companies and those that aspire to win. She also sponsors a variety of programs, workshops and events to give employers cost-effective tools to improve the workplace and help them reap the benefits associated with being named an outstanding place to work. Gredler visits member-based organizations to promote the financial rewards and benefits of employee engagement and best-place-to-work programs.

Gredler also reaches out to job seekers. For example, she recently introduced the Arizona’s BEST Give Back Campaign, a program designed to help mid-level career professionals find employment. Gredler and her staff also conduct free weekly workshops for the unemployed. Job hunters can go to her Web site to identify and research Arizona’s best places to work.