Business Journal Ranks St. Thomas 9th 'Best Place to Work'

St. Thomas learned Thursday that it has been ranked No. 9 among large employers in a “Best Place to Work” survey conducted by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal.

The weekly newspaper unveiled its rankings at a Minneapolis Hilton luncheon to honor 55 companies and organizations among more than 200 nominees. St. Thomas was one of 10 employers recognized in the “large” category (1,001 or more full-time Minnesota employees). Fifteen medium-sized employers (101-1,000) and 30 small employers (10-100) also were recognized.

The Business Journal will publish a special section on the project in its Friday (Aug. 27) edition, including a story on St. Thomas and interviews with Father Dennis Dease, president, and faculty and staff members. To access a web-based version of the section, go to www.mspbj.com.

The story notes St. Thomas’ “ambitious approach to growth” with the development of the Minneapolis campus over the last two decades and says it has become “a fundraising powerhouse.” Also cited were leadership stability, with only two presidents in the last 45 years, professional development opportunities and a new wellness program connected with the opening of the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex.

Bernard Brady, chair of the Theology Department, emphasized the importance of the St. Thomas culture. “People say to me, ‘You work in such a beautiful place,’ but it’s the people, not the buildings,” Brady said in the story.

 The Business Journal published three “tips” on how St. Thomas gets “a rockin’ workplace:” create a collaborative culture where people feel free to express their opinions, focus on developing people and make sure you look at the whole person.

The top-ranked large employer, for the second consecutive year in a row, is CentraCare Health System of St. Cloud. Sierra Bravo, a Bloomington web solutions company. finished first among medium employers. CureIS Health Care in Woodbury is the No. 1 small business.

As part of the project, full-time employees were asked to participate in an anonymous survey about working at St. Thomas. The university needed 15 percent (213) of its full-time workforce of 1,418 employees to complete the survey to be eligible for recognition, and 565 (40 percent) participated.

St. Thomas was recognized as a “Great Place to Work” in 1999 by Corporate Report magazine, owned by the same company that published what then was called CityBusiness newspaper. CityBusiness took over the project when Corporate Report ceased publishing, and the newspaper subsequently was renamed Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.