October is by far my favorite issue of the year. I am truly excited to announce the annual Structural Engineer Best Structural Engineering Firms To Work For list. All of the firms on this list work hard to achieve this honor and I would like to salute every one of them. Heartfelt congratulations to 2008 top-ranked Hage Engineering of New York, Walter P Moore of Houston, and Matrix Structural Engineers of Houston!

This year we had 63 firms apply for the distinction, and the Top 25 firms and four Honorable Mentions made the list; read the complete report beginning on page 20. But, how did the firms on the list get there? And, what does it mean to be ranked among the Best Firms To Work For?

How it works—Each year, ZweigWhite announces the program in January and posts the Corporate Survey application online. Once the online application is complete and submitted, the applying firms launch an Employee Survey to their staff. This anonymous, online survey is administered by ZweigWhite.

Next, ZweigWhite staff evaluates the Corporate and Employee Surveys, which make up the two, equally-weighted components of each firm’s raw score. The top 25 firms were ranked from these scores and this year four firms receive an honorable mention. (The method used to determine the raw scores is described in more detail at the Best Firms Portal at www.gostructural.com/bestfirms.) Then a judging panel of industry experts in the field of human resources or corporate benefits evaluates and re-ranks the top three firms. The judges’ results are tallied to establish the final order of the top three firms.

What it means—This honor means two things: that a firm’s standards are superior to those considered minimal to participate in the program (as evaluated in the Corporate Survey), and that the firm’s employees are happy (as evaluated with the Employee Survey). Ranked firms are evaluated and excel in such categories as culture, benefits, performance and recognition, compensation, professional development, and recruiting and retention.

Unlike other annual ranking programs—such as those for colleges or business schools that evaluate the same institutions each year—this program only evaluates participants against the others who have applied. You cannot assume that because a firm does not appear on the list one year that they did not make the Top 25. Likewise, you cannot assume that if a firm’s rank changes that it must have faltered or dramatically improved—as we all know, corporate culture and employees’ opinions evolve over time. While changes that the firm makes are reflected in its position on the list, a shift in a firm’s ranking may also be affected by other firms that have applied (or not) during that particular year. While there are many firms that do participate year after year, many do not; and new firms apply each year. This makes the list unique each year.

Also unique are all of the firms on the list. Each has a corporate culture, number of employees, and location that blends to create the perfect environment for each firm’s satisfied staff. I applaud the exceptional firms that have earned a spot on the 2008 Best Structural Engineering Firms To Work For list, as well as all of the employees who work at these firms. Congratulations!