Newsweek Magazine just released its first Most Loved Workplaces rankings—and some Dallas-Fort Worth companies made the list. 

“What we’re measuring, critically, is how employees feel about their organizations,” Newsweek wrote in its introduction to the list. “There’s a big difference, after all, between workers getting a kick out of free Doritos and whether they truly love and feel in sync with the company they work for.” 

To make the list, companies had to meet certain criteria, Newsweek writes: “For instance: Is collaboration and teamwork important—or does the company follow The Hunger Games management model? Are there opportunities for advancement or do jobs just dead-end? Is the company a good citizen or does it just pretend to be a do-gooder?”

“A Most Loved Workplace is focused squarely on the degree to which employees have a positive feeling about their employer,” Louis Carter, CEO of the Best Practice Institute, which developed the research underpinning the rankings in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, said in the Newsweek intro.

To make the list, employees had to have “high emotional connection or love for” their place of employment.

The North Texas “Most Loved Workplaces”

Fort Worth-based First Command Financial Services came in at No. 19 on the list. “Family is the thing here, as is the focus on the financial wellness of veterans,” Newsweek wrote. “If you’re an employee, your family, at company expense, goes to the annual advisor conference. Hawaii anyone?” The company has 2,000 total employees.

Jacobs, the Dallas-based civil engineering giant, came in at No. 53 on the list. “Culture and people issues are staples of every board of directors meeting,” Newsweek wrote. “The company trained 1,900 ‘mental health champions,’ who serve as an “ear that an employee can go to confidentially.”

Plano-based At Home Group came in at No. 97 on the list. “The company has an employee foundation through which its workers can receive financial assistance,” Newsweek wrote. “At Home employees contribute to the fund. Monthly group CEO lunches and stock grants, too.”

Note: FedEx package and freight delivery made the list at No. 33 with “Dallas” noted as the location, though the company is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. (Newsweek may be referring to a Dallas area distribution center; we’ve reached out to confirm.) “Taking care of employees—and business: The LIFE (Learning Inspired by FedEx) program at the University of Memphis covers all the costs for workers to start or finish a college degree,” Newsweek wrote.

Three other Texas companies made the list

Round Rock, Texas-based Dell Technologies placed No. 2. “Great opportunities for growth within the company, which provides formal mentoring, networking, and individualized development programs. Stretch assignments? Yup, got those, too,” Newsweek wrote.

Austin-based outsourcing and offshoring company Everise clocked in at No. 85. “Looking for quarterly bonuses? This Austin outsourcing company has got them,” Newsweek wrote. “Hoping to move up in the corporate food chain? Some 80 percent of the positions are filled internally.”

Houston’s Hines real estate came in at No. 86. “The company is family owned, which often can be a problem for employees. But this real estate firm says employees have a big role in decision making,” Newsweek wrote.

The top five

Topping the list overall at No. 1 was Spotify, the Stockholm- and New York-based music streaming company, followed by Round Rock-based Dell Technologies at No. 2, followed by SAP America at No. 3, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts at No. 4, and the Navy Federal Credit Union at No. 5. 

To learn more and see the full list, go here.

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