All across the state — and nation — businesses are struggling to attract and retain employees. But those companies may be able to learn something from the companies that will be spotlighted here in the days to follow. The 100 Best Places to Live and Work in Arizona earned the most support in voting for the 2022 edition of Ranking Arizona, the state’s biggest business opinion poll.

READ ALSO: Nominations open for Arizona’s Most Admired Companies of 2022

“We really do put people first,” says Cathy Graham, executive vice president at Desert Financial Credit Union, one of the Best Places to Work in Arizona. “The employment environment is really tough right now with the Great Resignation. So we try to be really purposeful and clear about the organization: where we’re going, what we’re striving for, what success looks like and then connecting the dots. People want to feel like part of something bigger than just the role that they fill every day.”

Enjoy learning more about the 100 Best Places to Live and Work in Arizona. Today, the spotlight is on Colliers.

Colliers

During 2021, Colliers in Arizona completed more than 1,000 real estate transactions, assisting its clients in making over $4 billion in real estate decisions. But not only did the company succeed for its clients, it has succeeded in building an exceptional workplace culture for its employees.

MAINTAINING CULTURE: “The way Colliers maintains its workplace culture is at its roots,” says Bob Mulhern, senior managing director of Colliers in Arizona. “The purpose of workplace culture is to bring out the greatness in each other, right? So when you have something set up to do that, it perpetuates itself. Then you have to establish some rules around that. We have some basic things that we hope attract people and also repel people that we don’t want working for us.”

FINDING BALANCE: “The way we build our culture and build our business is by honoring our important principles,” Mulhern says. “I think a lot of people have written statements on what they’re trying to do and they don’t really honor them. Our top priority is to respect and be grateful for one another. The staff has a paraphrase for that: They call it the ‘no jerks rule.’ Over time, I have to have a lot fewer talks (with jerks) because when people step into the office, they know there are certain things we do together that make people want to come into work. Last year, we had a record year with just 62 brokers in an economy that was just coming back. That is quite an accomplishment, but it shows you what can happen when talented people come together and bring out the greatness in each other.”

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “The thing I’m proud about our culture is that it allows very talented people who really want to thrive in their business and in their lives to work with other people who have the same goals,” Mulhern says. “When you do that, it creates not only a great place to work, but it attracts great clients. It attracts great opportunities. You leave with a lot of energy. Even when you work really hard, you don’t really feel like you’re against the wind. Colliers has become a great place to work and not only do we feel that way, but our clients feel that way. The community that we get involved with feels that way, too.”

100 Best Places to Live and Work in Arizona

Here are the 100 Best Places to Live and Work in Arizona for 2022, based on public voting for the 2022 edition of Ranking Arizona, the state’s biggest and most comprehensive business opinion poll. Companies and cities are listed in alphabetical order.

ABI Multifamily

ANDERSON Advertising & Public Relations

Adolfson & Peterson Construction

Aker Ink PR & Marketing

Alliance Residential Company

Arizona Central Credit Union

Arizona Complete Health

Arizona Federal Credit Union

Aurora Behavioral Health System

Avison Young

BMO Harris Bank

Banner Health

Bel-Aire Mechanical

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona Properties

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Blue Signal Search

Burch & Cracchiolo

CBRE

CHASSE Building Team

CORE Construction

Cachet Homes

Canyon State Electric

Cawley Architects

City of Chandler

City of Flagstaff

City of Glendale

City of Mesa

City of Peoria

City of Phoenix

City of Scottsdale

City of Tempe

City to City Commercial

Colliers

Corgan

DP Electric

dpa architects

DPR Construction

Delta Dental of Arizona

Desert Financial Credit Union

Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

Dignity Health in Arizona

Great Impact

Gust Rosenfeld

HDA Architects

Haydon Building Corp

HomeSmart

Homeowners Financial Group

HonorHealth

IMPACT Technology Recruiting

Ideation Design Group

Jennings, Strouss & Salmon

Johansen Interiors

K2 Electric

Keap

Kidder Mathews

Kitchell

LAVIDGE

LGE Design Build

Land Advisors Organization

LaneTerralever

LevRose Commercial Real Estate/TCN Worldwide

Marcus & Millichap

Mark-Taylor Companies

Mark-Taylor Residential

Mayo Clinic

McCarthy Building Companies

Menlo Group Commercial Real Estate

Merestone

National Bank of Arizona

OneAZ Credit Union

P.B. Bell

Pacific Premier Bank

Precision Air & Plumbing

ReThinc Advertising

Republic Bank of Arizona

Rocket Mortgage (formerly Quicken Loans)

Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty

Ryan Companies US

SDB Contracting Services

Speedie & Associates

Sunstate Equipment

TBConsulting

Team Select Home Care

The Brokery

The CORE Institute

Town of Gilbert

Town of Queen Creek

Tri Pointe Homes

TruWest Credit Union

USAA

VIP Mortgage

VIP Mortgage Inc.

ViaWest Group

WaFd Bank Arizona

Wallace, Plese + Dreher

Walton Global

Weitz Company

Western Alliance Bank

Willmeng Construction

Wood, Patel & Associates