Our July webinar, Improving Internal Communication, explored ways teams can communicate more effectively. Dr. Deborah Peck, Lindsay M. Smith and Michael S. Seaver hosted the webinar and discussed ways employers can open up 1-to-1 communication, see a ROI from effective communication and, improve employee engagement.

Here are 5 highlights from July’s webinar, Improving Internal Communication.

Poll Results – 100% of webinar attendees have completed a personality inventory

We kicked off the webinar with a live poll of webinar attendees. The poll revealed that all of the attendees have completed a personality inventory such as the DISC, Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder 2.0, and Emergenetics tests. Smith connected the personality inventory to the different ways people communicate, emphasizing the need to establish trust. According to Smith, establishing trust in the workplace speeds up goal accomplishment, increases top line revenue, and increases staff retention.

Communication Hacks 101

Smith shared a series of communication hacks centered around taking other perspectives, reducing judgment, not allowing resentment to build, taking responsibility for your reactions, and practicing empathetic listening. Implementing these hacks can significantly improve communication!

Poll Results – 82% of the attendees had facilitated an employee engagement survey in the last 12 months

During the webinar, Smith opened another poll which revealed that 82% of the attendees had facilitated an employee engagement survey in the last 12 months. Employee engagement surveys are a great way to check your organization’s pulse. They allow employers to see how employees are feeling about the company. This important data is important to collect regularly and allows companies to take action to improve employees experiences.

Insights From Dr. Deb – Top Companies Analysis

Dr. Deb shared incredible insights about internal communication throughout the webinar. She explained how best companies have 50% less turnover than non-best companies. She also noted that the stock market returns of best companies are twice as high as non-best companies. Then, Dr. Deb dove into the Top Companies to Work for in Arizona awards, breaking down the survey process and how winners are selected.

She discussed the 14 questions from the award programs 90 questions survey that were focused on internal communication and gave examples of how she’d consult with an organization.

Developing a High Trust Workplace Culture

Michael Seaver closed the webinar by sharing a few examples from BestCompaniesUSA’s white paper, 5 Ways to Develop a High Trust Workplace Culture. He also provided tactical actions employers can take to strengthen internal employee communication in the workplace.

If you’re like our webinar attendees, you may be looking for a way to open the lines of communication with your team. You’ll love all of the practical tips and applications in this webinar. Check out the full webinar on our website or listen to it on our podcast.

In the escalating race to acquire top talent, branding is essential. Employer branding strategies draw in talent and build your company’s brand. Employer branding strategies set the foundation for an admirable culture that employees are proud to be a part of.

A Glassdoor study found that 84% of people would leave their current workplace for a business with a better reputation. In addition, the study found that 69% of people would avoid a business with poor employer branding. So, employer branding strategies not only attract talent, but they result in lower turnover rates.

Creating the perfect employer branding strategy can seem daunting. But, don’t worry. We’ve done the work for you! Below, you will find 4 effective employee branding strategies from America’s leading businesses.

Before you begin – establish your goals.

You cannot create an effective employer branding strategy without a plan of action. What image do you wish to portray? What are the goals of your strategy? Determine what makes your business great to work for and continue from there.

So, without further ado, here are four effective employee branding strategies.

Employees are a business’ greatest asset – treat them like it.

Many of the leading businesses in America can attribute their success to their employees. Employees know the ins and outs of your business -they’ve seen the good and the bad.

So, giving your employees power to be creative, make recommendations, and personalize their work is an excellent branding strategy. The desire to be appreciated and celebrated is an innate human characteristic. So, capitalize on that! Encourage employees to apply their unique talents to their work and watch your quality of work and retention levels sky-rocket! More so, interested talent will be excited to work at a business where their skills are valued and appreciated.

Invest in your people

Your efforts will not be successful unless you work from the inside out. Work with your leadership team to ensure that the employee experience is at the highest quality possible. Even more, train your leadership team to be active culture builders. Invest in your employees’ well-being and watch your engagement levels excel. Happy employees can’t help but share about their employer.

Capitalize on what your business is good at.

While it seems so simple, many businesses forget to highlight their talents. For example, GoDaddy is a software and technology company that works with some of the biggest companies in the world. Their employees enjoy free meals, fun game rooms, and exciting team-building events.

The GoDaddy team capitalizes on their “work hard, play hard” attitude that fuels their excellent products. What makes your business unique? Use media platforms like social sites or television to share your business’ values and culture, and focus on a few key factors that the public can use to relate back to your business (think Chick-Fil-A’s “my pleasure” culture).

Create a positive experience

As a business, your reach expands far beyond your employees. Each customer has their own perception of your business. Thus, each customer has an impact your brand’s image. With websites like Yelp growing in popularity, people depend on others to influence their decisions.

From first contact, the mission and values of your business should be evident, and every interaction there after should embody the culture of your business. Though it seems simple, creating a positive experience for employees is one of the most undervalued employee branding strategies.

Many successful companies like Dutch Bros. and Infusionsoft attribute their success to these four employer branding strategies. Employer branding is essential to attracting top talent. In addition, a positive employer brand image makes employees feel proud to be a part of your business.

If you’re an employer looking to build your employer brand, you’re sure to find success with these four effective employer branding strategies.

If you’re on the hunt for an employer that implements excellent branding strategies, visit us here to learn about the best companies to work for!

In our June webinar, speakers Michael S. Seaver and Lindsay M. Smith discussed employee engagement, workplace communication, celebrating awards, and the influence of awards on employees. Entitled Engaging the Modern Workforce Through Awards, June’s webinar dives deep into how companies can use their awards to encourage employee engagement.

How winning awards influences retention and engagement

First, live polling was used to learn about the webinar attendees’ greatest employee engagement challenges. The biggest obstacle faced was negative communication and retention.

While this may seem surprising, a Gallup study found that only 33% of the American workforce is actively engaged. Michael addressed this statistic through the use of Gallup’s 12 Elements of Great Managing. Next, Michael used these elements to show how winning corporate awards help to recognize employees, connect them to your organization, and deliver quality work.

Michael reviewed the Top Companies to Work for in Arizona awards posted on June 7th by AZCentral. He shared about the key drivers that the 125 winning organizations used to encourage engagement. In addition, Michael presented examples from BestCompaniesUSA’s “5 Ways to Develop a High Trust Workplace Culture,” which covers the tactical actions you can take to strengthen employee communication.

How you can celebrate employees through awards

Next, Lindsay shared the key actions you can take to build momentum, communicate strengths and develop areas of opportunity. She referenced key clients such as Charles Schwab, Habitat for Humanity and others, highlighting unique ways to celebrate winning an award no matter your organization’s budget.

Lindsay is a big fan of KPIs and how organizations leverage their survey data to create strategic plans, cross-functional implementation teams, and continual metrics tracking. She reminded us that we should be focusing on evolving and growing rather than focusing on the actual number of our ranking.

In response to Michael and Lindsay’s discussion, webinar attendees said that winning awards increased employee pride in their employer, strengthened camaraderie, and made employees feel unique. In addition, attendees said that winning awards validated employees’ confidence in their employer.

In conclusion, Michael highlighted how winning corporate awards makes employees feel a sense of pride, a personal validation for choosing an employer, and respect in their workplace.

So, maybe you’re like our webinar attendees? They said they were going to find new ways to open lines of communication with their team. Will you? Please feel free to watch this webinar on our website or listen to it on our podcast to find out how.

Resources Used In This Webinar:

Retiring the Generation Gap by Jennifer Deal

Goldman Sachs’ review of millennials

Mass customization

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

Influence by Robert Cialdini

Before you begin the interview process, it is important to prepare for the interview questions you may be asked. Preparing answers for tough questions shows the interviewer that you are professional and you take the interview seriously. Though the field of IT is broad, many of the best IT companies ask similar interview questions. Below, we have created a list of 10 IT interview questions and answers from the nation’s best IT companies.

With these 10 IT interview questions and answers, you are sure to make a great impression during your interview.

What do you know about our company?

It is important that a candidate knows about the company they are applying for. Furthermore, interviewers want to know if the candidate did research beyond reading the company’s website bio. So, applicants should visit the employer’s website and learn about their mission, vision and accomplishments. Prove that you care about the company itself.

What experience do you have in the IT industry?

Though this question is straightforward, the IT industry is broad. Thus, answers to this question can vary widely. It is important for the company to hire someone who has experience in the type of technology that they are providing. So, applicants should share about their educational background and field experience. Provide specific examples of projects you have been involved with.

Tell us about a project you have been involved in.

At companies like GoDaddy, employees work in teams to accomplish tasks. Employees are empowered to take on projects with creativity and innovation. Therefore, be prepared to provide examples of projects you have been involved with. If you have not been involved in a project, share about projects that you found to be innovative or successful.

You’ve just been assigned to work on a new technology. How would you handle working with a product you have not worked with before?

Technology is constantly evolving. The IT industry must adapt to trends and customer behaviors. If you’re interviewing for IT positions, you will likely work with new technology at some point in your career. Answer this question from an educational and experiential standpoint. How would you educate yourself about the new technology? Would you research this technology? Would you practice using it? The answer to this question shows interviewers how you would handle yourself outside of your comfort zone.

How would you handle a product failure or a setback?

Everyone will face a failure or setback at some point in their career. At companies like Markitors, interviewees are asked to share about how they handle obstacles. Employers want to know if you will fall behind or use the setback as a motivator for future work. Successful employees are motivated to succeed regardless of the challenges they face.

What are some of the trends that are influencing the current IT market?

The world is saturated with IT companies and new technologies. Employees should be able to recognize market trends and come up with ways to better cater to the market. So, applicants should research popular technology trends to prepare for this question. More so, share about underlying trends that are growing in popularity. Companies such as LinkedIn ask this question to determine the candidate’s market knowledge.

How is a threat different than a vulnerability?

A vulnerability is a weakness in protection while a threat uncovers a vulnerability with the possibility of destroying a system. Be prepared to explain the difference and come equipped with an example of each.

Are you familiar with [program/programming language]?

Your interviewer wants to see how familiar you are with IT terms. You do not have to be an IT expert to prove that you are comfortable with technology. To prepare for this question we recommend brushing up on IT program terms and programs.

What are your strengths?

This is a chance for you to share about your strengths and what makes you unique. Do you have special talents that you want to share about? This is a chance to sell yourself. In fact, most companies have their ideal qualifications listed on the job posting itself. Use those qualifications as a springboard.

Are there any questions you have for us?

No matter the company, most interviewers will close the interview with this question. Regardless of your knowledge, you should always come prepared with a question to ask the interviewer. Some example questions are “What does a day in the office look like?”, “What do you think it takes for someone to excel in this position?” or “What is the typical career path of an employee in this position?”.

With these 10 IT interview questions and answers, you are sure to exceed in any interview. Remember – the greatest tool for interview success is preparation.

If you’re looking for the best companies to work for, visit us here. We would love to help you find your perfect career!

Core values set the foundation for a company’s culture and purpose. In the healthcare industry, a strong sense of personal and professional values are essential to success. Many healthcare professionals enter the healthcare industry in order to live out their core values. So, what are the core values of Arizona’s leading healthcare companies? Below, we have compiled the top 10 core values for healthcare companies in Arizona.

These core values are the driving force behind the actions and attitudes of healthcare companies. Furthermore, the top 10 core values of healthcare companies listed below further corporate success and cement an employee’s connection to their employer.  

Without further ado, here are the 10 top core values for healthcare companies in Arizona:

Dignity Health Arizona- Dignity

Though this core value is embedded in their name, Dignity Health is dedicated to honoring the inherent dignity of each individual. Employees are encouraged to treat others with dignity and honor the uniqueness of each person they work with. This includes co-workers and patients alike. A company that values dignity encourages employees to be proud of the work they do.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital- Impact

It takes a strong level of compassion and dedication to work in pediatric care. Healthcare companies that cater to children must employ caring, driven individuals, with the ability to make a lasting impact on a child and their family. At the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, leaving a positive impact on patients makes families feel comfortable and hopeful about the care their child is receiving.

Pinnacle Transplant Technologies- Personal Development

The healthcare industry is constantly changing. Thus, companies like Pinnacle Transplant Technologies are dedicated to helping their employees keep up. To do so, Pinnacle encourages employees to continue to learn and grow professionally and personally. Additionally, Pinnacle gives associates the tools to succeed and develop.

Translational Genomics Research Institute– Empowerment

Empowering both employees and patients is vital for success in the healthcare industry. Giving people a platform to be their best reaps positive results. Empowered employees are more engaged and excited about what they do. Empowering patients allocates a sense of control that is often lost in the healthcare industry, making patients feel more comfortable.

United Healthcare- Commitment to Clients

The healthcare industry is founded on client interactions. Without clients these companies would fail to exist, so a strong commitment to these interactions  is essential to the success of healthcare companies. Of this list of the top 10 core values for healthcare companies in Arizona, a commitment to clients is arguably the most important value. Industry professionals must be committed to a client’s needs and wants. Commitment to clients creates repeat customers and furthers brand awareness.

Mutual of Omaha- Family

Some of the most successful healthcare companies place family as one of their highest core values. For example, Mutual of Omaha is dedicated to supporting the families of their customers and employees alike. It is shown that a company that values family, values the structural, functional, and behavioral attributes that make each family unique.

Mayo Clinic- Healing

As with any healthcare company, healing is a foundational value. A commitment to healing means that the company is dedicated to more than just a patient’s treatment plan. Rather, the company is dedicated to a patient’s overall health and well-being. Healthcare providers like the Mayo Clinic are driven to provide hope and healing to every patient.

Medtronic- Integrity

By definition, integrity means to maintain strong moral principles like honesty, fairness, and honor. It is vital that healthcare companies establish trust between the company and its customers. To do so, companies like Medtronic are committed to the pursuit of integrity in all situations. A company founded on integrity values the importance of unconditional honesty no matter what.

Humana- Diversity

The healthcare industry works with, arguably, the most diverse customer base in the world. Healthcare companies must be highly diverse to match and meet the needs of their clientele. Humana is an example of a company that successfully implements the value of diversity. For example, employees are encouraged to take pride in the things that make them unique. Workplace diversity makes employees feel respected and proud of the place they work.

Aetna- Excellence

The pursuit of excellence should be valued by companies in every industry. At Aetna, the value of excellence is a priority. Healthcare employees must be dedicated to providing high-quality care. The services you provide are a direct reflection of your core values, and the demand for excellence creates a standard of work that employees must adhere to.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to implement these top 10 core values for healthcare companies at your own company, reach out to BestCompaniesAZ. We specialize in employer branding and consulting, and would love to help you become a values-oriented, award-winning employer.

As an employer, the interview process can seem daunting. More so, it can be tough to determine if an applicant fits with your company culture based on a set of questions. At healthcare companies, the values of the organization should be everything an employee stands for. Therefore, it is important that the applicant’s values align with the company’s values.

Candidates should be able to provide examples of personal values and professional expertise. Below, we have compiled interview questions from leading healthcare companies. Simplify the interview process with this list of the 15 best healthcare interview questions from Arizona’s best healthcare companies.

Values, Goals, and Mission:

1. Patient care requires a lot of compassion. Do you consider yourself a compassionate person?

The field of healthcare requires a strong level of compassion for others. Therefore, this is a commonly asked question at healthcare companies like the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

2. What key values do you implement in your personal life?

At Pinnacle Transplant Technologies, interview questions like this allow the candidate to share about their values. It is important to know if their values align with the organizations.

3. Can you tell us about a time when you faced a difficult decision regarding ethics?

Healthcare companies work closely with patients, many that are terminally ill or facing long-term illness. Therefore, it is essential that the applicant can make ethical decisions on behalf of the patient. At healthcare companies like Dignity Health, the answer to this question is highly influential in the hiring process.

4. Do you have a healthcare-related mission or goal that inspires your daily activities? If so, explain.

The healthcare industry is ever-changing. Innovations occur on a daily basis. A candidate that is inspired by the future of healthcare is willing to grow and adapt . A motivated employee will be engaged in their work and excited about what they are doing.

5. Describe your passion for our mission.

Healthcare companies are driven by their mission. For this reason, candidates should be passionate about the company’s values, mission, and ethics.

Experience:

6. Tell us about your healthcare education. How does it relate to this position?

Experience sets one candidate apart from another. Furthermore, an educated candidate is likely to transition smoothly into the position being offered.

7. What are some accomplishments you have achieved that you can apply to this position?

Candidates with experience in the industry should be able to answer this question with ease. More so, take note of how the candidate has addressed and overcame obstacles in their career thus far.

8. What skills or abilities can you apply to this position?

Experienced candidates should be able to answer this question without difficulty.  Applicants that are confident with their abilities are confident employees. The Translational Genomics Research Institute asks this question to learn about candidate’s skills and abilities outside of what’s listed on their resume.  

9. What do you know about healthcare businesses? Can you give an example of a healthcare business that you believe is thriving?

Employees should be well-educated about their employer and its daily activities. The candidate’s response should align with the company’s ideals of success.

10. Give an example of a time you had to act quickly.

The healthcare industry is fast-paced,so the ability to act quickly and make the best decision for a patient is vital. Candidates should be prepared to make last-minute changes.

Background:

11. Why did you choose the healthcare sector as your field of study?

A question like this allows the candidate to share about their passion for the healthcare industry. According to Stryker Sustainability Solutions, candidates should be excited about what they are doing and why they are doing it.

12. Can you share an experience that solidified your passion for healthcare?

Healthcare professionals are driven by their desire to serve others. In particular, healthcare employees care for those who cannot care for themselves. Therefore, this is one of the most important questions to ask from this list of the 15 best healthcare interview questions from Arizona’s best healthcare companies.

13. Do you have any background in the healthcare sector aside from your education?

Candidates may have experience in the healthcare industry that was obtained outside of their education. The answer to this question gives insight into the applicant’s personal experiences outside of the lecture hall.

14. If applicable, why did you leave your last position?

Candidates should be given the opportunity to share about their past work experience. Their answer to this question provides insight into their ideal work environment or previous workplace struggles. With this in mind, this question must be answered with professionalism and poise.

15. Is there anything you would like us to know about you?

Though it seems simple, this is one of the most important questions you should ask from this list of the 15 best healthcare interview questions from Arizona’s best healthcare companies. An open-ended question like this allows an applicant to share any information that has not been discussed. As a result, you can understand the candidate’s passions on a deeper level.

Altogether, you are sure to find the perfect candidate when you use these 15 best healthcare interview questions from Arizona’s best healthcare companies!

Click here for more information on Arizona’s best companies and employer branding best practices.

Employee retention is a huge buzzword in today’s human resources world. After all, there’s no victory in attracting and hiring incredible talent if companies aren’t able to retain them. While getting employees to stay at and invest in their companies requires a multifaceted approach, one thing is clear: having a positive, engaging company culture is key.

May Webinar, Transforming Culture for Employee Retention

In the BestCompaniesUSA Institute’s May webinar, Transforming Culture for Employee Retention, Brian Stinson, Lindsay M. Smith and Michael S. Seaver shared insightful thoughts on the effect of employee engagement on retention. They also shared lessons companies learn from facilitating cultural change at the organizational and personal levels. Additionally, they presented and explored new data from azcentral.com‘s Top Companies to Work For in Arizona in 2018 awards.

We kicked off the webinar with a live poll and learned that the attendees’ biggest employee retention challenge involved the manager-employee relationship. Some people say that employees don’t leave companies, they leave managers.

Our attendees’ response illuminated just how important it is for managers to have a good relationship with their employees. Attendees also cited employee benefits, cultural fit, and career growth opportunities as employee retention challenges.

Insights from Webinar Special Guest, Brian Stinson

Each of the webinar hosts have a special connection to and passion for employee engagement.

Brian Stinson, co-founder and Principal of The Peak Fleet, a firm dedicated to helping companies increase their employee engagement, shared data from Gallup’s State of the American Workforce report. The report found that only one third of the American workforce is “engaged,” or happy at work.

Brian also shared that “Actively Disengaged” employees make up about 16% of the workforce. These employees are twice as likely to seek new jobs than engaged employees. The Gallup report revealed that employees are just as likely to seek a new job due to culture or management as they are for pay, benefits or career growth.

In the webinar, Brian shared his story, highlighting how his professional experiences led him to want to find ways to help people find purpose, meaning and clarity at work.

Insights from Webinar Host, Michael Seaver

Michael Seaver shared about the importance of benchmarking your company’s current employee engagement numbers. He also shared practical ways for organizations to do this and spoke of the value of using cross-functional teams to implement smooth cultural changes. Additionally, Michael talked about the importance of 1-on-1 employee meetings.

Then, he gave tips for companies to connect an employee’s personal mission to the organization’s mission. Seaver also shattered the myth that companies have to keep business completely separate from employees personal lives. He suggested that sharing work-appropriate personal information can actually help employees engage more deeply at work.

Insights from Webinar Host, Lindsay M. Smith

Lindsay M. Smith discussed key data from the 2018 Top Companies to Work for in Arizona award, revealing the top 10 key drivers of employee retention. Lindsay explained why statements such as “I feel I am valued at this organization,” “I feel I have made progress at work,” and “I have confidence in the leadership of this organization,” are foundational to employee retention.

To conclude the webinar, Lindsay shared a number of examples of what winners of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies award are doing to engage their employees in truly unique ways.

How You Can Catch Up

Our webinar was packed with insight, inspiration, and information. You can watch the webinar on our website or listen to it on our podcast!

The knowledge doesn’t have to end here. If you’re looking for ways to transform your company’s culture for employee retention, we can help. Contact us here!

Interested in applying for the 2018 Arizona’s Most Admired Companies Award? MAC is one of Arizona’s most comprehensive and prestigious award programs. The MAC program is nomination based and evaluates Arizona companies based on their excellence in innovation, customer opinion, corporate and social responsibility, workplace culture, and leadership excellence.

Companies are scored on a scale of 1 (unfavorable) to 4 (favorable) in each of the five categories, for a score out of a possible 25 points.

Here’s a deeper look at what constitutes a 5 out of 5 score in each category.

1. Leadership Excellence

The scoring committee will be looking for companies who demonstrate excellence in leadership regularly and visibly within the Arizona community. They want to hear about all facets of leadership. From building trust, to visionary and strategic leadership, to tactical and ethical leadership, to mentoring programs, and everything in between. Additionally, it’s important to highlight how your company’s leadership affects your community and the organization itself.

2. Workplace Culture

The Arizona’s Most Admired Companies committee loves recognizing companies with incredible workplace cultures. Let them know how you celebrate employees, create a safe space for women and minority groups in the workplace, promote wellness, and get employees excited to come to work.

Write about about your career development opportunities, benefits and perks. Please don’t just list your standard policy. The scoring committee wants to know what makes you unique. It’s also a great idea to supplement this section with feedback from credible employee surveys. They want to see that your employees feel supported, welcome and enthusiastic at work.

3. Corporate and Social Responsibility

Great companies give back and care about the community around them. In this section, the scoring committee will be looking to see if you have a strong reputation for corporate giving, volunteerism, philanthropic and environmental efforts. Companies may receive a 5 in this category for having a corporate giving and volunteer goal. A company that prioritizes corporate and social responsibility may provide lots of volunteer opportunities for employees along with incentives, recognition and paid time off to volunteer.

4. Customer Opinion

The scoring committee cares about the experience you provide for your customers. Strong companies in this category will have a solid product brand and external local, state, or national awards for providing great service. A great way to demonstrate your customer’s opinions is to share customer feedback and customer testimonials.

5.  Innovation

In this section, the scoring committee wants to hear about your company’s new, fresh ideas. More specifically, tell them about any new programs, products, processes, services, policies or policies that make your company unique in your industry. The more examples you include, the better!

If you have any questions about the Arizona’s Most Admired Companies scoring process, email BestCompaniesAZ Founder and President Denise Gredler at dgredler@bestcompaniesaz.com. We can’t wait to read your application!

The word is out. Arizona is a great place for recent graduates to kick start their careers and live comfortably. A recent report from WalletHub named 4 Arizona cities to the cohort of 10 Best Places for the Class of 2018 to Find a Job This Year.

Chandler, Scottsdale, Peoria and Gilbert took home first, second, fourth and fifth place, joining the ranks of job hubs like San Francisco, which placed third. To create the rankings, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities from across the U.S., evaluating them based on 26 key indicators. Cities were ranked based on socioeconomic factors, including median annual income and housing affordability. They were also ranked based on the estimated stretch of the city’s job market.

In today’s job landscape, college graduates are looking for jobs at companies that will train them, invest in them, and provide them with valuable growth opportunities. They want to launch their career at a company with values that align with their own. They want meaningful work at companies who are socially responsible, give back, and care about the community around them.

Graduates of the Class of 2018 can find what they’re looking for, and more, in Arizona. With a booming business economy and job opportunities in a variety of industries, Arizona offers an affordable, newcomer-friendly environment for college graduates.

Here’s a look at four reasons why Arizona is a great place for the Class of 2018 to live, work and play.

Great Weather Throughout the Year

Everyone talks about Arizona’s hot summers. But, people often overlook Arizona’s near-perfect weather during most of the year. In Arizona, you can wear shorts in February and a light jacket in December. Arizona’s mild weather during most of the year makes outdoor excursions every weekend possible. There’s nothing like being able to soak up the sun after putting in a solid 8 hour work day!

Great Companies With Endless Opportunities

Arizona is also home to many amazing employers. From technology companies and financial services firms, to healthcare companies, Arizona has it all. Because of its business-friendly legislations and great quality of life, Arizona attracts companies of all sizes. To browse open positions at some of Arizona’s best companies, click here!

Great People, Easy to Find Like-Minded Individuals

When moving to a new city, people want to find their tribe. Their friend group. The people they want to make memories with in this new chapter of their life. Arizona has something for everyone. College graduates can easily connect with other young professionals and recent college graduates through community groups, events and activities around the city.

Opportunities for Entrepreneurship

Arizona has a strong and ever growing community of entrepreneurs who are passionate about launching new businesses. For college graduates interested in having a non-corporate first job experience, Arizona startups are a great option.

If you’re interested in learning more about Arizona companies, click here to see open positions and learn more about the state’s top employers.