Employees of the Arizona Diamondbacks know how to incorporate the love of the game into their everyday office work.

HEALTH CARE
 
Mayo Clinic
mayoclinic.com
Regarded as one of if not the most prestigious health care providers in the country, Mayo Clinic, which has locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale, also happens to have a pretty high retention rate, with more than 17 percent of employees boasting 20 or more years of service (the company’s annual turnover rate is a low 6.9 percent). Headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic made Fortune magazine’s 2008 list of the 100 best places to work – its fifth year in a row – thanks to a pretty hefty list of employee perks, such as on-site childcare, fitness facilities, compressed workweeks, telecommuting programs and job-sharing options. The company also earned high scores for diversity, job creation and hiring practices. Of Mayo’s 41,000 employees, nearly 5,000 work at the Scottsdale and Phoenix locations.

St. Joseph’s Hospital
and Medical Center
stjosephs-phx.org
A five-time winner of the Best Places to Work in the Valley award from the Phoenix Business Journal and BestCompaniesAZ, and a two-time honoree by the Great Place to Work Institute, this level-one trauma center in the heart of uptown Phoenix certainly keeps its medical staff busy. The full-service hospital was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Mercy and was the first hospital in the Phoenix area. Now with 743 beds and a central location, it has grown to become one of the busiest emergency centers in the state. Home to the internationally recognized Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s also provides cardiovascular services, high-risk obstetrics care, pediatrics and rehabilitation programs. While many other health care facilities are struggling to hire enough professionals, St. Joseph’s has lengthy waiting lists for many units. Along with being exposed to a variety of medical cases and working with cutting-edge medical technology, employees are also intrigued by a creative benefits list that includes an on-site concierge, Starbucks and valet parking, as well as employee events such as the annual Super Bowl bash and Cinco de Mayo salsa cook-off.

SPORTS

Arizona Diamondbacks
dbacks.com
You can work behind a desk and still be in the big leagues. Named one of the best places to work in 2007 by the Phoenix Business Journal and BestCompaniesAZ, the Arizona Diamondbacks is the first professional sports organization to earn such an honor – not surprising for a team that won the World Series in just its fourth year of existence. While the bright lights might be on the field, serious attention is given to the employees in the back office, with regular roundtable meetings between management and employees and a rotating council comprised of members from all levels of the organization focusing on enhancing company events and culture. The organization also has a passionate commitment to community, donating more than $13 million to nonprofits in Arizona since 1997.

Phoenix Suns
suns.com
Ask any Valley 10-year-old with a basketball tucked under his arm what he wants to be when he grows up, and you’ll probably get some version of an NBA dream. Turns out that a gig with the Phoenix Suns is attainable, after all. Beyond the hard court, the Suns organization, along with affiliated entities US Airways Center, Phoenix Mercury and the Phoenix Roadrunners, has a strong focus on charity and community with multiple fundraising campaigns and outreach initiatives. For anyone looking to move up in a professional sports career, working here will round out your resume and pad it with plenty of philanthropic endeavors. There’s also the perk of running into your favorite NBA star at the office (imagine exchanging a high-five with Steve Nash on your way to the bathroom). The winner of the Peter Barron Stark and Associates Award for Workplace Excellence, the Suns organization also offers employees flexible schedules, game and event tickets, and employee events that include Halloween costume contests, putt-putt golf sessions at the arena and full-staff meetings (multi-million dollar contracts included).