Dedicated to helping families who have children with autism, the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center promotes playtime at its on-site preschool.

DEVELOPMENT

Kitchell
kitchell.com
Headquartered in Phoenix, Kitchell is a privately held company that is 100 percent employee owned. Founded in 1950 by Samuel F. Kitchell and James B. Phillips, the general contracting, construction management and real estate development firm now boasts more than 1,200 employees and has nine offices in Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii. Listed as one of the best places to work for the last four years by the Phoenix Business Journal, Kitchell focuses less on the material perks such as snack centers and foosball tables and instead puts its human resources energy into employee training and professional development. The result is a high retention rate and a reputation as the Valley’s best construction/real estate employer.

Pulte Homes Inc.
pulte.com
True, now is probably not the best time to be working in the housing industry. But when things are hot, they’re scorching at Pulte Homes. Leading top employer lists from Fortune, Business Week, national diversity organizations and college networking Web sites, the 58-year-old builder with homes in 26 states touts its team culture and value of diversity as two of its biggest recruitment attractions. In fact, expect to celebrate a wide range of cultures while working for Pulte, which honors events such as Hispanic Heritage Month in September. Employment opportunities with Pulte include a wide range of areas, such as construction, mortgage banking, customer relations, information technology, finance and sales. And if you’re a recent college grad, there’s even more room to be hopeful – Pulte has been named a top employer by CollegeGrads.com for two years in a row.

NONPROFIT

Southwest Autism Research
and Resource Center
autismcenter.org
It’s never the paycheck that drives people to work for a nonprofit. The category alone is a big clue that any money coming in is going right back out for whatever the organization’s cause. But in many cases, it’s that altruistic concept that makes working for a nonprofit far more rich and rewarding than any slicked up boardroom. And the warm, fuzzy dividends earned by working at the Phoenix-based Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center sure make a day’s work breeze by. Dedicated to helping families with children with autism, center employees are involved in everything from public education and intervention to fundraising and community outreach. Located in central Phoenix, the organization’s building also possesses a calming atmosphere (one conducive to working with children with environmental sensitivities) with tranquil lighting, soothing colors and open spaces. It’s also common to see children from the center’s community school playing in the center courtyard (another perk, the on-site community preschool is open to both children with and without autism).