Marriott Rises on Fortune's 2012 '100 Best Companies to Work For' List

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 15th consecutive year, Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) earned top marks on FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" List, rising 14 places from 71st to 57th.  This distinction maintains Marriott's "All Star" status as one of only 13 companies that have appeared on every list since it launched in 1998.  Marriott was the highest ranked lodging company, and the highest ranked of the four companies with 100,000 or more employees.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090217/MARRIOTTINTLLOGO)

"Marriott's culture is woven throughout every aspect of the company," said David Rodriguez, executive vice president of global human resources for Marriott International. "From the company's beginning nearly 85 years ago, putting people first has been a core value.  It continues to be the foundation for our success and one of the reasons why so many of our employees choose to make Marriott their career-long destination and extended family."

FORTUNE specifically featured Marriott as a "Social Media Star." Last year, the company ventured into new ground by launching the popular 'My Marriott Hotel,' a social media game which allows people to run their own virtual hotel.  The game has been played in 130 countries, and in addition to English will soon be available in Spanish, French, Arabic and Mandarin.  (The game can be found at http://www.facebook.com/marriottjobsandcareers.)  Marriott International and its brands also have a strong presence on Twitter, YouTube, MarriottU and China Careers blogs, and "Marriott on the Move", a blog written by the chairman, Bill Marriott, which is now distributed in Mandarin. 

The article noted that Marriott offers its employees tremendous career growth opportunities, highlighting that more than 3,000 managers started with the company in hourly positions.

Marriott has been recognized as a great place to work by several prominent publications including Working Mother, DiversityInc, and LATINA Style magazines. The company was most recently named one of the "World's Best Multinational Workplaces" by Great Place to Work® Institute.  For a list of other awards and recognition, visit http://news.marriott.com/awards-and-recognition.html.

The full list of companies and related stories appear in the February 6 issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands next week, and now at http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2012/full_list/.

Methodology

To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America; 280 firms participated in this year's survey. More than 246,000 employees at those companies responded to a survey created by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management's credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. After evaluations are completed, if news about a company comes to light that may significantly damage employees' faith in management, we may exclude it from the list.  Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible. For information on how to apply, visit www.greatplacetowork.com.  

Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

SOURCE Marriott International