Robert Levering, author of A Great Place To Work and The 100 Best Companies To Work For In America, has talked with employees of literally thousands of companies – from the janitor to the CEO. He saw patterns emerging about what makes a great place to work. What did he find?

FIRST, good employers treat their employees fairly and they pay particular attention to making the working environment an attractive place to work.

SECOND, outstanding employers know that you can have a good company, but you also need to attract workers who enjoy their jobs. Some of the features of a good job include: giving responsibility back to the employees; recognizing employees who have done outstanding jobs; allowing employees to grow, to be trained and most importantly to make mistakes.

THIRD, a great place to work is one where everyone understands and accepts the rules and an environment that allows for open communication, which also reduces social and economic distinctions.

FINALLY, a great place to work rewards employees for their successes, and provides shared ownership and profits.

Whether or not you agree with Levering’s definition of a great place to work, he asks the crucial question; “What makes a good employer vs. bad employer?” Levering’s companion book, The 100 Best Companies To Work For In America, documents actual employers who go out of their way to create great places to work!

Before you do look for another job, ask yourself what makes a great place to work. How do you want to spend a large portion of you day? Doing what? Where? But most critically, what is at the core of our happiness? What elements of a company are “musts”?

Many; the larger companies draw attention to their attractive business practices, while most applicants work for small or mid-sized companies whose attractive features are not so well-known.

When looking for your next job, you might want to ask to size up a prospective employer using the criteria Levering has outlined in A Great Place To Work.

“From an employee viewpoint, a great place to work is one in which you trust the people you work for, have pride in what you do and enjoy the people you are working with.”