A strong supportive culture. We are not talking about the superficial cultures that have become increasingly popular and are defined by having Ping-Pong tables and kegs. A truly strong culture offers mutual support, promotes trust, rewards employees’ efforts, and ensures that employees know their work is meaningful. Professional growth is a priority. Instead of growing employees' skills to match the companies needs, great companies look for ways to grow the company based on employees’ passions. They continually ask employees what they are interested in doing and how they would like to see their career unfold. Liking the people you work with. Since we spend so much time with our co-workers, it’s important to like and respect them. Working with people who are supportive and understanding fosters personal connections and professional growth. Work that is challenging and requires you to grow. People inherently want to be challenged so they can continually grow and learn new skills. Great companies expect their employees to rise to challenges and be completely engaged.