Des Moines, IA:  At a time when the rollercoaster economy has thrown the business world for a loop, 10 award-winning companies have sought balance using a simple formula for success: strong benefits can build a strong workforce which helps support a strong bottom line. A new best practices guide tells the stories of how – and why – The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security – 2008 remain committed to employee benefits in the best and the worst of times.

“Great benefits are one of the keys to happy, productive employees. In our business, happy employees are the key to sustained growth in any economic environment,” said Bill Roark, CEO of Torch Technologies, one of The Principal 10 Best – 2008.

Selected by an independent panel of renowned benefits experts, The Principal 10 Best Companies have found ways to balance the need for strong benefits with the need to control costs.

“In a challenging environment like this, it is refreshing to showcase the good things happening in companies today,” said Renee Schaaf, vice president, the Principal Financial Group, sponsor of the national recognition program. The Principal 10 Best companies are working hard to stand by their employees. They understand how they treat their employees during tough times will impact their ability to keep and attract great employees when the economy turns around.”

The new guide, The Formula for Success, showcases the fundamental best practices that help the savvy organizations withstand financial twists and turns and give them a competitive advantage.

“One of the long-lasting benefits (of this program) is that lots of other companies can learn from what The Principal 10 Best do,” said Tim Welsh, director, McKinsey & Company and judge for The Principal 10 Best, “If we even get a small number of employers who read this guide to do a few things better, the number of employees who will be helped by these kinds of insights is truly huge.”

Source:  Torch Technologies