2012 marks company’s fifth consecutive year on top workplaces list

Today General Mills was named to FORTUNE's annual list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the fifth consecutive year.  FORTUNE cited the company’s strong career development opportunities as a standout among the many workplace attributes that earned it a spot on the prestigious ranking.  General Mills has made the list 10 times since first appearing in 1998.

“We’re thrilled to be recognized by FORTUNE for our commitment to making General Mills a great place to work for all employees,” said Mike Davis, senior vice president of Global Human Resources for General Mills. “When I speak with employees around the world and ask them what they are looking for in a workplace, they say surprisingly similar things. We all want to be respected and treated well, we want to feel safe, we want to make a difference, we want to grow, we want to learn, and we want to like the people we work with. These attributes may sound simple, but they become powerful when they are built into the values and culture of a company, as they are at General Mills.”

As noted by FORTUNE in its online coverage, General Mills places a priority on developing talented employees for a long and successful career with the company.  Leadership and skill development programs include mentoring, access to leadership experts and speakers, training, individual development planning, and recently, the Great Manager initiative.

“We believe that an employee’s view of their direct manager – positive or negative – is one of the most significant drivers of their engagement, success and satisfaction,” Davis said.

Inspired by the impact great managers have on the company’s success, General Mills recently launched the Great Manager initiative. The initiative clearly defines the skills and abilities of great managers, and then helps managers develop these traits through specific training, tools, mentoring, and feedback. As a result, General Mills has seen an increase in the number of employees who indicate they work for a great manager, according to employee surveys.

Ranking 63rd, General Mills is one of three Minnesota-based companies on the 2012 list; Mayo Clinic and Allianz were also honored by FORTUNE. General Mills is the only food manufacturer to earn a spot on the list. The full list and related stories appear online at FORTUNE.com/bestcompanies.

General Mills has made FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies list in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2000 and 1998.

Visit the company’s blog, A Taste of General Mills, to read General Mills employees’ perspectives on what makes the company a great place to work. 

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. Two hundred and eighty companies participated in this year’s survey. 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 other third of the scoring is based on the company’s 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, internal communication, recognition, training programs and diversity efforts.

About General Mills
General Mills is one of the world’s leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries. Its consumer brands include Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Progresso and Old El Paso. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2011 net sales of US$14.9 billion.

For more information, contact:

Maerenn Jepsen
General Mills
763-764-6365