Content area
Full text
DreamWorks Animation has earned accolades for "Shrek," "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda," but the movie studio headed by former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg has more to celebrate than box-office gold.
It was named No. 6 on the latest "100 Best Companies to Work For" list published annually in Fortune after placing No. 47 the previous year. The San Francisco, Calif.-based Great Place to Work Institute, Inc., which compiles the list, singled out DreamWorks Animation "for nurturing creativity, collaboration and innovation in an employee-centric culture."
"One of the fantastic things about being part of the HR department at this company is having a CEO who sees the value in each employee," Dan Satterthwaite, head of global human resources for DreamWorks Animation, said at the institute's recent annual conference in Los Angeles. Katzenberg has been known to call prospective new hires and make a personal pitch to join the company, which has a reputation for pampering its employees.
Robert Levering, the institute's co-founder, noted in a keynote address that DreamWorks is an aberration in Hollywood, which, despite the glitz and glamour, can be an inhospitable place for scores of behind-the-scenes talent. Indeed, DreamWorks Animation was the only entertainment company named to Fortune's list.
Movie nights
The roughly 2,000 artists, animators, storytellers, filmmakers and technologists from more than 30 countries who work for DreamWorks Animation are treated to a weekly Monday night screening of new movies, including those from competitors such as Pixar. They also receive copies of DreamWorks Animation DVDs.
When one of the company's own films is finished, a private screening is held for employees and their families. Sometimes everyone is given a vacation day to celebrate the company's more successful films....