In general, the study found that what these companies all had in common was an employee-oriented focus. This approach encompasses programs such as generous benefits and profit sharing; workshops on matters such as stress reduction and financial planning; and helping when an employee is in need, such as with medical bills to supplement a family's insurance. 

Another commonality was a purpose-driven culture that encourages workers to pursue their passions, rather than  just the bottom line. For example, a pharmaceutical company that, instead of pushing scientists to research only the most profitable ailments, encourages them to explore the problems they're most interested in solving. Other firms  provide training and programs that may not necessarily be directly related to their employees' jobs but that the employees find interesting and want to do, such as giving presentations in the vein of TED Talks. 

There's also an emphasis on social bonding, such as celebrating important life transitions like weddings or the birth of a new child, as well as offering team-building activities that people actually want to do, like theater trips or company sports leagues. These activities allow people to form meaningful relationships at work. 

Finally, all these companies give workers a great deal of autonomy on how they do their own jobs, which leads to a sense of ownership of one's work, as well as space to be themselves. 

An examination of Glassdoor's recent Best 100 Places to Work list came to a similar conclusion. The firms on this list tended to prioritize a healthy company culture and a mission-driven mindset.