Baird & Warner and Guaranteed Rate both placed high on the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces 2012 list, which ranks Chicago’s best office cultures with employee surveys.

By Peter Ricci

Chicago real estate was well represented in the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces of 2012, with both Baird & Warner and Guaranteed Rate earning high distinctions from the paper.

The Top Workplaces is an exhaustive list that ranks the top large, midsize and small companies in the Chicagoland metro area by employee satisfaction. The Tribune compiles the list yearly, and for 2012, Guaranteed Rate was ranked the 34th in the mid-size companies, and Baird & Warner was ranked third for large companies.

Baird & Warner/Guaranteed Rate Among Tribune’s Top Workplaces

Stephen W. Baird, the president and CEO of Baird & Warner, said that his firm, which has been in the family name for generations, depends on its distinct business culture to succeed.

“While I am immensely proud of our performance, the Baird & Warner culture is invaluable as well,” Baird said. “My family has worked for generations to create a company that we can be proud of, but it’s really our fantastic broker associates and employees who set the tone. Their positive and upbeat energy creates a buzz in each and every one of our offices, making this a place where people want to come to work every day.”

Victor Ciardelli, the CEO and president of Guaranteed Rate, highlighted the lender’s growth in his comments about its placing.

“Guaranteed Rate is honored to be named one of Chicago’s top workplaces, especially since our employees voted us as deserving of the designation,” Ciardelli said. “Since our founding in 2000, we’ve grown to more than 2300 employees today, and we are committed to offering our team members a meaningful work-life balance through a collaborative environment and health conscious initiatives.”

This is the second time that Guaranteed Rate has been included on the Top Workplaces list.

Transwestern/Jones Lang LaSalle Also Top Workplaces

In addition to Baird & Warner and Guaranteed Rate, two other real estate firms were also present in the list: Transwestern, a Houston-based company with offices in Chicago, was ranked the 12th best workplace for small companies; and Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc., which focuses on commercial real estate, was the 14th best large company.