Customer satisfaction is directly related to the employee experience. Employees who are empowered and enjoy what they do are far more likely to provide excellent customer service. This philosophy has been the foundation of LexJet’s success and growth over the years and was recognized in Florida Trend magazine’s annual Best Companies to Work for in Florida.

LexJet was ranked 13th among mid-sized companies, which is LexJet’s highest ranking in the past four years and makes LexJet the highest ranked mid-sized company in the Sarasota area.

“What this year’s ranking tells us is that we continue to improve on our dual objectives of enhancing the employee experience and creating the best customer experience in the industry,” says Art Lambert, LexJet founder and CEO. “You can’t have one without the other, and we believe that great customer service starts with creating an amazing workplace – one that’s fun, enriching and entrepreneurial.”

The Best Companies to Work for in Florida program was created by Florida Trend and Best Companies Group and is endorsed by the HR Florida State Council. To be considered for participation, companies or government entities had to employ at least 15 workers in Florida and have been in operation at least one year.

Companies that chose to participate underwent an evaluation of their workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The process also included a survey to measure employee satisfaction. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the registration, survey and analysis and determined the final rankings.

“One thing that distinguishes best companies everywhere is their ability to hire effectively. So for our coverage this year we focused on how Florida’s Best Companies go about identifying and choosing their workers,” says Mark Howard, executive editor. “Hard skills are clearly important, but the companies we talked to generally put a lot of emphasis on other things as well — how well a worker will fit into the company’s culture, for example. And in deciding whether to hire someone, they frequently involve as many of their current employees as possible.”

For a list of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in Florida, go to www.FloridaTrend.com/BestCompanies.