CHICAGO, Dec. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifteen investment managers were named the Best Places to Work in Money Management by Pensions & Investments, the international newspaper of money management.

The winners, divided by size of workforce, are:

More than 1,000 employees
1. The Principal Financial Group - Des Moines, Iowa
2. Diversified - Harrison, New York
3. Bridgewater Associates LP - Westport, Conn.
4. SEI - Oaks, Pa.
5. Invesco Ltd. - Atlanta

100 to 1,000 employees
1. Hamilton Lane Advisors - Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
2. Clearbridge Advisors - New York
3. AEW Capital Management - Boston
4. William Blair & Co. - Chicago 
5. Western Asset Management Co. - Pasadena, Calif.

Less than 100 employees
1. Robert W. Baird & Co. - Milwaukee, Wis.          
2. Balentine LLC - Atlanta
3. Modera Wealth Management - Westwood, N.J.
4. Perkins Investment Management - Chicago
5. Dana Investment Advisors - Brookfield, Wis.

This is the first year Pensions & Investments has undertaken this project. P&I partnered with Buck Surveys, a unit of Buck Consultants. Buck crunched all of the data from an employee survey that accounted for 60% of a firm's score and am employer survey, which accounted for 40%.

The "winners" come in all sizes and stripes, yet they share some common — and critical — characteristics. All of the companies had strong cultures, positive work environments, high employee engagement and good benefits.

The surveys sometimes produced differing results. For example, career development ranked higher on employees' lists than on employers' lists.

Also, employees didn't seem to consider the existence of special perks to be a big deal. Still, of the 15 companies that made the list:

• Eight provide free or subsidized meals and one (Bridgewater) provides free snacks and beverages around the clock;
• 10 have fitness facilities or memberships; 10 offer company-paid parking; and
• Four — Bridgewater, Diversified, Principal and SEI — have on-site recreational amenities like basketball courts.
• And, the 15 money management firms that made the grade were — not surprisingly — much more likely to offer work-life benefits than the full universe of managers participating in the project. Those benefits ranged from flex time to child care to job sharing to pet sitting to on-site dry cleaning.

About Pensions & Investments  
Since 1973, P&I has been the leading resource for industry investment data, analysis and news. With unmatched integrity and professionalism, Pensions & Investments consistently delivers news, research and analysis to the executives who manage the flow of funds in the institutional investment market. Written for pension, portfolio and investment management executives at the hub of this market, Pensions & Investments provides its audience with timely and incisive coverage of events affecting the money management business. Written by a worldwide network of reporters and correspondents, Pensions & Investments' coverage includes business and financial news, legislative reports, global investments, product development, portfolio management, risk management, technology, investment performance, executive changes, corporate governance and other topics crucial to the people who drive the world of professional money.  Pensions & Investments will be celebrating 40 years of publishing in 2013.

SOURCE Pensions & Investments