Catherine Roberts

Change is hard. 15-year Top Workplaces winners talk about how they managed through tough years

Coming up through Minnesota office, Newinski now is studying AI.

KPMG Chief Operating Officer Laura Newinski says AI is her current learning focus, and she is asking every employee to do the same.

Each year, the Minnesota Star Tribune and Energage partner to rank companies on how employees view their employers.

While the Minneapolis-based retailer did not have blockbuster November and December sales, they were better than the company’s third quarter.

The annual ranking of companies involves surveying employees.

The deadline to nominate companies is Feb. 10.

Honorees work on their companies’ culture because they say it improves their performance.

A Gallup survey found managers had the greatest influence on nearly one-third of workers’ daily lives. Another study found that more than three-fourths of engaged workers said they had good managers.

Sales fell 6% as the Medina-based company continues to discount vehicles to get them off lots. At the same time, because of the “global macroeconomic environment,” the company’s costs were up.