Entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder of software firm Atlassian
Entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder of software firm Atlassian gestures during a Reuters interview in central Sydney June 5, 2013. Reuters/Daniel Munroz

BRW named on Friday a software firm about to launch a HipChat app for Apple watch as the best placed to work in Australia. The award is based on feedback from over 28,000 workers polled by BRW and a culture audit.

Optiver, the top placer in 2013, was second placer. The company is in financial services and insurance. In third to fifth spots are Salesforce, a software-as-a-service seller; Universal McCann, an advertising agency; and MECCA Brands, a cosmetics distributor, respectively.

Atlassian is a relatively young company but already valued at $3.3 billion by external investment. The 12-year-old firm plans to boost its total manpower to 1,300 this financial year by 400.

Established by Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, Atlassian tells new employees to add to the company's culture by sharing their experiences, viewpoints, perspectives and talents. "When I hear companies say they want to preserve their culture, I get worried because those things will always evolve with the people you add," said Jeff Diana, the chief people officer.

According to Marketingmag.com, there are seven reasons why Atlassian is the best place to be employed in Australia. These are:

  • Gives workers some time to spend on their own project,
  • Uses mod-app that immediately identifies issues,
  • Executives hosts open-mic time,
  • Gives employees time to support their favoured charity,
  • Pays new workers to take a holiday of their choice even before they start reporting for work,
  • Brings news graduates to the beach for one week participating in fun challenges that allow them at the same time to know the company, and
  • Provides a drinks refrigerator, boutique beer on tap, pick'n'mix station, table tennis, pool table, video games and board games as office perks.

About 40 per cent of the top 25 Aussie firms on BRW's list are IT companies. The magazine also made another list of top 25 companies with less than 100 employees, topped by The Physico Co, a health company; Coleman Brands, maker of camping gear; and Sidcor Chartered Accountants, respectively.

Female corporate officers have an impact on making their offices best places to work since BRW observed that many of the companies on their top 25 list are run by a woman chief executive officer. And 7 of the top 22 have female-dominated management teams that often do well in hiring worker who fit in well, has a clear view of the organisation's direction and strategies how to get there, axe employees as a last resort and avoid politics and backstabbing to achieve objectives.

The gender of executives is also evident in terms of perks, with most male-run offices offering football tables and free beers, while female-dominated workplaces are offering Estee Lauder items and monthly massages.

Here's a peek at life in Atlassian:

YouTube/Atlassian