Best companies to work for: 2016 winners promote personal fulfillment along with pay.

TIME. COMPENSATION. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WELLNESS. These are just a few of the themes visible in the following firms- our annual Best Companies to Work For. Finding a dream job is no easy feat - typically requiring compromise between a big paycheck, congenial culture and team, and incentives that nourish the mind, body and soul.

But then there are some places where you don't have to settle or compromise.

Though bottom lines aren't completely irrelevant on this list, they fall to the background as the human beings - who make the wheels turn, who serve, who tinker, who return emails and make decisions, big and small - rise to the top and their companies declare victory as a result.

In Colorado, we hear much about work-life balance - so we better have some brilliant businesses that can speak to both. Without further ado, we present the 2016 Best Companies to Work For.

SMALL COMPANIES

1 TOTAL QUALITY LOCISTICS

GIVE-BACK | FESTIVITIES

www.tql.com

HQ: Cincinnati; Denver-based satellite office

Founded in 1997, TQL is the second-largest freight brokerage firm in the country, employing roughly 3,800. As a sales organization in the transportation industry, the company arranges truckload deliveries and pickups across North America.

EXCEPTIONAL PERKS/POLICIES:

* Last year, TQL supported 140 nationwide nonprofits. involving 73 percent of its workforce in its internal giveback strategy, primarily focused on children's charities. health and wellness initiatives and military/veteran causes.

* TQL believes "to the victor goes the spoils," meaning an employee's income is only capped by effort. In sales. where 75 percent of TOL's employees work, each individual is offered the opportunity for unlimited income. Since 1997. TOL has had an uncapped commission structure.

Suite of work-life balance aids

* TaskRabbit: A concierge service provider that helps users complete errands.

* Minibar: Wine, beer and liquor delivery services (available where not prohibited by law).

* Your Mechanic: An app that links people with area mobile car maintenance services.

* Postable: A custom card delivery service, first used two years ago to enable employees to send Mother's Day cards from their desks.

2. VOLKBELL

   WELLNESS | OUTINGS | FESTIVITIES | TEAM-BUILDING www.volkbell.com HQ: Longmont

   Doubling down on relationship-building with customers, this Northern Colorado-based insurance and human-resources consultancy has been helping companies with benefit programs, insurance plans, human resources, property and casualty services, and work-site wellness for about 30 years. The family company invests in employees' personal and professional development. paying for annual leadership conferences and supporting continuing education pursuits.

   EXCEPTIONAL PERKS/POLICIES

   "When I began working at VolkBell, I was at my most unhealthy physical state. The subtle emphasis that VolkBell puts on living healthily really impacted how I looked at food choice and exercise. Because of the support and encouragement that our team provides, my weight has significantly dropped, and my energy has significantly increased, which is something I would have not thought I would have received when entering the world of insurance. "

   - anonymous employee

   * Putting the "human" back in human resources, character-building has a day on the calendar every single month at VolkBell, during which the company comes together for special programming. One individual on the team is recognized for demonstrating a particular quality, such as integrity or punctuality, and then. each quarter, company members are asked to provide examples of how they live that value.

3. MOTIVITY SOLUTIONS

   New to the list GIVE-BACK I OUTINGS | FESTIVITIES I TIME | OFFICE ENVIRONMENT | DRESS UP/DRESS DOWN I WELLNESS www.motivitysolutions.com HQ: Aurora

   Before launching Motivity Solutions, the founders started, grew and eventually sold a retail mortgage banking company--the seventh largest FHA lender in the country from 2003 to 2004. Its sale was the largest privately held mortgage company acquisition that year. Fast-forward and now, it seems, history has repeated itself. Motivity Solutions, launched in 2006, developed a platform used by half the nation's top lenders to cultivate data-driven profit growth and compliance. With forward-thinking business philosophies, Motivity has experienced unmatched productivity, high employee morale and outstanding profitability. Hence, Black Knight Financial Services Inc. (NYSE: BKFS), a provider of technology, data and analysis across the mortgage loan lifecycle, acquired Motivity Solutions in June of this year.

   EXCEPTIONAL PERKS/POLICIES:

   * Casual dress code

   * Standup desks

   * Flexible schedule//Work from home capability

   * On-site workout facility

   * Make a Difference Day

   * Fully stocked fridge

   * Sabbatical benefits at the five- and...