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Get to know the strategies behind the nation’s leading employer recognition program
No two Top Workplaces are exactly alike. In fact, they come in all shapes and sizes from just about every industry. But these standout organizations share one thing in common. They’re dedicated to people-first culture excellence, and they prioritize it day in and day out. So, how do we determine if your organization deserves a Top Workplaces award?
So, who determines if your organization is a Top Workplaces winner? Those who know you best: your employees. The Top Workplaces program starts with capturing their feedback on what matters most about your culture.
Participants of the regional and national awards programs must survey their employees using the Energage Workplace Survey. The research-backed employee engagement survey consists of 24 base statements that capture anonymous responses in four culture imperatives.
Survey results are compared to our Top Workplaces benchmark. With more than 16 years of data from 27 million employee surveys across 70,000 organizations, your data is compared against the industry’s best-in-class.
Top Workplaces are determined by feedback captured by the employee engagement survey. There are no essays, forms, or other organization-provided content that allows for subjective analysis.
Organizations must achieve a 35% response rate to be considered for the Top Workplaces award. For organizations with fewer than 85 employees, at least 30 survey responses are required.
Energage statistical tests look for any questionable results and ensure organizations are accurately administering the survey. Sometimes, we have to disqualify a small number of organizations based on what we find or other factors such as a low response rate.
Participating organizations are categorized into size bands, from small to large or extra-large. We do this because of a phenomenon similar to “mean reversion,” where the larger the group of people, the less extreme their scores can be.
Organizations are ranked within their size band based solely on employee responses to the survey statements. The top employers in each size band are selected as Top Workplaces winners. We also determine a list of special awards based on standout scores on specific survey statements.
Companies with the highest overall average scores (compared to like-sized companies) qualify as Top Workplaces.
National Top Workplaces includes annual and quarterly employer recognition, including USA, Industry, and Culture Excellence awards. To be eligible, organizations must employ a minimum of 150 employees. Companies can be public, private, nonprofit, for profit, or governmental. There is no cost to participate.
For national awards, employers are categorized in four size bands:
Working together with some of the most prestigious media outlets across the nation, there are regional Top Workplaces awards in more than 55 major U.S. markets. Depending on the region, eligible organizations must have a minimum of 35 or 50 employees. Companies can be public, private, nonprofit, educational, or governmental. Like the national awards, there is no cost to participate.
Have questions? Go here to see our Top Workplaces Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Get started today! The first step to nominate your organization — the process is easy and it takes less than a minute to do.