As employers take extraordinary steps to meet the needs of workers and customers during the pandemic, the Top Workplaces awards are recognizing those efforts.
Survey from employees is the sole basis for determining Top Workplaces. And that serves as the ultimate test of how employers are responding in the age of COVID.
“If COVID taught us anything, it’s that asking questions and listening to employees is critical to navigating this new world of work,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “More than ever, you need to be more intentional about your culture.”
This marks the ninth year the Union-Tribune has partnered with Philadelphia-based Energage to rank the Top Workplaces in San Diego County. The foundation of the program is a scientific survey of employees who rate their workplace culture. The also gives companies insights about what makes them unique.
Surveying began in May, when news articles and promotions encouraged nominations for Top Workplaces consideration. In all, 3,063 employers in the county were invited to have their employees take the survey. Any organization was eligible to participate, provided it had at least 50 employees in San Diego County. Employers could be public, private, nonprofit, or governmental. There is no cost to enter the Top Workplaces program.
Combined, the companies surveyed for the 2021 program employed 26,426 people in San Diego County. Of employees who received questionnaires, 16,135 responded, either on paper or online. For 2021, 100 employers earned recognition as Top Workplaces.
The employee engagement survey of 24 questions gathers responses regarding issues relating to workplace culture:
· Alignment – where the company is headed, its values, cooperation, effective meetings
· Coaching – managers care about concerns, are helpful, encourage employee development
· Connection – employees feel appreciated, work is meaningful, working at full potential, feel informed
· Engagement – productivity, retention, recruiting
· Leadership – confidence in company leaders
· Performance – execution, open-mindedness, innovation, clued-in leadership
· The Basics – pay, benefits, work/life flexibility, training, expectations
Employers that score high enough are recognized as Top Workplaces. Employers are ranked within size groups to accurately compare results. Energage also determines special award winners based on standout scores on specific survey topics.
Wonder why a particular company was not on the list? Perhaps it chose not to participate, or it did not score well enough in the survey. Energage sometimes disqualifies employers based on questionable results detected through statistical tests it runs to ensure organizations are accurately istering the survey.
To nominate an organization for the 2022 program, go to sandiegouniontribune.com/nominate.
Bob Helbig is the media partnerships director at Energage.
