Amid a workplace environment that’s navigating through a churning economy, the lingering effects of the pandemic and a sometimes contradictory job market, the 11th edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Top Workplaces provides companies an opportunity to see how they stack up among their employees.
“We’re in really interesting times,” said Bob Helbig, spokesman for Energage, the suburban Philadelphia firm that conducts the Top Workplaces employee surveys as a research partner for the Union-Tribune. “There are certain sectors, like the tech sector, that are really being challenged in a lot of ways but there are other sectors, like the service industry, where there’s still a tremendous demand for employees.”
By conducting satisfaction surveys, Top Workplaces allows companies to receive unfiltered from their workers. All it takes to participate is for someone to nominate a particular organization by going to
/nominate or calling (619) 780-3999.
The deadline for nominations is July 7.
Energage takes the nominations, s the companies and if they agree to take part, each employee receives an anonymous survey that takes about five minutes to complete. Employees read 24 statements — such as, “I feel genuinely appreciated at this company” — and rank them on a scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”
Responses are kept confidential and Energage shares the results with the organizations in private.
“Our focus is to show employers their strengths and their weaknesses,” Helbig said. “We want them to understand, based on the employee , the areas where they seem to be strong and areas that need attention.”
There is no cost for organizations to take part.
Anyone can submit nominations — employees, management and even people who don’t work at the company. Nonprofits, companies in the government sector and private businesses are all eligible. The only restrictions are the organizations must be located in San Diego County and employ at least 50 people.
Companies are broken down by size, ranging from small (50 to 149 employees), midsize (150 to 499 employees) and large (500 or more).
The top performers will be featured in a dedicated section of the Union-Tribune toward the end of the year.
Aya Healthcare, with headquarters in Sorrento Valley, has taken part in Top Workplaces for the past nine years. The largest health care staffing company in the U.S., Aya Healthcare finished No. 1 last year among San Diego top workplaces in the large-company category and its CEO, Alan Braynin, was recognized in the leadership division.
“This survey is just one of the many ways that we check our own teams to see how we’re doing,” said Amber Zeeb, the company’s chief people officer and executive vice president of global employee services and infrastructure. “It gives us a wide range of areas to focus on and then we know where we need to drill down.”
As for those companies who aren’t sure if they want to take part in Top Workplaces?
“I would absolutely recommend that they partake in this because I think it’s incredibly beneficial to employers in San Diego because it’s a great marketing tool to help you attract top talent,” Zeeb said. “It’s an excellent way to let job seekers know how your employees feel about working at your organization … It’s a confidential, safe way for your team to provide on where you can be doing better.”
The number of organizations taking part is on the rise. In 2022, Energage surveyed 160 companies in the San Diego area, compared to 141 the year before. And almost 22,000 employees responded to the 2022 surveys, up about 30 percent compared to 2021.
Nationally, Energage surveyed about 2 million employees last year at more than 8,000 organizations.
“This Top Workplaces allows companies to understand the sentiment of employees,” Helbig said. “It’s a calling card for companies that are hiring because it’s kind of a third-party seal of approval for companies as a quality workplace. But it also reinforces that companies are doing the right things by listening to their employees, acting on what they hear and making sure they do all the right things.”
Energage conducts Top Workplaces surveys for media clients in 62 markets, including the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the Dallas Morning News and the Denver Post.
