Springfield Business Journal’s Choice Employers honor made its debut in 2006 as Best Places to Work. Though the name has changed, the purpose of this honor has remained the same: To shed light on local companies that are great places to work.
There are some obvious perks – such as salaries or company-paid health coverage – that would entice employees. Not all benefits, however, are cut-and-dried, or even tangible, and we used a 32-question online survey, with results verified by Evangel University’s business department, to get to the core of what makes participating companies sought after by members of the work force.
The questions are categorized into five key areas: family friendly, incentives, people development, corporate culture and civic engagement.
Survey questions had varied numbers of possible responses, each with different point values. In some instances, a score of one – the lowest possible – may actually mean that the benefit in question isn’t offered. One question allows participants to provide multiple responses to identify some benefits from a predetermined list, and the score for that question is based on the number identified. Each company’s score is the total derived from survey responses, and the process doesn’t take into account employees’ perceived value of any benefits. Also, questions in some categories may be more heavily weighted than others.
While our goal with a numbers-based survey was to get to the facts about employee benefits, the outcome is that it’s not always a one-size fits all scenario. Not every company that participates will have every benefit that the survey asks about, and in some cases, they may be prohibited from offering them. In these cases, we advised companies to choose the option that seemed closest.
As you will see on the following pages, this year’s class of Choice Employers comprises companies working hard to keep their employees engaged and satisfied. Perhaps within the following pages you’ll find benefits ideas for your employers.
And if you’re looking for a job, this booklet may be just what you need to narrow your search.
Click here for the full 2011 Choice Employers.[[In-content Ad]]
