Best Places to Work
Crain's Chicago Business
March 6, 2008
Looking for a new job?
These companies have great benefits, great perks, and most importantly employees who enjoy showing up each day to do their jobs. Based on an extensive survey process, Crain's found and profiled the twenty best. Find out how they keep everyone so happy and which one could be the right fit for you.
Who was eligible?
Any business with more than 100 employees as of Dec. 31, 2006, in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. The application process, which took place last fall, was advertised in Crain's. A notice of the issue and the application process was e-mailed or sent to thousands of eligible companies. More than 250 applied.
What criteria were used?
Valtera Corp., a Rolling Meadows-based employee and human resources consulting firm, developed two surveys. The first consisted of questions for the company. The second was an online survey to measure employee engagement. Nearly 100 companies completed both rounds. More than 18,000 employees took the survey. The 100-question employer survey focused on quantitative issues about pay, promotions, health care and other benefits, hiring practices and more. The 62-question employee engagement survey dealt with fairness of pay, vacation time, relationships with management and with co-workers and other issues about the day-to-day workplace. Sample questions are given above.
What is engagement?
Employee engagement is an indicator of the degree to which employees feel involved and committed to their work. "When everybody's interests are aligned, (employees) feel good about what (they) do, and the company in effect gains a competitive advantage," says Valtera CEO William H. Macey. As the survey results show, key factors in engagement include open and transparent management, clear communication of company goals and obvious paths to promotions.
How was it scored?
The survey results were broken into five subscores. Three were drawn from the engagement survey, and two were based on responses to the employer survey. The scores were standardized and combined, resulting in the overall ranking.
This article came from the March 6, 2008 of Crain's Chicago Business (www.chicagobusiness.com)
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