Ever since the recession led to layoffs of nearly 9 million people nationally, the focus for the U.S. and Arizona has been on getting people back to work. But now that the unemployment rate has eased back down to more normal levels, the emphasis is again shifting — to quality jobs and making workers feel more satisfied.
Employers increasingly will face challenges in recruiting and retaining talented staff as the labor market tightens. Great enterprises that make their workers feel engaged and satisfied will have an edge. These employers often feature an inviting corporate culture and provide attractive if not cutting-edge benefits. Many such businesses are profiled in this report on Top Companies to Work For in Arizona from Republic Media and Best Companies Group.
"It will be more and more important for organizations to focus on their 'brand' as an employer," said Peter Burke, president of Best Companies Group, a workplace-excellence research firm in Harrisburg, Pa. "The tightening labor market will require employers to differentiate themselves from other employers, especially if your people are your last competitive advantage."
Businesses that have been named a Top Company in Arizona have a huge advantage in "the effort to win the battle for talent," Burke added.
Arizona's non-farm workforce counts more than 2.7 million people in payroll jobs. The private sector here accounts for nearly 85 percent of that total. While construction is a large driver for the economy, Arizona is far from being a one-industry state. Notable employers range from department stores to fast-food restaurants, with hospitals, resorts, semiconductor makers, aerospace companies, electric utilities, mining companies, casino operators, truckers, banks and many other enterprises in the mix.
Businesses that have been honored as a Top Company in Arizona treat their people well and make them feel valued. Reflecting the dominance of service businesses, many of the companies honored are white-collar enterprises staffed mainly by professionals. However, this year's Best Companies survey, which was utilized to evaluate employee engagement, "was engineered to be used in any kind of work setting," said Burke. White-collar companies don't have any intrinsic advantages, he added.
One statistic that Burke highlights are high employee-engagement readings. On average, 92 percent of workers are engaged at winning Arizona businesses, meaning they are involved, enthusiastic and committed.
This year's Top Companies project honors elite employers, of various sizes and operating in diverse industries, that have shown they know what it takes to create an environment where people love to come to work. The goal of the Top Companies report is to raise the bar among the state's employers by recognizing excellence in the workplace.
The Top Companies competition was open to all organizations — public or private corporations as well as non-profit entities — that count at least 25 employees. Entities must operate in Arizona but are not required to be headquartered in the state. Roughly 150 companies participated this year.
In terms of evaluation, 75 percent of each company's score involved results from a confidential, 76-question survey that was used to evaluate employees' workplace experiences, attitudes and assessment of company culture. The remaining 25 percent consisted of a questionnaire filled out by employers in which they provided information on their benefits, policies, practices and other general information.
By combining data from the employee survey and employer questioner, experts at Best Companies Group could conduct an in-depth analysis of each enterprise, allowing them to determine who was good enough to make the list. Leaders were compared with one another and ranked in different size categories.
Best Companies Group managed the process. The research firm oversaw registration and conducted the surveys and questionnaires, evaluated the data and ultimately identified those businesses strong enough to make the list. Organizations had to register by Jan. 8, 2016, to be considered. There was no charge for companies to go through the evaluation process.
Each participating organization was given the opportunity to purchase its BCG Employee Feedback Report summarizing data collected from worker surveys. These reports also include transcribed employee comments and benchmarked data from participating and winning Arizona employers. These optional feedback reports help organizations understand their staffs better, equipping them with the knowledge that they can use to make improvements.
The organizations profiled in the following pages are innovators that have adopted distinct policies to help employees, their communities and themselves. For more information, visit www.TopCompaniesArizona[1] or contact Best Companies Group at 1-877-455-2159.
References
- ^ www.TopCompaniesArizona (www.TopCompaniesArizona)
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