A decade ago, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution decided to conduct a survey to determine the region’s top workplaces. And who better to judge that than employees?
Today, we're presenting the 10th annual special section on greater Atlanta's top workplaces. With our partner, Philadelphia-based Energage, we employed a scientific survey process to come up with the top large, midsize and small companies.
Some of the results might surprise you. Some might not.
Here’s what we found: Transparency and teamwork rate high on what metro Atlantans want on the job. It’s important that employees feel their company is heading in the right direction, that they feel a part of something meaningful and that they’re allowed to work to their full potential.
Statements such as “I feel genuinely appreciated at this company,” and “This company encourages different points of view” rank high in the surveys submitted by metro Atlanta employees for the AJC’s 2020 Top Workplace Project.
Nearly 85% of those surveyed said their company operates on strong values. Nearly that many (83.9%) said they have a manager who makes it easier for them to do their jobs, and 81.7% voiced confidence in the company’s leadership.
Leadership is crucial to the culture and distinguishes successful companies. Employees consistently rated issues of connection — employees feel appreciated and their work is meaningful — and alignment — where the company is headed, its values and cooperation — as most important to them.
There were 24 questions on the employee engagement survey dealing with workplace culture:
• Alignment and connection
• Performance: doing things efficiently and well, sharing different viewpoints, encouraging new ideas
• Coaching: manager cares about concerns, helps employees develop
• Engagement: motivation, retention and recruiting
• Leadership: confidence in company leaders
• And the basics: pay, benefits, flexibility, training, expectations.
Employees were least positive in their responses to questions regarding pay and benefits (about 60%) as it relates to their job satisfaction, according to this year’s results.
Here’s how we did it: Beginning September 2019, the AJC in its news coverage and promotions encouraged readers to nominate companies as top workplaces. Energage also reached out to area companies, with the combined results being 2,956 employers in the region invited to have their employees take the survey. There were a few restrictions: Companies had to have at least 50 employees in the region; and they had to be a public, private, nonprofit or government entity. There was no charge to participate.
For the 2020 survey results, 285 employers with a combined 76,528 workers in greater Atlanta agreed to take the survey. We heard back from 41,645 employees on paper or online.
This year’s winners’ list includes 150 Atlanta-area employers ranked based on their scores. An additional 64 companies earned recognition as workplace achievers based on the employee survey feedback.
An employee at CarMax wrote: “I make good money doing what I love.” Another of the company’s workers said: “I look forward to coming to work each day, knowing my role is important and I make a difference.”
An employee at iVision Inc. wrote: “I love my job for more reasons than I can count. IVision has given me the flexibility to manage work and home life while still growing in my career and within the company … . And in return, I would do anything for iVision.”
Arrow Exterminators took top honors for large company; Dorsey Alston, Realtors, for midsize; and Supreme Lending Southeast Region in the small size category.
The additional 64 companies that earned recognition as workplace achievers exceeded the survey benchmarks but did not crack the top 150.
Energage occasionally disqualifies employers based on questionable results detected through statistical tests it runs to ensure organizations are accurately administering the survey.
Intrigued and want your company to participate in the 2021 program? Just go to www.ajc.com/TWPnominate to submit a nomination.
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