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How Companies Make Our List

The Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list is the result of months of surveying workers and management at local employers.

They represent 95 employers that scored highest on a proprietary ranking done for the Business Journal by Har-risburg, Pa.-based Best Companies Group.

The rankings are based on an employer questionnaire that details policies, practices and benefits, and an employee engagement and satisfaction survey.

Just about all types of employers in the county were eligible: locally based companies, subsidiaries of companies based elsewhere, professional services firms, banks, government agencies, nonprofits, hospitals and universities.

Employers had to have had at least 15 workers and have been in business for at least a year.

Three-fourths of each company’s score comes from a confidential survey of em-ployees that evaluates their workplace experience.

A response rate of at least 40% of employees was required for each company. At least 8-% of employees’ responses had to be positive to qualify a company for a ranking.

The remaining quarter of each company’s score consisted of an employer survey that collected information about its benefits and practices.

Each company then had the opportunity to receive an Employee Feedback Report and benchmarking data that allow it to compare itself with list-making companies and overall program participation.

The list of the Best Places to Work in Orange County is broken down into three categories based on total employment in the U.S.: small- (15-49 employees), medium- (50-249 employees) and large- (250-plus employees) sized companies.

The companies featured in this Special Report represent the top-ranked entries from each category.

Contact Research Director Heidi Kul-icke at kulicke@ocbj.com, or Researcher Dana Truong at truong@ocbj.com, for information on how to apply for next year’s list.


Download the 2012 OC’s BEST PLACES TO WORK list (pdf)

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