The Business Journal’s Best Places to Work lists are the result of months of surveying workers and management at local employers.
The final 100 companies are those that scored highest on a proprietary ranking done for the Business Journal by Harrisburg, Pa.-based Best Companies Group, which produces similar lists for publications across the country.
The ranking is based on an employer questionnaire that details policies, practices and benefits, and an employee engagement and satisfaction survey about culture, training, pay and benefits, and other areas.
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, nonprofit organizations, hospitals and universities.
Employers had to have at least 15 workers to be considered and have been in business for at least a year.
Three-fourths of each company’s score comes from a confidential survey of employees that evaluates their workplace experience. All employees at companies with fewer than 250 employees were asked to complete the survey. A randomly selected group of up to 400 employees was asked to complete the survey at companies with more than 250 employees.
The remaining quarter of each company’s score consisted of an employer survey that collected information about its benefits, policies 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 with 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 to 49 employees; medium, 50 to 249 employees; and large, 250-plus employees.
The companies featured in the Special Report represent entries from each category.
Contact Research Director Dana Truong at truong@ocbj.com for information on how to apply for consideration for next year’s list.
