The Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in Orange County trio of lists are the result of months of surveying workers and managers at local employers.
The final 100 companies 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 on culture, training, pay and benefits and other areas.
Most types of employers in Orange County were eligible: locally based companies, subsidiaries of companies based elsewhere, professional services firms, banks, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, and universities.
To be considered, employers must have had at least 15 full- or part-time employees based in Orange County and been in business for at least a year.
Three-fourths of each company’s score was based on a confidential employee survey that evaluated their workplace experiences; all employees at companies with fewer than 250 employees were asked to complete the survey, and a random selection of up to 400 employees at companies with more than 250 employees were asked to complete it.
The remaining quarter of companies’ scores consisted of an employer survey that collected information about benefits, policies, and practices.
Each company also had the opportunity to receive an employee feedback report and benchmarking data that allowed it to compare itself with ranked companies and with overall program participation.
The list of the Best Places to Work in Orange County is broken into three categories based on total employment in the U.S.: small, 15 to 49 employees; midsize, 50 to 249 employees; and large, 250-plus employees.
Contact Research Director Meghan Kliewer at kliewer@ocbj.com for information on how to apply for consideration for next year’s list.
