Opportunity Stanislaus announced recently that 13 local businesses received the designation of being named a Best Places to Work: Central Valley 2020 winner. Best Places to Work: Central Valley is a survey and recognition program dedicated to celebrating those employers locally who excel at creating quality jobs and environments where employees are happy to work.
The process is simple: companies interested in qualifying for the designation apply through The Best Companies Group, a third-party research firm, which then collects data and employee feedback via proprietary tools. The information is used to determine if the company will earn the Best Places to Work designation but also yields a report that provides a high level of detail regarding the experience of current employees so that employers can make adjustments based on feedback.
The 2020 Best Places to Work: Central Valley honorees included ITSolutions Currie; Datapath; Grimbleby Coleman CPAs; Automation Group; Industrial Electrical Company; Haggerty; Boyett Petroleum; O’Dell Engineering; PMZ Real Estate; Community Hospice; George Reed, Inc.; Belkorp Ag LLC; and Stanislaus County Office of Education.
David White, Chief Executive Officer of Opportunity Stanislaus, explained that the resource has become a strong tool for companies to use in their recruiting and retention efforts.
“One of our employers cited that 30 percent of their applicants said they applied because they saw the company was a Best Place to Work,” said White. “In strong economies employees have lots of options. It is to the advantage of employers to understand what they are doing well and conversely where they need to improve in order to find and keep the best talent. This program is an affordable, easy way for employers to take the pulse of their employees and gain recognition for going above and beyond.”
Those companies who rate high enough are awarded with the distinction of being a “Best Place to Work” for a given year, an honor recognized by signage at each location, in program promotion materials, and by an award from Opportunity Stanislaus. Not all companies who apply will receive the distinction but they will receive the same in-depth report that approved companies receive with detailed employee feedback.
In order to be eligible, companies must be located in Merced, Stanislaus, or San Joaquin counties and have a minimum of 15 full or part-time employees working in those counties. Additionally, the company must have at least one year of operating experience. Both for and nonprofit companies are eligible.
Those employers interested in participating pay a fee based on company size, inform employees of the need to take part in the anonymous survey, and are notified of their results privately. Cost varies according to company size as larger companies require more data collection and analyzation. All rankings are for one year. Program registration for 2021 will begin in fall of 2020.
To learn more about the program, visit www.bestplacestoworkcentralvalley.com or contact Amber Edwards, Marketing and Communications Manager for Opportunity Stanislaus, at (209) 422-6420 or at aedwards@stanbusalliance.com.
