Discover why these 114 SF North Bay companies are Best Places to Work in 2020
First and foremost, our thoughts and hopes are with our friends and communities that have been directly impacted by this vicious virus. You will never be forgotten.
So, why Best Places to Work in this year of a pandemic? Why push forward with nominations and employee surveys earlier this year just when we were being shut down and the shelter in place dragged on and on? Why? Because we felt it was our duty as a news organization to continue for the 15th year to recognize outstanding organizations and support their commitment to their greatest asset — their employees.
Indeed, it is times like these — times even more challenging than wildfires or economic recession — that companies step up their game to support their employees. They should be rewarded for what they do.
It is clear many organizations agreed with us with a record 114 recipients of the award this year, including nine first-time winners and seven special 15-time recipients who have been part of this competition since the beginning in 2006.
Nearly 6,700 employee surveys were completed. That was below the record in 2019 but remarkable considering the communication challenges of remote work combined with severe economic headwinds.
One measure of how engaged employees were in this year’s satisfaction survey: the average score rose from 4.39 out of 5 to 4.50.
Several companies reported 100% employee survey participation, an indicator that they saw Best Places to Work as a mechanism to engage employees and build morale during an incredibly challenging time.
What these facts about the 2020 Best Places to Work indicate to us — and it was obvious from the many hundreds of employee-written comments — is that these 114 organizations were standing with their employees as the pandemic stressed every aspect — indeed, the very fiber — of their business.
It has been a long road to the selection of our 15th annual Best Places to Work recipients.
The nominations process opened early last spring, followed by a mandatory anonymous survey period in early summer of employees, and the final selections in July and August.
Those selections by the editorial staff of the Journal were based on the employee survey results and participation, comments and an employer application. The journey culminates in an awards event on Sept. 23.
The Best Places to Work was started in 2006, there were 24 winners. The vision was to recognize exceptional employers and highlight the best workplace practices. It has been quite a ride since then, with the number of winners doubling, then doubling again.
The year’s recipients represent a record of nearly 19,800 employees from a broad range of industries and employers both large and small.
Over these 15 years, we have learned that the award is important. But the award itself is only a part of the Best Places to Work.
The larger, longer-term value is in the anonymous feedback of employees. Used expertly, this feedback can tell an organization where it is doing well and where it might improve. And the designation continues to be an invaluable tool for employee attraction and retention.
On behalf of our co-hosts, Nelson, Exchange Bank and Kaiser Permanente, as well as our underwriter, Trope Group, congratulations to our winners.
—Brad Bollinger, North Bay Business Journal publisher
Profiles of this year’s Best Places to Work
By Gary Quackenbush, for The North Bay Business Journal