The annual Great Place to Work^® surveys and applications for small and medium-sized businesses are now open through June 30, 2014. The companies that make the lists of the Top 50 and Top 100 Great Places to Work do so after being vetted by the Great Place to Work Institute’s reviewers, but – and most importantly – after surveys of the applicant companies’ employees are reviewed and scored.

Two-thirds of the companies’ scores are derived from a Trust Index survey. This survey measures random employees’ attitudes about management’s credibility. The remaining one-third of the score is based upon the Culture Audit. This audit measures the employees’ perspective on pay, benefits, hiring practices, internal communication, training, recognition and diversity programs. Here’s what I believe is so powerful about these awards and the process used: Management has no control over who completes the audits. Therefore, management is taking a huge risk. Management is betting that whichever employees complete the surveys will have had enough favorable experiences with management, their jobs, their treatment as team members, their pay, benefits, etc., they will portray the company in a positive light. If not, the survey results will certainly point out areas of distrust and frustration by employees and neglect by management.

So what’s the power of being on this list?

There are many but a few obvious benefits are: Who wouldn’t want to apply to and work for a company that’s rated by its employees as a Great Place to Work? Also, who wouldn’t want to team or partner with a company that’s been named a Great Place to Work? Who wouldn’t want to buy from or affiliate with a Great Place to Work? There’s obviously a leadership team in place there that not only delivers the products or services promised, but does so in a way that lifts up their employees too. Happy employees lead to less turnover, stronger performance, happier customers, and higher profits.

If you were asked to participate in the Great Place to Work^® survey, what would your initial reaction be?

What would your general employee population say about your leadership? Would you be excited or nervous? Would you be ready? If your response is something other than excited, you have some leadership work to do. What would your employees pinpoint as your organization’s weak spots? What would they pinpoint as your strengths? Leverage your strengths and address your weaknesses.

Copyright MMXIV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890

Liz supports clients with strategic and succession planning, as well as leadership training and executive coaching.