Top Workplaces: Here's how the Top Workplaces are determined

Great workplaces aren’t created by accident. They are built and nurtured. The Top Workplaces awards recognize the employers that do it well in the eyes of their employees.

The heart of the Top Workplaces award is the employee survey process. Energage administers a 24-question survey to employees, who are the sole deciders of whether a company culture merits recognition.

This is the 14th year the Journal Sentinel has partnered with Energage, an employee survey company based in Exton, Pennsylvania, to celebrate exceptional workplaces.

There is no cost to participate in Top Workplaces and no obligation to purchase any product or service. For 2023, 2,129 organizations were invited to survey their employees. Based on employee survey feedback, 160 have earned recognition as Top Workplaces, a record.

In the current job market, companies continue to focus on recruiting, retaining and motivating employees. It’s more paramount than ever for companies to be intentional about a culture that prioritizes employee appreciation and recognition, Energage CEO Eric Rubino said.

“We really need workplaces that inspire employees,” he said. “You have to really acknowledge employees genuinely and consistently.”

The award is open to any employer with 50 or more employees in Southeastern Wisconsin. Survey results are valid only if 35% or more employees respond; employers with fewer than 85 employees have a higher response threshold, requiring responses from at least 30 employees.

Energage tabulates the survey results. Employers are grouped into small, midsize and large to best compare similar employee experiences. Employers earn Top Workplaces recognition if their aggregated employees feedback score exceeds national benchmarks. Energage has established those benchmarks based on feedback from more than 27 million employees over 17 years. They are ranked within those groups based on the strength of the survey feedback.

Why isn’t a particular company on the list? Perhaps it chose not to participate. Or, its employee survey feedback might have fallen below benchmark scores. Energage runs tests on survey feedback and in some cases may choose to disqualify organizations based on irregularities in survey feedback.

To participate in the 2024 Top Workplaces awards, or for more information, go to the nomination page at jsonline.com/nominate.