A year ago, workplaces were still getting their hands around an unprecedented global pandemic. Our annual Top Workplaces report focused on how companies were navigating work-from-home issues including remote onboarding and work-life balance. Companies were also taking a deep look at their own diversity efforts.
This year, a new challenge has emerged: Employees are quitting their jobs in droves, in search of more flexibility, better wages or an antidote to burnout. Still other workers used the isolation of the pandemic as a period of self-reflection and decided they were ready for a fresh start and a new job.
Companies are finding that they need to work harder than ever to hang on to their top performers and maintain their workplace culture.
On behalf of the Tribune, Energage of Exton, Pennsylvania, a workplace survey and improvement specialist, conducted a survey of nominated Chicago-area employers with at least 100 employees. Most of the surveys were conducted between April and July.
To determine the winners, Energage conducted a scientific survey. The Tribune did not pay Energage. The Tribune used advertising to seek nominations. In total, 4,702 companies were invited to participate, compared with 3,323 in 2020. Of those, a record-breaking 295 companies completed the survey (185 last year), allowing Energage to identify the top organizations, divided into three categories: small (fewer than 250 employees), midsize (250-999) and large (1,000 or more), the same divisions as previous surveys. The surveyed companies collectively employ 159,903 people in the Chicago area, of which 140,199 received surveys and 80,917 responded.
Energage delivered the top results to the Tribune. The list of companies not designated a Top Workplace was kept confidential by Energage. The firm questioned employees using paper and online surveys.
Employees responded to a set of statements about their feelings toward their workplace, using a seven-point scale. The statements focused on issues such as leadership of the company, execution and connection. A numerical value was attached to each statement, allowing Energage to create an overall score for each company.
Afterward, Energage ran a series of statistical tests to look for any questionable results. The firm said it sometimes disqualifies a small number of employers based on these tests. The list is categorized by size because smaller employers tend to score higher than midsize employers, and midsize employers tend to score higher than large employers.