Frequently Asked Questions
By Seattle Business Magazine November 11, 2009
What is the 100 Best Companies List?
The 100 Best Companies to Work For is a list based on a survey we have conducted every year since 1994. Employees are asked to grade their company’s performance in a range of categories from communications to corporate culture.
How does the survey process work?
Participating companies typically designate a representative such as human resources professional to pay the entry fee and complete a corporate profile. This involves filling out a short survey about the company and its benefits and other human resources policies. We will later survey employees directly and have the results compiled by our survey partner, Ipsos Worldwide.
How do employees fill out their surveys?
On January 25, each participating company will receive a web link and a unique personal identification number. That information must be e-mailed to employees who will use it to fill out individual surveys from their computers. The survey is mostly comprised of questions asking the employee to provide a numerical ranking on various aspects. The identity of the employees will be kept confidential, and the answers they provide will be used in a statistical analysis to determine a raw score.
I’ve completed the payment, but nothing is happening. What gives?
Once you completed your payment, you will be sent an e-mail with a login and one-time password. Go to this page to log in, enter the password, and you will be taken to our home page. In the upper-right-hand corner is a link that reads “Company Survey.” Click on it. Take the survey.
How are the 100 Best Companies scored?
Ipsos, an internationally respected research firm, will compile and analyze all the survey data and rank companies based on size. A panel of distinguished judges will use that information and combine it with information from the corporate profiles to select winners.
What are the deadlines?
The deadline for entries is Jan. 8, 2010. Employee surveys will be conducted from Jan. 25 through Feb. 19.
What kinds of employers may participate?
Public and private companies, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies are all eligible.
What determines which employees can take the survey?
Only fulltime employees based in Washington state may take the employee survey.
How many employees must participate?
There is no minimum participation rate required. However, the level of participation will be taken into consideration when ranking companies. The smaller a company, the higher rate of participation judges will expect to see. Naturally, a higher participation rate will provide better employee feedback to the company.
What’s the entry fee?
Entry fees, which help defray survey costs, are based on the number of employees the participating company has in Washington state. As part of the fee, you will receive a report that shows your survey results and analyzes them in comparison with other companies taking the survey. See a sample of the report here. (1 MB Microsoft PowerPoint file)
Fees are as follows:
- Small companies (fewer than 100 employees): $495
- Nonprofit/Government organizations (of any size): $495
- Midsize companies (100-499 employees): $1,000
- Large companies (500 or more employees): $1,200
How are the results published?
The 100 Best Companies to Work For list will be published in the July issue of Seattle Business Magazine along with profiles of the leading companies in each category. Finalists will be honored at a gala dinner in June. Twelve companies, three in each category (small, nonprofit/government, midsize, large)-will receive awards that evening.
Also in July, each participating company will receive a detailed report that enumerates its performance in each of ten categories, and how the scores compare with other participating companies. The individual reports will also include employee comments from open-ended questions in the survey.
What are the promotional opportunities for companies that rank among the 100 Best?
The 100 Best Companies will receive an award certificate and will have online access to logos and other promotional materials following the 100 Best Companies event in June. These can be used on company letterhead, websites, press releases, t-shirts, etc.
Who should I contact with additional questions or problems with the 100 Best Companies survey or process?
Send your questions or comments to Seattle Business Managing Editor Chris Winters.
Start the process!
Either nominate a company for consideration, or…
If you still have questions about Best Companies or the process used to select the winners, please let us know. Thank you!