Sixty companies in the Richmond region have the best workplaces.
Those companies are recognized as part of the fourth annual Top Workplaces program conducted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Workplace Dynamics based on employee surveys about workplace issues.
But the top businesses in each of four size categories will not be disclosed until May.
Those top winners are set to be announced at the Top Workplace 2017 program May 4 at the University of Richmond and in a special section of The Times-Dispatch to be published May 5.
The Times-Dispatch, along with Richmond SHRM, a chapter of the national Society for Human Resource Management, will honor the 60 companies at the event while also shining the light on the four top businesses. Those four top businesses each will receive the 2017 Sterling Award.
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Nineteen of the 60 companies have been on the list each year for the past four years, while eight have been on the list for three consecutive years, and 11 have been on it for two consecutive years. An additional 14 businesses or organizations are newcomers to the list this year. And eight firms are returning to the list after being on it in previous years.
The winners for the Sterling Awards are based on company size:
- Mega (1,000-plus employees);
- Large (400-999);
- Midsize (125 to 399); and
- Small (124 or fewer).
Five companies are in each of the mega and large categories, 20 businesses are in the midsize category, and 30 firms are in the small category.
The Times-Dispatch teamed with Workplace Dynamics, a suburban Philadelphia-based company that conducts workplace surveys for dozens of other newspapers across the country.
Workplace Dynamics invited 517 companies in the Richmond region to participate in the program this year, and the firm surveyed 90 of those businesses. The surveyed companies employ about 47,570 people in the Richmond area.
Workplace Dynamics received surveys from about 14,150 employees on numerous topics affecting workplace life, from pay and benefits to training and work-life balance. Employers who scored the highest locally — and met national benchmarks — made the list.
The survey company looked at many factors, including how engaged employees are, how employers encourage community involvement and how businesses promote diversity.
The process was open to any employer — private, public, government and nonprofit — in the region that had at least 35 employees when the surveying was conducted last fall.
The Top Workplaces Awards event will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. May 4 at the Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond.
The event will feature cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, dessert and the awards program.
Tickets are available at Richmond.com/Top-Workplaces. Single tickets cost $75, while a reserved gathering table for eight in the courtyard and block of seats in the theater cost $750.