Nomination deadline for The Blade’s Top Workplaces competition extended

Money isn’t always top priority for employees

8/24/2014

Companies that want to get involved in The Blade’s Top Workplaces competition have been given a little more time.

The registration deadline for the contest has been extended to Sept. 19. Anybody can nominate an organization. Any organization with 35 or more employees in the Toledo area is eligible.

To nominate a company, go to toledoblade.com/​nominate. The form asks for only the most basic information about the company.

Once nominated, a company will be contacted by Workplace Dynamics, The Blade’s partner in the competition. If an organization chooses to participate, its employees will be asked to complete a 22-question survey. The answers in the survey answers are anonymous. An organization’s leaders receive only a summary of the results.

This year’s winners will be featured in a Blade publication in early 2015. Last year, Workplace Dynamics sent surveys to 10,549 Toledo-area employees at 58 workplaces, and 6,915 responded.

When the results were compiled, five large, 15 midsize, and 15 small organizations were chosen to be honored. The top honors among large organizations went to the Washington Local School District in Toledo.

A.A. Boos & Sons, an Oregon building contractor, was the midsize winner. The Perrysburg office of MRops finished atop the small-organization category. MRops is a market research company based in Philadelphia.

Scott Hayes, vice president of business development at A.A. Boos & Sons, told The Blade that winning the contest gave the company's employees a sense of pride. He said the company used it in marketing the firm and that it had helped attract clients and reinforced previous relationships.

Workplace Dynamics already has begun surveying Toledo-area employees. Workers are asked why they love their job. Some of the responses:

● “We are a family. I truly love my job and the company I work for.”

● “It gives me the ability to learn and grow professionally and personally. As well as it challenges me in new ways every single day.”

● “I value our mission.”

Workplace Dynamics worked with 42 major metro newspapers last year and surveyed more than 1.5 million employees. The company has learned over the years that money and benefits are not the most important things to workers.

What the company found was that the best workplaces had workers who were engaged. They feel their work is meaningful, they are excited about where the company is going, and they think the company is well on its way to getting there.

In addition to overall awards, Workplace Dynamics also comes up with a list of special awards based on standout scores on specific survey statements.

Contact Chip Towns at: ctowns@theblade.com or 419-724-6194.