What is the Best Places to Work in Omaha® initiative?
The Best Places to Work in Omaha® initiative is an annual program created by Baird Holm LLP which provides the opportunity for local employers of all sizes to learn more about the engagement of their employees through an online employee survey. Research has shown that engaged employees tend to stay with their employers longer, serve customers more effectively, and help contribute toward a more profitable company. Survey questions inquire about several aspects of their workplace, including morale, environment, engagement and opportunities, management and co-workers.
Each participating employer will receive customized survey results which provide important feedback to help determine necessary improvements, adjustments and strengths. Additionally, companies with 25 or more employees will be entered into a competition with other local employers to be recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work in Omaha.” The top companies within their respective categories will be selected based on their employees’ responses. Awards are presented at a luncheon recognizing all of the winning employers. This esteemed award is a source of pride for the winners, and can also be used in both marketing and recruiting efforts. View past winners here.
Baird Holm LLP founded Best Places to Work in Omaha in 2003 as a way to publicly recognize extraordinary employers and to incent others to follow. Great employers are essential to being a great city, and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce shows its commitment as a sponsor of this program. The survey is administered and feedback is provided by Quantum Workplace.
Where can my company register for the Best Places to Work in Omaha Survey?
Companies can register for the Best Places to Work in Omaha survey here.
What are the winning categories?
The winners are determined based on the results of the Best Places to Work in Omaha survey conducted in January.
A maximum of five companies can rank for each of the following categories:
- Companies with 25-200 employees
- Companies with 201 or more employees
Should there be a concentration of winners from a specific industry Baird Holm LLP reserves the right to create a distinguished category for those winners (i.e. Staffing). The highest-ranking company in both the small/medium category and large category will place and be recognized.
What is the Sustained Excellence Award?
The Sustained Excellence award was created to provide an added level of recognition to organizations that have repeatedly been identified as one of the Best Places to Work in Omaha. Specifically, the Sustained Excellence designation is given to those companies that participate in the survey for four consecutive years and rank first, second or third in three consecutive years, or the organization ranks in the survey in eight of the last ten years.
View the official guidelines for the Sustained Excellence Award here.
How will survey information be collected?
Employees receive a confidential email inviting them to complete the survey via a secure website. It will take less than fifteen minutes for them to complete. Employees may be eligible to receive a paper survey if they do not have Internet access.
Do all of the employees at my company need to complete the survey?
All eligible employees must be invited to take the survey. To reach a 95 percent confidence level (with a margin of error of plus or minus five percent), you must achieve employee participation, based on the following percentages per size of organization for your company, to be considered an honoree:
50 employees or fewer = 85%
51 – 150 = 70%
151 – 500 = 50%
501 – 1,000 = 30%
1,001 – 3,000 = 15%
3,001 – 5,000 = 8%
More than 5,000 = 5%
Which employees are eligible to take the survey?
All permanent employees (full and part-time) who are located within the contest area are eligible to complete the survey. These employees are the most likely to be impacted by your corporate culture – and are therefore usually the best judge of employee engagement. Do not include seasonal, per diem, independent contractors or consultants (including 1099 Real Estate Agents), temporary employees, partners, or owners.
Should union employees be included?
Yes. Union employees must be included in your employee count and invited to take the survey.
Most of my employees work part-time. Can I include my part-time employees?
Yes. Part-time employees should be included in your employee count.
Should partners/owners be allowed to take the survey?
No. Partners and owners with more than 5 percent ownership in the company may not participate in the survey.
What happens if a company is sold or merges with another company during its participation in the Best Places to Work in Omaha Initiative?
If a company is sold or merges with another company, resulting in a change of name, the “new company” will be considered as a “new participant”, and previous years’ rankings (under the previous company name) will no longer be counted toward the “new company’s” Sustained Excellence eligibility.
This scenario does not apply to a company that changes its company name or rebrands for any reason other than a sale, merger, or acquisition.
What happens if a company is sold or merges with another company during their three-year Sustained Excellence recognition period?
If a company is sold or merges with another company, resulting in a change of name, the “new company” will be considered a “new participant”, and will be eligible to rank as a winning company in the Best Places to Work in Omaha survey. The “new company” will not be able to promote the “previous company’s” Sustained Excellence designation or use the Sustained Excellence “badge” in any marketing materials.
This scenario does not apply to a company that changes its company name or rebrands for any reason other than a sale, merger, or acquisition.
What if my company does not make the Best Places to Work in Omaha list?
All participating companies will receive access to a customized insight report, which provides valuable information, including helpful data regarding employee engagement. Your results are confidential; your company name will not be placed on any lists or printed in the special publication. There is NO RISK to participation.
Can an employee take the survey more than once?
It is important that each employee complete only one survey. The employee should be encouraged to read each item carefully and respond thoughtfully. If misconduct is discovered, including evidence that employees have taken the survey multiple times, the company will be disqualified.
Will my IT staff have to provide any special support so that my employees can participate?
To ensure email deliverability to your employees, Quantum Workplace has created an Email Delivery Guide, which contains helpful information for your IT team.
What information will I receive if I participate?
Employers receive the results of their organization as well as comparative information from other participating companies.
Will information from my company be confidential?
Absolutely. Quantum Workplace has worked with Best Places to Work programs in more than 40 metro areas and has earned a reputation for professional, confidential service.
When does registration open?
Registration for the Best Place to Work in Omaha Survey opens in October and closes on December 31 of a given year. (Registration in 2022 is for the 2023 survey and award eligibility.) To receive the Best Places To Work in Omaha registration communications or for additional registration information, please contact Kristen at Kbelford@bairdholm.com.
When will the survey information be collected and when will I receive results?
Survey data will be collected in January and results will be reported to each company in late February. Winners will be publicly recognized at a luncheon event sponsored by Baird Holm LLP.
I don’t have 25 employees in my company. Can I still participate?
Certainly. Your company will not be eligible for the two awards that will be offered, but you will still receive reports showing your company results as well as the comparative data from the Omaha area. This is a tremendous value for a small company.
Is this an annual event?
Yes. The survey is offered annually to provide organizations a yearly assessment of employee engagement.
Will I know who the other participating companies are, and will other companies know the results of my company?
Only the winners in the medium and large business categories are publicly announced. Employers who are not recognized are not disclosed. Many companies know they may have concerns around employee satisfaction, and use the Best Places to Work in Omaha initiative as an opportunity to gauge what they need to do to create a better place to work. All participating companies are “winners” if they thoughtfully consider the results of their surveys and take action to move their company forward.
What are the standard fees for participating?
For companies with fewer than 200 employees, the fee is $750. For those larger than 200 employees, the fee is $1000. You will receive a $50 discount to participate if you are a current member of the Greater Omaha Chamber. This does not include participation in the Best Places to Work in Omaha luncheon, which is $40 per person.
Can I buy benchmarking data from other communities and/or from organizations in my industry?
Yes. Additional reports and consultations beyond local results are available for an additional fee through Quantum Workplace.
I have additional employees outside of Omaha whom I’d like to survey. Can this be done?
Yes. Please contact Molly Boukal at Quantum Workplace at molly.boukal@quantumworkplace.com or 402.819.4709 to quote a fee to conduct the survey for additional employees beyond the Omaha area.
Additional Questions?
For questions about the event, please contact Kristen Belford at Baird Holm LLP at 402-636-8356 or Kelli Lieurance at Baird Holm LLP at 402-636-8298.
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