Learn What it Takes to Make the List

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® List

Contents

• Background & Approach | 3• List Methodology, Models & Scoring | 8• Culture Audit© Submission Tips | 24• Eligibility and Deadlines | 32• FAQs | 36• Benefits of Applying | 41• How to Apply & Guide to Participation | 53

Great Place to Work® Institute One of the world’s largest studies of workplace excellence• Nearly 3 million employees surveyed last year• 6,200 companies represented in over 45 countries

Great Place to Work® Recognition:U.S. Best Companies Lists

Fortune MagazineList: Apply Now 1,000+ employees

Fortune MagazineList: Learn More25-999 employees

1998 2001

20042003

2002

2005 2007 2008

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

2006

20001999

2014 2015

Great Place to Work®

and Fortune Magazine partnership

1998 to Present

Our Approach

For Great Place to Work® and our media partner, Fortune Magazine, it is important that our lists:

– Employ a validated methodology– Are based on current, reliable, and verifiable information– Reflect the voice of a representative sample of the

employee population

Our Commitment

• Integrity: We take great care to produce lists with a high level of ethics and fairness.

• Confidentiality: If you don’t make the list, we do not release your data. We don’t tell anyone that you even participated.

• Positive Recognition: We represent winning companies in a positive light, based on their unique cultures.

List MethodologyThe Great Place to Work® Evaluation Methodology

100 Best Companies to Work For List=Employee Experience + Workplace Culture

2/3 1/3

We Assess the Employee Experience and Workplace Culture at Your Company UsingTwo Proprietary Tools

Trust Index© Employee Survey

Employee Perspective

Culture Audit© Questionnaire

Workplace Culture2/3 of total score

1/3 of score

2/3

Part 1: Trust Index© Employee SurveyAssessing Employees’ Experience of Your Company

Sample Trust Index© Employee Survey questions

Your company’s Trust Index©

Employee Survey results count for

2/3 of your overall score

2/3 1/3

Trust Index© Employee SurveyGreat Place to Work® works with your company to administer the survey to a representative sample of employees.

Survey includes:• 58-statement survey that assess the dimensions of the Trust Model©

(See Slides 13-18)• 2 open-ended questions:

1) Is there anything unique or unusual about this company that makes it a great place to work?

2) If you could change one thing about this company to make it a better place to work, what would it be?

• 6 standard demographics Job Type, Sex, Age, Tenure, Racial/Ethnic Identity, Work Status

Our Trust Model©: Assessing The Employee Experience

"A great workplace is one in which you trust the people you work for, have pride in what you do, and enjoy the

people you work with.”

Great Place to Work®

Trust

credibility

fairness respect

Employee

pridecamaraderie

relationship to your job

relationship with other employees

relationship with

management

2/3 1/3

The Trust Model©

Credibility

Communication I can ask management any reasonable question

and get a straight answer.

Competence Management has a clear view of where the

organization is going and how to get there.

Integrity Management delivers on its promises.

2/3 1/3Respect

Support Management recognizes honest mistakes as

part of doing business.

Collaboration Management genuinely seeks and responds to

suggestions and ideas.

Caring Management shows a sincere interest in me as

a person, not just an employee.

The Trust Model©

2/3 1/3Fairness

Equity I feel I receive a fair share of the profits made by

this organization.

Impartiality Promotions go to those who best deserve

them.

Justice If I am unfairly treated, I believe I'll be given a

fair shake if I appeal.

The Trust Model©

2/3 1/3Pride

Personal I feel I make a difference here.

Team People here are willing to give extra to get the

job done.

Company People look forward to coming to work here.

The Trust Model©

2/3 1/3Camaraderie

Intimacy I can be myself around here.

Hospitality This is a friendly place to work.

Community There is a "family" or "team" feeling here.

The Trust Model©

Part 2: Culture Audit © Questionnaire Understanding Your Company’s Culture

1/3

Your company’s Culture Audit©

score counts for 1/3 of your

overall score

Culture Audit© Questionnaire:

• Usually completed by a company’s Human Resources and/or Internal Communications group

• Culture Audit© Part 1: General Information – Questionnaire including: Company information,

demographics, benefits, onsite perks, and more.• Culture Audit© Part 2:

– 15 open-ended essay questions – Assesses 9 key practice areas that are critical to building a

great workplace (See Slide 22)• Optional supplemental materials to show Great Place to Work®

more about your company’s culture.

18

What people think a great culture is…

Communicate organizational goals Inspiring Create a sense of higher purposeShare information Speaking Be honest and transparentRespond to concerns Listening Be accessible for questions, suggestions,

and concernsRecognize outstanding performance Thanking Show regular and personalized appreciation

Give employees training in skills Developing Help people grow professionally and personally

Competitive Benefits Caring Distinctive Benefits; Care in times of Crisis

Hire individuals with skills for a job Hiring Help people with gifts/talents who fit into the culture

Inform employees of organizationalsuccesses

Celebrating Celebrate organizational successes in unusual ways

Offer fair compensation Sharing Share rewards of mutual efforts equitably

What it actually is…

Culture Audit© Criteria:How We Assess Cultural Practices

►VarietyBreadth of programs, policies, and methods for implementation.

►OriginalityPrograms, policies, and practices that are unique and creative, while “bearing the mark of the company”

►All-inclusivenessPrograms, policies, and practices are for everyone.

►Human TouchA sense of appreciation, generosity, and warmth in programs and policies.

►IntegrationPrograms and policies linked by a central theme, an overarching framework in which the programs are delivered.

Culture Audit© TipsTips for Putting Your Best Foot Forward With the Culture Audit©

Good Answers vs. GREAT Answers

Good Answers

• Provide a list of programs and practices

• Speak generically• Offer no or few examples• Omit the how, and focus on

the what

GREAT Answers

• Provide a list of programs and practices

• Illustrate their unique spin on the practice

• Provide stories of the practice in action

• Focus on “what” and “how”

EXAMPLE

Culture Audit© Question for “Speaking”:

What are the distinctive ways in which managers, especially senior managers, share information with employees and foster a culture of transparency?

Good Answer (Partial Response)

“Management speaks with our employees through practices like town hall meetings, site visits from executives, regular email

communications including a monthly newsletter, an anonymous suggestion box, and a new in-house social media network. We have an open-door policy and employees are told they can speak to any

management team member at any time.”

GREAT Answer (Partial Response)

“This past year we needed to communicate a restructuring. Our CEO hosted a town hall meeting that was live broadcast to our

remote locations. Department managers held follow-up meetings with their teams. Managers were equipped with responses to

frequently asked questions. Employees could submit questions (anonymously) to leadership. Our CEO responded to each one in a

series of videos emailed to employees and shared on the Intranet the following week.”

EXAMPLE

Culture Audit© Question for “Thanking”:

How does your company show appreciation and/or recognition for employees' good work and extra

effort, or other achievements?

Good Answer (Partial Response)

“We celebrate employees’ service anniversaries in 5 year increments. Each employee achieving this milestone receives a

substantial gift which they select from our service award program catalogue. The item is mailed to the employee’s home on their service anniversary along with a certificate signed by

our CEO.”

GREAT Answer (Partial Response)

“We celebrate employees’ service anniversaries in 5 year increments. Each employee achieving this milestone receives a

substantial gift which they select from our service award program catalogue. Employee’s gifts are mailed to their homes on their

service anniversaries, along with a personalized letter of thanks from the CEO. Service anniversaries are also celebrated with a posting

on our intranet. Colleagues often send notes of thanks and congratulations. At our quarterly all-hands meeting, all those

celebrating service anniversaries are brought on stage for a group photo and round of applause from their colleagues.”

Eligibility & Deadlines

Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For ListEligibility Requirements & Deadlines

Eligibility Requirements• 1,000+ U.S. employees• 5+ years in business

Get Started Now!

Upcoming Deadlines• Deadline to register: July 31, 2015• Last date to start survey: August 31, 2015• Culture Audit Submission Due: August 14, 2014

Great Place to Work ® Best Small and Medium Workplaces ListEligibility Requirements & Deadlines

Eligibility Requirements• 25-999 U.S. employees• 2+ years in business

Learn More Here

2015 Deadlines• Deadline to register: May 15, 2015 (Past)• Last date to start survey: May 22, 2015 (Past)• Culture Audit Submission Due: June 12, 2015 (Past)• List Announcement: October 22, 2015

Additional Eligibility Requirements

• Government agencies with more than 999 employees are not eligible.

• Must apply as the parent organization, including all subsidiaries, divisions and departments (contact us as certain exceptions do apply).

• Cannot be going through a merger/acquisition impacting 25% or more of the U.S. employee population.

FAQsMost Commonly Asked Questions

How long should our Culture Audit©

submission be?

• Median length of 100 Best Culture Audit©: 55 pages

• Median length of Small & Medium Culture Audit©: 21 pages

• We value quality over quantity

Who evaluates my Culture Audit©?

• Application reviewed 2-3 times by rigorously trained evaluators

• Evaluators include: MAs in Organization Development or Industrial/Organizational Psychology, MBAs, Human Resources professionals, journalists

• Screened for conflicts of interest• Sign strict confidentiality agreements

What are Supplemental Materials?

• Physical or electronic materials that help you tell your story • Welcomed, but not required• Not scored

What Supplemental Materials can I send?• What to submit:

– Annual reports, news articles, press releases

– Employee communications– Recruiting, training, & orientation materials– Photos or videos of employees at work or

participating in company activities• What not to submit:

– SWAG – Oversized items – Perishables

Why You Should Do ItThe Benefits of a Great Place to Work® Evaluation

Low RiskSimply for participating, all participants receive • Metrics• Self-awareness• An employer branding opportunity

The Benefits of a Great Place to Work®

Evaluation

Trust Index© Employee Survey Results: Free Summary Report for All Participants

Self-Awareness:Testimonial from a List Participant

“The very process of considering the questions asked in Part 2 of the Culture Audit© helps us better understand what a great place to work

is and where we can/should focus our own efforts to continue to improve. We know that we have already created a great place to

work, and regardless of whether we rise in the rankings, it is instructive to think about what we can do better in light of the

questions asked in the essays and our core value of Continuous Improvement.”

Completely Free: List participation with Great Place to Work® is, and has always been, free.

The Benefits of Completing a Great Place to Work® Evaluation

Simple to Start: Our application tool makes it easy and intuitive to get started. If you participated within the last 2 years, it’s now easier than ever!

The Benefits of Completing a Great Place to Work® Evaluation

Confidential: Unless you make the list, no one will know whether you’ve participated.

The Benefits of Completing a Great Place to Work® Evaluation

For companies that make the lists…

The 100 Best Companies to Work for is

Fortune’s most popular franchise, surpassing even the

Fortune 500 in readership.

Wide-Reaching Recognition

Trust is a Measurable Driver of Success

Interaction Associates. Building Trust 2013. http://interactionassociates.com/sites/default/files/research_items/Building%20Trust%202013.pdf

HPO/LPO = High Performing/Low Performing Organization

High Trust = Loyalty + Commitment

Trust Index© Employee Survey Results: Opportunity to Compare to 100 Best Benchmarks and Customize Survey

Survey Customization Options

• You can customize your Trust Index© Employee Survey to provide relevant and actionable demographic data specific to your organization (i.e., department, region, location).

• Provides an opportunity to measure your employees’ response to initiatives unique to your company by adding your own survey statements.

• Note: Customized demographics and statements are not considered in scoring for the list and have no impact on evaluations or list rankings.

How to ApplyGetting Started With Your Application

Download Your Guide to List Participation Today!

Apply Now!

Click Here to Apply Now!Email: US_ListandReviews@greatplacetowork.com

Phone: 415-844-2500 ext. 390