How do you assess the quality of a workplace? Ask the experts: The employees.

For the 12th year, employee research firm Energage has partnered with the Union-Tribune to determine the best workplaces in San Diego County. It’s not a popularity contest, and not everyone gets a blue ribbon. A select few are honored based on a scientific research process.

Energage administers an employee survey that covers 24 factors and takes just a few minutes to complete. The survey asks employees to provide feedback on things like pay and benefits, direction, leadership, meaningfulness and appreciation. Energage crunches the feedback data and scores companies based on the responses.

There is no cost to participate in Top Workplaces and no obligation to purchase any product or service. For 2024, 3,284 organizations were invited to survey their employees, and 124 agreed to do so. Based on survey feedback, 93 have been recognized as San Diego Top Workplaces.

“Being honored with a Top Workplaces award is a distinctive mark of excellence, which sets companies apart in a recognizable way,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “Top Workplaces embodies the highest standards, and this award, rooted in authentic employee feedback, is a point of immense pride for business leaders.”

The award is open to all employers with 50 or more employees in San Diego County. Survey results are only valid if 35% or more employees respond; employers with fewer than 85 employees have a higher response threshold, requiring responses from at least 30 employees.

Employers earn Top Workplaces recognition if their aggregate employee feedback scores exceed national benchmarks. Employers are grouped into similar sizes to best compare similar employee experiences. Energage has established these benchmarks based on feedback from approximately 30 million employees over 18 years. They are ranked within these groups based on the strength of the survey feedback.

There are a few reasons why you might not find a particular company on the list. Perhaps the organization chose not to participate. Or maybe the employee survey feedback wasn’t strong enough to merit recognition. It also may not have been large enough to meet participation standards, or not enough employees responded.

Energage runs tests on survey feedback and may choose to disqualify organizations in some cases, for example if a large number of employees said they felt pressured to respond positively.

To enter the 2025 Top Workplaces Awards, or for more information, visit the nominations page at sandiegouniontribune.com/nominate.

Helbig is director of media partnerships for Energage, an employee research firm based in suburban Philadelphia.

Originally published: November 24, 2024 at 05:00 AM PST