Is the top workplaces list a good indication of a company? (employee, apply)

[daboywonder2002]

so i got tired of using indeed and simply hired. I felt they just displayed any company that was hiring. I am looking for a quality company with great benefits and low turnover. so i started looking up the top places to work lists in philly, dc, baltimore, etc. Some companies im very familiar with. some surprised me. Is that list a bunch of bs or is it legit? i want to apply to most of these companies since they seem to have a good reputation.

[bande1102]

I worked for a nationally ranked top 100 company. The ranking did influence my decision to accept the job. It was pretty cool to tell people where I worked and, yeah, I admit that I did enjoy the free logo jackets and branded laptop cases. Eventually, I had to deal with the same dysfunction that other places have and, after a few years, I ended up leaving for greener pastures---which was much easier because I had that well-known employer on my resume. No regrets and I did meet some awesome people that I'm still in touch with.

I would absolutley still use the lists as a starting point.

[StPaulGal]

First of all, who is publishing the list? If it is a well-respected local business journal it probably has a fair degree of validity. With that said, it's still not a silver bullet. I know someone working at one of the most highly ranked institutions on one of those lists locally, and he is very dissatisfied with pretty much everything about his workplace. The list might give you an idea of where to start, but it is far from a guarantee of a pleasant work life.

[MLSFan]

It is better to do your own research, find info on a company you like, interview them. And while at the interview, ask to meet the people, look over the workspace.

It doesnt matter what other people think of the company. None of those lists take personality into account

[daboywonder2002]

Top Workplaces - The best companies to work for in America

[statisticsnerd]

A lot of these "best workplaces" lists are based on employee surveys. I worked for one company that let us know that they were trying to get us on the top 50 places to work in Houston list when they sent us a link to fill out an employee satisfaction survey. The link had a unique code assigned to me and we had to fill out the surveys on the work computer. Some of the questions were like "do you plan on continuing to work here for another year?" and "do you feel you are treated with respect?" Do you really think most employees are honest on those surveys? Top 10/25/50/whatever employer lists are meaningless. Besides, IMO the best boss you can have is yourself. There are a few business owners in my family and all of them are happy working for themselves.

[unixfed]

It isn't a good indication that the company is a good place to work; rather, it is a good indication that a company cares about being publicly known as a good place to work.

More specifically, lists like 100 Best Companies to Work For - Fortune generate a lot of hype and publicity for a company which allows them to attract the best candidates. Fortune does not seek out companies for its list, though. Companies have to apply to be reviewed, surveyed, etc.

From my experiences with a company that was not on the list, but strived to be on the list, they dumped a ton of money into programs and practice surveys for employees to regularly fill out, blasted out a ton of propaganda about how important being on the list is, how they are ready to do anything and everything to make it a great place to work, etc.

Does the company actually become a great place to work? Generally, some things change for the better. Perhaps better bonuses, flexible policies, etc. However, many of these perks tend to show up just before the employee surveys are distributed. It reminds me of public schools where instead of focusing on teaching students the subjects, students are taught to take the state tests. Similarly, while pursuing best place to work status, what really happens is that employees are coached to publicly rate the organization as a great place to work.

[Ted Bear]

Wegmans is on that (Fortune) list year after year......always top ten, if not number one.

The employees there are VERY happy, I believe they pay good wages and benefits, and I know that young people try very hard to get hired on there as Wegmans contributes to their education as long as their grades stay high.

As a customer of Wegmans, the employee satisfaction shows through in their stores, the quality of the products which they purchase, the cleanliness of their stores, and the helpfulness of the employees to go beyond the routine "did you find everything you were looking for today" crap that you get at a place like Krogers (HUGE UGH!)

One hand washes the other: good employers provide a good work environment which attracts high quality employees which makes it a good place for customers. Everyone wins!

So yes, there is some validity to some of the legitimate national surveys. A local survey--"the top 50 places to work in your town"? Well, it might rank them, but a local magazine/survey is not going to pizz on the local employers, so the survey may be less than "perfect". As someone pointed out, it is a good place to start.

[MLSFan]

No public sector "companies"? Working for the Fed would be number one if it went by public perspective of "good" benefits/"easy" work

[skeet09]

I think its a toss up. Husband worked for a company that was listed for several years on the well respect top workplaces lists. The reviews of the company are correct but they do have their downside. It was dependent upon the department and supervisor. Now the place is not too good and they are still on the list with droves of people complaining.