The best companies have always promoted from within, but a new workplace trend is taking that strategy to the next level.
Quiet hiring allows employers to acquire new skills without hiring permanent, full-time workers. Instead, companies address strategic business needs by assigning existing employees to new roles that stretch their skills. It’s a trend that’s taken hold as firms grapple with a competitive hiring market and a possible recession.
Whether you agree or disagree with the strategy behind quiet hiring, one thing is clear. The companies on this year’s Top Workplaces report are investing in their people, whether that involves helping them step into strategically valuable new roles or simply ensuring that they have access to top-notch benefit packages and ongoing support.
So, what does it take to be named a top workplace?
On behalf of the Tribune, Energage of Exton, Pennsylvania, a workplace survey and improvement specialist, conducted a survey of nominated Chicago-area employers with at least 100 employees. Most of the surveys were conducted between April and July.
To determine the winners, Energage conducted a scientific survey. The Tribune did not pay Energage. The Tribune used news coverage as well as advertising to seek nominations. In total, 6,028 companies were invited to participate. Of those, 300 companies completed the survey, allowing Energage to identify the top organizations divided into three categories: small (fewer than 250 employees), midsize (250 to 999) and large (1,000 or more), the same divisions as previous surveys.
Surveys were sent to 107,997 workers in the Chicago area, of which 65,162 responded.
Energage delivered the top results to the Tribune. The list of companies not designated a Top Workplace was kept confidential by Energage. The firm questioned employees using paper and online surveys.
Employees responded to a set of statements about their feelings toward their workplace, using a seven-point scale. The statements focused on issues such as leadership of the company, execution and connection. A numerical value was attached to each statement, allowing Energage to create an overall score for each company.
Afterward, Energage ran a series of statistical tests to look for any questionable results. The firm said it sometimes disqualifies a small number of employers based on those tests. The list is categorized by size because smaller employers tend to score higher than midsize employers, and midsize employers tend to score higher than large employers.
— Kim Quillen, senior editor
