PORTLAND — The Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) has kicked off the 11th annual “Best Places to Work in Maine” program.
The program is run by Best Companies Group and endorsed by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, the Maine Department of Labor, the Department of Economic and Community Development, Maine HR Convention and Mainebiz. JobsinME.com is the premier sponsor.
“The Best Places to Work program recognizes that a healthy, vibrant economy starts with a great workplace,” said Marcia Benner, state director of the SHRM Maine State Council. “This program honors businesses that excel in this critical area and also provides valuable resources for employers to continue to foster a great work environment.”
In June, Best Companies Group will gather information from all Maine companies that have registered online by May 27 using a scientifically validated survey. Information collected from the assessment includes details on a company’s employee benefits and workplace policies as well as employee responses to a comprehensive engagement and satisfaction survey. This data is used to determine the Best Places to Work in Maine.
“As Maine’s unemployment rate continues to fall and the labor market tightens, companies need to do all they can to retain and attract workers,” said Gov. Paul R. LePage. “The Best Places to Work program recognizes those employers who are making the employee experience a priority. In addition, as this is a national program, being a Best Place to Work better positions our employers to attract workers to Maine and grow our workforce. I encourage employers to participate.”
Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette stated, “Maine’s labor market is tightening. Our falling unemployment rate indicates that businesses are hiring; the increased competition for workers enhances the value of being a Best Place to Work — both for recruitment and retention. I encourage employers to participate in this program because of what you learn about yourself as an employer as well as how you rank against your competition in this employees’ market.”
An employee feedback report is presented to each participating company, even if they do not make the list of Best Places to Work. The report includes a summary of the company’s employee engagement and satisfaction data, the Maine Benchmark Report and a transcript of written employee comments. Many employers use this report as a starting point for improving their workplace culture.
There is a fee to participate in this program that covers the cost to conduct the comprehensive survey and create the report.
“This is not a pay-to-play program,” said Benner. “Companies only make the list if their employee survey ranks high, so it truly is based on what employees think of the company culture. This makes the employee feedback report is a great human resources tool to help companies understand where they need to improve.”
Any company with at least 15 employees is encouraged to participate. Interested companies can apply online at www.bestplacestoworkme.com. The deadline for registration is May 27; all registered companies will be surveyed simultaneously following the deadline date
Last year’s Best Places to Work in Maine included, for the second year in a row, Belfast-based Edward Jones in the large company category. Patriot Subaru, located in Saco, took the same honor in the medium category. Claiming the top spot among small employers was Sage Data Security, LLC of Portland.
Companies selected as a “Best Place” will be announced at an event this fall. A complete list of top companies will be featured in a statewide publication published by Mainebiz.
