Originally published in Business Pulse magazine Sept/Oct 2018 issue.

The following is a summary of Business Pulse magazine’s 2018 Best Places to Work Survey. The complete article may be read in Business Pulse magazine’s digital copy, here.

Guidelines, Factoids, and Quotables:
2018 Business Pulse Best Workplaces Survey

Clear guidelines steered the Business Pulse survey that enabled employees to rate their companies’ qualities as a place to work. The guidelines required that respondents work for companies that:

• Are a for-profit or non-profit business.
• Are a publicly or privately held business.
• Have a facility in Whatcom County.
• Have at least five full- or part-time employees (including at-home, but not contractors).
• Have been in business a minimum of one year.

Participants could range from the CEO and partners to entry-level, including remote employees. They were assured that input will be held in strictest confidence.

In analyzing the responses received, we identified a number of highlights:

• Large-category leader Mills Electric employees gave Flexibility the highest ranking, along with Compensation and Benefits, which stood lowest in the overall rankings.
• Employees at Peoples Bank, Exxel Pacific, Birch Equipment, Barron Heating, Timken, Signs Plus, the Comphy Company, ServiceMaster Clean by Roth, Capstone Physical Therapy, and Louis Auto and Residential Glass all gave their companies high marks for Performance.
• Medium-category leader Birch Equipment employees ranked the company no lower than 9.5 on any of the 10 criteria and they ranked highest among all 62 companies that had respondents.
• In The Small category, Habitat for Humanity employees gave the organization 10s in Vision, Leadership, Diversity, Innovation, Philanthropy and Performance—the only entry that had six 10s.

We also want to share several of the more interesting comments submitted by employees. Here are those examples:

• Alcoa Intalco Works: “We have a very engaged and proactive leadership team that strives to make the workplace more enjoyable and inviting….I feel very happy here, for almost 30 years now. Happiness includes everything.”
• Allsop: “Allsop is a family company with a family feel. We all have opportunities to give input and implement our own ideas.  We have a laid-back, fun, and comfortable culture and employees get along extremely well.”
• Birch Equipment Rental & Sales: “Great benefits package, locally owned, no layoffs in its history, 80 full-time positions year-round, great culture….You will work really hard but you will learn so much.”
• Crystal Creek Logistics: “The work ethic is a tremendous part in our culture. CEO Cathy Hayward-Hughes believes in working with the strengths of our employees to allow them growth within the company. When there’s a query posed without an answer, we work together to learn what we can along the way until we have an answer. Inter-reliability also plays a large part in our organization.”
• Faithlife: “Faithlife has enabled me to find a work/life balance I have never known in over 10 years in the corporate world.”
• Ludtke Pacific Trucking: “I am treated like I am part of the family. Owners understand that life throws us curve balls. They allow for time off and are genuinely concerned about how my family is doing. I am treated like a professional.”
• People’s Bank: “They provide us with $200 wellness incentive money to spend on activities or accessories needed to keep us active, as well as providing us with a wellness vacation day that can be taken any day you’re doing something positive to your health.”
• Puget Sound Energy: “I seldom have a bad day on the job. I also think it is a privilege to work with the folks in my group. I do interesting work, which ultimately will benefit our rate-payers.”
• Western Refinery Services (WRS): “They try to know employees by name. There are many great opportunities available; if you want to try something new you can expect to get the backing of the company! From day one, I’ve felt valued and important. WRS works hard to protect its most valuable asset, its people.”

Originally published in Business Pulse magazine Sept/Oct 2018 issue.

Read the whole story, click below:

Guess what local employees like most about
where they work. Pay? Benefits? Guess again….

More Whatcom County Business news at Businesspulse.com