By Bob Helbig, Energage

Companies that earn recognition as top workplaces attract more highly-qualified job applicants and experience reduced employee turnover, research shows.

The findings, published in the Academy of Management Journal, support the benefits of third-party verification programs such as Top Workplaces, which has ranked quality companies across the United States since 2006.

“While managers, recruiters, and advertising can say a company is a great place to work, third-party branding from an external source sends a more credible signal,” said Professor David G. Allen, the study’s co-author and Chair of the Department of Human Resource Management at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations.

The research regarding workplace recognition was based on more than 600 companies in North America that participated in a ratings competition from 2011 to 2013. Among the conclusions drawn by research:

· Third-party employment branding efforts can reduce turnover rates. This is regardless of the size of company or the number of industry job openings.

· Credible third-party employer branding can make employees feel better about an organization, giving them more reason to stay.

· When organizations win recognition as a quality workplace, turnover rates drop, particularly after the first year of certification.

· Certifications can improve job applicant pool quality at smaller organizations, “perhaps by better-attracting higher quality job seekers who previously only considered larger firms with more established reputations.”

· When job openings are scarce, certifications improve job applicant pool quality by helping job-seekers “focus their time and energy on firms more likely to be an appropriate fit.”

Allen and Brian R. Dineen of Purdue University authored the study. Their research was funded by the SHRM Foundation, the charitable arm of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Bob Helbig is media partnerships director at Energage, a Philadelphia-based research and consulting firm that surveyed nearly 3 million employees at more than 7,000 organizations in 2018. Energage is the research partner for Top Workplaces. Nominate your company as a Top Workplace at www.topworkplaces.com/southcarolina.

About The Top Workplaces Program:

The Top Workplaces program identifies organizations that excel at organizational health and employee engagement. Greenville Business Magazine, Columbia Business Monthly, and Charleston Business Magazine, in partnership with Energage, formerly WorkplaceDynamics, offers a free assessment through a simple, scientifically sound, and anonymous employee feedback survey.

The Top Workplaces program recruits organizations, walks them through the survey, and creates the list of top-ranking companies. Why participate? Consider the benefits:

Shout out, stand out: Encourage workplace pride. If you work at a great company, give colleagues a morale boost with something to celebrate. And give your employer well-served credit for creating something special.

Assess, reward, and improve: The results from the Top Workplaces survey can help assess the health of companies. They validate achievements, reveal problem areas, and set a foundation for new goals.

Boost recruiting: Attract and retain the best talent. Employees want to work at companies recognized as leaders that operate by a strong set of values.

Raise the business profile: The Top Workplaces logo on company materials and websites helps spread the word about successful work environments. Customers and business partners will take notice. That awareness can help create new business opportunities, too.

Earn public recognition: Achievements are recognized by Greenville Business Magazine, Columbia Business Monthly, and Charleston Business Magazine.

“Top Workplaces is more than just recognition,” said Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage. “Our research shows organizations that earn the award attract better talent, experience lower turnover, and are better equipped to deliver bottom-line results. Their leaders prioritize and carefully craft a healthy workplace culture that supports employee engagement.”

To participate, go to www.topworkplaces.com/southcarolina or call (864) 501-9699.

Energage, founded in 2006, is located in Exton, Pennsylvania. A leader in organizational health research and SaaS-based HR tools, Energage has reached more than 17 million employees from 50,000+ organizations through its employee engagement platform, Top Workplaces program, and workplace improvement solutions.

Contact: Bob Helbig, Media Partnerships Director Energage 414.207.1648