Tell us the best places to work in Idaho – Marketplace

What are the best places to work in Idaho? We want your input to find those standout employers.

For the first year, the Idaho Business Review, in partnership with Boise-based independent marketing research firm Populus, have teamed up to create the Best Places to Work in Idaho program, with the goal of recognizing the cream of the crop and discovering the secrets of what it takes to be a desirable company to work for.
“This isn’t a popularity vote,” said Rick Carpenter, vice president and publisher of the IBR. “It’s employee-driven. We want to find out how they feel about working at their jobs and discover what things they like and don’t like. It also provides a service to the participating companies, who may find they have a problem that needs to be addressed.”
“This program allows companies to get objective feedback from their employees about what they most value in the workplace, and implement the best practices in employee relations,” said Kristy Allen, vice president of Populus. “Those companies may then also be able to be recognized for their commitment to their employees.”
The Best Places to Work in Idaho program is open to businesses statewide who have at least 20 employees. Companies must register to participate, which will authorize Populus to conduct a confidential, less-than-15-minute survey among workers.
Questions will address the areas of work environment, compensation and benefits, company management, work/life balance, and employee growth and development. Businesses will supply an inventory of benefits and their human resource managers will be asked to complete a separate online survey about current employment practices.
Employers receiving the highest ratings will be honored at an awards luncheon hosted by the Idaho Business Review in April. The IBR will also publish a magazine with articles about the top companies, describing how they engender employee satisfaction and loyalty.
“The intention is to recognize companies in the smaller/medium category from 20 to 249 and the larger companies 250 or above for each of the areas we’re assessing,” Allen said.
Participating business will receive the scores for key dimensions of their employee satisfaction and learn how these scores compare to the top 10 percent of performers in their region of the state. No individual employee information will be revealed.
To register or for more information, visit the IBR Web site at www.idahobusiness.net and click on either the “Idaho’s Best Employers Begin Here” button at the top of the home page or the “Best Places to Work in Idaho” icon at the middle right.
Deadline for companies to register is Jan. 25. Data will be collected and compiled during February and March. Results should be available to companies starting in April.
“The response is heating up as we get closer to the deadline,” Allen noted. “So far, it’s been a really good distribution of companies.”
The program has been endorsed by Buy Idaho, the Idaho Department of Labor, and several state chambers of commerce. For specific questions not addressed on the Web site, contact Allen at 344-5300 or 1-800-POPULUS.

Steve Martin is the special sections editor of the Idaho Business Review. He can be reached at steve.martin@idahobusiness.net.