The 50 winners include a strong showing of digital agencies (14), ad tech ventures (13) and health care agencies (six)—three thriving disciplines that must compete in a tight labor market to retain and recruit the specialized talent needed to support their growth.

The list also includes ad agencies (seven), media agencies (five), marketing agencies (two), a branding agency, an event/experiential marketing agency and a public relations agency.

The employee engagement and satisfaction survey included a set of statements that employees responded to (from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”) along with some open-ended and demographic questions. This made up 75% of the overall score.

Beyond positive perceptions about pay and benefits, employees at winning workplaces gave their companies high marks on statements including:

• “Staffing levels are adequate to provide quality products/services.”
• “If I do good work, I will be rewarded.”
• “Deadlines at this organization are realistic.”
• “This organization provided as much initial training as I needed.”
• “I have a good understanding of how this organization is doing financially.”
• “This organization provides as much ongoing training as I need.”

The employee survey covered pay and benefits and seven other core focus areas. The best companies did better than the rest in all of these areas.

Pay and benefits were the biggest differentiators based on employee responses in those areas, with a nearly eight percentage point advantage in the percentage of positive responses for winners (92.5%) versus companies in the competition that didn’t make the ranking (84.8%).

The best places outscored other workplaces by about five percentage points in five areas based on employee responses: training, development and resources; corporate culture and communications; leadership; role satisfaction; and overall engagement.

The two remaining areas—work environment and relationship with supervisor—were comparatively small differentiators for the best companies versus others.

The employer questionnaire covered a company’s policies, practices, benefits and demographics. This made up 25% of the overall score.

On this questionnaire, the winning companies outscored other entrants in such areas as:

Pay and benefits:

• Allowing employees additional paid time off for community service activities or volunteer work.
• Matching employee contributions to an employee retirement plan.
• Tuition reimbursement.

Recruitment, training and development:

• Recruitment and retention programs for veterans, older workers, employees of varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds and employees who may require accommodations for mental or physical limitations.
• Productivity or time management workshops, seminars or classes.
• Ongoing diversity training.

Work/life balance:

• Paid sabbaticals.
• Financial education workshops, seminars or classes.
• Telecommuting (before the start of pandemic in March 2020). (Nearly all winning companies’ employees worked remotely during the pandemic in 2021.)
• Employer-sponsored employee assistance program (counseling for marital, parental or financial problems and/or assistance for specific conditions such as substance abuse, smoking and gambling).
• Fitness and/or wellness programs or practices within the workplace.
• On-site personal development and/or stress management workshops, seminars or classes.
• Allowing employees to work flexible hours or a compressed workweek.

Family-friendly benefits:

• Adoption assistance, such as reimbursement of agency fees, travel fees, legal assistance and paid time off before or after adoption.
• Lactation facilities for breastfeeding mothers.

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