The American Cancer Society Eastern Division, whose main branch is located in Loudonville, has been named one of the best companies to work for in New York in a competition sponsored by several business groups that used employee surveys to rank companies across the state.
The initiative, inspired by Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work for in America list, is sponsored by the New York State Society for Human Resource Management, the Business Council of New York and Best Companies Group, a national consulting firm.
The Loudonville branch will be honored at an awards presentation and gala dinner on Thursday, April 23, at the Marriot Hotel in Albany. This is its second nomination, having ranked third in the large company category in 2007.
`People are very proud of this. This has become something that we strive for, something we wait to see if we get,` said Maria Guyette, senior vice president of human resources at ACS.
As the leading contributor to cancer research outside of the federal government, ACS is a nonprofit organization well known for its signature programs and community outreach events.
Guyette said that although ACS maintains a vast network of volunteers, many of whom are cancer survivors, it employs only a small staff.
`If people know about us, they know about us as an organization that does research; they don’t think about us as an employer,` she said.
She said ACS chose to participate in the survey for several reasons.
Foremost, Guyette said, was the survey’s value as an evaluation tool to receive staff feedback, which helps the organization address areas that are in need of improvement.
According to the initiative’s Web site, bestcompaniesny.com, award recipients are selected based on an assessment of anonymous employee surveys. Employees are randomly selected to complete a brief online survey that addresses topics such as overall satisfaction and engagement, personal relationship with management, and pay and benefits.
Employers are also asked to complete a questionnaire that examines the company’s employee procedures and policies.
Questions range from workplace diversity to health-care coverage, to recycling programs, to allotted vacation time and sick days.
`It’s really, ‘Are the people here thoroughly engaged in our mission? Are they happy here?’` Guyette said.
Marilyn Baish, director of wellness and benefits at ACS, agreed.
`We don’t have the funds [for consulting firms],` said Baish. `What we get for doing this is we get a report back. It gives us some information on where we scored high and low, and what we need to work on.`
Baish added that the anonymity of the employee survey is the most useful aspect to help define ACS’ human resources practices because it allows for a more honest evaluation.
Guyette said there’s a correlation between having good human resources practices and employee retention. She said that many nonprofits have a steady turnover rate in staff because the work can be very demanding.
`There can be a significant burnout factor, but we don’t experience that. People here are united by the mission. They’re committed. We just don’t have the turnover you’d expect,` she said.
Guyette added that receiving the award is useful as a recruiting tool, and it is a selling point to new applicants, as well as being a morale boost to current employees.
`Our reputation is all we have,` she said. `We don’t sell a product, we have a reputation. This is one way to demonstrate that.`
The goal of the `Best Companies` ranking, according to NYS-SHRM chairperson Barry Manus, is not just to recognize employers that have noble human resources practices, but to gain other companies’ interest in improving their own workplace environments.
`We know that happier employees are more productive employees, and it improves the company’s bottom line,` Manus said.
Manus said that there are many consulting firms that could provide a similar service, but with the only cost involved being the sliding scale entry fee, the `Best Companies` competition is an inexpensive way to obtain a valuable service.
`If an individual company were to employ a consultant, it would cost thousands of dollars,` Manus said.
For information, or to register for the 2010 competition, go to bestcompaniesny.com.
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