Great Place to Work determines its lists using its proprietary For All methodology to evaluate and certify thousands of organizations in America’s largest ongoing annual workforce study, based on over 1 million survey responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million employees, this year alone.
To determine the Best Small Workplaces list™, Great Place to Work analyzed the survey responses of over 30,000 employees from Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies with 10 to 99 U.S. employees.
Employees shared confidential quantitative and qualitative survey feedback about their organization’s culture by responding to 60 statements on a 5-point scale and answering two open-ended questions. Collectively, these statements describe a great employee experience, defined by high levels of trust, respect, credibility, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. In addition, companies provide organizational data like size, location, industry, demographics, roles, and levels.
Great Place to Work measured the differences in survey responses across demographic groups and roles within each organization to assess both the quality and consistency of the employee experience. Statements were weighted according to their relevance in describing the most important aspects of an equitable workplace.
Survey data analysis and company-provided datapoints were then factored into a combined score to compare and rank the companies that create the most consistently positive experience for all employees. Companies are required to invite every employee to take the survey. While company datapoints provide important context for rankings, only survey data can garner a list placement.
To be considered for the list we require statistically significant survey results, review anomalies in responses, news, and financial performance, and investigate any employee reports of company incompliance with strict surveying rules to validate the integrity of the results and findings. Data is normalized to compare companies fairly across sizes and industries.
