AKRON—Rubber & Plastics News is launching a search to identify the Best Places to Work in the rubber industry.
The publication, working with the Best Companies Group, is inviting U.S. and Canadian companies doing business in any aspect of the rubber industry to register by May 17 to participate in the program.
In short, the inaugural Rubber & Plastics News Best Places to Work is a survey competition designed to determine which participants are the best employers. The process is managed by Best Companies Group, with winners announced this fall in a special report in RPN.
Best Companies Group is an independent research firm that specializes in identifying and recognizing great places to work. It manages programs worldwide, including in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
There are a number of benefits to being named a Rubber & Plastics News Best Places to Work. With employee recruitment and retention an ongoing issue in the rubber industry, earning such a distinction will set your organization apart from other companies competing for the same job candidates.
The rules to enter are simple. In order to participate, the business must:
- Be a public or private company with a facility in the U.S. and/or Canada;
- Have a minimum of 15 employees;
- Be in business a minimum of one year; and
- Derive at least 50 percent of revenue from elastomer-related operations, including thermoplastic elastomers and polyurethanes.
Eligibility is open to companies that make end rubber products, as well as suppliers or service providers in the rubber industry. These can include: End rubber goods makers; suppliers of materials chemicals and fillers used in rubber manufacturing; custom mixers; machinery and equipment makers; mold and tooling makers; testing firms; suppliers of testing machinery and lab equipment; rubber recycling firms; distributor/fabricators of finished rubber goods to end users; and distributors of materials, equipment or services.
The first step in the competition is for a business to register for participation, and the deadline for that is May 17. There is no cost to participate, as long as the surveys are completed online. To view full participation details, visit rubbernews.com/bestplaces.
After registration, the competition includes two surveys to gather detailed data about each participating company. BCG conducts the surveys, analyzes the data and determines the winners and rankings.
The first survey is an Employer Benefits & Policies Questionnaire, where the employer details company policies, practices, benefits and demographics.
The second part is the Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Survey. The employees answer a series of questions, using a scale ranging from "Agree Strongly" to "Disagree Strongly." BCG said it should take an employee 10 to 15 minutes to complete the survey.
To ensure the credibility of the survey, organizations with 15-24 employees must have an 80 percent response rate or better on the employee survey. Those with 25 or more employees must have a response rate of at least 40 percent.
Companies that meet BCG's benchmarks are named a Best Places to Work, while those not meeting the criteria are not named. A final ranking of those named Best Places to Work will published.
While participation is free, participating organizations can receive their Employee Feedback Report for as little as $720 detailing the company's employee responses. The report also includes employee engagement and employer benefits industry benchmarks.
For more information or to register, call BCG at 717-909-1570 or visit rubbernews.com/bestplaces.