Times Union 2019 Top Workplaces nomination deadline extended

There’s still time to nominate your company for Times Union 2019 Top Workplaces honors.

The deadline has been extended until Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Nominating an employer is easy: Just go to http://timesunion.com/nominate or call 518-636-0132.

Now that Capital Region unemployment is at a 12-year low — 3.4 percent in October, according to the state Department of Labor — workers may be looking for new opportunities as employers strive to attract and keep talent. In other words, it’s a good time to stand out from the crowd and being named a Top Workplace is a way to do just that, according to Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage, the Times Union’s Top Workplaces research partner.

“Top Workplaces is more than just recognition,” Claffey said. “Our research shows organizations that earn the award attract better talent, experience lower turnover and are better equipped to deliver bottom-line results. Their leaders prioritize and carefully craft a healthy workplace culture that supports employee engagement.”

Any organization with 35 or more employees in the greater Capital Region is eligible to participate, including public, private, nonprofit and government workplaces. We define the geographic area as Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington counties.

To choose winners, short, 24-statement employee surveys will be conducted by Energage, formerly Workplacedynamics. So far, more than 60 companies throughout the greater Capital Region have signed up to be surveyed. Surveys will be conducted through November.

After surveys are completed, employers then will be ranked in small, medium and large categories. The winners will be announced in a special report to be published in April 2019, and a springtime cocktail party will also celebrate honorees.

Participation is free and voluntary. Employers can pay Energage for more detailed evaluations, but there is no obligation.