Top Workplaces in Central Florida? Help us recognize them

Nominations are now open for the Orlando Sentinel’s Top Workplaces program, which seeks to identify and recognize the area’s top firms and what employees say makes them great places to work.

Any company, nonprofit, public organization or government agency with 35 or more employees in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Sumter, Polk, Brevard, Volusia, Flagler or Marion counties may participate in Top Workplaces.

Company owners or workers may nominate themselves at OrlandoSentinel.com/nominate or by calling 407-428-2696. The deadline for entries is March 10, and winners will be announced later this year.

The Top Workplaces process involves having employees complete a survey, and those results are rated against similar-sized companies or agencies.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Sentinel is partnering with Energage as the program’s survey company. Last year Energage collected results from more than 36,000 employees locally.

Based on the surveys, a record 107 companies and organizations in Central Florida were recognized as Top Workplaces for 2022, up from 85 selected in 2021.

Understanding what makes a business or organization a great place to work is more important than ever for retaining employees and attracting new ones.

Energage conducts the workplace surveys for more than 60 metro newspapers, including the Sentinel. Across the nation, Energage surveyed more than 2 million employees and more than 8,000 companies or organizations in 2022, honing in on 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of organizations.

“Listening to employees is critical to navigating this new world of work,” said Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage. “More than ever, you need to be more intentional about your culture.”

Florida’s unemployment rate is at a 16-year low, and the Labor Department reported Friday that a record 160.1 million Americans are employed right now. From mega corporations to mom-and-pop shops, employers know how hard it is to hire the right people and retain good employees.

“Companies are still seeking more workers and are hanging tightly onto the ones they have,” the Associated Press reported in a story about the job market.

“Employees have more choices. You can work anywhere,” Rubino said. “There are no longer geographic boundaries. Companies need to authentically represent their brand to job-seekers. The employee experience needs to be on the mission-critical list.”