We had quite a proud moment this week at Draper. We found out we were ranked one of the top workplaces in central Indiana. The list was compiled for the Indianapolis Star by a Pennsylvania company called Workplace Dynamics. The results were tabulated from questionnaires filled out by employees.
Draper was ranked 11th in the large company category on the Top Workplaces 2016. We were the only manufacturer to even make the list among large companies, and one of only three manufacturers to make the entire list of 45 small, 25 mid-size, and 20 large companies.
Other companies on the list included GEICO, FedEx, Charles Schwab, Fifth Third Bank, St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital.
So what makes a company one of the best workplaces? Among the questions on the survey, a few key areas stand out. Nearly 81% of respondents from companies on the list said they have confidence in their company’s leader. Nearly 82% feel genuinely appreciated at their company. More than 79% say they have flexibility to balance work and personal life, and that their jobs make them feel like they are part of something meaningful.
Bob Helbig is an analyst at Exton, Pa.-based Workplace Dynamics. In an interview with the Indianapolis Star he said another factor is the sentiment that one’s company is heading in the right direction. 79% of respondents from companies on the list believe that is the case.
“Draper is in prestigious company. Furthermore, Draper ranked #11 out of 20 large companies, which further shows the impressive employee feedback,” according to Helbig. “Employers are categorized by size bands, because smaller employers tend to score higher than midsize employers, and midsize employers tend to score higher than large employers.”
More specifically, Helbig says Draper employees had very high scores for direction (22% above the national average for manufacturers); values and ethics (20% above the national average for manufacturers); and pay and benefits (36% above the national average for the manufacturing industry).
“Perhaps most important, the employee engagement rate was 63%, which is much higher than we typically see for large manufacturing companies,” Helbig says. “That engagement rate is 11 percentage points higher than the national average for the manufacturing industry.”
Meanwhile, Draper President John Pidgeon was singled out for recognition as the top leader among large companies in central Indiana, based on comments from employees who participated in the survey. Specifically, this was based on answers to the survey question “I have confidence in the leader of my company.”
Employees who participated were selected randomly, and their identities were kept anonymous by the company conducting the survey.
To read the full story on this honor, click here.
To read a Q & A with John and the other two leaders selected for special mention, click here.
