Why Participating in the Fortune Best Companies to Work For® Competition is Good for You 
It's that time of year again, where just about any company with 1,000 or more U.S. employees can nominate themselves to be named one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in America.
While this recognition serves as an important feather in the cap for any company hoping to leverage its great culture to attract top talent, we also know that participating in the process is a fairly substantial commitment. However, beyond the chance for widespread recognition on the gold standard of "Best Companies to Work For" lists, many other benefits exist for companies willing to throw their hats in the ring.
Benefits for List Winners and Non-Winners Alike
The evaluation process gives all companies who participate an opportunity to receive honest feedback from their employees and take a good hard look at their workplace culture. While the time commitment to apply is significant, so is the payoff, with list-making companies boasting noteworthy gains in employee retention, job applications, productivity, and financial returns.
However, even if your company doesn't make the list, non-winners benefit from the intelligence and perspective gained from the process that can drive positive cultural change. And that is why this process is good for any company that applies. The Best Companies to Work For® competition gives all companies the opportunity to take stock of their programs and policies, and provides the tools to help compare your organization against the very best.
Benchmarking against the 100 Best
Organizations that participate in the Best Companies to Work For list are surveyed using the Great Place to Work® Trust Index© Employee Survey, which gives insight into your employees' experience of the company and provides the opportunity to benchmark that experience against the Best Companies. List participants—whether they win the competition or not—tell us that they rely heavily on the Trust Index© Survey results and the benchmarks generated through the competition to measure the health of their workplace and see where they need to improve.
Taking Stock of Programs and Policies
No other Best Companies List does as extensive an audit on a company's workplace policies and practices as Great Place to Work® does with our Culture Audit© questionnaire. It's the one tool that helps companies truly understand what a great workplace is and where they should focus their efforts to improve. For many list participants, it's an opportunity to take stock and make the necessary changes to build a culture that is a competitive advantage.
How Do I Apply?
The 2016 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List application process is open until July 31! Register today by visiting our website at www.greatplacetowork.com/apply. List application is, and always has been, confidential and completely free.
Additional Resources:
Download the "Guide to List Participation" pdf
View the Slideshare Presentation: "Learn What it Takes to Make the List"
Register for the July 14th Webinar: "Learn What it Takes to Make the List"
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