Making the Grade: The Center for Companies That Care Honor Roll

Each month, WFC Resources invites a nationally renowned work-life professional,  researcher or activist to share opinions, perspectives and progress with our readers. This month our guest columnist was co-authored by Marci Koblenz, co-founder and president of the Center for Companies That Care and Cynthia Cobb, SPHR, Companies That Care board member and Honor Roll chairperson.

Significant differences among companies

As a 20+ year work-life consulting veteran, Marci Koblenz has conducted employee focus groups with many companies and listened to thousands of employees talk about their personal and professional lives.  She has found that there are significant differences among companies, and even within different departments or locations within companies.

From focus groups, two themes have clearly emerged. There are companies that truly make a systemic effort to treat their employees well, and ...well…there are the others. At the employee-friendly companies, employees are appreciative of their high quality work life and align their personal goals with the goals of the company. At the other companies, it’s not like that. There really is a quid pro quo played out in the workplace. Employees respond positively or negatively to standards set by the company and management actions toward employees. A positive response produces discretionary effort expended by employees and personal ownership of the company’s goals. In addition, employees who work in caring work environments are generally more satisfied with their lives and don’t seem as beleaguered as employees who work in less supportive environments.

This raises the second theme – the internal struggle that many employees face as they try to do a good job at work while also fulfilling their personal responsibilities and interests. The way we work and the way we live are no longer compatible. The expectations of employers have hardly changed since the dawn of the Industrial Age – come to work, focus your full attention on your work, make work your first priority and leave your life at the door. That expectation actually worked fine when there was someone at home handling many of the household and family responsibilities, as there was back in the day. Society has evolved, but work expectations haven’t kept up. The effect of this, in less-evolved companies, is a stressed, depressed, and depleted workforce. Employees want to fully satisfy the expectations of their job at work. They expect that of themselves. In addition, they want to do a great job in their personal responsibilities and interests. They expect that of themselves too. So now the situation exists where many folks are working as hard as they can and don’t feel they’re doing a good job anywhere. That personal disappointment; the inability to satisfy one’s expectations of oneself, is a particularly trying situation.  

Center for Companies That Care is born

As a consultant, Marci worked with one company at a time to change the culture to one that aligns with and supports a society where virtually no one is at home anymore. She found that companies willing to evolve experienced breathtaking results. That led to thinking about how to align more companies with the realities of the 21^st century society faster. Mary Ellen Gornick, Sandy Cunningham and Marci put their heads together, developed a set of standards for companies to use as a blueprint of optimal, daily business practices, and in 2002 founded the Center for Companies That Care.

The Center for Companies That Care is a national, 501(c)( 3), not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the well-being of employees and communities. Its key activities are represented by CARE ~ Collaborate, Act, Recognize, Educate and the goal is for all employers to be a Company That Cares.  

A company that cares is defined as one that creates a positive work environment by valuing and respecting its employees. The organization is also an active citizen in its community and consistently demonstrates the 10 Characteristics of Caring:

1. Sustain a work environment founded on dignity and respect for all employees
2. Make employees feel their jobs are important
3. Cultivate the full potential of all employees
4. Encourage individual pursuit of work/life balance
5. Enable the well-being of individuals and their families through compensation, benefits, policies and practices
6. Develop great leaders, at all levels, who excel at managing people as well as results
7. Appreciate and recognize the contributions of people who work there
8. Establish and communicate standards for ethical behavior and integrity
9. Get involved in community endeavors and/or public policy
10. Consider the human toll when making business decisions

The Companies That Care Honor Roll

The organization’s primary recognition initiative is its annual Honor Roll which lists employers that are caring. The list is intended to be broad and inclusive. Private or public employers of all sizes and from all industries are welcome to apply.  

We believe there are already many, many companies that care and we want to know who they are. In addition to recognition, our mission is to spotlight Honor Roll best practices and use them to educate other companies on the journey. Therefore, there is no limit to the number of employers that can be recognized on the Honor Roll.  

Getting started

The Honor Roll is announced each year on the third Thursday of March. The process begins months earlier, though. Informational webinars are held for organizations that are considering applying for the first time. Participation does not commit organizations to submitting an Honor Roll application. The interactive sessions give an overview of the entire Honor Roll selection process and criteria, so that potential applicants can make informed decisions about applying by the November deadline. 

This year, the Honor Roll Informational Webinars will be held Tuesday, July 31^st, Tuesday, August 28^{th and} Wednesday, September 19th. All webinars are held from 2:00 – 3:00 PM CST. Participation does not commit your organization to applying.

Since Honor Roll employers must reapply each year, a targeted Webinar for current Honor Roll companies is also held a few months before the December date by which their applications are due.

Hundreds of organizations seek to understand the Honor Roll process each year. Many self-select out of the process after learning more about the 10 Characteristics and the other requirements. Seventy to eight percent of organizations that complete the application are named to the Honor Roll. Often those that aren’t named to the Honor Roll receive Honorable Mention and are encouraged to reapply the following year.  

The selection process

Companies That Care’s review process is both qualitative and quantitative. An independent review panel of seasoned business professionals reads and evaluates the applications, paying particular attention to evidence of the 10 Characteristics being part of the organizational culture and daily business practices. The panel also identifies best practices that each company demonstrates.  

Organizations submitting an application must also submit their employee survey questions and data. The information provided is analyzed as the quantitative assessment step of the review process. Organizations successfully making the Honor Roll have mean quantitative results of 3.75 or greater for the 10 Characteristics. Employers that do not already conduct employee surveys or cannot share results can administer Companies That Care’s survey. The survey, available in both Spanish and English, is administered online and can be completed from any computer with Internet access. The survey is also available to companies whether or not they are pursuing the Honor Roll recognition. 

Applicants must also have at least two goals for the coming year that will strengthen current best practices or eliminate a development need. 

Lastly, Companies That Care staff conducts a media search to ensure that applicants are not in the news for misconduct or other behaviors that would be inconsistent with being on the Honor Roll. 

The current Honor Roll has 35 companies from nearly 20 industries and across 13 states. Employee population ranges from less than 100 to over 50,000. Not-for-profit organizations comprise 31% of the Honor Roll. Since the first Honor Roll was named, the list has grown 300%. 

Benefits of being on the Honor Roll

Being on the Honor Roll can create value for the organization, its employees, customers, business partners, and investors. Inclusion on the Honor Roll fosters a favorable public image, which increases employees' pride in their organization. Despite the current economic situation, top performers are still in demand and have a choice of where to work. Employees prefer working for companies that provide a supportive work environment and have a social conscience. Achieving Honor Roll status by demonstrating the 10 Characteristics of caring companies conveys a commitment to social responsibility.

Being on a “list” can lead to greater financial performance according to a recent study conducted by Cornell University. Financial results of companies on the Working Mother 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers were analyzed and it was found that companies on the list are worth 3 to 6 percent more than peers that aren't.

In light of negative media about poor to illegal business practices, potential customers, business partners, and investors more closely scrutinize organizations with which they consider doing business. Being recognized as on a “list” can increase their confidence in an organization. 

Among the benefits specific to Companies That Care, Honor Roll employers become part of the collaborative Honor Roll Network and Listserv that help strengthen these organizations as visionaries and leaders in current and future workplaces. They also receive feedback to facilitate continuous improvement. The Honor Roll is publicized in national, regional, and local publications (Wall Street Journal and Fast Company in 2007) and organizations receive marketing materials to use for their communications to employees, customers, business partners, and employment candidates.  

Do you work for a Company That Cares?

Just like a student can be named to a school’s honor roll because of excellent grades, employers can be named to Companies That Care’s Honor Roll because of their excellent programs and practices for employees and communities. If you work for such an employer or would like to recommend an employer for the Honor Roll, you are invited to visit www.companies-that-care.org for more information.