Apply Soon for Winning Workplaces Awards

In the last two years, 10 of the 30 winners of the annual Winning Workplaces awards have been NCEO members (and a few more became members after learning about employee ownership at the meetings). The awards, given to 15 companies each year, are for companies with 500 or fewer employees that have innovative employee-centered management practices. I serve as one of the judges (but recuse myself from NCEO member evaluations) and, based on that experience, I know that many of our members would be extremely strong candidates. Companies can nominate themselves or consultants can nominate their clients. The winning companies have effective, innovative employee-centered processes such as work teams, open-book management, good overall compensation, well-developed training programs, and other practices very common in employee ownership companies. Companies that can do this despite being in industries that don't typically encourage employee involvement get an extra edge, but that is just one factor. Nominations (but not applications) must be in by the end of January.

The application process is much less demanding than some other award programs. Stories about each winner appear in an October special section in the Wall Street Journal, which cosponsors the award. It's great publicity for your company, an effective recruiting tool, and another way to attract customers. By maintaining a high percentage of employee ownership company winners, it also helps build recognition for employee ownership and encourages more companies to set up plans.

To apply, go here on the Winning Workplaces Web site. Winning Workplaces also sponsors a series of webinars on best workplace practices. For a list of upcoming events, some of which feature employee ownership companies, go here.