Mark Harbeke

The only useful lists are of big companies. There is not enough data to compare small companies on a national basis.

These are the words of Brazen Careerist author Penelope Trunk, from just yesterday on her blog. I've praised Trunk in the past for her insights into employee engagement and building trust in the workplace. But I feel the need to offer a rebuttal to this statement, which appears in a comment to her own post on the assumptions behind "top company" lists.

At the end of the day, top small company lists are even more valuable than top large company lists because, according to the SBA, small organizations have generated almost two-thirds of the net new jobs over the last 15 years, and they represent over 99% of all employer firms. Thus, because of small biz's role in our economic recovery, it's imperative we understand how the top-performing firms keep employees engaged to spur greater innovation and productivity while keeping turnover low.

This brings me to the second part of Trunk's remark: There is not enough data to compare small companies on a national basis. To this I say, did you receive our email we sent you about our 2010 Top Small Company Workplaces competition with Inc. Magazine? 2010 marks the fourth year of this national research/recognition project. Over the last three years Winning Workplaces has honored 45 small enterprises from 25 states; 60 more firms were evaluated and named as finalists for this award. In total over the last three years more than 1,200 organizations have applied from every state.

But to truly push back on Trunk's point, I can't just mention our award program. We weren't the first to the small biz research space and we certainly won't be the last. Here are some other prominent small and midsized business recognition programs:

Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America (Great Place to Work Institute)
Fast 50 (Fast Company Magazine)
Best Places to Work by State/Industry (Best Companies Group)
Best Employers for Workers Over 50 (AARP)
Top 50 Companies fo Diversity (DiversityInc Magazine)

Readers, what small biz and/or workplace awards have you applied for that are not listed above?

Comments for We're Boldly Going Where (Almost) No Workplace Researchers Have Gone Before

Sunday, December 20, 2009 by Penelope Trunk:: Small is relative, right? I work at a small company: eleven people. So when I think small, I think 2-15 people. No companies with three people on the Fast Company list, I bet. And if there are, how could anyone reasonably get a handle on the breadth of companies that small in order to rate them? It's another reason the idea of lists is flawed. Which I truly believe. I think the interesting thing about lists is the assumptions people use - the lists themselves have limited value.