Alcon, the world's largest eyecare company, was recently honored by Fortune Magazine as one of the Top 100 Companies to Work For; indeed they finished 74th and have been on the list for eleven consecutive years. Congratulations!
Noticeably absent from the list was VSP. They finished #53 on FORTUNE magazine's 2008 list and had previous rankings of #45 in 2000, #19 in 2001, #25 in 2002, #16 in 2003, #17 in 2004, #10 in 2005, #7 in 2006, and #23 in 2007.
So what caused VSP to fall off the list completely, dropping from #53 with a nine year history of inclusion? Perhaps they didn't score as they have in the past? Perhaps they've chosen to bow out of the competition, knowing that their generous compensation and benefits package really ticks off their providers, who fulfill VSP's product at upwards of a 40% discount and then struggle to pay a living wage and basic benefits. Hmmm.
Companies are selected for the "Best Companies" list primarily on the basis of their employees' responses to a 57-question survey that measures items such as job satisfaction and camaraderie, with a smaller portion of the total score based on an evaluation of the company's policies and culture. Companies that are at least seven years old and have 1,000 or more employees are eligible for the list.
The full story on The 100 Best Companies to Work For and the complete list of companies included in the list will be in the February 2issue of FORTUNE. The list is currently available at www.fortune.com. You'll find the article interesting and, perhaps, it will generate some ideas about how you, too, might become a "Top 100 Employer."
