Five years into the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are still working from home at least a couple of days a week.
Hybrid and remote work was not just a solution to the pandemic. They have become the basis of how people work. In fact, many employees actively seek flexible work arrangements, and companies that offer them experience higher retention rates and higher productivity.
Our annual Best Workplaces report highlights the rise of remote and hybrid work. We explore how the most effective workplaces support remote workers and make days in the office productive and focused. After rushing to remote work at the height of the pandemic, many organizations are now refining their approaches.
Flexible work hours are not suitable for every industry. Construction, manufacturing and healthcare are just some of the sectors where on-site work is essential. But companies that can embrace hybrid work, including many named this year's Best Workplaces, say it offers many benefits.
How did we select the best jobs? The Tribune partnered with Energage, an Exton, Pennsylvania-based workplace survey and improvement specialist, which surveyed nominated employers in the Chicago area with at least 75 employees.
The Tribune did not pay Energage, and the organizations did not pay any fees to survey their employees or to be named “Best Workplaces.” The Tribune used news coverage as well as advertising to seek nominations. A total of 8,108 organizations were asked to survey their employees, and 236 agreed to do so.
Energage used a 26-question survey that asked employees to express their opinions on factors such as pay and benefits, direction, leadership, value and appreciation. Energage ranked companies based on responses.
Employers are recognized as a Top Places to Work when their employees' combined review scores exceed national standards. Energage established these criteria based on feedback from approximately 30 million employees over 19 years.
The survey ranked 185 Chicago organizations as Best Workplaces.
Our list of top organizations is divided into three categories: small (less than 250 employees), medium (250 to 999), and large (1,000 or more). Starting this year, employers are grouped by the overall size of their organization and the number of employees invited to participate in the survey, which may include employees outside of Chicago.
The list of companies not included in the Best Workplaces list was kept confidential by Energage and was not provided to the Tribune.
This is the 16th year that Tribune has partnered with Energage to highlight the best places to work in the Chicago area, and it's time to start thinking about next year. To enter the 2026 Best Workplaces Awards or for more information, visit the nominations page at: chicagotribune.com/nominate.
