We hear it all the time from successful companies: "Our employees are our most important asset." It's a familiar saying, and it's true. The fact is, humans are the ultimate versatile tools in a manufacturing plant.
That may sound a little impersonal, but we mean it in a good way. When the pandemic first started to impact plastics processors in March, the key to companies being able to quickly pivot to making personal protective equipment, ventilator components and COVID-19 testing equipment was having the right people.
Many plastics processors offer value-added services like decorating, assembly and inspection. Having staff with those skills, along with engineering expertise, helped companies win designations as "essential businesses" and stay open. That's helped save lives.
This year, more than ever, it's obvious that the plastics industry is loaded with many great companies. And for the eighth year in a row, Plastics News wants to recognize the best of the best with our Best Places to Work in Plastics awards.
We partner with Best Companies Group, an independent research company, to highlight the industry's best companies and focus on some of the industry's best practices. Those companies that exemplify the best of the industry — as determined by the survey responses of the employees — will be featured in an Plastics News special report in March.
Nominations are now open, and the deadline to register your company is Oct. 16.
To participate, employers must fill out an Employer Benefits & Policies Questionnaire, detailing company policies, practices, benefits and demographics.
There is no cost to participate as long as surveys are completed online.
To qualify for participation, a business must:
• Be a public or private company with a facility in the U.S. and/or Canada.
• Have a minimum of 15 employees.
• Be in business a minimum of one year.
• Derive at least 50 percent of revenue from plastics-related operations.
Companies that make plastics products, as well as suppliers or service providers in the plastics industry, are eligible.
After registering, an Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Survey will be provided. It asks employees answer a series of questions using a scale ranging from "Agree Strongly" to "Disagree Strongly."
To ensure the credibility of the survey, organizations with 15-24 employees must have an 80 percent response rate or better on the employee survey. Those with 25 or more employees must have a response rate of at least 40 percent.
Companies that meet BCG's benchmarks are named one of the Best Places to Work, while those not meeting the criteria are not named.
A final listing of the Best Places to Work will published, and the company with the highest mark overall will be named the industry's top place to work. In 2020, that honor went to Asaclean-SunPlastech Inc., and we named a total of 20 companies that qualified as a Best Place to Work.
There is no cost to participate, but there is a charge for companies that want to receive their Employee Feedback Report and other benchmarking data.
For more information about the program or to register, visit bestplacestoworkplastics.com.