Case Western Reserve long has been known as one of the nation’s top universities. Now, it’s officially among the country’s best places to work.
In its 2016 rankings, Forbes named Case Western Reserve the No. 11 midsize employer (5,000 to 10,000 employees) across all industries, and second in the education field, behind Boston College.
The most important metric of the random 30,000-person survey was a “willingness to recommend one’s own employer,” Forbes explained. Employees rated their employers on a scale of 0 to 10—or “wouldn’t recommend … under any circumstances” to “would definitely recommend.” The survey also asked employees to mention good or bad employers in sectors and industries other than their own; this was a secondary dimension taken into account.
Case Western Reserve’s overall score was 8.66—just 0.3 points away from the top 10.
“We are thrilled to receive this national recognition,” said Carolyn Gregory, vice president for human resources. “But even more importantly, we are honored that our employees view us as a great institution at which to work, which is what we strive to be.”
In recent years, employees have expressed concern over compensation, both because of economic impacts as well as sentiments about what this meant about how the institution valued employees.
After hearing this feedback in meetings across the university—but understanding that financial constraints have limited the size of the salary pool in recent years—President Barbara R. Snyder and university leadership have introduced a number of new initiatives to show appreciation for employees.
Efforts include the soon-to-be-renamed “early release” summer hours program; early dismissal prior to select holidays; and discounted parking and RTA passes for individuals making less than $50,000.
The Forbes ranking acknowledges “the commitment of the people who work throughout CWRU to make a difference in the lives of others,” Gregory said. “Our university is built on community and a shared sense of dedication to the institution and to one another.”
Case Western Reserve was joined by two other Ohio employers on the list: Westlake-based Hyland Software (No. 79) and Cleveland Clinic (No. 112). Twenty higher education institutions made the list of the top 250 midsize employers.
Forbes annually ranks the top 500 large employers and the top 250 midsize employers based on an independent survey from a sample of 30,000 American employees working for large or midsize organizations. The assessment was conducted on companies from all industry sectors employing more than 1,000 workers in the United States.
To see the full list, visit forbes.com/best-midsize-employers.