Q Our company is owned by another company that’s not based in Hawaii. Can we still participate?
AYes! You can participate if you have 15 or more full- and/or part-time employees working in Hawaii and have a main or corporate location there.
QOur parent company owns multiple companies in Hawaii. Do I need to register each one separately?
AIf each company has its own Employer Identification Number (EIN)/Business Number and 15 or more full- and/or part-time employees working in Hawaii, the answer is yes. We will treat each one as its own employer and survey them individually.
If each facility/office operates under the same EIN and same set of employee benefits and procedures, the answer is no. You can submit a single registration for all locations. Hotels: When counting up your Hawaii employees, think about what company owns and runs your hotel, what company name is on your paychecks, and whether you share an FEIN with a large hotel organization. If the names are different and FEIN is not shared, all you need is the number of U.S employees at your location.
QWe have employees that work for our Hawaii operation but most of their work isn’t done in Hawaii. Are they eligible?
AAny remote employees are only eligible if they directly report into someone who works in Hawaii and are physically located in Hawaii.
QOur company has associates who are our employees, but they work for other companies. Are we still eligible?
AYou are eligible, but only the employees working in-house can be surveyed. You have to have at least 15 in-house employees.
QIs there a minimum number of employees who must complete the surveys?
AWe look for a response rate of at least 40% (unless you are a company of 15-24 employees, in which case you must reach 80%), so not everyone has to complete a survey. However, your company will get the most out of this process if you work to get as many surveys returned as possible.
QWhen do we receive reports if we decide to purchase them, and what can we expect to be included?
ASoon after companies have been notified whether they made the list or not, reports will be sent out. In them, you will see various levels of data, complete with charts and graphs. You’ll also get employee comments and benchmark reports that help you compare yourself to other organizations.
QWhat happens after registration?
AWe’ll send you a welcome email, that will contain information and dates you need to know.
QHow do you determine which companies make the list?
ATwenty percent (20%) of your score comes from your Employer Assessment. The remaining 80% comes from your Employee Feedback Surveys.
QWe have employees in different states. Do those employees get surveyed?
AOnly employees working in Hawaii or directly reporting into Hawaii, will be surveyed.
QWill you survey seasonal, temporary, per diem, or independent contractor employees?
ANo. Do not include these employees in the process.
QWill all of our employees get surveys?
AIf your company has 300 or fewer eligible employees, then they will all be surveyed. If you have more than 300, a random sample will receive surveys. If you’ve chosen the online method, we will select the random sample. If you’ve chosen the paper method, you will have to do so.
QWill managers be surveyed?
AAll eligible managers, leaders, and executives should be included in the process, as they have valuable opinions and viewpoints.
QHow long does it take to fill out the survey?
AWe’ve done everything we can to make sure our surveys aren’t too time-consuming. Most employees can complete it in 10-15 minutes.
QHow involved is the Employer Assessment? Does it take a lot of time or research to complete?
AThe questionnaire asks about your policies, practices, and demographics. We estimate it’ll take about an hour to complete, depending on how easy it is to access the information we ask for. You can always look at the sample we provide ahead of time.
QHow do employees return their paper surveys?
AYou will receive postage-paid, addressed envelopes with your surveys. Employees will simply put their filled-out surveys in the envelopes and send them via USPS.
QWhat is the online survey process like?
AWe will ask you to send us a list of employee email addresses. Then, each employee will get a unique link to the survey via email. It’s as easy as that.
QWe want to do the online survey process, but what if some of our employees don’t have email addresses?
AIf at least 60% of your employees have an email address, we can provide passcodes for the rest of them. If less than 60% of your employees have an email address, you will need to choose the paper method.
QCan we customize the roles and departments on the survey?
AYes! There is an associated cost, but you can work with one of our team members to make sure you’re including roles and departments that make the most sense for your organization.
QNot all of our employees speak English. Do you offer surveys in other languages?
AFor a cost of $199 per language, we will translate the surveys for you.
QHow will I keep track of things throughout the process? Will I get updates?
AYes! You will get regular updates throughout the process. We’ve also outlined the process on our Important Dates tab and in the packet you’ll receive after registration.
QWhen do we find out if we’ve made the list?
AYou will get a notification letting you know if your company has made the list or not. Rankings will be unveiled shortly after you are notified. Please see Important Dates for details.
QIs there any way to see what the survey is like before we officially register?
AYes! Click here to find samples of the surveys.
QWhat is your confidentiality policy?
AConfidentiality and anonymity are of the utmost importance to us. You can see our Privacy Policy here.
QWhat do we get out of this process if we don’t make the list?
AThere are a limited number of spots on the best places list. But if you don’t make it, you still have the opportunity to purchase the survey results in the form of the Employee Feedback Data Dashboard package that provides valuable information you can use to improve and try to make the list next year. We don’t release names of companies who don’t make the list.
QHow many participants do you have on a yearly basis?
AUnfortunately, we don’t release this information due to our confidentiality standards.
QIf I still have questions, who can I reach out to?
APlease reach out to one of our program managers at
