What’s your workplace’s grade?
August 7th, 2008, 5:00 am · 8 Comments · posted by Jan Norman, small-business columnist
A new Orange County Web site, The Workplace Review, is setting up a grading system for Southern California companies.
Eventually the membership site that launched Aug. 2 will match job seekers with the most compatible workplaces, but right now, founder Petti Van Rekom (right) needs your experiences with real work environments at local companies.
There are a number of Web sites where people rant about or rate jobs. I wrote here about one created by a Chapman University student (check out ones mentioned in the comments.)
The Workplace Review rates the work environment, not the job. The concept is that the specific tasks you do at a job are less important to your happiness than the culture, practices and people in the workplace.
“How do we find better workplaces? By asking the people who actually work there,” says Van Rekom, a San Clemente resident and long-time employee trainer and career coach.
Here’s a sample scorecard generated from answers workers give on the survey:
The Workplace Review’s survey that is used to produce the scorecard has 58 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete, Van Rekom says.
She would love to have surveys for every one of the million-plus companies in the region but her initial goal is 1,000 companies in 100 days.
Van Rekom got the idea for the site when she coached her own son, Kurtis, about finding a job he loved not just one that paid a lot of money. She should know what she’s talking about because she got her doctorate at USC in human performance at work.
After helping him identify the best school for his chosen career and helping him get what seemed like a great job, Kurtis hated the place.
“That’s when I realized it’s all about the work environment,” she says. “Most people are flexible about the work they do; it’s the place that makes the difference.”
Trust between managers and employees is the most important factor in identifying a great workplace, she says, based on 20 years of research by the Great Place to Work Institute that produces Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in America.
The Workplace Review is free now, but eventually members will pay $10 a month or $30 a year, Van Rekom says.
OTHER STORIES:
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- Private eye shares ‘Best O.C. Businesses’ list
- Reduce stress at work
- A gas-inspired pay raise
- What every manager needs to know
- Poll: Do Casual Fridays help or hurt workers?
August 11th, 2008 at 6:27 am
[...] companies Sir Speedy turns 40O.C. teen sells Zune Web site for $62,000O.C. business sales reboundWhat’s your workplace’s grade?Luxury O.C. dune buggies boomTori Spelling chooses glam hospital gown by O.C. firmBi-coastal court [...]
August 11th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Coming out of the mortgage industry, I work for a non-profit organization - I like what I do - but I work in a hostile environment.
The company is ran by babies - the manager stays gone and you cannot trust anyone. If you make a mistake -(most of the mistakes are due to training issues) it will be aired all over the office (and you become a target for ridicule and not even treated as human) - Believe me, these jobs actually exist. It’s not the job - it’s the people on these jobs, that play politics - until they destroy someone’s life.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:41 am
[...] Local companies Irvine manufacturer is sold‘American Chopper’ endorses local gas-saver deviceRF Nano raises $8 million venture capitalO.C. firm wins global Little League dealTip of the Day: Making partnerships workIrvine biomed firm raises $20.1 millionSir Speedy turns 40O.C. teen sells Zune Web site for $62,000O.C. business sales reboundWhat’s your workplace’s grade? [...]
August 14th, 2008 at 8:41 am
[...] Local companies Irvine manufacturer is sold‘American Chopper’ endorses local gas-saver deviceRF Nano raises $8 million venture capitalO.C. firm wins global Little League dealTip of the Day: Making partnerships workIrvine biomed firm raises $20.1 millionSir Speedy turns 40O.C. teen sells Zune Web site for $62,000O.C. business sales reboundWhat’s your workplace’s grade? [...]
August 16th, 2008 at 12:08 am
LeafsOfTalent.com provides an excellent online employer grading service for which employees and/or ordinary citizens are allowed the ability to grade their PAST or PRESENT EMPLOYERS in an online environment. The service is based on a ratings driven system which translates into final letter grades of A, B, C, D or F. Grades can be provided anonymously if the subscriber desire and corresponding opinions can be posted as well. The site is setup on a totally secured platform using 128bit encryption. Fees are collected from premium subscribers and no fees are collected from basic subscribers who just want to post employer grades.
August 16th, 2008 at 7:40 am
[...] Jobs Poll: Is your workplace teamwork or competition?O.C. has 8 ‘Best Law Firms for Women’Fund for jobless pay running out of moneyMandatory paid sick leave shelvedWhat’s your workplace’s grade? [...]
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:51 am
[...] What’s your workplace’s grade? [...]