What makes a company a great place to work?

Generous benefits? A competitive salary? Flexible schedules? Opportunities to advance? A boss who remembers your birthday or work anniversary?

As we celebrate our third annual Best Places to Work Mid-Columbia winners, it’s clear there’s no single recipe for a great workplace. But the survey results reveal something more fundamental: People want to feel valued, respected and connected to their work.

This year, 13 employers earned recognition through a program conducted in partnership with Workforce Research Group, a national employee engagement research firm. To qualify, organizations must have at least 15 employees in Benton, Franklin or Walla Walla counties and have operated for at least one year.

The rankings are based on two surveys. An employer questionnaire covering benefits, policies and practices accounts for 20% of the score. The remaining 80% comes from anonymous employee surveys measuring their workplace experiences.

And those employees had plenty of positive things to say.

Among this year’s winners, 97% understand how their work contributes to organizational success, 95% enjoy their coworkers, and 93% find purpose in their work.

All winning employers offer health insurance and paid time off. Overall, 90% of Best Places employees are satisfied with their benefits and 91% saying they like their retirement plans.

All the winning companies provide employee recognition, with 89% of Best Places workers saying their employer recognizes them for work that is well done. And 85% provide professional development opportunities.

But perks alone don’t tell the whole story.

Employees also value managers who listen, recognize good work and help them reach their potential. Among this year’s winners, 96% say their managers treat them respectfully, and 93% believe their managers want them to reach their full potential.

We congratulate this year’s winners and thank every organization that participated. You remind all of us that a great place to work isn’t defined by a single benefit or policy. It’s reflected in how people are treated, day after day.

We hope you’ll take a look at our special section inserted into this edition of the Journal of Business to meet these outstanding businesses.

Strong employers help build a stronger economy and a more vibrant community – and making the Tri-Cities a better place to work benefits us all.

To see event photo gallery, click here.