Special to the CJ
For the fourth time in five years Somerset Community College has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky. SCC was named to the list of best places to work in the “large companies” category, which includes employers with more than 250 employees.
Dr. Jo Marshall, the President and CEO of SCC, in notifying SCC faculty and staff of the honor said, “In the difficult economic conditions we are facing, and in a time when most people are grateful just to be employed, isn’t it rewarding to know that we not only have rewarding work but that we work together in one of the ‘Best Places to Work in Kentucky.’”
An awards ceremony will be held at the Lexington Convention Center on Thursday, April 17. At that time, the actual rankings will be announced.
Marshall added that the award this year was particularly gratifying because, “The last day to respond to the survey fell on a day that our college was closed due to weather, as a result, our response rate was not as high as it had been in the past, but the good comments from SCC employees must have overcome that difficulty.”
The “Top 25 Best Places to Work in Kentucky” competition is sponsored by the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) state council, in conjunction with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and Humana, Inc. The program is a multi-year initiative to motivate companies in the Commonwealth to focus, measure, and move their workplace environments towards excellence.
“Again, thank you for making our college a wonderful place to work,” Marshall told SCC employees. “Our students are the winners when we are happy and fulfilled in our day to day work. You, our faculty and staff, make the difference!”
James F. Ford, Vice-President of Business Education with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce said in his letter notifying the college of the award, “Congratulations! This achievement confirms that you are indeed an employer of choice.”
To be selected as one of the “Top 25 Best Places to Work in Kentucky,” SCC participated in a survey of 250 employees and completed an “Infrastructure and Practice Inventory.” The 250 SCC employees were chosen at random and filled out the survey confidentially. A team of SCC employees, lead by SCC Director of Human Resources Jill Meece, completed the infrastructure and practice inventory.
The award is based on an assessment of the company’s employee policies and procedures and the results of the internal employee survey. The survey feedback that all participating companies receive enables them to develop plans and implement steps necessary to create a better workplace and continue to improve the performance of their business.
Past award-winning companies include such well-known Kentucky employers as Humana, Yum Brands, and United Parcel Service. Of the 25 Kentucky companies in the large employer category 11 were health care providers and six were financial institutions. SCC was the only college or university to make the list.
According to the human resources association, the goal of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky competition is to raise the bar among the state’s employers and create excellence and employee satisfaction in the workplace that will attract talented people for years to come. The organization said that the initiative is integral for Kentucky to compete in both national and global arenas.
