BYU is ranked the No. 1 college to work for in the nation, with its president among the Top 10 with the highest approval ratings.
Glassdoor, an online career and job ranking site, reported BYU with the highest employee “satisfaction” rating of 4.2 out of 5. Glassdoor’s evaluation required universities to submit at least 20 reviews by employees between Sept. 10, 2011, and Sept. 9, 2012, to be included in the national poll. Glassdoor reported 152 BYU respondents.
Respondents were asked to rate many aspects of the university, including career opportunities, compensation and benefits, employers, cultures and values, work/life balance and senior leadership. Their ratings brought BYU from No. 3 to No. 1.
Todd Hollingshead, media relations manager for University Communications, said that when reviews like this are released, BYU picks up on the information quickly. A few days after the release, BYU tweeted the results through its main Twitter feed. “A lot of different organizations do rankings and scanning of the inner parts of universities,” Hollingshead said. “When you see a ranking like this, you can’t help but feel proud of your school and upper management.”
Hollingshead has worked at BYU for almost six years and said he has enjoyed every moment. He especially loves the people he works with. “It is fun to work with such great people who are all great examples,” he said. “The students as well are all so intellectual and sharp. It’s fun to watch them as they become experts in their fields of study.”
Nina Whitehead, who has worked as a full-time employee at BYU for over 30 years, also said a main reason she enjoys her job so much is because she knows her employers care about her success.
“I do feel valued by the administration at the Marriott School and by the trickle-down approach that reflects our value to the management of the university at large,” Whitehead said.
Another important thing to Whitehead, office manager of external relations and information technology for the Marriott School of Management, is the family-centered environment at BYU. She said it makes it a special place to work. “This job is custom-made to fit me,” she said. “BYU is a family tradition in my family, and I am able to be involved with my children and still get my work done, all while having the full support of my co-workers.”
Samantha Zupan, a spokeswoman for Glassdoor, said these are all attributes of what Glassdoor’s evaluation respondents said they appreciated about BYU. “BYU employees say they feel a strong sense of family on campus. They feel valued by top administrators who value research as well as work-life balance, and they share a focused commitment on the students with a goal of bettering tomorrow’s generations,” she said.
