Best Places to Work in Indiana – my company should be on that list! If that is your initial thought upon hearing that phrase, great! Bad news: It’s too late for 2008 (the winners have been selected and will be announced at a May 7 awards dinner). Good news: The 2009 application process will begin in July. If you don’t know about the Best Places to Work in Indiana program, a quick primer:

• The Indiana Chamber doesn’t select the winners; we just coordinate the program

• Best Companies Group manages the selection process, with independent experts analyzing employer questionnaires and employee surveys to determine the award recipients

• While the recognition is nice, all applicants are winners. Companies receive summaries of their employee responses (individual answers are confidential), a compilation of best practices from other organizations and assistance in helping improve your workplace culture. That, of course, is the ultimate goal

And, if you’re on that Best Places to Work list, let your customers, vendors and others know. Have fun. Past winners have displayed signage, created t-shirts and placed the Best Places logo on a variety of products. It’s an honor – let the world know about it.