Tampa Bay’s Top 100 workplaces

Every year, the Tampa Bay Times seeks to identify the best places to work in the region based on what their employees have to say about them. We’ve been doing it for a decade.

Starting in September, we welcomed anyone to nominate companies as top places to work. Our third-party partners invited 1,514 employers to subject themselves to scrutiny by letting us survey their workers. Any company was eligible, as long as it had at least 50 employees in the area. They could be public, private, nonprofit or governmental. There was no cost to enter.

In all, 191 organizations agreed to take the survey. Combined, they employ 96,636 people in the bay area. Of those employees who received questionnaires, 40,363 responded, either on paper or online. We used those responses to identify the Top 100 Workplaces for 2019.

Click here to view photos from this year’s Top Workplaces Live event.

How the survey was done:

The employee survey asked 24 questions related to workplace culture. Topics included:

• Alignment - where the company is heading, its values, cooperation
• Connection - employees feel appreciated, their work is meaningful
• Effectiveness - doing things well, sharing different viewpoints, encouraging new ideas
• My manager - cares about concerns, helps learn and grow
• Engagement - motivation, retention and recruiting
• Leadership - confidence in company leaders
• The basics - pay, benefits, flexibility, training, expectations

Read more about how the survey was done here.

Finally, we compared and ranked companies in similar size ranges, grouping them as follows:

Small companies: 50-149 local employees

Midsized companies: 150-499 local employees

Large companies: 500-plus local employees

Without further ado, here are the 2019 Top Workplaces.

Best small companies to work for in 2019

#1. Yogurtology

Sector: Restaurant

Number of employees: 50

Years on the list: 4

Read more: Free samples and family atmosphere make Yogurtology a sweet place to work

#2. Guardian Angels Catholic School

Sector: Education, Primary/secondary school

Number of employees: 54

Years on the list: 2

#3. Engel & Völkers

Sector: Agents/brokers

Number of employees: 85

Years on the list: 1

For the complete list, click here.

Best midsize companies to work for in 2019

#1. TransferWise

Sector: International money transfers

Number of employees: 156

Years on the list: 2

Read more: Break nooks? Check. Friday happy hour? TransferWise checks all the Top Workplace perks

#2. Century 21 Beggins Enterprises

Sector: Real estate

Number of employees: 429

Years on the list: 10

#3. Bouchard Insurance, A Marsh and McLennan Agency

Sector: Insurance

Number of employees: 207

Years on the list: 10

For the complete list, click here.

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Best large companies to work for in 2019

#1. KnowBe4

Sector: Security awareness training

Number of employees: 562

Years on the list: 4

Read more: KnowBe4 made it to the top of the list by growing fast without losing its identity

#2. Power Design, Inc.

Sector: Electrical

Number of employees: 741

Years on the list: 8

#3. Grow Financial Federal Credit Union

Sector: Credit Union

Number of employees: 512

Years on the list: 8

For the complete list, click here.

We talked to leaders of perennial Top Workplaces and those making the list for the first since since we started these surveys. See the rest of our coverage below.

At Top Workplace Valet Living, your trash (and your puppy) is their treasure

Employees do the chores that apartment dwellers would prefer to avoid, from disposing of trash to walking the dog. But opportunities for promotion abound.

Challenging work at Crisis Center of Tampa Bay offers ample rewards

Still, supervisors watch for signs of distress among employees who field calls from people suffering from abuse or depression.

Employees liked these CEOs so much we gave them leadership awards

We also asked them to react to some of the things their employees said about them. They happily obliged.

10 for 10: These companies have made our list of Top Workplaces every year

Bouchard Insurance (pictured) builds in fun activities for their employees and family members. Balancing work and play is a common theme among repeat standouts.

Nearly two dozen newbies debut on the Top Workplaces list this year

These companies, including Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay (pictured), see a tie between strong employee morale and workplace performance.

Condi took classes at Barbizon + other fun facts about our Top Workplaces

And one of our Top Workplaces can tell you how many of their employees are lefties.

You won’t believe what one Top Workplace gives its employees for milestone anniversaries

Some Tampa Bay companies, such as Robbins Property Associates, offer creative benefits in an attempt to lure and retain top talent.

Many top performing companies see employee happiness as a key to success

At financial services firm USAA, that means enabling employees to ‘disengage and recharge’ by taking a brief nap in its ‘relaxation zone.’

Technology is affecting your workplace culture. But is it for the better?

The CEO of our survey-conducting partners at Energage says it offers powerful tools for understanding an organization’s culture and work dynamics.