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Runnah5555 t1_iycsxy8 wrote

You apply, pay a fee and boom, you’re a “best place” to work.

It’s a scam

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Asleep_Gate_8229 t1_iydsx40 wrote

It’s pay-to-play. Employee surveys establish ranking, but you pay Maine Biz to participate.

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Walter_J_Bro t1_iyd8a2n wrote

It has to be because I was shocked to see one of the places I worked for a brief time on this list. Aside from a small management team that had been there for years and years, the place was a revolving door for staff. It was chaotic, there was no training, and the job had a really bad work / life balance. After a few months of trying to teach myself how to write code using google (I am not an analyst or developer) I asked when I would start doing the job they brought me in to do, and I was told that it would not be happening anytime in the foreseeable future, so I quit.

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RDLAWME t1_iyd68ru wrote

Having worked at one of the "best places". They send surveys to all employees. We are told the results are based on the survey feedback and response rate.

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crookdmouth t1_iydnkjv wrote

Thats how Hammond Lumber got on there, I'm sure. I know a few people that work or have worked there and their managers seem to be toxic. It has to come down from the top.

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gunksmtn1216 t1_iye0sx6 wrote

Whattttt you mean working 6 days a week with 5 days off a year shouldn’t be on the best place list lol

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bigspoutwhale867 t1_iyf5hkz wrote

Much like B Corps, as far as I’ve experienced thus far. It’s all about branding, marketing, and public perception. Don’t get me wrong, the whole B Corp thing means well, but it’s only a few steps above Best Places to Work

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Guygan t1_iyd1kxb wrote

What matters most is who your immediate supervisor/manager is.

Any workplace can go from best to worst for you with one staff change.

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schilling207 t1_iycsktq wrote

Not every company participates in it, so lots of really great employers don’t make the list. The ones that do, often push their employees to fill out the survey for it so they get listed.

I work at a company not on the list that has amazing culture, competitive pay, great benefits, decent PTO, and a very flexible hybrid wfh model. I’d say it’s one of the better places in the state.

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pppuffer119 t1_iydpjlt wrote

After working at 2 places on the best place to work list I have determined that’s it’s a crock of shit lol

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ChickenBeans t1_iyegmw3 wrote

Ditto. Best place I’ve worked in Maine doesn’t bother with bs haha

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RDLAWME t1_iycqsg1 wrote

Ime, companies that make the list generally make a big push internally to have their employees complete the survey.

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costabius t1_iye2o63 wrote

The survey is "completely anonymous", you can not be identified by this unique survey access token sent to your work email address, your responses are "Completely confidential"!

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New-Work-139 t1_iycy21q wrote

Best places to work usually have fewer than 200 employees and would never show up on one of those lists

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meowmix778 t1_iyd0dtx wrote

I've for mega corps as a manager and now a tiny company. Both have strengths and weaknesses. It's baffling to come from that environment and see the lack of tools or standardization for example. It feels like things are being run backwards.

That said there's less stress, less micro management, people are generally nicer, you can reach the person you need without 18 fucking middle manager and gate keepers, you don't waste half your day on lectures and seminars on the newest buzzword campaign.

Smaller companies generally are better but have their own set of pitfalls.

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DirtMcgurpOG t1_iydccwt wrote

Pretty sure my last company scored a 60% on the employee survey. That failing grade still allowed them to declare themselves a best place to work. What a joke.

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New_Sun6390 t1_iycxfrl wrote

Two pronged approach. Company pays a fee to get on the list, and employees are encouraged (more like pressured) to back them up. Basically fake news.

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vayloo10 t1_iycxg93 wrote

Yeah I think companies pay to be on that list

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costabius t1_iye29g0 wrote

The "best places to work" list is a paid program, companies pay a lot of money to be on that list.

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rmm207 t1_iye8zlp wrote

Best places to work is a pay to play gamw

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passthepeanutbutter t1_iyegv9i wrote

What I love about the best places to work list, is you have to pay even MORE to use the logo and get signs to advertise it for the year after. It’s a big money suck for Maine Biz, a pissing contest for any business who wants to spend useless money, and absolutely has zero benefit for actual employees.

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Yourbubblestink t1_iycx2l3 wrote

Write a check. Buy some promotional materials. Fill out a quick survey. Go to a dinner in Portland to collect your ‘prize’. Nobody loses

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meowmix778 t1_iyczyo6 wrote

I don't know much about the program but I worked in banking for a while at one of the larger and notoriously shitty banks but we kept getting transplants from one of the ones that has a "best place to work" sign. York maybe. I actually forget what one it was. All I remember is the horror stories about their corporate rules

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paducahbiker t1_iyerxps wrote

Applying and submissions for these lists are a function of PR/Marketing. If the company doesn’t want to play and apply , they won’t be considered. So as someone else said “it’s a crock of shit”

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therealwolfe1982 t1_iyes4ua wrote

Bring on the downvotes…CMP is a good place to work

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gunksmtn1216 t1_iyetqsd wrote

Did and internship at cmp a few years ago and it’s still been the best employer I’ve had in Maine

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IamSauerKraut t1_iyct0ye wrote

How many of them?

My guess is none of them once you look at the metrics considered.

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TitleExciting5397 t1_iydxxiz wrote

I was surprised by the list-----I've worked at two different places in Portland that pay WAY more than both for hourly jobs like serving and bartending and have been surprisingly great places to work

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daisakai42 t1_iydl50o wrote

T-Mobile call center in Oakland.

20 an hour plus bonuses and they genuinely care about their employees.

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