Water Systems Consulting is one of the highest-scoring businesses, with standout employee engagement

Water Systems Consulting (WSC) has been named one of Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces for 2019, our third annual ranking in the fast-growing private company sector.

WSC is the only company based in California’s Central Coast to receive this recognition, and joins other California based companies Asana, Pantheon Systems, and Plaid in this ranking. Browse the full list here.

Hitting newsstands May 28 in the June 2019 issue, and as part of a prominent Inc.com feature, the list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of private American companies that have created exceptional workplaces through vibrant cultures, deep employee engagement, and stellar benefits. Collecting data on nearly 2,000 submissions, Inc. singled out 346 finalists.

Each nominated company took part in an employee survey, conducted by Omaha’s Quantum Workplace, on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future. Inc. gathered, analyzed, and audited the data. Then the effort ranked all the employers using a composite score of survey results, aggregated into an engagement score. The engagement score for WSC was among the best in the country, and grew even higher in the ranking from last year.

“WSC has made consistent investments to grow our talent, diversity, innovativion and service,” said CEO Jeff Szytel. “We’ve done this while enhancing company culture, and building upon its foundation to extend our legacy of engagement and leadership.”

The strongest engagement scores came from companies that prioritize the most human elements of work. These companies are leading the way in employee recognition, performance management, and diversity. It’s a different playbook from a decade ago, engagement has evolved from workplace perks to consistent investments in staff wellbeing, professional development, and other important elements that build meaningful workplace relationships.

While researching the finalists, Inc. and Quantum saw distinct themes:

• 99 percent provide health insurance—and some cover the cost.
• 49 percent allow employees to bring pets to work.
• 65 percent take employees to offsite retreats to relax and recharge.
• 16 percent offer paid sabbaticals to reward length of service.

“With today’s tight labor market, building a great corporate culture is more important than ever,” says Inc. magazine editor-in-chief James Ledbetter. “The companies on Inc.’s Best Workplaces list are setting an example that the whole country can learn from.”