An Austin company was rewarded for its hard work recently.

Cooperative Response Center Inc. (CRC) was recognized as one of the best places to work in Southeast Minnesota by Workforce Development Inc. for the third consecutive year. Seventeen local companies were recognized as “best workplaces” in either small (75 employees or less), medium (76 – 150 employees) or large (over 150 employees) sized categories at a banquet held April 30, in Rochester.

CRC received the award in 2013 in the small company category, and 2014 and 2015 for the medium-sized company category. Some things that CRC stood out for was its employee benefit program, employee growth, percentage of employees promoted, bonus program, annual increases in pay, and a focus on training and wellness.

“What really struck me when I visited CRC was its recognition programs and their commitment to wellness,” Beth Goskesen, area manager — Mower and Freeborn Counties for Workforce Development, said in a press release. “CRC is to be commended and their programs such as their annual wellness fair, Fitbit program and tuition reimbursement opportunities are all great examples of best practices in the workplace.”

The recipients of the “Best Places to Work” program were part of a commissioned study by Workforce Development Inc. Each company that participated in the study completed a 40-question survey that allowed their employment practices to be analyzed by the consulting firm Personnel Dynamics Consulting of Florida. The data measured included parameters such as turnover, rate of growth, promotion rates, employee evaluations and feedback, percentage of employee injuries, diversity of management, benefits offered, training expenditures, paid days off and increase in pay.