For the fifth consecutive year, Cooperative Response Center Inc. (CRC) has been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Southeast Minnesota by Workforce Development Inc.

Fifteen local companies were recognized as “best workplaces” in either small- (75 employees or less), medium- (76 – 200 employees), or large- (over 200 employees) sized categories at a banquet held Thursday, April 20, in Rochester, Minnesota.

CRC’s Austin facility was first honored with the designation in April 2013 in the small company category. Since 2014, CRC has been ranked in the medium-sized company category each year. Some of the attributes that have made CRC a stand out for this honor is its employee benefit program, employee growth, percentage of employees promoted, bonus program, annual increases in pay, and its focus on training and wellness.

Nancy Morrison, CRC’s vice president of human resource development, said the Best Workplace program helps CRC measure employee recruitment and retention efforts.

“With the labor market tightening as we all seek to attract and retain talent, it becomes imperative that we continually measure ourselves against other employers,” Morrison said in a press release. “This program is an excellent way to see how we measure up alongside other great companies.”

The Best Places to Work program she said, allows CRC to compare its training, benefits and compensation programs to ensure the company remains competitive.

“CRC strives to continuously improve the employee experience and set ourselves apart as an employer of choice and best place to work,” Morrison said in the release. “Participating in the Best Places to Work program provides us with the opportunity to do just that.”

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.