I’ve now worked at two consecutive firms that sign up for the ‘best place to work’ surveys run by companies set up just to give out these awards.
These firms would broadcast to all employees that the survey was coming out, and would ‘encourage’ us to tell the world what a great place it is to work. Also there’d be a free lunch. The survey company would invariably award us a ‘best place to work’ or ‘one of the best…’.
It’s an interesting strategy, because many people want to feel validated that they work for a great firm, in spite of any problems and whether it is true or not.
One firm, it was definitely not.