These Are The Best Employers In Wisconsin, Forbes Says In New Ranking

WISCONSIN — Several companies headquartered in Wisconsin are among America’s Best Employers By State, ranking released by Forbes on Tuesday.

“These aren’t the best large or midsize employers nationally, but a deeper look at which companies are closer-to-home options for every American worker,” Forbes said with the release of its fifth annual ranking Tuesday.

The top five Wisconsin-based companies on the list are:

• Madison-based Exact Sciences, dealing in health care equipment and services and founded in 1995. Now employing 5,000 people; CEO Kevin Conroy.
• Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation, dealing in tech and engineering founded in 1903 and now employing 10,000 people; CEO Blake D. Moret.
• West Bend-based West Bend Mutual Insurance, founded in 1894 and now employs 1,373 people; CEO Kevin Steiner.
• Sheboygan-based Acuity Insurance, founded in 1925 and now employs 1,500 with CEO Ben Salzmann.
• La Crosse-based Kwik Trip/Kwik Star in retail and wholesale founded in 1965 and now employs over 36,000 people; CEO Scott Zietlow.

A full list of the 1,39 organizations that made the list is found on Forbes. To be considered, they had to have at least 500 employees nationwide. Forbes and its data partner Statista surveyed workers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The survey questions reflect a recent Pew Research Center survey that showed only about half of workers nationwide are extremely or very satisfied with their jobs. Work satisfaction and compensation are closely tied, and workers with higher incomes tended to like their jobs more than lower-income workers, the survey found.

“We found an interesting disconnect in terms of how workers are experiencing their jobs,” Kim Parker, Pew’s director of social trends research, told Forbes. “Most say they are highly satisfied with the human side of work — their relationships with their coworkers and supervisor. They are much less satisfied with their compensation and the opportunities they’re given for promotion or advancement.”

The anonymous survey asked workers if they would recommend their employer to friends and family, and to evaluate their employer on working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, the potential for development and company image. They were also asked about other employers in their states and were given the opportunity to rate employers anywhere within their respective industries.

Of the 1,392 organizations on the list, 1,123 of them were ranked in only one state. The others were ranked in more than one state.