UTHealth ranks on Forbes Best Employers national list

UTHealth was recently ranked No. 19 in Texas in the 2019 America’s Best Employers by State, according to Forbes.

"This designation as one of the best employers in the country is a tremendous honor and speaks to the high caliber of our people and our culture of caring, innovation, and service,” said Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, UTHealth president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair. “I am proud of our remarkable faculty and the enduring impact they are making as we train the health care professionals of tomorrow, provide exceptional care to our patients, and advance discovery science.”

Of the higher education institutions in the category, UTHealth ranked the second highest after The University of Texas at Austin. Among health care institutions in the category, only Houston Methodist ranked higher than UTHealth.

According to Statista, the market research company that aided in creating this list, the ranking is scored by surveying 80,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 500 employees. The surveys were anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions.

Respondents were asked to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they would be to recommend their employer to others. Statista then asked respondents to nominate organizations in industries outside their own. The number of businesses ranked in each state was dependent on two factors: the number of qualifying employers, and the size of the state’s workforce. Companies with operations in more than one state had the opportunity to be listed multiple times. The final list ranks the 1,430 employers that received the greatest number of recommendations in each of the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia.

The online survey also asked employees how they feel about the other employers in their respective industries. Furthermore, employees were asked 35 work-related questions concerning their current employer, including their opinions on working conditions, salary, potential for development, and company image.

“This accomplishment makes a noticeable impact in the recruiting process,” said Melissa Jackson, director of talent acquisition. “There is more transparency in the workplace than ever before, and employees have several platforms to voice their opinion. Having this designation carries a lot of weight for us, and it goes into future applicants’ decision-making processes. It serves as part of the cumulative package UTHealth brings to the table.”

The Forbes designation will prove especially beneficial to the executive recruitment team, which often works to recruit leaders from outside the state.

UTHealth focuses on engaging employees and providing intrinsic value to its employees’ career and personal goals by having an abundance of resources and programs available to them.

 “There are so many resources from the wellness aspect. Employee Assistance Programs provide mental health and employee wellness universitywide, including meditation, tai chi, nursing mother suites, the butterfly garden, and more,” said Kay Williamson, director of human resources. “In addition, there is the value of being a state employee, a suite of health insurance benefits, and two voluntary retirement savings plans.”

In addition to being named to the Texas list of America’s Best Employers, UTHealth is an eight-time recipient of the Houston Chronicle’s Top Workplace designation. UTHealth has taken feedback from those employee surveys to develop a wide range of professional and career development programs that continually improve the work experience and environment, as well as help faculty and staff grow in their current positions and prepare for the future. Such programs include the Disability Awareness Seminar Series and UTHealth Leadership Institutes, including the Women in Leadership Seminar Series, Emerging Leaders Institute, and Executive Leadership Institute. UTHealth has launched the Management Development Academy to provide targeted management and supervisory training to more than 1,400 clinical and administrative managers.

“Through these programs and others, UTHealth continues to invest in its students, faculty, and staff and their personal and professional development,” Williamson said.

UTHealth also offers Learn2Succeed, which provides access to a comprehensive online catalog of more than 900 courses, 130 business simulations, and 4,500 books at no charge to employees. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Learn2Succeed can be accessed from a computer at home, at work, or anywhere with internet access.

“Whenever an organization is recognized as an outstanding place to work, what is really being recognized are the remarkable people who make up that organization,” said Eric Fernette, UTHealth vice president and chief human resources officer. “At UTHealth, we are most fortunate to be part such a wonderful team while serving Texas and the world through our clinical, research, and academic missions where we save lives and provide the opportunity for many others to live happier and healthier lives.”