Georgia’s largest school district is one of a handful of K-12 school districts to make the Forbes “Best Employer” list. With more than 23,000 employees, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is the largest employer in Gwinnett County and is one of the largest employers in Georgia.
Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to identify the companies liked best by employees with their annual ranking of America’s best employers. The ranking is divided into two lists: one for the top large companies (5,000 and more U.S. employees), and another for the top midsize companies (1,000 to 5,000 employees).
In an article about the process used to determine its “Best Employers,” Forbes reported:
“Statista surveyed 30,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees. All the surveys were anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions. The respondents were asked to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they’d be to recommend their employer to others. Statista then asked respondents to nominate organizations in industries outside their own. The final list ranks the 500 large and 500 midsize employers that received the most recommendations.”
A quick review of the list is a “who’s who” of corporate and educational leaders. Google (No. 3), Costco (No. 5) and Wegmans Food Markets (No. 8)-all famous for their corporate cultures, all fixtures in the top 10 since 2015-continued to finish high in the ranks, but it was Michelin that climbed 33 spots to clinch the No. 1 spot. Harvard University took the top education spot, coming in at No. 9.
And for the first time, GCPS made the Forbes’ list with a ranking of 178 out of the 500 employers listed. In the employers listed in the top 200, only six are K-12 public school districts.
CEO/Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks is proud that the district has been recognized in this manner. “As an organization, we strive to be an employer of choice,” he explains. “A long-standing goal for our district is to recruit, employ, develop, and retain a workforce that moves us toward becoming a system of world-class schools. We never lose sight of the fact that it is the people of GCPS-our teachers and those who support those who teach- that set us apart. And we are pleased that, as evidenced by our school district’s ranking on the Forbes ‘Best Employers’ list, our people recognize GCPS as a great employer and would recommend us to others.”
Dr. Linda Anderson, associate superintendent for Human Resources and Talent Management, also feels the district’s emphasis on its people is what makes GCPS an excellent place to work. She says, “Without a doubt, our people are our most important resource. Competitive salaries, top-notch benefits packages, ongoing support and staff development, and our work to recognize outstanding employees through recognition programs like Teacher of the Year, Bus Manager of the Year, and Media Specialist of the Year and through our new Performance-Based Compensation System are just a few reasons why Gwinnett County Public Schools stands out as an employer.”
The complete listing of Forbes Best Employers for 2018 can be found at https://www.forbes.com/best-employers/list/.
In this photo: Doug Doblar of Head Elementary is the 2018 Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year and is one of 10 finalists for the 2019 Georgia Teacher of the Year title. He is a prime example of the more than 23,000 employees who make Gwinnett County Public Schools great!
