We made the list. For the 10th time. Humbly (but with a big, proud smile) we accept our most recent Star Tribune award for being named one of the top 175 places to work in the Twin Cities, number 47 on the list to be exact. Even more exciting, this comes just months after earning Top USA Workplace – #1 for healthcare.
The Top Workplaces list recognizes the most progressive companies in Minnesota based on employee opinions measuring engagement, organizational health, and satisfaction. The analysis included responses from over 76,000 employees at Minnesota public, private and nonprofit organizations. The results of the Star Tribune Top Workplaces are based on survey information collected by an independent company specializing in employee engagement and retention.
“This past year our team has been through a lot – a pandemic that targeted seniors, a population we serve directly, a major senior living acquisition, riots and social unrest, and tremendous growth,” said Joel Theisen, BSN, Lifespark CEO. “They worked through all of that with their spark never wavering. I am so proud of each person on this team for rising to the occasion and keeping our seniors safe. What I love most about this award, it was voted on by our employees. This year, that sentiment means even more.”
The Making of a Top Workplace
Why does this honor mean so much to us? Because as Joel pointed out, we know the results are genuine. The people who decided that we were one of the best places to work in Minnesota were the people who actually work here. Our own employees. The Top Workplace awards are based on confidential feedback from the people employed at each company. As Lifespark employees, we answered survey questions about:
- How appreciated we feel
- If we’re supported in career advancements
- If our work feels meaningful
- The pay and benefits we receive
- If new ideas are encouraged
- Our confidence in our leaders
- And several other characteristics of a people-centered culture
In other words, we were asked about how HAPPY we were. As it turns out, we’re among the happiest employees in the state.
Passion in Action
In previous blogs, we’ve talked about what it means to be ‘a zombie or a test pilot,’ and a lot of why we earned this award has to do with our employees having a ‘test pilot’ mentality. They have passionate enthusiasm for their work. It’s kind of hard to hide sometimes. Like most people who enter the healthcare field, we want to make a difference in people’s lives. And at Lifespark, we get the chance to take that to the max. Not only are we helping individual seniors live healthier, more meaningful, more empowered, longer lives—we’re also working to reshape the entire healthcare system which has failed them miserably for way too long. And we’re truly good to one another along the way.
While we celebrate earning another workplace award for the work we are building together, we hope you’ll consider joining our team. We need more ‘test pilots,’ more enthusiasts, and more ‘passionate change-makers’ to help people not just age, but age magnificently.
Check out our careers page and if you see a Lifespark team member out in the community, thank them, this has been a tough year and their spark has meant a great deal to so many people.