Best Companies to Work for in New York

For the fourth consecutive year, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse has been selected as one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York.

The annual listing of businesses honored through the Best Companies to Work for in New York program was created by the New York State Society for Human Resource Management and Best Companies Group.

This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in New York, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.

The 2021 Best Companies to Work for in New York list is made up of 72 companies, including the not-for-profit GCASA, which offers services in the areas of substance use prevention, treatment and recovery.

GCASA Executive Director John Bennett said he was proud to be honored for a fourth year, recognizing his staff “as amazing individuals who help people in our communities every day.”

“Our employees give back in so many ways and are deserving of having a great place to work,” he said. “We try to be family-oriented and give staff flexibility in creating their own schedule which is a highly-rated perk we offer. This year, we are improving our in-house training and education opportunities and addressing some salary inequities compared to other regional organizations in our category.”

To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity;
• Be a publicly or privately held business;
• Have a facility in the state of New York;
• Have at least 15 employees working in New York; and
• Must be in business a minimum of 1 year.

Companies from across the state entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Companies to Work for in New York. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part was worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation.

The second part consisted of a survey to measure the employee experience. This part was worth approximately 75 percent of the total. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings.

Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in New York and also analyzed the data and used their expertise to determine the final rankings.

Kim Corcoran, GCASA’s director of Human Resources, said the agency’s staff is committed to providing the best possible services to its communities.

“GCASA is extremely honored to be recognized once again,” she said. “Along with an employer-completed survey, 125 staff were asked to respond to a survey to include areas regarding GCASA’s leadership, corporate culture and communication, work environment, pay and benefits, supervision, and overall engagement. This is quite a tribute to our staff and reflects the positive environment fostered by our leadership.”

All honorees will be celebrated at an online event at 5:30 p.m. July 28. For more information about the event go to https://rbj.net/events/best-companies/

To learn more about attending the event or sponsoring contact rbjevents@bridgetowermedia.com.

For more information on the Best Companies to Work for in New York program, visit www.BestCompaniesNY.com.

Press release:

For the third consecutive year, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse has been named one of the “2020 Best Companies to Work for in New York State.”

GCASA was selected as the 11^th best company to work for in the state in the medium employers’ category (100-249 employees).

The agency was honored on Wednesday afternoon during a virtual celebration conducted by The Rochester Business Journal, Best Companies Group and the New York State Society for Human Resource Management.

All told, 75 companies earned places on the 13^th annual Best Companies to Work for in New York list, including 21 in the medium employers’ division. The other 54 honorees were in the small and large employers’ categories.

“Being honored for three years in a row – and now moving up to 11^th place in the medium size category – is a testament to our employees and the contributions they make each and every day to make GCASA a great place to work,” Executive Director John Bennett said, noting that the agency was in the small employers’ group the first two years.

Bennett was quick to point out that the results are determined by employee opinions.

“The best part about this honor is that it is driven by all of you – GCASA employees,” he said. “The 80-plus question surveys you completed in the fall were the driving force behind us making the list of best companies.”

Created in 2007, these awards are part of a distinctive program that evaluates and ranks the best places of employment. This statewide survey/awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor businesses whose practices benefit the state's businesses, economy and workforce.

To be considered for participation, organizations had to fulfill specific registration eligibility requirements, then participate in a two-part survey of employee satisfaction and engagement, as well as workplace practices and policies.

Best Companies Group, an independent firm that manages Best Places to Work programs on state, regional and national levels around the world, conducted the survey, then evaluated the results and determined the winners.

A special publication will profile all 75 winning organizations and their unique employment perks. It will be distributed at the event and sent to higher education institutions and thousands of human resources professionals and organizations across New York State.

GCASA Human Resources Director Kim Corcoran applauded the staff for going above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have a great, talented staff that always endures stressful times during our nation’s opioid epidemic -- and then even more so specifically during this unprecedented period,” she said. “It's a testament to how our staff can pull together and continue to provide necessary services in our community. It's just what they do!”

GCASA, located at 430 E. Main St., Batavia, and 249 East Ave., Albion, has been serving Genesee and Orleans counties for more than 40 years. Services include prevention education and outpatient and residential treatment for individuals with substance use disorders; and an employee assistance program.

For more information about the Best Companies to Work for in New York program, or to find out about participating in the 2021 program, visit www.BestCompaniesNY.com.