Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2006-09-28

Samford University is Birmingham's third best place to work among companies with 151 or more employees, according to The Birmingham Business Journal.

The university was among 30 companies of various sizes recognized at a celebration luncheon at Birmingham's Harbert Center Thursday, Sept. 28.

Samford was cited for its "remarkable demonstration of unity of purpose," as indicated by recurring themes of "academic, Christian and community" expressed by employees, according to the BBJ.

"This was a significant honor, particularly because of the employee involvement in the survey that was used as the basis for the contest," said Samford human resources director Fred Rogan.

The inaugural "Best Places to Work in Birmingham" program was based on a survey conducted this summer by the BBJ.

Employees were asked to rank their employers on matters such as team effectiveness, retention risk, alignment with goals, trust with coworkers, individual contribution, manager effectiveness, trust in senior leaders, feeling valued, work engagement and people practices.

Companies were divided into three categories according to size: small, 1-50 employees; medium, 51-150 employees; and large, 151-plus employees. More than 100 Birmingham area companies responded to the survey.

According to Rogan, who invited comments from Samford's 982 fulltime faculty and staff members, 347 employees responded to the survey.

"That was far more than the 276 minimum number required for us to be part of the competition," noted Rogan.

Samford provost and executive vice president Dr. Brad Creed accepted the plaque at the luncheon, which was attended by more than 400 representatives of the honored companies.

Samford was bested in the 151-plus category only by number-one ranked Hoar Construction company and second-ranked Burr & Forman law firm.

Top honors in other categories went to Henger Rast & Associates mortgage brokers, 1-50 employees; and Robins & Morton construction managers, 51-150 employees.

The Best Places to Work program was co-sponsored by BBJ and Southeastern Financial Group, LLC.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.