Do you work at a Top Workplace? Let us know

Nominations are now open for our seventh annual list of Top Workplaces.

The Star Tribune is again teaming with Pennsylvania research firm WorkplaceDynamics. Its survey measures which companies are high achievers in employee satisfaction, based exclusively on employee feedback. The company surveyed 1.5 million employees at 7,000 organizations in 2015. Those organizations that meet the national standard qualify for regional Top Workplaces lists across the country.

Last year, Minnesota scored the highest of 45 regions in workplace satisfaction. Minnesota is the first region to have 226 companies that met the standard, enough to increase the number of ranked Top Workplaces from 100 to 150 last year. More than 69,000 employees at 343 organizations in Minnesota participated in last year's 22-question survey.

"The Top Workplaces award is not a popularity contest," said Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics. "Oftentimes, people assume it's all about fancy perks and benefits, [but] to be a Top Workplace, organizations must meet our strict standards for organizational health."

Minnesota companies scored higher than the rest of the nation on almost all factors, with values and ethics, confidence in leadership, and responding to concerns receiving the most positive ratings.

WorkplaceDynamics asks employees to rank 22 statements to measure the following three elements of the workplace: organizational health, the employee's job and engagement.

To qualify, companies have at least 50 employees and agree to allow WorkplaceDynamics to send them a confidential survey. There is no charge to companies or employees, and they are not compensated for their participation. Employers are ranked solely on the scores generated by employee responses.