Do you think your employer provides a great place to work? You can show your workplace a little love by nominating it as one of the best in the Colorado Springs area.

The deadline to nominate employers for The Gazette’s Best Workplaces program is Aug. 31. The free program, now in its fifth year, recognizes public and private employers for creating strong healthy workplace cultures and environments. Employers can be nominated at gazette.com/best-workplaces and clicking on the Best Workplaces 2021 banner at the top of the page.

“More than ever, The Gazette’s Best Workplaces gives businesses an opportunity to showcase why they are a preferred employer in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas,” said Jim Broyles, vice president of sales for The Gazette.

The Gazette is sponsoring the program with the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce & EDC, employment website Monster.com and Datajoe, a Boulder data collection and analysis firm.

Employees, organization leaders and customers can submit a nomination; multiple nominations are not needed to qualify. The Gazette will contact the human resource department of nominated employers — private companies, government agencies and nonprofits — to ask them to participate in a survey of all employees from Sept. 10-24. Questions are included on leadership, culture, mission and values, benefits, training and social responsibility; there also will likely be one

question related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employee responses are anonymous. Employers are required to have at least 10 employees, and a majority of employees must respond to the survey for an employer to be honored as a best workplace.

Employers are divided into four categories: small employers with 10-29 employees; midsize, 30-75 employees; large, 76-299 employees; and extra large, more than 300 employees.

The number of employers recognized has grown each year, with 110 recognized last year. The 2020 winners were Hero Practice Services, which manages dental, vision and orthodontic practices; The Cutting Edge, Realtors; Sellstate Alliance Realty & Property Management; and The Treasure Davis Team, residential real estate agents.

Top employers this year will be honored Dec. 2 at the Doubletree by Hilton Colorado Springs hotel. The Gazette will publish the results, including cumulative survey data and profiles of the top-ranked companies, on Dec. 5.