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Goodwill of the Finger Lakes Earns Great Place to Work Certification

Jul 15, 2024

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is proud to be certified by Great Place to Work for the first time. This year, 75% of employees said Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is a great place to work, compared to 57% of employees at the average U.S. company.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is proud to be certified by Great Place to Work for the first time. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes. This year, 75% of employees said Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is a great place to work, compared to 57% of employees at the average U.S. company.

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.

“Great Place to Work certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience,” said Sarah Lewis-Kulin, vice president of global recognition at Great Place to Work. She emphasizes that certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. “By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Goodwill of the Finger Lakes stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees.”

“Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, now a Great Place to Work certified organization, is not just a workplace, it’s a community," President & CEO Jennifer Lake said. “The employees of Goodwill understand that every hand extended is a step toward transforming lives and strengthening communities. We are more than just a team; we are a community united by our mission, and the certification is a testament to our commitment to fostering an environment where everyone is valued, heard and inspired to reach their full potential. We honor, celebrate and thank all employees for all they do to enable us to earn this incredible recognition.”

President & CEO Jennifer Lake at our Brockport location with store employees.

With a mission centered on “elevating people, community and planet for a good today and a better tomorrow,” Goodwill’s unique social enterprise is made up of more than 750 individuals who use their passion and expertise to find innovative solutions to address the countless barriers and social challenges that impact the lives of the more than 184,908 people the organization serves annually. Through community impact programs—including Goodwill Vision Enterprises, 211/LIFE LINE, 988, Workforce Development and the Good Neighbor Program—Goodwill strives to create employment opportunities for people with barriers to independence while generating revenue to support our community programs and services.

“We take our mission to heart and understand that creating an exceptional employee experience involves addressing both the professional and personal needs of our team members,” Chief People and Culture Officer Janice Holland said. “We are actively reimagining learning and development programs across all levels, inspiring leaders to motivate employees and enhance engagement and commitment. We have also redirected our efforts to strengthen our organizational culture, ensuring it aligns with our mission, values and vision, which includes fostering an environment that promotes equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging in everything we do.”

Refreshed employee recognition initiatives, rewards and incentives as well as added attention to communication practices that build trust and provide clarity on Goodwill’s organizational direction are all steps being taken to ensure Goodwill is not only a Great Place to Work today, but will continue to be in the future.

According to Great Place to Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company’s profits and have a fair chance at promotion.

 

About Goodwill of the Finger Lakes

A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes positively impacts the lives of more than 184,000 people each year through its commitment to elevating people, community and planet for a good today and a better tomorrow. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, the organization’s unique social enterprise model takes an innovative approach to workforce development and job creation opportunities for individuals with barriers to employment while also generating revenue to support its many community impact programs and services. Goodwill of the Finger Lakes’ community impact programs, including Goodwill Vision Enterprises (formerly ABVI, Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired), 211/LIFE LINE/988 and Goodwill Learning Academy have a long and successful history of providing essential services to the Finger Lakes region, and the organization’s more than 750 individuals use their passion and expertise to find innovative solutions to address pressing social needs. Learn more at goodwillfingerlakes.org.

 

About Great Place to Work Certification™

Great Place to Work® Certification™ is the most definitive “employer-of-choice” recognition that companies aspire to achieve. It is the only recognition based entirely on what employees report about their workplace experience—specifically, how consistently they experience a high-trust workplace. Great Place to Work Certification is recognized worldwide by employees and employers alike and is the global benchmark for identifying and recognizing outstanding employee experience. Every year, more than 10,000 companies across 60 countries apply to get Great Place to Work certified.

 

About Great Place to Work®

As the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place to Work® brings 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Their proprietary platform and For All™ Model helps companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place to Work Certified™ or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces™ list.

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and follow Great Place to Work on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.