The search has begun to find the best employers on the Island.

The Bottom Line magazine is seeking to recognise the very best of them in the seventh annual Bermuda Top Ten Employers Awards.

And this year there is a big additional benefit for companies that take part — they will gain an insight into what their employees think they do well, and what they might improve upon.

The people-based survey endeavours to find which of the Island’s companies offer the most rewarding work environment across a number of key employment areas.

“It is an anonymous survey. People tend to me more open and willing to share when it is anonymous,” said Paul Loftus, a Montreal-based industrial and organisational psychologist.

“The survey makes an awful lot of sense. The more feedback companies can get from their employees. When it is done externally people are more willing to share.

“Feedback is so important to any organisation. Without it you can only be operating at partial effectiveness.”

Mr Loftus has, as a consultant, assisted with the Top Ten Awards since they were established in 2009.

This year will be the first time that every company that enters will get a free employment satisfaction report created from the anonymous feedback, outlining key recommendations for improving satisfaction.

Mr Loftus said this is something that should be a great incentive to attract even more participating companies this year.

The feedback will allow companies to see what they are doing right and where they can offer improvements.

Mr Loftus has seen similar surveys carried out in other countries, producing beneficial outcomes.

“An organisation needs to know how it is doing,” he said.

For the past three years, the survey has been sponsored by professional services firm PwC Bermuda. And this is the fifth year the awards have partnered with Global Research, one of Bermuda’s leading quantitative research firms, to create the online survey and provide statistical analysis of the key measurement areas.

“It’s all done by computer, so it is totally objective,” Mr Loftus said.

The survey focuses on generating data from employees regarding a number of key employment areas including staff benefits, hiring rates, workplace safety and conditions, internal communication, compensation, corporate culture and overall satisfaction, among other areas.

International and local companies vie for top honours and those that emerge from the survey with the highest ratings will be honoured at an awards ceremony later this year.

In the 2014 survey, it was FedEx who ranked number one, closely followed by reinsurer Validus Holdings, air conditioning experts Air Care, Argus Group and law firm Marshall Diel & Myers.

Montpelier Re, Bacardi, Fairmont Hamilton Princess, BF&M and Freisenbruch-Meyer Group made up the rest of the top ten.

This year’s top ten will also be featured in an issue of The Bottom Line dedicated to the survey.

Do you think your company has what it takes to be a top employer in Bermuda?

Companies can enter now. The survey will be conducted in May.

Companies must have 25 employees or more to be eligible to enter. To enter the 2015 survey, contact info@bottomline.bm or call 278-0147.