Nominations are now open for the Orlando Sentinel’s 2024 Top Workplaces program, which seeks to identify and recognize the area’s top companies and what employees say makes them great places to work.

Any company, nonprofit, public organization or government agency with 35 or more employees in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Sumter, Polk, Brevard, Volusia, Flagler or Marion counties may participate in Top Workplaces.

Company owners or workers may nominate themselves at OrlandoSentinel.com/nominate or by calling 407-428-2696. The deadline for entries is March 8, and winners will be announced in September.

The Top Workplaces process involves having employees evaluate their companies with a short, 24-question survey. Companies will be surveyed through May..

For the sixth consecutive year, the Sentinel is partnering with Energage as the program’s survey company. Last year Energage collected results from more than 31,000 employees locally.

Based on the surveys, a record 116 companies and organizations in Central Florida were recognized as Top Workplaces for 2023.

Understanding what makes a business or organization a great place to work is more important than ever for retaining employees and attracting new ones.

Energage conducts the workplace surveys for more than 65 metro newspapers, including the Sentinel. Across the nation, Energage surveyed more than 2 million employees and more than 8,000 companies or organizations in 2023, honing in on 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of organizations.

“Listening to employees is critical to navigating this new world of work,” said Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage. “More than ever, you need to be more intentional about your culture.”

“Employees have more choices. You can work anywhere,” Rubino said. “There are no longer geographic boundaries. Companies need to authentically represent their brand to job-seekers. The employee experience needs to be on the mission-critical list.”