Covenant Health Named to Forbes’ 2020 List of Best Employers in Tennessee

Covenant Health has been named a 2020 “Best-in-State Employer” in Tennessee by Forbes Magazine. The health system ranked #15 in a list of 75 top employers in the state.

The designation marks the sixth time Forbes has named Covenant Health to one of its “Best Employer” lists in the past five years. The health system was included in the publication’s “America’s Best Employers” lists for 2016 and 2017, was one of Forbes’ “Best Employers for Diversity” and “Best Employers for Women” in 2018, and was a “Best-in-State Employer” in 2019.

“We are very proud that Forbes has included Covenant Health on its Best Employers lists six times,” said Jim VanderSteeg, Covenant Health President and CEO. “Being recognized by employees as a great place to work is a high compliment. This year’s designation is especially meaningful in light of the healthcare challenges of COVID-19. I am very grateful to our employees for their dedication to our patients and to excellence in everything they do.”

“One of the reasons we are so proud of the Forbes designation is that the company does not apply for the recognition, nor do we know who has participated in the surveys. The feedback and recognition is given by employees who are contacted through the Forbes survey process,” said Debi Welch, Senior Vice President of Human Resources.”

Welch noted that as the largest private employer in the area, Covenant Health has a great responsibility to its employees and their families. “People are our most valuable asset, because without them we cannot successfully take care of our patients or our community.”

She added, “To be recognized nationally as a best employer speaks volumes and is a testament to the type of workplace we have built. These awards are a tribute to our living up to our own high standards.”

Surveying Employees

To determine the Forbes list, research firm Statista surveyed 80,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 500 employees. Surveys were conducted on a rolling basis from October 2019 to May 2020. Forbes noted that responses regarding the same employers were compared throughout the survey process to note any statistically significant variations in results gathered before and after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The surveys were anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions.

Respondents were asked to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they’d be to recommend their employer to others. Statista also asked respondents to identify other employers they would recommend. The final list ranks employers that received the greatest number of recommendations in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. To learn more, visit the Forbes site here.