Forbes magazine names Auburn University to its 2021 list of America’s Best-in-State Employers

Auburn University is one of the best places to work in the state of Alabama, according to the 2021 America’s Best-In-State Employers list released today by Forbes magazine.

The list—now in its third year—was compiled through a partnership of Forbes and market research company Statista, pinpointing organizations liked best by employees in each state. Findings were compiled from an anonymous survey of 80,000 Americans nationwide working for businesses with at least 500 employees. Across 25 industry sectors, 1,329 employer brands were ranked among the top employers.

“Auburn prides itself on meeting the needs of not only its students, but also its employees,” said Karla McCormick, Auburn’s associate vice president of Human Resources. “This recognition by Forbes validates the hard work and dedicated service of our purpose-driven employees and speaks to what so many come to learn about Auburn – that in addition to being a great place for a top-notch education and stellar student experience it also offers an unmatched and rewarding working environment.”

Auburn’s cumulative workforce totals more than 13,800, including student employees and 1,682 faculty. Auburn hires more than 500 employees every year, and the average length of employment at Auburn among current employees is greater than 10 years. Auburn University administers a variety of benefits to eligible employees, including health, dental and vision insurances; flexible spending account programs for medical and dependent care; life, disability and cancer insurances; mandatory and voluntary retirement plans; generous leave policies; employee and dependent educational benefits; and employee discounts.

“At Auburn, our work changes lives,” said Auburn President Jay Gogue. “We are dedicated to shaping the future of the people of Alabama, the nation and the world through forward-thinking education, life-enhancing research and scholarship and selfless service. Auburn is significantly invested in its employees, as they are vital to helping us remain one of the nation's top universities.” 

Forbes’ list of Best-in-State Employers considered every aspect of an employee’s experience, such as working conditions, salary, potential for growth and diversity. Of the thousands of companies eligible for the recognition, only a select few were awarded in each state. The evaluation was based on direct and indirect recommendations from employees who were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. Employees were also asked to evaluate other employers in their respective industry and state that stood out either positively or negatively.