Methodology: How We Calculated the Rankings

American Banker's Best Banks to Work For study is performed in conjunction with the Best Companies Group, which reviews employer reports on benefits and policies, along with extensive employee surveys to generate the rankings.

Companies must opt in to be considered; there is no fee to participate. Eligible candidates must be commercial or retail banks, or the commercial or retail banking units of diversified financial services companies, and they must have at least 50 employees working in the United States.

The employer questionnaire captures information about workplace policies and practices. The employee survey, typically conducted online, consists of approximately 70 statements that employees respond to on a 5-point agreement scale. The survey also includes two open-ended questions and seven demographic questions. For companies with fewer than 200 employees, all employees are surveyed. At larger companies, Best Companies Group randomly selects between 250 and 400 employees at each company, depending on the company's size. In both cases, the targeted response rate is 65 percent or more, although companies with response rates below the target may still be considered. Actual response rates are taken into account during the analysis process.

Both data sets are analyzed to determine the ranking. An Employee Feedback Report is available for purchase by participating banks. To be considered an American Banker Best Bank to Work For, an institution must meet certain criteria set by American Banker and/or Best Companies Group. Not all eligible applicants may qualify for the ranking.

For information on applying to next year's ranking, please visit www.bestbankstoworkfor.com. If you have further questions about American Banker's Best Banks to Work For, please email American Banker Magazine Editor in Chief Heather Landy at heather.landy@sourcemedia.com.