WESTMONT, IL—The Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI), a research-based organizational and human resources consulting firm, has announced that InterVarsity Press is certified as a 2018 Best Christian Workplace.
Al Lopus, president of BCWI, said, “InterVarsity Press has a strong, healthy culture and has sustained it over the years. This is particularly significant because the publishing industry has experienced significant changes over that time and many similar organizations no longer exist. Effective communication and staff development have been key strengths on their journey to achieve their important mission.”
With ninety employees, IVP had an exceptional sixty-six percent of staff engagement. BCWI describes staff engagement as the degree to which employees are emotionally and spiritually connected and committed to their organization and their role, exerting discretionary effort for the betterment of the organization and those they serve.
“I am convinced that the eight drivers for a flourishing workplace that Al Lopus and the team at BCWI have identified and track through this survey are, indeed, core to creating and maintaining a work environment that attracts and retains highly talented, engaged people over the long haul,” Jeff Crosby, InterVarsity Press Publisher, said. “We’re grateful not only to have been certified again in 2018 but even more grateful to have seen our levels of engagement increase measurably as a result of focusing on key takeaways from the 2017 survey responses over the past twelve months.”
To achieve certification, organizations must complete the Best Christian Workplaces Institute employee engagement survey and meet predetermined standards of excellence. Employees of IVP answer more than fifty questions measuring employee satisfaction in terms of organizational commitment, Christian witness, supervisory effectiveness, opportunities for personal growth and development, teamwork, communication, and fairness of pay and benefits. Additional open-ended questions provided an opportunity for department managers to gain insight into what employees think and ways they might improve.
“I highly recommend the BCWI survey to all publishers who want to deepen their understanding of what it means to be a learning, flourishing organization,” Crosby said. “IVP continues to have a lot of room for growth in areas that remain on the lower end of the engagement spectrum. And with the help of Lopus’s debrief with our senior leadership team, our intention is to once again focus our energy not merely on celebrating only achievements but also on addressing pockets needing further refinement, however large or small.”
Crosby added, “In some ways, a flourishing organization is like a riddle to be solved or like a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle waiting to be assembled. It’s challenging to decipher and put together but when we do, a vibrant picture emerges and we can celebrate the work of God—and each other—in our midst.”
Best Christian Workplaces Institute’s purpose is to serve faith-based organizations by creating processes of discovery, facilitating organizational effectiveness, and encouraging practices that build healthy workplaces. For additional information on BCWI, please see bcwinstitute.org.
Founded in 1947 as an extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, InterVarsity Press serves those in the university, the church and the world by publishing thoughtful Christian books that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of life. For more information, visit ivpress.com.
Contact: Krista Clayton | 630.734.4013 | kclayton@ivpress.com
