Front Office Sports Names 2020’s “Best Employers In Sports”

News & Media

Dec 15, 2020

StellarAlgo

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Sports business news website Front Office Sports announced its Best Employers in Sports Award this week to recognize organizations in the sports industry that are doing right by their employees.

Along with research partner Yrdstck, an intelligence and analytics firm, Front Office Sports named this year’s recipients based on data collected from actual professionals working within the sports industry.

In this year’s survey, more than 1,600 people currently or recently employed were asked to rate their own employers regarding a wide array of qualities including each entity’s corporate culture, advancement opportunities, compensation, workplace commitment to diversity and more. Amidst the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey also asked questions reading companies’ crisis leadership and work-life balance.

A total of 25 organizations were listed among this year’s Best Employers in Sports Award present by FEVO. Professional sports teams receiving the award include the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Hawks, Nashville Predators, Charlotte Hornets and Major League Soccer’s Orlando City Soccer Club. Outside major sports, one semi-professional sports team, the Savannah Bananas—who play in the Coastal Plain League (not affiliated with Major League Baseball)—were also awarded.

Other established sports-related brands such as The Peach Bowl and USA Triathlon were joined among the 25 award winners by lesser-knowns like the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, Scout Sports & Entertainment, Prep Network LLC, EdjSports and Next College Student Athlete (NCSA).

Award winners on the digital side of things include app makers WHOOP and LeagueApps, plus social and sports marketing firms STN Digital, GMR Marketing, Opendorse, Navigate Research, Tipico, 4FRONT, and sports analytics firm StellarAlgo. Good Karma Brands, which owns and operates a number of ESPN Radio affiliates was named too, along with esports venture Minnesota Røkkr/Version1 and Kansas City-based architecture firm Generator Studio.

Front Office Sports CEO Adam White said that their partnership and their utilization of Yrdstck’s patented AI technology enabled the surveyors to collect data with human bias removed and gather the authentic responses to truly identify the best employers in sports, sports marketing and other related businesses.

White also said that the idea for the Best Employers in Sports Award came simply from curiosity among diehard sports fans and the industry’s own.

“We found that professionals working in and around the sports space,” White said, “kept asking us about ‘where was the best place to work’, or ‘what we thought of X employer’ and so instead of us just providing our thoughts, we decided to create the award and allow employees to speak up for their companies.”

White added that the award is rooted in the idea that it is bestowed by employees, and not clients and business partners or even outside nominators.

“Being that it is an employee-driven survey, we feel like it creates the best opportunity to truly determine the best employers,” White said. “Because, if your employees say your company is a great place to work, there is really no higher compliment.”

After America’s long-fought battle with the COVID-19 pandemic, White also said that the initial hiatus of live sports, followed by an absence of fans in stands, has created an unusual lens with which to view how best organizations in sports operate.

“Months without games, millions of dollars lost, and countless jobs eliminated (was) devastating,” White added. “But those who won this year have gone above and beyond, to limit the pain felt by their employees, and have built strong foundations of empowerment and diversity, to take care of their employees during an unprecedented, hopefully once in a lifetime event.”

Some of last year’s inaugural winners include ESPN, the Oakland A’s, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association and sports apparel maker Fanatics.

Two-time winners include StellarAlgo, GMR Marketing, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Dolphins, Nashville Predators, Opendorse, Navigate and Scout Sports & Entertainment.

 

Read the article on Forbes

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