Few things are as powerful as data — hard numbers. Business owners might be able to sense trends just like scientists can hypothesize based on observations, but the wisest of decisions should not be made until data has been collected to justify and provide some purpose behind any proposed courses of action. Similarly, any sales pitch, testimony given at a public hearing or suggestion to improve the workplace is given substantially more weight and consideration by decision-makers if numbers are available to prove the point.

That’s why our Best Companies for Work For feature is so valuable for the companies who participate. We collected data from each company’s employees and did so anonymously so they would give their honest opinions. What resulted for the employers are usable trends and feedback about what is working well within the company and what could use some improvement to retain their top talent.

In a small island community where talent hops from company to company in search of their best opportunities, companies are not only in competition for business, but for talented and qualified personnel. This makes it all the more important that companies be viewed as a competitive and desirable places of employment.

The 20 companies on our Best Companies to Work For list were genuinely excited to be part of the process. Some held meetings with management-level staff to ensure full participation from all departments. Others even offered incentives and rewards to their employees for taking the survey so they would get the most comprehensive results.

At the release of this issue, these companies are anxiously awaiting the results, and they should all be proud of where they stand among Guam’s employers. Their eagerness to participate is evidence in itself that these companies care enough to make the best employers.

These companies now have a powerful tool to use in their self-improvement goals and in allocating funds in their 2016 budget. In addition to the results published on Page 25, they will also be receiving a complete report of the anonymous comments and suggestions given by their employees.

We hope each of the companies will keep us posted on changes they intend to make as a product of this process and on the subsequent improvements in employee morale and retention. Additionally, we hope even more companies will be inspired to participate next time and gain this valuable knowledge in improving their competitiveness in the job market.