Employee engagement in the U.S. workforce declined between 2016 and 2017, while engagement at Nexstar Network member companies grew, according to a survey conducted by Aon Hewitt, for Nexstar. Nearly 7,000 employees of plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical contractors across North America participated in Nexstar’s annual member survey in the spring of 2017.

“Nexstar members are true destination employers with higher levels of employee engagement than even nationally recognized companies outside of our industry,” said Jack Tester, Nexstar president and CEO. “This survey confirms that employees of Nexstar companies feel respected, well compensated, and that they are a part of something that is growing and creating opportunities.”

According to survey responses from employees of Nexstar member companies, Nexstar contractors achieved an engagement index of 82 percent favorable, compared with a 58 percent favorable score for the U.S. workforce (USWF) and an 81 percent favorable score for extraordinary companies (EC), companies that exceed overall U.S. workforce norms by more than 20 percentage points across all survey questions.

According to Modern Survey, the Employee Engagement Index measures the “degree to which employees are psychologically invested in the organization and motivated to contribute to its success.” The index score is the average rating across five index items.

Of the 54 survey questions, 51 showed improvement and none showed any decline, according to Aon Hewitt.

The top 10 Nexstar performing members in this year’s survey:

Any Hour Electric, Plumbing, Heating & Air, Owners Wyatt Hepworth and Jeremy Hansen, Orem, Utah;

Aux Mechanical, Owner Phil Smitherman, Bessemer, Alabama;

B & J Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., Owner Mark Wethington, Wilson, North Carolina;

Beltz Home Service Co., Owner Brian Beltz, Findlay Ohio;

Lon Lockwood Electric, Inc., Owners Heather and Lon Lockwood, Webster, New York;

Mel Carr Electric Corp., Vice President Robert Carr, Albany, New York

Parobek Plumbing, Owners Charlie and Kelly Parobek, Bastrop, Texas;

Same Day Service Plumbing, Heating & Air, Owner Carwin Brice II, Winters, California;

Rescue Air, Owner Josh Campbell, Richardson, Texas;

Texas Air Doctors, President Frank Gossett, Colleyville, Texas.

Any Hour Electric, Plumbing, Heating & Air, located in Orem, Utah, was  also named the 2017 Employee Engagement MVP award, for the second year in a row.

www.nexstarnetwork.com