The Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI), a research-based organizational and human resources consulting firm, has announced that InterVarsity Press is certified as a 2013 Best Christian Workplace. InterVarsity Press was the only Christian publisher to gain this recognition.

BCWI reported that overall staff engagement levels at Christian organizations were 51 percent this year, up from 47 percent last year. 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. InterVarsity Press had an exceptional 72 percent level of staff engagement.

"The tremendously positive results of this survey are a tribute to everyone who works at IVP," says InterVarsity Press publisher Bob Fryling. "We are greatly encouraged by the affirmation of our strengths as well as the identification of areas for growth. I am particularly grateful that our highest ranking is in the category of 'job satisfaction,' which the writer of Ecclesiastes says is a good gift of God. Indeed the spiritual vitality and the twin demonstrations of relational integrity and professional competence as reflected in this survey are evidences of God's grace at IVP. I am very thankful."

To achieve certification, organizations must complete the Best Christian Workplaces Institute employee engagement survey and meet predetermined standards of excellence. Employees of InterVarsity Press answered more than fifty questions measuring employee satisfaction in terms of organizational commitment, Christian witness, supervisory effectiveness, opportunities for personal growth and development, customer/supporter satisfaction, 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.

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.com.