Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work 2023
These 76 companies and nonprofits score an average of 90% on employee engagement. The national average is just 32%.
Large Companies | Medium Companies | Small Companies | Other Categories | Hall of Fame
Great companies are filled with motivated employees who like what they’re doing and are rewarded for their efforts. They’re the kind of workplaces that many companies strive for but few achieve.
In fact, employee engagement – anemic for decades – is falling again. In 2022, just 32% of employees nationwide said they were enthusiastic about their jobs, down from 36% the previous year. The other 68% were indifferent or, worse, disgruntled.
The biggest complaints from employees, according to a Gallup survey released in 2022, were unclear expectations, insufficient resources and few opportunities to do the work they’re suited for.
But not all companies are flailing. The 76 organizations on Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work 2023 list have thriving environments, where employee engagement averages 90%.
In these companies, people were overwhelmingly positive when asked whether the workplace culture allows them to do their best work, whether they’re enthusiastic about their jobs and feel valued, whether they intend to stay on, and six other measures of engagement. See 10 key drivers of employee engagement on page 32.
What Puts a Workplace Among the “Best”
Hawaii Business Magazine’s partner in identifying the Best Places to Work is Workforce Research Group, which conducts extensive surveys of employees and company representatives. Employees’ responses count for 80% of the final score, while company representatives’ responses make up 20%.
The results were strong, even for participating companies that didn’t make the final cut for the Best Places to Work. That’s because each of the companies participating in the surveys had confidence in their work cultures, or are proactive in seeking unfiltered information to make improvements, says Peter Burke, president of Workforce Research Group.
Companies that made the Best Places to Work list reported higher overall scores in core employee experience, as measured by the 10 drivers of engagement, and their employees were markedly happier with their compensation, training, paid time off, retirement plans and workloads.
These Best Places to Work emphasize supportive cultures, employee well-being and work-life balance. The latter is particularly important as many people are reclaiming boundaries after work hours ticked up during the pandemic and half of employees and managers said they were burned out.
While setting boundaries is sometimes disparagingly called “quiet quitting,” new research from software company Qualtrics finds the opposite. Among employees reporting a good work-life balance, almost two-thirds said they’re willing to go above and beyond for their organizations.
Here are some of the tangible benefits that companies on the Best Places list provide to achieve that balance, as well as a sense of security and well-being:
• 17 offer health insurance the first day on the job
• 19 cover at least 75% of dependents’ health insurance costs
• 19 provide maternity leave at full pay, and 12 provide paternity leave
• 42 train managers to spot and deal with burnout
• 30 prohibit people from working on vacation
• 29 allow at least half of their staff to work from home
• 49 pay for community service during work hours
• 8 grant sabbatical leaves
• 76 organize fun activities
What Managers Can Do
Beyond benefits and programming, managers can help improve workplaces through simple actions.
Burke from Workforce Research Group suggests that managers show genuine empathy for their people, give meaningful praise and regularly ask them: What can I do to make your job easier? What do you feel is a waste of time? What parts of your job do you love and want to do more of?
For organizations that are serious about changing course and creating workplaces that bring out the best in people, participating in Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work program gives them the feedback they need to point the way forward.
Click here to see the benefits from the companies that made the 2023 Best Places to Work list!
Large Companies
250 or more Hawaiʻi Employees
The remaining large companies are listed in alphabetical order.
American Savings Bank
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 1,075 HI
asbhawaii.com
Bayer Hawaii
Headquarters: Leverkusen, Germany
Employees: 473 HI
hawaii.bayer.us
Central Pacific Bank (CPB)
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 766 HI
cpb.bank
Child & Family Service
Headquarters: ‘Ewa Beach
Employees: 358 HI
childandfamilyservice.org
First Hawaiian Bank
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 1,949 HI
fhb.com
First Insurance Company of Hawaii
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 252 HI
ficoh.com
Hawaii State Federal Credit Union
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 386 HI
hawaiistatefcu.com
HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 387 HI
hawaiiusafcu.com
Island Palm Communities LLC
Headquarters:: Schofield Barracks
Employees: 387 HI
islandpalmcommunities.com
Panda Restaurant Group Inc.
Headquarters: Rosemead, CA
Employees: 470 HI
pandarg.com
Prince Resorts Hawaii
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 1,290 HI
princeresortshawaii.com
Servco Pacific Inc.
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 1,059 HI
servco.com
Medium Companies
50 – 249 Hawaiʻi Employees
The remaining medium companies are listed in alphabetical order.
AHL
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 90 HI
ahl.design
American Floor & Home
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 137 HI
americanfloorandhome.com
Aqua Engineers Inc.
Headquarters: Kalāheo
Employees: 93 HI
aquaengineers.com
Atlas Insurance Agency
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 95 HI
atlasinsurance.com
Castaway Construction & Restoration LLC
Headquarters: Kahului
Employees: 96 HI
castawayhawaii.com
Corteva Agriscience
Headquarters: Indianapolis, IN
Employees: 169 HI
hawaii.corteva.com
CW Associates CPAs
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 69 HI
cwa.cpa
Decision Research Corporation (DRC)
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 77 HI
decisionresearch.com
EnviroServices & Training Center LLC
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 52 HI
gotoetc.com
Finance Factors Ltd.
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 114 HI
financefactors.com
G70
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 101 HI
g70.design
Hawai‘i Community Foundation
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 73 HI
hawaiicommunityfoundation.org
Hawaii Dental Service (HDS)
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 129 HI
hawaiidentalservice.com
Hawaii Diagnostic Radiology Services
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 73 HI
hawaiidrs.com
Hawaii Mortgage Experts
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 60 HI
hawaiimortgageexperts.com
Hawai‘i Public Radio
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 58 HI
hawaiipublicradio.org
HEMIC
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 117 HI
hemic.com
Hickam Federal Credit Union
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 106 HI
hickamfcu.org
Island Insurance
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 146 HI
islandinsurance.com
Kapili Solar Roofing & Painting
Headquarters: Waipahu
Employees: 119 HI
kapiliroof.com
Kilauea Pest Control
Headquarters: Kailua
Employees: 60 HI
kilaueapest.com
Life Cycle Engineering
Headquarters: Charleston, SC
Employees: 68 HI
www.lce.com
N&K CPAs Inc.
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 57 HI
nkcpa.com
Nordic PCL Construction Inc.
Headquarters: Edmonton, Alberta
Employees: 154 HI
pcl.com
Northwestern Mutual Hawaii
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 50 HI
hawaii.nm.com
Oahu Country Club
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 146 HI
oahucountryclub.com
Pacific Administrators Inc.
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 51 HI
pacadmin.com
Pacific Biodiesel
Headquarters: Kahului
Employees: 81 HI
biodiesel.com
Pacific Whale Foundation
Headquarters: Wailuku
Employees: 145 HI
pacificwhale.org
Pacxa
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 88 HI
pacxa.com
ProService Hawaii
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 216 HI
proservice.com
Ronald N.S. Ho & Associates Inc.
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 68 HI
rnsha.com
Small Companies
15 – 49 Hawaiʻi Employees
2. Express Employment Professionals of Hawaii
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 21 HI
expresspros.com/HonoluluHi
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 21 HI
expresspros.com/HonoluluHi
The remaining small companies are listed in alphabetical order.
Ceramic Tile Plus and Exclusively Yours
Headquarters: Kahului
Employees: 32 HI
ceramictileplus.com
Chun Kerr LLP
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 32
chunkerr.com
Control Freaks Hawaii
Headquarters: Kahului
Employees: 15 HI
controlfreakshawaii.com
Diamond Head Dental Care
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 28 HI
DiamondHeadDentalCare.com
Dynamic Planning & Response LLC
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 33 HI
dynapnr.com
Hawaiʻi Energy / Leidos
Headquarters: Honolulu / Reston, VA
Employees: 31 HI
hawaiienergy.com
The Hawaii Group
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 28 HI
thehawaiigroup.com
HiEmployment
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 20 HI
hi-employment.com
Imua Family Services
Headquarters: Kahului
Employees: 43 HI
imuafamily.org
Intech Hawaii
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 22 HI
intech-hawaii.com
Integrated Security Technologies Inc.
Headquarters: Waipahu
Employees: 32 HI
istechs.net
Lawson & Associates Inc.
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 22 HI
lawsonsafety.com
Makai HR
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 22 HI
makaihr.com
Nagamine Okawa Engineers Inc.
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 24 HI
noeihawaii.com
Office Pavilion Hawaii
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 42 HI
op-hawaii.com
Okahara and Associates Inc.
Headquarters: Hilo
Employees: 34 HI
okahara.com
Premier Solutions Hi LLC
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 26 HI
premiersolutionshi.com
RIM Architects LLC
Headquarters: Anchorage, AK
Employees: 15 HI
rimarchitects.com
Servpac Inc.
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 27 HI
servpac.com
USAble Life
Headquarters: Little Rock, AR
Employees: 24 HI
usablelife.com
Verity CPAs
Headquarters: Honolulu
Employees: 20 HI
veritycpas.com
WATG
Headquarters: Irvine, CA
Employees: 18 HI
watg.com
Windward Synergy Center
Headquarters: Kailua
Employees: 17 HI
windwardsynergycenter.com
Other Categories
Most Family-Friendly Companies
Small Employer:
1. Express Employment Professionals of Hawaii
2. Hawaiʻi Energy / Leidos
3. USAble Life
Medium Employer:
1. Swinerton
2. New York Life Insurance Co.
3. Nordic PCL Construction Inc.
Large Employer:
1. American Savings Bank
2. Bowers + Kubota Consulting Inc.
3. Diagnostic Laboratory Services Inc.
Healthiest Companies
Small Employer:
1. Express Employment Professionals of Hawaii
2. Hawaiʻi Energy / Leidos
3. Integrated Security Technologies Inc.
Medium Employer:
1. Swinerton
2. AHL
3. Hawaii Dental Service (HDS)
Large Employer:
1. Bowers + Kubota Consulting Inc.
2. Prince Resorts Hawaii
3. First Hawaiian Bank
Best Places to Work for Women
Small Employer:
1. Westpac Wealth Partners
2. Hawaiʻi Energy / Leidos
Medium Employer:
1. Hawaii Mortgage Experts
2. New York Life Insurance Co.
Large Employer:
1. Bowers + Kubota Consulting Inc.
2. Hawaii State Federal Credit Union
Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality
Small Employer:
1. Hawaiʻi Energy / Leidos
2. Ceramic Tile Plus and Exclusively Yours
Medium Employer:
1. Northwestern Mutual Hawaii
2. New York Life Insurance Co.
Large Employer:
1. American Savings Bank
2. First Hawaiian Bank
Best Restaurant to Work for in Hawaiʻi
Panda Restaurant Group Inc.
Best Place to Work on the Neighbor Islands
Ceramic Tile Plus and Exclusively Yours, Maui
Best Young Business to Work For
Makai HR, founded 2018
Best Places to Work Rookie of the Year
Makai HR
Best Family-Owned Place to Work
Lawson & Associates Inc.
Best Places to Work Hall of Fame (Number of Years on the List)
- Edward Jones, 19
- Servco Pacific Inc., 19
- Island Insurance, 17
- Nordic PCL Construction Inc., 17
- ProService Hawaii, 17
- Bowers + Kubota Consulting Inc., 16
- Atlas Insurance Agency, 15
- Pacific Administrators Inc., 15
- American Savings Bank, 14
- Central Pacific Bank, 14
- First Hawaiian Bank, 13
- Imua Family Services, 13
- EnviroServices & Training Center LLC, 12
- The Hawaii Group, 12
- Hawaii State Federal Credit Union, 12
- Integrated Security Technologies Inc., 12
- Pacific Biodiesel, 12
- Swinerton, 12
- Hawaii Diagnostic Radiology Services, 11
- Intech Hawaii, 11
- Panda Restaurant Group, 11
- Hawaii Mortgage Experts, 10
- Pacxa, 10
- Parents And Children Together, 10
10 Key Drivers of Engagement
Based on this year’s survey of Hawai‘i employees, here are the main factors that lead to employee engagement:
- I like what I do for this organization.
- I believe in this organization’s leadership.
- I believe this organization values me.
- This organization is committed to producing high-quality products/ services.
- I understand what is expected of me.
- I have fun at work.
- I typically feel I make daily progress at work.
- I have sufficient autonomy to make decisions.
- This organization treats me with dignity, not as just a number.
- I understand how my work impacts organizational success.
2023 Benefits at a Glance
Click the table to get a closer look!
Do You Want to Be a Best Place to Work?
None of Hawaiʻi’s Best Places to Work started that way.
Instead, they built workplaces full of engaged employees over the long haul. Many used this annual confidential survey to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and to hear what their employees really thought – the good, the bad and the ugly.
Register today for the 2024 program at BestPlacesToWorkHawaii.com. There’s no risk in participating; the names of registered companies that don’t make the Best Places list are not released to the public.
