Photographs by Stuart O’Sullivan

Methodology for Picking the Best Employers November-December 2003

Any nongovernmental employer with at least 50 U.S.-based employees was eligible to apply. In order to be considered, all interested employers were required to complete an application covering six key categories: recruiting, workplace culture, continued opportunities, benefits, retirement, and organization statistics. Each employer also submitted an essay.

	• Chart: The 25 Best Employers—and How They Stack Up • Reverse Mentoring Explained • AARP's Best Employers for Workers Over 50 Program (AARP.org) • Apply for the 2004 Best Employers List (AARP.org) • Back to the Story

A total of 73 employers submitted applications to the AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50. After an initial screening by an independent survey firm, NFO WorldGroup, Inc., and by AARP staff, employers with low screening scores were eliminated. The remaining employers were then reviewed by an independent panel of judges. The panel was composed of a roster of nationally recognized experts on aging, work force, and employment issues.

Each employer was then ranked by its total score, which was the sum of its screening score and the score received from the judges. Last, in order to ensure that employers recognized by AARP have policies and practices that were consistent with key public policy issues important to AARP and its membership, finalists were reviewed by key AARP representatives.