GoodWell, a social enterprise recently featured in Fast Company magazine for its measurement of workplace health and sustainability, announced today that the City of Boise has successfully achieved GoodWell certification.

The City of Boise, with more than 1,600 employees, passed all eleven metrics of the GoodWell certification, becoming the largest organization to certify to date.

“Employees who thrive and love what they do are essential to fostering the kind of workplace culture that will help the City of Boise become the most livable city in the country,” said Mayor David Bieter. “Moving ahead, we think GoodWell will help us gain better insight and give us stronger tools as an employer to take our culture to that next level.”

GoodWell Founder Pete Gombert said the GoodWell certification is a transparent way for the City to prove its commitment to its employees.

“People want to work at organizations that are equitable, ethical, and humane,” said Gombert. “Proving this in a quantifiable way is a compelling advantage for attracting talented employees—and keeping them.”    

Gombert said several municipalities in the U.S. and Canada have inquired about GoodWell certification and that significant inbound interest from businesses is resulting from the Fast Company article.

In his April 24 article for Fast Company, senior writer Ben Paynter wrote about GoodWell and its “new kind of auditing process for companies, nonprofits, and governments to measure their success. Rather than just being profitable and fiscally responsible, they can earn a certification as a fair, equitable, and humane place to work.” 

“This is a hot topic right now,” said Gombert. “Most companies want to be known as a great place to work, but don’t necessarily have a practical framework to accurately measure their performance, which is where GoodWell comes in.”

GoodWell’s certification involves 11 metrics it believes are key to being a healthy and sustainable organization. The process gives leaders an objective view of their practices as an employer, as well as helping demonstrate their organization’s values to employees and the broader community.

During its startup this year in Boise, GoodWell has attracted a number of businesses to its certification ranging from a staff of two employees to more than 50. These companies include startups uLedger and Retrolux; advertising agencies Drake Cooper, Murie Design, and Oliver Russell; and Flynner Homes, a designer and builder of residential homes.

“I’m proud to be GoodWell-certified because it demonstrates to our employees and our customers that we value people through actions, not just words,” says Scott Flynn of Flynner Homes.

About GoodWell
GoodWell, a public benefit corporation headquartered in Boise, Idaho, is a 100% metrics-based certification system that helps companies and organizations measure, validate, and improve workplace health and practices. GoodWell utilizes a series of human metrics designed to work for any employer regardless of size, industry, geography or organizational structure. For more information about becoming certified, visit goodwellworld.com.

Oliver Russell

Oliver Russell

Oliver Russell, a Boise-based brand-marketing firm founded in 1991, builds brands for purpose-driven companies and causes. The company counts Hewlett-Packard, Allegro Coffee/Whole Foods Market, and Mountain Health Co-op among its clients. It is a certified B Corporation, part of a growing movement of companies that believe in using the power of business to help solve social and environmental issues.

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