GEORGIA — Twenty-seven Georgia-based businesses are among the top 300 Best Companies to Work For in the country, according a new ranking by U.S. News and World Report.

What does it mean to be "the best" in this context, though? U.S. News looked at how publicly-traded companies support "the everyday experience" of their employees, and used both public employment data and direct reviews from workers on platforms such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn.

The ratings include the top 300 overall Best Companies, 24 industry-specific lists, and four regional lists.

The study focused on six metrics: quality of pay and benefits, work/life balance and flexibility, job and company stability, physical and psychological comfort, belongingness and esteem and career opportunities/professional development.

Here are the Georgia employers that made the list of the top 300 Best Companies to Work For:

• Aflac, Columbus - Insurance
• Assurant, Atlanta - Insurance
• Aveanna Healthcare, Atlanta - Health Services
• Beazer Homes, Atlanta - Construction
• Cardlytics, Atlanta - Media
• Coca-Cola, Atlanta - Food, Beverage, Alcohol and Tobacco
• Delta Air Lines, Atlanta - Hotels, Restaurants and Leisure
• Floor and Decor, Atlanta - Retail
• GPC, Atlanta - Autos and Parts
• Global Payments, Atlanta - Financial Services
• Gray Television, Atlanta - Media
• Home Depot, Atlanta - Retail
• Intercontinental Exchange, Atlanta - Financial Services
• Interface, Atlanta - Consumer Products and Services
• Invesco, Atlanta - Financial Services
• Manhattan Associates, Atlanta - IT, Software and Services
• Mirion, Atlanta - Semiconductors, Electronics and Equipment
• NCR, Atlanta - IT, Software and Services
• National Vision, Duluth - Retail
• Norfolk, Atlanta - Transportation
• Primerica, Duluth - Insurance
• Pulte, Atlanta - Real Estate
• Sharecare, Atlanta - Health Services
• SiteOne Landscape Supply, Roswell - Retail
• Southern Company, Atlanta - Utilities
• Synovus Bank, Columbus - Banking
• UPS, Atlanta - Transportation

This is only the second year that U.S. News and World Report has put out this list, as Vice President of Careers Carly Chase noted. Chase said that this ranking helps employees "to choose a company that best meets their needs and requirements."

“Prospective and current employees understand the significant impact their employer has on their quality of life," Chase added. “Whether a new grad seeking a company to launch their career, an established professional looking for a change or an HR professional researching the strengths of their company and others, Best Companies to Work For provides a central space to see which companies are meeting their employees’ needs best.”

U.S. News expanded its 2024-2025 ratings to include 549 companies, subdivided into 29 different industries and regions.