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Any 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 seven key categories: recruiting practices, workplace culture, continued opportunities, employee benefits, retiree benefits, organization statistics, and innovative practices.

A total of 145 employers submitted applications. After an initial screening by an independent survey firm, TNS NFO, and by AARP staff, employers with low screening scores were eliminated. The remaining employers were reviewed by an independent panel of judges composed 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.