GREAT WORKPLACES - greatplacetowork.co.uk workplaces... · companies in the ranking, this year’s Best ... INSIGHT FROM BEST WORKPLACES™ 4 [email protected] PRODUCED

A piece of the action

How to build and sustain a winning culture

It’s a challengeTop five workplace topics

Diff erent shapesThis year’s Best Workplaces™

GREAT WORKPLACES

p01_GPTW_cover•CT•FINAL•NEW.indd 1 23/03/2018 14:37

We are Catalyst. We are

We employ exceptional people and we’re a great place to work. We are looking for fun, ambitious, engaging colleagues to grow our global business. www.catalyst.co.uk

We’re proud holders of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of our global impact2018UK

Best Workplaces™

Medium Category

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CONTENTSEDITORIALGreat Place to Work® and Redactive Media Group

SALES MANAGERPaul Barron

SALES EXECUTIVEWilliam Hunter

ACCOUNT DIRECTORJoanna Marsh

EDITING AND DESIGNAnna Scott, Glen Wilkins, Gene Cornelius, Caroline Taylor

ANALYSISKari Johannsen, Sara Silvonen, Abigail Animwa, Jasmine Halvey

GREAT PLACE TO WORK®

Adeola Taiwo, Alvin Ashford, Amy Ong, Benedict Gautrey, Charles Fair, Elliot Slade, Gonzalo Shoobridge, Helen Wright, Jonathan Reid, Kari Johannsen, Kunle Malomo, Magda Parkinson, Mariana Skirmuntt, Marianna Roach, Mathew Hellela, Matthew Dunbar, Mukesh Sachdev, Musteyde Fikret, Natalie Grant, Nick Honour, Nicola Papenfus, Payal Shah, Petrina Carmody, Phil Wilson, Sara Silvonen, Will Harrison, Zarah Patel

PUBLISHED BYRedactive Media Group, Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London E1 8BL, Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200

PRINTED BYWyndeham Peterborough

FRONT COVER Ben O’Brien

PUBLISHEDApril 2018

18

10

Today’s top five workplace challenges and how Best Workplaces™ are tackling them

Insights from our annual survey on the issues of productivity, the gender pay gap, managing change, mental health and pay and reward.

Talent management in high-trust cultures How do Best Workplaces™ create a

trusting environment in which to manage their workforce?

Best Workplace™ (Large Category): Changing timesAs one of six property and housing

companies in the ranking, this year’s Best Workplace™ (Large Category), The Sovini Group, puts employees at the heart of its change management.

2The Large Category listThe top 37 Best WorkplacesTM

(Large Category), with 500 or more employees. Property management and development company The Sovini Group heads this year’s ranking.

Best Workplace™ (Medium Category): A growth experience

How do companies maintain their culture while expanding? Workday UK has some answers.

8 The Medium Category listThe top 66 Best WorkplacesTM

(Medium Category), with between 50 and 499 employees, headed by IT software company Workday UK.

25 Tech at the topThe UK’s first ranking of organisations recognised as Best

Workplaces™ in IT demonstrates the sector’s high levels of trust and engagement.

2 Best Workplace™ (Small Category): Recruitment drive

Best Workplaces™ understand talent management, and McCarthy Recruitment, this year’s Best Workplace™ (Small Category), is no exception.

28The Small Category listThe top 25 Best WorkplacesTM

(Small Category), with between 20 and 49 employees. McCarthy Recruitment tops the list this year.

3 Top of the treeWhat it takes to be an award-winning workplace – what

recognition as a Best Workplace™ means, the business benefits, how we evaluate an organisation’s culture and how we can help you create a great workplace.

PRODUCED BY REDACTIVE MEDIA GROUP www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 3

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INSIGHT FROM BEST WORKPLACES™

4 [email protected] PRODUCED BY REDACTIVE MEDIA GROUP

Top fi ve workplace challenges todayWhat are they, and how are Best Workplaces™ tackling them?

1 THEPRODUCTIVITY PUZZLE

Labour productivity output per hour per worker increased by 0.9%

between July and September 2017, compared with the previous quarter (ONS). This is the largest increase since 2011, but the UK’s productivity performance remains poor and it is not expected to improve in 2018.

Weak private investment, Brexit uncertainty, skills gaps and poor infrastructure are among the political and macro-economic reasons put forward to explain the productivity puzzle. At an organisational level, the fact that many workers are not engaged is a barrier to productivity growth.

2 THEGENDERPAY GAP

The wage gap between men and women may be

narrowing – falling from 10.5% in 2011 to 9.1% in 2017, according to data from the ONS. But men still typically earn more than women, even though it is more than four decades since the introduction of the Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination Acts.

By April 2018, organisations that employ 250 or more staff will be required by the government to report on gender pay gaps, usually through an equal pay audit.

In 2017, 59% of Best Workplaces™ reported that they conducted an audit or salary survey. In addition, 73% of Best Workplaces™ have appointed someone internally to combat discrimination and promote diversity.

Fair pay is a critical driver of engagement. The link between fairness and engagement suggests that when employees see their organisation’s policies and practices as fair, they tend to trust their managers and colleagues more and so tend to be more engaged.

3 MANAGINGCHANGEMore than 70% of

organisational change initiatives fail. All change – particularly failed change

– can have a huge, irreversible impact on employee engagement, because with change comes anxiety, uncertainty and job insecurity.

Increasing external unpredictability means organisations must take a proactive approach. Effective change management revolving around communication and involvement is key, allowing change to be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat. It involves creating a vision that employees can buy into and feel part of. Organisations that manage change successfully tend to attribute this to their strong and positive culture.

MANAGING CHANGE IN ACTION For TalkTalk, a telecoms company with 2,374

employees, moving into a new campus was a huge deal. Wanting to ensure everyone felt supported and excited for the future, a communications campaign called #MovingInTogether was created.

In the run-up, interactive roadshows were held, where employees could ask questions, learn more about travel plans, and give

The UK is ranked 18th out of 20 countries in levels of employee engagement (Global Perspectives Survey), and Great Place to Work® data shows that just 57% of staff in the average UK workplace are engaged.

Poor management and leadership have a negative impact on engagement and therefore productivity. Asking people to work harder is not necessarily the answer. A culture that motivates workers, encourages innovation and cares about the quality of managers and leaders will ultimately be more productive. In turn, this will reap rewards for the organisation. Research into Great Place to Work® data shows that for every 1% increase in engagement scores, there is a return on investment of between £75,000 and £1,000,000.

ideas for the new building layout. Using giant refrigerators to keep it fun, employees were asked what behaviours were ‘cool’ and ‘not cool’, to leave bad habits behind.

‘The Bubble’ e-newsletter was created and sent out ad hoc with move-specific updates. And in the month before the move, vlogs and

video interviews with the new chef, travel champions, IT team and colleague experience manager were posted on the intranet.

On the first day, the workplace experience team went the extra mile, greeting people with welcome packs as they walked in and making them feel like stars with a paparazzi board.

Source: Great Place to Work® 2017 data and National Survey 2018

hange management hat do employees think %

Management has a clear view of where my organisation is going

and how to get there

Management keeps me informed about important issues

and changes

Management involves people in decisions that affect their jobs

or work environment

Best Workplace™ 2018 National Average 2018 Difference

885

53

33 32 32

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INSIGHT FROM BEST WORKPLACES™


4 MENTAL HEALTH Often incorrectly

seen as synonymous with mental illness, mental health is a complex state

of psychological and emotional wellbeing.With increasing work demands, problems

such as stress, depression and anxiety are causing an astounding 12.5 million working days to be lost every year (Health and Safety Executive) – the single biggest cause of long-term sickness absence.

Besides absenteeism and increased turnover, arguably the largest cost of mental ill health occurs through presenteeism – staff coming to work while unwell, with below par performance and productivity.

The Centre for Mental Health, an independent UK charity, estimates that presenteeism can cost UK organisations up to £26 billion annually.

There is a compelling argument for employers to invest in early interventions involving both reactive and proactive elements. This should involve not only resources and support for struggling employees but building an open, understanding and de-stigmatised culture around mental health.

More progressive organisations are taking a holistic approach, focusing on awareness and continuous support, rather than occasional events (such as mental health awareness days) when such issues are discussed and then swept right back under the carpet.

5 PAY AND REWARD The National Living

Wage, introduced in 2016, and the increase in the minimum contributions

that employers pay into pension schemes have pushed up workforce costs. Some organisations have also seen costs rise as a



Rackspace, a cloud computing group with

1,022 UK staff, created The Lavender Group to promote mental wellness. The group organises monthly ‘Tea and Talk’ open events on topics such as grief, depression and sleep problems. Rackspace has also created a self-help library, sensory zone, online resources and a training programme on mental health first aid.

result of the April 2017 Apprenticeship Levy. Conversely, growth in wages is expected to be weak – ECA International estimated an increase of just 0.2% in the real salary of private-sector employees. This leaves the UK at the bottom of the European table of salary increases.

Better financial benefits do not necessarily mean better satisfaction and engagement,

but reward packages are central to any recruitment and retention strategy. HR managers need to focus constantly on the alignment between financial rewards and the organisation’s values, mission, culture and business strategies.

A robust compensation system should include benefits in keeping with the organisation’s culture.

Most Best Workplaces™ regularly bench-mark pay and benefits against competitors

es No

91%

9%

Digital recruitment agency Futureheads Recruitment, with 37 staff, agreed a two-day extension

to sick leave with ‘Re-Set Days’ for when it all gets too much. As this is for those who are genuinely struggling with emotional health, managers need to be aware that it’s a re-set day being requested – not to pry, but to ask what support might be needed at work.

3 82 8

52 52

2 3 38 32

Large Medium Small Overall

% of employees who think their workplace is psychologically and emotionally healthy by si e of organisation


% of employees who feel able to take time off when they need toby si e of organisation

Large Medium Small Overall


8

5 58 58

2 3 3 32

52

3322

33

ost employees at est orkplaces see pay and rewards as fair %


People here are paid fairly for the work they do

I feel I receive a fair share of the profits made by this organisation

CONTINUOUS SUPPORT IN ACTION


At TSB we believe in working in partnership.

Which means we spend our time actively helping our customers, not just selling them things.

We’ve found that working this way is good for both our customersand our business, as well as everyone who works here.

We’re delighted that for the second year running we have been recognised as one of the UK’s Best Large Workplaces.

Why working in partnership is a good thing for all of us.

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Talent managementin high-trust cultures

INSIGHTS


How do Best Workplaces™ create a trusting environment in which to manage their workforce?

REWARD AND RECOGNITIONUnsurprisingly, fair pay and employee perceptions of fair pay are key elements in the

current war for talent. It is usually the starting point of any attraction and retention strategy.

However, HR teams know that employees are looking for more than a pay cheque. Engagement can be driven by many other non-financial motivators.

Our research confirms a global trend: job applicants are choosing employers who provide attractive benefits that go beyond financial rewards.

For example, for 37% of UK employees, work-life balance was essential when it came to choosing a new job. Further data suggests that the top reasons employees give when quitting their jobs are non-financial (poor work climate, lack of career development opportunities, poor managers, for example).

An effective talent management strategy Source: Great Place to Work® 2017 data and National Survey 2018

Many employees don’t feel valued for their performance in the average UK workplace. This leads to a lack of commitment to the organisation’s goals and, as a result, a drop in productivity. Data shows that Best Workplaces™ do better in showing employees appreciation for their hard work.

Best Workplaces™ 2018

%

National average 2018

%

Difference

Management shows appreciation for good work and extra effort

84 46 38

Everyone has an opportunity to get special recognition 80 45 35

not only focuses on continuous feedback but also on continuous recognition. When we analyse which elements are most strongly correlated with employee engagement, the data very often indicates that the recognition of a job well done is more important than financial rewards.

Recognising extra effort, positive behaviours and the job done are key to keeping people engaged at work. However, managers do not necessarily own this task. Practices that allow peer-to-peer recognition also boost employees’ sense of commitment and satisfaction with the team and the job.



%


%

Difference

Management hires people who fi t in well here 86 52 34


%


%

Difference

When you oin the organisation you are made to feel welcome

4 63 31

RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDINGEngagement begins from the very first moment of the employee life cycle – long

before the first day, or even before a job offer

PERFORMANCEMANAGEMENTPerformancemanagement has traditionally been

centred on the appraisal system – the dreaded performance review and tedious box-ticking exercise.

This is increasingly moving towards continuous, two-way feedback, as dialogue between employees and their line managers is seen as a holistic developmental process.

In Best Workplaces™, 85% of employees say they receive valuable feedback from their manager, compared with 53% in average UK organisations.

CONTINUOUSFEEDBACKSalesforce UK, a leading provider of customer

relationship management software with 1,315 employees in the UK, launched an internal feedback app.

Built on its own technology, the aim of the app is to replace the annual performance review with regular, real-time feedback.

This enables all employees to give and receive honest, helpful, continuous feedback from everyone they deal with across the company – including peers, managers and direct reports.

This acts as a catalyst for regular conversations. These ensure that people feel recognised and receive guidance that they are then able to use to continuously improve their performance

WORKFORCEPLANNINGThere is often not enough time for strategic work: HR teams tend to devote

most of their time to routine tasks such as payroll processing and record keeping. Fortunately, HR platforms are helping to reduce the administrative workload. And new software provides real-time data insights to drive decisions, forecast and overcome the challenges of fluctuating and uncertain workforce demand.

Like other aspects of talent management, workforce planning is not static but usually responds to the organisation’s changing internal and external circumstances. From an internal point of view, HR professionals from micro to super-large organisations

face different challenges when experiencing some kind of change – for example, mergers, acquisitions and rapid business growth to name but a few. For the transformation to be successful, the new business strategy needs to be aligned with HR plans.

From an external point of view, robust workforce planning will be essential over the next few years. HR experts recommend that, post-Brexit, businesses should anticipate the potential impact of employment legislation and risk-assess the UK’s labour market supply. Effective workforce planning won’t focus only on succession planning but also on the transition to new immigration plans.

Highly competitive job markets, an ageing workforce and an uncertain landscape after Brexit make the development of staffing strategies a top business priority.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTThe Future Partner Development Programme

(FPDP) at EY (14,995 employees) is a forward-looking leadership scheme for those with the potential and aspiration to lead the workforce of tomorrow, today.

This 18-month programme accelerates participants’ path to leadership, combining EY insights with powerful ideas from Oxford’s Saïd Business School.

FPDP learning is then applied to Global NextGen, a 17-month partner pipeline, where cross-business project teams tackle live business issues, delivering solutions at board level. Alumni are expected to actively reinvest their learning into the next generation of leaders, driving talent development.

INSIGHTS


is made. Attracting, recruiting and integrating the right people into an organisation should feature the same transparent cultural thread seamlessly running throughout – so as to have a fully engaged, inspired and productive employee from day one.


erceptions of streamlined hiring around cultural fi t differentiates Best Workplaces™ from average UK organisations

EFFICIENTSELECTIONWorkday UK, a cloud software vendor with

232 UK employees, implemented a new assessment framework called Results-Based Selection (RBS). This starts with creating a success profile for a particular position, based

on the background, experience and skillset of those already successful in that position. Several high-performing people in a particular function get together for a day-and-a-half workshop for focused conversations about the underlying attributes enabling them to excel. RBS allows quality candidates to be quickly identified while decreasing interview times.


RAPIDONBOARDINGVibe, a recruitment consultancy with 55

employees, aims to eradicate anxiety and build trust with new joiners via a quirky onboarding

Best Workplaces™ understand the value of thorough onboarding with a human touch

exercise. New hires are asked to draw the person next to them – often accompanied by laughter, embarrassment and apologies. The activity is intended to remove the fear of being judged by their peers, which can cause people to not share ideas.


LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTOpportunities for learning, development and progression

arguably pose the biggest HR challenge for engagement, and consequently retention, in the age of millennials and boundary-less career orientations.

To combat this, it is essential to create an infrastructure that enables employees to grow personally and professionally within the organisation. This prevents them from having to seek these development opportunities elsewhere.

REVERSE MENTORING IN ACTIONWith the challenge of recruiting and retaining millennials in mind,

Baird initiated its ‘Millennial Masters’ scheme in 2017.

This reverse-mentoring programme provides opportunities to collaborate on strategically positioning the firm to attract

ENGAGEMENTAND RETENTIONBuilding a culture of engagement rather than burnout lies at the heart of

any successful talent management strategy. Employees who experience work-related

stress feel exhausted, empty and unable to cope, usually leading to lower long-term performance and turnover.

High levels of turnover not only result in knowledge loss for the organisation but can also mean the loss of time, resources and budget to recruit and onboard new staff. By proactively managing burnout, HR teams are in a better position to retain an engaged workforce.

A good starting point is to recognise the symptoms of burnout and take action.

INSIGHTS


Source: Great Place to Work® 2017 data and P 201

HIGH PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENT

Data and analytics company Dun & Bradstreet (430 employees) partnered with performance consultant Tignum to infuse Sustainable High Performance (SHP) into its culture.

SHP inspires people to be the best they can – at work and home. Focusing on mindset, movement, nutrition and recovery, SHP places wellbeing and work-life balance at the heart of performance management.

It operates through innovative campaigns, such as the 2017 ‘Deck of Cards’ with an information card for every week of the year, a network of SHP champions, videos and podcasts.

All joiners are invited to a workshop hosted by local SHP ‘gurus’, and there is a quarterly SHP role model award.

Many organisations now conduct a range of employee surveys to gain this sort of insight and then use the data to segment their workforce.

This approach helps to identify those employees who lack engagement with the

work they do and are at risk of leaving.Our latest data shows that organisations

with employees who feel that workload demands are reasonable are those with a more positive intention to stay – a strong positive correlation of 0.75.

Source: Great Place to Work® 2017 data and P 201 data

and retain the next generation of clients and associates. Senior leaders connect to Baird’s millennial talent to gain valuable insight into the future of the firm, while millennials gain knowledge to carry forth its rich history.

Moreover, building a learning organisation (inbuilt into the culture) not only boosts engagement but presents a major competitive advantage, as such organisations are more likely to innovate internally and externally.

Best WorkplacesTM

UK medianCIPD

Large Medium Small

pend in per employee ontraining per year

5

8

25

Best WorkplacesTM

UK medianCIPD

Large Medium Small

ours of formal ob training per year

38 335

25

mployees views on their professional development

Best Workplace™ 2018

National Average 2018

Difference

83 8

8 535 3

I am developing professionallyworking here

development to furthermyself professionally

CIPD '16 Median Rate

Best WorkplacesTM

IT Manufacturing& Production

FinancialServices

ProfessionalServices

Median employee turnover rate (%)

Best WorkplacesTM employee intention to stay, by industry

16.513.4

84

8179 79

Source: Great Place to Work® 2017 and National Survey 2018

% of employees who say they getvaluable feedback which helps

improve their performance

Best Workplace™ 2018

National Average 2018

Difference

85

5332



BEST LARGE WORKPLACE

hange has characterised the seven years since property management and development company The Sovini Group was

established. This year’s Best Workplace™ in the Large Category has evolved since 2011 into a “multi-disciplined and multi-functioning interdependent group structure”.

“Originally, we started off as a single housing association,” says Group Chief Executive Roy Williams. “Since then we have grown the business and, through a number of mergers and acquisitions, we have developed both a charitable arm to the business and a commercial trading arm operating nationally.”

The company has acquired a builders’ merchant, which delivers building materials across the country, and waste management company the Carroll Group. It has also established its own property services and house building companies, which provide services across the group and trade externally with a range of other organisations.

This has resulted in a turnover of approximately £100 million a year and a portfolio of 14,000 properties to manage in north west England, about 1,000 new homes in development and a 650-strong workforce – grown from 240 employees – including more than 30 apprentices.

ChangingtimesAs one of six property and housing companies in the ranking, this year’s Best Workplace™ (Large Category), The Sovini Group, puts employees at the heart of its change management

alues“Change management or continuous improvement is assimilated into our organisational culture,” says Williams. “It is about the way we do things around here and is not something that is an add-on. It is part and parcel of our organisational values. One of our values relates to enterprise and the notion that we never stand still as an organisation.”

This concept, alongside the organisation’s other values, vision and mission, have been developed in consultation with the workforce. “Essentially, they belong to us all, and the drive and determination is something that we

p10_11_GPTW_Best_Large_Workplace•CT•FINAL.indd 10 20/03/2018 11:07


hange management or continuous improvement is assimilated into our

organisational culture t is about the way we do things around here and is not something that is an add on t is part and parcel of our organisational values ne of our values relates to enterprise and the notion that we never stand still as an organisation

oy Willia e Sovini Grou

ssentially ovini s values vision and mission belong to us all and the drive and

determination is something that we have developed as an organisational team

oy Willia e Sovini Grou

have developed as an organisational team,” Williams says.

“It is who we are, it is what we do, it is the passion that we feel about the services that we provide every day, it is the people that make up the organisation.”

This doesn’t mean the change has not come with challenges. One of the biggest hurdles when acquiring a new company is assimilating new employees into the existing culture while not thwarting their creativity and the transferable skills they bring.

“It’s important that new employees understand ‘the Sovini way’, which is about valuing difference and diversity, whilst ensuring that there is a fit and an assimilation into The Sovini Group’s organisational values and way of doing things,” Williams says.

As a result, the company has a relatively simple and straightforward management style that seeks to make employees feel valued and believe that they can achieve their ambitions in line with their own aspirations. The culture celebrates and recognises success and allows people to feel they can make a difference.

Employees are immersed in the organisational culture as soon as they start – an induction programme that provides the opportunity to understand the organisation, training and social activities and benefits.

“Change is about us constantly evolving as an organisation to stay ahead of the pack and ensure that our business grows in line with the plans and designs that we have established and that everybody who works for us understands they have a significant role to play in helping us to improve,” Williams says.

“Communication and buy-in from every employee is central to this sense of purpose so that we can move forward together in unison.”

ther companiesThis kind of change management best practice is seen in other companies in the Best Workplaces™ ranking. When TSB was separated from Lloyds Banking Group and launched back onto the British high street in 2013, the company went back to its 200-year-old roots when considering what its purpose should be. Focusing on the communities it exists to serve, TSB developed five values, which set about prioritising its core purpose rather than sales.

This meant taking the radical step of abolishing sales targets and incentives, and introducing an on-target opportunity of a 10% annual award for all employees – regardless of grade. “It took a bit of getting used to for our Partners in branches, because they had always been used to being paid on the basis of what they sold to customers,” says HR Director Rachel Lock.

“To go into a world without sales targets, where you are a customer-facing Partner

and you have been used to being measured against a certain set of criteria, was quite a transition for some people. It did take a little bit of adjustment.”

But dedicated training, a big focus on transparent, authentic communications and employee engagement helped the bank to improve its HR metrics and customer ratings, while delivering double-digit growth.

The Sovini Group is evolving too – it has set itself a target of 20,000 homes by 2020 and will continue to tackle the supply chain, aiming to improve organisational efficiency whilst continuing to generate new income through external contracting and trading activity.

he housing sectorThe housing sector as a whole is subject to constant change. It is also well represented in this year’s Best Workplaces™ ranking, with five other housing companies featured.

“The pace of organisational change in the housing sector has, I would argue, meant that senior managers have recognised that they can only keep pace with change if there is support from all employees,” Williams says.

“Employee engagement is essential to this process. Utilising and tapping into the extensive creativity, ambition and commitment of people in the organisation is central. Any organisation is only as good as the people that it employs.”

This means creating an environment that is conducive to both good working and people enjoying themselves, so that when changes come the workforce is ready.

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Best WorkplacesTM 2018 Large: 500+ employees

1 The Sovini Group Employees 591Property Management & Developmentsovini.co.uk

We face challenges together, arrive at innovative and effective solutions together and achieve greater success together. We work towards shared goals, take pride in our work and understand the lasting difference we make.

2 Baringa Partners Employees 530Management Consultantsbaringa.com

There is no silver bullet; we stand out because we believe it is about getting 1,000 small decisions right. A culture is defined by the day-to-day actions of everyone in the company – they all own their piece of Baringa.

3 Salesforce UK Employees 1,315ITsalesforce.com

Nothing is off limits in our Airing of Grievances Chatter Group – employees are encouraged by our CEO to be transparent and honest. They can suggest better, more innovative ways of working or simply ask for help — on any topic.

4 Cisco UK Employees 3,165ITcisco.com/uk

Corporate social responsibility is at the heart of Cisco. For us, this isn’t about fundraising or a giving back campaign, it’s our culture and is deeply embedded in our practices and policies. It’s about passion.

5 Pets at Home Employees 8,079Pet Supplies Retailerpetsathome.com

Our unique culture sets us apart from other businesses – making all colleagues feel part of the Pets family, a culture of listening through listening groups that can happen at all levels for a variety of reasons.

6 Hilton Employees 8,278Hotelshiltonworldwide.com

We have a responsibility to our team members, the guests we serve, the owners we grow our business with, and the communities we call home. We have a passion and responsibility to invest in current and future team members.

7 Admiral Group plc

Employees 6,401Auto Insuranceadmiralgroup.co.uk

We are proud to offer an honest and open culture, every member of staff is treated as an equal, achievement is rewarded and recognised and most of all, coming to work is fun.

8 Mars UK Employees 3,825FMCGmars.co.uk

We’re proud of our principles-based culture but two of these set us apart. The first is responsibility and how we put this into practice. The other is mutuality – everything we do should drive a mutual shared benefit.

9 Adobe Systems Europe Ltd

Employees 662IT Softwareadobe.com

Ours is an inspiring workplace, a diverse community of smart, passionate colleagues at the top of their game, who take pride in a culture that promotes sustainability. We invest in developing talents and challenge with engaging work.

10 Adecco Employees 643Recruitmentadeccogroupuk.co.uk

We are part of a large multinational business, yet able to maintain the family feel of a smaller business focused on its people. We design everything with the knowledge that our people determine our future success.

11 REL Field Marketing Employees 669Advertising & Marketingrelfm.com

The first line of our vision is “Loved by our People.” The magic ingredient is engaging those people and making them feel part of something truly special – no matter how big we grow, they can still expect to be recognised, heard and valued.

UK RANKINGS


Appeared on the list every year since UKawards began in 2001

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12 SAS Software Limited

Employees 649IT Softwaresas.com/uk

The engaging warmth of the culture and the people means that there is always someone willing to help and support people in their jobs. Employees say they come to work feeling highly valued.

13 SAP UK Employees 1,720IT Softwaresap.com/uk

We have a proposition for our people – “Bring Everything You Are, Become Everything You Want” – that rings true for our 86,000 employees around the world.

14 AbbVie Employees 593Pharmaceuticalsabbvie.com

We’re bold, curious and passionate and have a vibrant environment of learning and collaboration, allowing our colleagues to seize possibilities to have a remarkable impact on patients’ lives.

15 MBNA Limited Employees 1,815Credit Servicesmbna.co.uk

MBNA employees have got incredible passion and pride for the customers they serve and the local community. How we make ‘good stuff happen’ for our customers is what makes MBNA stand out from our competitors.

16 Bayer Employees 831Pharmaceuticalsbayer.co.uk

Bayer UK is all about the energy and commitment of its people. Most importantly, they strive to provide an inspirational environment for its people, one which allows them the passion to innovate and the power to change.

17 Bright Horizons Family Solutions

Employees 6,803Education & Trainingbrighthorizons.com

The quality of the care and education we provide to the children in our care is inexorably tied to the quality of the care we demonstrate to the nursery practitioners who are part of our Bright Horizons family.

18 Flight CentreTravel Group

Employees 1,926Travel Managementflightcentre.co.uk

In the recruitment waiting lounge, we show two videos that showcase our culture. One shows company information from a global perspective and the other highlights our local and global celebrations of success.

19 Rackspace Employees 1,022Data Managementrackspace.co.uk

Our culture is our ‘secret sauce’. We enjoy fun activities and spending our monthly fun budget. We can expand skillsets outside our job roles through clubs like Toastmasters and groups like our Culture Instigators.

20 Dell Technologies Employees 2,659ITdelltechnologies.com

Our Meet the Leaders video series gives team members a behind-the-scenes view of how leaders live out our Culture Code and shared values in the office and what drives them at home, enabling transparency and a connection.

21 Marshall Motor Holdings Plc

Employees 3,978Motor Dealer Groupmarshall.co.uk

We have ambitious, exciting growth plans which create huge opportunities for our colleagues. Despite rapid growth, we have maintained the family feel and created an environment where colleagues feel empowered to make a difference.

22 Britvic Soft Drinks Employees 1,778Soft Drinkswww.britvic.com

Britvic still manages to feel like a small company, where it really is possible to know who everybody is, while at the same time offering compelling expansion opportunities in both domestic and overseas markets.

23 TSB Bank plc Employees 8,588Financial Services/Insurancetsb.co.uk

We’re here to offer something different – for customers, for communities and for the people who work for us. We’re building a strong partnership culture. That means we’re all responsible for the success of our business.

24 Frontier Agriculture Ltd

Employees 909Agri/Forestry/Fishingfrontierag.co.uk

We are a large employer, but are not corporate. We have a flexible, local and friendly, down-to-earth approach. Our employees are enabled and empowered with the tools and appropriate level of authority to meet customer needs at local level.


Laureates have been a Best Workplace™ for five consecutive years Masters have been a Best Workplace™ for 10 consecutive years


25 AccorHotels UK & Ireland

Employees 5,059Hotelsaccorhotels-group.com

Our focus on personality, individuality and attitude sets us apart from competitors. We find people who connect with our guests and speak from the heart. We have a fantastic culture here as a result of the diverse workforce.

26 Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Employees 836Hotelshyatt.com

The opportunities at Hyatt are endless, the management helps build you up, not tear you down, and is supportive when times are tough, caring for people so they can be their best. Leadership is inspiring and motivational.

27 Home Group Limited Employees 2,732Not-for-profithomegroup.org.uk

We are particularly proud of our social purpose with a commercial edge, accompanied by a sense of doing ‘the right thing’ and making a real difference to our customers’ lives.

28 Gowling WLG UK LLP

Employees 1,067Legalgowlingwlg.com

It has to be our culture that sets us apart from the rest. We are proud to be different. We believe our people are our priority.

29 BUUK Infrastructure Employees 1,036Energybu-uk.co.uk

We are an honest, welcoming and rewarding company to work for. As the leader in our market, we offer a safe and bright future for our employees, and despite owning many assets, employees are the most important and valued.

30 Kantar Worldpanel Employees 571Professional Serviceskantarworldpanel.com

We attract, recruit, nurture and develop great people, who all contribute to driving a culture and set of values that make our business a fantastic one to work for. Our model and our mantra are simple: take people seriously.

31 FactSet Employees 519IT Softwarefactset.com

As we’ve grown, the high calibre and personal qualities of our people have remained consistent. They genuinely care about and support each other, welcome responsibility and hold themselves accountable for their role in our success.

32 StepStone UK Employees 812ITstepstone.co.uk

We believe in challenges, but we tackle them as a team. We are a collaborative, supportive and inclusive company, uniting over our values to drive a welcoming working environment, innovative projects and strong business results.

33 TalkTalk Employees 2,374Telecomssales.talktalk.co.uk

We’ve created a working environment where employees can be themselves and give it their all. It’s not always easy, but it’s always exciting and it promises great opportunities for our people and our business.

34 AB Agri Employees 1,124Agri-Food Businessabagri.com

AB Agri has an entrepreneurial spirit, and we really value new ideas and curiosity from people unafraid to challenge the status quo. We want to develop and grow people to really make a difference and make their mark.

35 Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK Ltd

Employees 513Auto Insurancemercedes-benz.co.uk

Our business isn’t just about numbers and figures; our people are at the heart of what we do. Our passion for people drives our vision for the future of mobility and our people that sit at the centre of our core values.

36 Principality Building Society

Employees 1,160Financial Services/Insuranceprincipality.co.uk

We are big enough to have large ambition, but small enough to value, respect and engage everyone as an individual, and we are firmly connected into the communities that all our colleagues live and work in.

37 EY Employees 14,505Professional Servicesey.com

Empowered to ask better questions, our teams challenge through smart, disruptive ideas that prompt their own development. The flexible way we work, entrepreneurial spirit and our focus on exceptional client services drives success.

UK RANKINGS


Appeared on the list every year since UK awards began in 2001


UK & Ireland


Building excellent communities with passion and pride.

It’s not the winning,it’s the taking part

that counts.

We’ve improved our scores again, and we’re really pleased.

Congratulations everyonefrom bdht.

RANKED 1ST IN 2017

GPTW2018.01 .indd 1 20/03/2018 12:

BEST MEDIUM WORKPLACE


ne of the most important assets held by a Best Workplace™ is its culture. A strong culture, which prioritises high levels of

employee engagement and is linked to a business’ overall strategy, will improve financial performance.

Best Workplaces™ are also often characterised by the way they manage change, whether it’s business-critical or day-to-day, and this is hugely dependent on culture. Whatever changes the organisation faces, culture and behaviours need to adapt, either by changing themselves or guiding the wider business change.

This year’s Best Workplace™ in the Medium Category, Workday UK, understands all too well the importance of culture, how it can help the company embrace change and how it is susceptible to change.

apid growthThe financial management and HR software vendor, which is part of the multinational Workday Inc., has nearly quadrupled in size in the UK over the past five years in response to its growth in customers across Europe.

It has more than 260 employees in the

How do companies maintain their culture while they are expanding? Workday UK, this year’s Best Workplace™ (Medium Category), has some answers

UK, based in three locations – Reading and Belfast (focused on development) and London (focused on sales and support) – although almost one-quarter of them work from home because the company strongly supports flexible working.

Workday UK’s company culture is characterised by six core values – employees, customer service, innovation, integrity, fun and profitability. They’re designed to provide a framework for leadership and daily decisions and keep the company and its workforce focused on what made it successful in the first place.

“We make sure that our core values are brought to life through the open communication channels, programme, training and support that we offer,” says Mandy Jeffery, Workday’s Vice-President of People, International and Operations. “Most fundamentally,” she adds, “people are the core of our business.”

eople centricThis is apparent in the company’s activities. “It’s important to us that Workday UK is a fun place to work and that all the employees have the opportunity to get involved and help

A growth experience

p16_17_GPTW_Best_Medium_Workplace•CT•FINAL.indd 16 20/03/2018 11:13

We provide a high-trust environment and strong leadership to help maintain a

people-centric culture. Every person at Workday UK contributes to our culture, and our recruiting process reinforces this, so our culture can scale with our growth.”

andy e ery ice Pre ident o Peo le nternational and eration

Workday

shape their own experiences,” Jeffery says. “Volunteer leaders create their own clubs, green initiatives, philanthropic efforts and wellbeing sessions.”

It’s also apparent in the company’s People Leadership Summits – two-day conferences for all people managers around the world to learn more about their leadership capabilities, empowering their teams and reinforcing the company’s core values and culture.

“We provide a high-trust environment and strong leadership direction to help us maintain a people-centric culture. Every person at Workday UK contributes to our culture, and our recruiting process reinforces this, so our culture can scale with our growth.”

This is crucial in light of the challenges that growth brings. “In a period of hyper-growth such as we have been experiencing in the UK, the volume of roles that need to be filled is the greatest challenge,” Jeffery says.

Workday UK meets these challenges by using employees to help it fill its vacancies, via a referral programme, focusing on diversity and constantly reviewing how the company recruits to ensure it hires the right kind of talent.

“Cultural fit is an important aspect of the hiring process,” Jeffery adds. “We seek people who feel as passionate as we do about customer service, innovation, integrity and having fun. We want to attract and retain top, diverse talent, so that we can maintain a culture where all employees feel valued and their careers are enabled.”

Maintaining a purposeAnother Best Workplace™, Lindt & Sprüngli, credits its purpose-led culture with its continued success during a period of growth.

The chocolate manufacturer has seen continued employee and profit margin growth since 2012. “Making people feel special has been a real highlight in our culture,” says Head of HR Jenny Lawrence. “It has enabled us to get consistency because people understand what our purpose is. They understand why we do what we do and therefore we feel like we can make a consistent difference in our culture and beyond.”

The company has also ensured that its CEO and directors lead the principles behind Lindt’s culture. “The CEO is a huge advocate of doing good and doing the right thing,” Lawrence adds. “People look at him and are inspired to behave the way that he does.”

And this has a “huge impact” on Lindt’s commercial performance. “You don’t double the size of your organisation without having a culture that gets behind your agenda and what you are trying to do,” Lawrence says.

EvolutionChanges within companies should not come at the expense of success. Four years ago,

another 2018 Best Workplace™ (Medium Category), Danone Early Life Nutrition, changed its name and mission, resulting in an ongoing change in strategy, job roles, education and organisational structure over a six-year period to 2020. There are also continuing strategy changes across the wider Danone Group.

“We are a business that is constantly evolving, innovating and striving to do better, and it’s those changes that lead to our success,” says HR director Liz Ellis. “So we are working collectively on how we can engage with each other. It’s a lot of work but it is work that we feel inspired to do and they are changes we’re making to make ourselves better.” She says that these successes have happened not in spite of the changes but because of them.

Taking actionGreat cultures are ultimately about actions, not words. Baringa Partners, a Best Workplace™ for 12 consecutive years, starts from “being a culture-orientated organisation”, valuing its culture, which has been behind its growth from a £7 million business employing 51 people in 2006 to a £110 million business with a

470-strong workforce, according to Senior Partner Dan Look.

“Anyone can say that they care about an individual and theirs is a fun place to work”, Look says. “All of these are fairly standard terms, but what we try to do is illustrate what it will be like to work for the organisation. If you can carry that off, it’s much more powerful than just some over-used words.”

Great cultures can adapt to change, but also outline what characteristics are needed from new recruits to fit into the organisation. They help employees to see how they contribute to the business’ overall purpose, inspiring them to feel that their work has more meaning than being ‘just a job’. As a result, the talented people they hire are able to contribute a lot more to the organisation than just the skills required to do their jobs.

By building and reinforcing the culture through people practices, a business can ensure its longevity in the face of change.


Anyone can say theirs is a fun place to work – what we try to do is illustrate

what it will be like to work for the organisation. If you can carry that off, it’s much more powerful than just some over-used words.”

an ook Senior Partner arin a Partner

p16_17_GPTW_Best_Medium_Workplace•CT•FINAL.indd 17 20/03/2018 11:13

Best WorkplacesTM 2018 Medium: 50-499 employees

1 Workday Employees 232IT Softwareworkday.com

Workday is truly an employee-first culture, and all our programmes are built to enable our employees. Our employees make the choices that matter to them most.

2 bdht Employees 135Housingbdht.co.uk

Above all, we love to recognise and share the successes of our own staff where they have achieved something of great importance to themselves.

3 Intuit UK Employees 183IT Softwareintuit.co.uk

As well as the benefits you’d expect, we also offer a range of innovative benefits that show we truly care about our employees and their families, like commuting expenses.

4 Natilik Employees 130ITnatilik.com

Our culture is about ensuring we collectively work to common business goals, but equally making sure we enjoy the journey along the way. It is our single biggest asset.

5 Vibe Employees 55Recruitmentvibeteaching.co.uk

Our ‘Culture Wall’ visually articulates our goals, establishes our values, why we do what we do, how and what we do, and captivates and inspires our staff, clients and candidates.

6 Impact Employees 86Management Consultants impactinternational.com

Impact has a personality, a history and plenty of stories to tell. It feels like a family that can also take on new, innovative challenges with its clients.

7 RHP Employees 233Not-for-profitrhp.org.uk

We aim to be better than we were yesterday and we fear mediocrity, not failure. We love making things better, pushing the boundaries, and enabling our people to be their best.

8 DMW Group Employees 59IT Consultingdmwgroup.com

Our consultants work as part of small, close-knit teams, in an organisation that works incredibly hard to maintain its collaborative culture and an agile non-bureaucratic approach to business.

9 Danone Early Life Nutrition

Employees 187FMCGdanone.co.uk

We’re most proud of maintaining our consistent approach to putting Danoners first, regardless of the business context we find ourselves in. There is no compromise on that.

10 Goodman Masson Limited

Employees 156Recruitmentgoodmanmasson.com

The engagement and retention of our people is the company’s primary strategic objective above all others and lies at the centre of everything we do.

11 Propellernet Employees 56Mediapropellernet.co.uk

Our people-first approach to growing our business prioritises a happy and healthy culture and forces us (and encourages our people) to innovate in how we grow.

12 Found Employees 57Online Internet Servicesfound.co.uk

Our performance is moulded and shaped through the people we hire. Together, we collectively contribute to who we are and what we aspire to be, day in, day out.

UK RANKINGS


p18_22_GPTW_Lists_Medium•CT•FINAL.indd 18 20/03/2018 11:14

13 Sellick Partnership Employees 81Recruitmentsellickpartnership.co.uk

The single component underlying this company’s reputation as one of the very best places to work, is the unique relationship between Managing Director Jo Sellick and every employee.

14 Autodesk Employees 360IT Softwareautodesk.co.uk

Our employees work hard and help make Autodesk a successful business, and, in turn, we are given the trust, flexibility, a chance to socialise, have fun and bond together.

15 Lansons Employees 104Advertising & Marketinglansons.com

Everybody at Lansons has the opportunity to own a part of the company after two years. Sharing in success is an inspiring prospect and has led to unrivalled staff retention.

16 Cirrus Logic Employees 486IT Hardwarecirrus.com

We strive for a balance between long-term financial success, creating a world-class environment for collaboration and individual contribution, along with outstanding benefits.

17 Treasury Wine Estates

Employees 111FMCGtweglobal.com

We are truly collaborative, we are open and honest with each other, it feels like a family and our leadership team is trusted and approachable.

18 Instarmac Group plc Employees 172Building Materialsinstarmac.co.uk

Instarmac has a proud and distinguished past, built on strong values. ‘Work hard, have fun, make a difference’ captures the essence of what it’s really like to work here.

19 Baird Employees 84Financial Services/Insurancebairdeurope.com

82% of Baird stock is owned by associates who aren’t among senior management, illustrating that, unlike many privately held organisations, our ownership is not concentrated with a select few.

20 Lindt & Sprüngli UK Ltd

Employees 310FMCGlindt.co.uk

We recruit people who want to make a difference, drive for action and see results. We are small enough for the managing director to know everyone, but big enough to make an impact.

21 Liberis Employees 71Financial Services/Insuranceliberis.co.uk

When planning for the future or thinking about challenges, we always start by thinking about the impact on our employees. If we get the people stuff right, everything else will fall into place.

22 AXON Employees 69Professional Servicesaxon-com.com

We encourage every member of our team to actively participate in how we give back to society, what new skills we learn, how we market ourselves and how we socialise.

23 QuantiQ Technology Employees 125ITquantiq.com

A combination of policies, communication strategies, passion for excellence and a caring environment that creates hard-working team members who are kind and fantastic at their jobs.

24 Smart Energy GB Employees 77Not-for-profitsmartenergygb.org

Our development updates promote healthy, focused discussions around career progression and are a significant reason for our great retention, employee satisfaction and success.

25 UKFast Employees 335Internet Service Providerukfast.co.uk

Our commitment to health and wellbeing goes far beyond the realm of an employer. The senior management team cares about every single person and is dedicated to helping them thrive.

26 Nintex Employees 57ITnintex.com

We are a flat organisation and operate an open-door policy, where all employees have access to their skip-level manager and the executive team, including the CEO.




UK RANKINGS


27 London Vision Clinic Employees 50Health Carelondonvisionclinic.com

London Vision Clinic values its staff just as it values its patients – with respect and importance; their welfare and happiness is our key priority.

28 BigHand Employees 121IT Softwarebighand.com

We are all about our people, we invest in our staff and promote internally where we can. We home- grow our talent and have a flat hierarchy and an open-door policy.

29 Office Angels

Employees 300Recruitmentadeccogroupuk.co.uk

We are a bottom-up rather than top-down culture, allowing our people to have a say in shaping our organisation. The passion for the brand and our success is palpable.

30 South Liverpool Homes

Employees 92Not-for-profitsouthliverpoolhomes.co.uk

We have a unique approach to colleague wellbeing; helping colleagues feel supported, happy and recognised for the work they do through a tailored approach.

31 Novo Nordisk UK Limited

Employees 331Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticalsnovonordisk.co.uk

Open, honest, transparent, simple communication is seen and encouraged by all. Novo Nordisk is a caring company with the objective of being morally profitable to support continued research.

32 Godrej UK Employees 58FMCGgodrejuk.com

As part of our ‘whole self’ people philosophy, we believe that passionate, rounded individuals with diverse interests make for better ‘Godrejites’. Happier people make for a more fun culture.

33 Reward Gateway Employees 100ITrewardgateway.com

Our family is 377-strong in five countries, and we’re constantly growing. Because our industry is employee engagement, we’re always looking for the best ways to keep our employees engaged.

34 HSO UK Ltd Employees 139IT Softwarehso.com

We are successful because of who we are, not what we are. We look for people who want to be part of an upbeat team and thrive on challenges.

35 Fleet Alliance

Employees 62Financial Services/Insurancefleetalliance.co.uk

The welfare of our staff, clients and community are always our primary concern, as we understand that true business success is never measured in profit alone.

36 NationalInstrumentsCorporation(UK) Ltd

Employees 114Electronics Manufacturerni.com

All supervisors go through a three-day training programme to help them prepare for their responsibilities, including the importance of recognition and timely, appropriate feedback.

37 WaterAid UK Employees 284Not-for-profitwateraid.org/uk

Being inspired by the change we all help make happen is a really important part of working here. Wherever we work and whatever job we do, each of us knows we make a difference.

38 Cadence Design Systems Ltd

Employees 190ITcadence.com

Employees join Cadence because of our innovation, and stay because of our strong culture, to do work that matters, with work-life balance, competitive benefits and a caring culture.

39 Cougar Automation Ltd

Employees 105Professional Servicescougar-automation.com

The attitude of ‘share everything, treat everyone the same and have flexibility to meet the different needs of individuals, trust everyone and involve everyone’ underpins any policy or practice.

40 Badenoch & Clark Employees 236Recruitmentbadenochandclark.com

We stand out for our unique onboarding experience that focuses on helping starters really enjoy their first 18-month learning curve, via a buddy system and management training.


41 Indeed UK Employees 89ITindeed.co.uk

There is a very clear vision from the top to the bottom of the organisation – ‘We help people get jobs’. We are an exciting and innovative company.

42 Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Employees 89Not-for-profitrcvs.org.uk

The combination of cultural fit – identifying culture and what it means to be part of it, communicating, empowerment and flexibility and trust – together makes us stand out.

43 Driver Hire Employees 115Recruitmentdriverhire.co.uk

We are really proud that so many great people join, love and choose to forge a long, fulfilling career with us. This is because of our unique culture and genuine career progression.

44 MarketMakers Employees 307Advertising & Marketingmarketmakers.co.uk

Everyone has the opportunity to be promoted, and this is demonstrated by people going above and beyond to get to the next stage in their career.

45 Catalyst Development Ltd

Employees 56Management Consultants catalyst.co.uk

Our culture is often described as having a ‘family feel’, with a management team who listen and encourage teamwork and collaboration. While growing fast, we’re nimble enough to be creative.

46 Dun & Bradstreet Ltd

Employees 430Data & Analyticsdnb.co.uk

Our values lead us to always ‘Do the Right Thing’, and we’re proud to be a modern company with a heritage of improving business relationships.

47 Virgo Health

Employees 54Advertising & Marketingvirgohealth.com

The working environment has been carefully thought out so that staff can enjoy a healthy work-life balance and a number of perks, from flexible working through to regular social events.

48 Ryder Architecture Employees 136Architecture & Planningryderarchitecture.com

It’s a really great culture with good aspirations, a place where you feel you are part of a company that wants to grow and continually improve its output.

49 Kronos Systems Ltd Employees 190IT Softwarekronos.com

There is a tangible opportunity for individuals to make a real difference and influence the direction of the organisation, while having the backing of a large global organisation.

50 Amido Employees 53IT Consultingamido.com

We only accept business opportunities that we know are going to challenge people and aid their development. We’ve turned some down because we knew our people wouldn’t be engaged.

51 Star Employees 58Recruitmentstarmedical.co.uk

We make people feel at home in an open, friendly and receptive atmosphere, and our culture allows people to get fast answers to their questions.

52 SC Johnson Ltd Employees 348FMCGscjohnson.com

“The goodwill of people is the only enduring thing in any business. It is the sole substance. The rest is shadow.” Herbert F Johnson Sr, 1927

53 Third Bridge Employees 235Management Consultants thirdbridge.com

While we employ over 600 people worldwide, we continue to maintain a flat structure – we believe that a team is most effective when everyone has the potential to influence change.

54 Splunk Employees 256IT Softwaresplunk.com

Splunk is defined by its mission to transform how companies use machine data. Fulfilling this presents an immense opportunity for employees, with unlimited career growth as we expand.




55 Spring Employees 123Recruitmentspring.com

The brand maintains its small business and family feel, with teams in several locations embracing a culture where individuals feel valued and recognised for the effort they provide.

56 Powerforce Field Marketing and Retail Services Ltd

Employees 226Advertising & Marketingpowerforcegb.com

People are our product; without great people, we do not have a business. We work and play hard, and everyone has a significant role to play in the success of our business.

57 Blackstone Employees 300Financial Services/Insuranceblackstone.com

Blackstone works hard to maintain a lean operating model, allowing employees to think like owners. Our employees gain wide exposure to new and challenging situations.

58 Neueda Ltd Employees 86IT Consultingneueda.com

Our values are innate to the organisation, and we have a unique culture that allows employees to thrive, so that we can deliver value and make our clients successful.

59 Just Teachers Limited

Employees 75Supply Teaching Agency justteachers.co.uk

We recognise and reward the contribution of all staff, and run an uncapped commission scheme, which is fair and transparent and which ensures our staff are committed and motivated.

60 Mulesoft Employees 137ITmulesoft.com

We work tirelessly to build our culture. Working at MuleSoft means being surrounded by people who challenge you every day to do the best work of your career.

61 RI Employees 60IT Softwareri-team.com

We can create fantastic plans, but our culture, and the support we draw from it, has the power to galvanise us. The right people with the right plan brought together by the right culture will do great things.

62 Robert Walters Employees 430Professional Servicesrobertwalters.co.uk

We are driven by core values around teamwork and cohesion, and ensure we continually seek feedback from our employees to underpin a culture where everyone’s opinion counts.

63 The Exeter Employees 112Health Insurancethe-exeter.com

The culture at The Exeter is inclusive and dynamic; our scale allows us to remain far closer to our customers than many insurers. This means we can solve problems and find solutions quickly and efficiently.

64 IFS Employees 212IT Softwareifsworld.com/uk

Even though the company has grown in size over the years, it has maintained the principles and ethos of being a family. It promotes openness, the ethos of working together and caring for one another.

65 The Gap Partnership Ltd

Employees 86Professional Servicesthegappartnership.com

The Gap Partnership has a very unique culture and a set of values that are genuinely shared across the entire business. Working here is never dull and always challenging, in the best possible way!

66 Phoenix Contact Limited UK

Employees 53Electronics Manufacturerphoenixcontact.co.uk

Everyone is always made to feel welcome and like they are part of the Phoenix family, regardless of if they are full-time, part-time, temporary staff or working as an apprentice.

UK RANKINGS




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Registration numbers: England and Wales 288701, Scotland SC039479

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rence

2018UK

Best Workplaces™

Medium Category

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In Good Company

GPTW2018.02 .indd 2 20/03/2018 12: 2

More than a quarter of the 120 large, medium and small companies ranked as 2017 Best Workplaces™ are in the IT sector.

This incredibly important industry is growing faster than the UK’s overall economy – the digital economy makes up 7.1% of GVA (Gross Value Added – the measure of goods and services in a particular sector), according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s latest Sectors Economic Estimates.

Innovation pays offThe IT sector employs about 7.5% of the UK workforce, equating to 1.46 million people, states Tech City’s 2016 ec Nation report. The industry’s diversity and innovation efforts are increasing and driving success in app and software development, cyber security and cloud computing, as well as helping boost productivity in other sectors such as aerospace and defence and PR and design.

The UK has the most enterprises in the high-tech, knowledge-intensive services sector in Europe – 180,257 compared with 141,647 in France and 112,570 in Germany, according to Eurostat’s 2017 economic data.

Neither the sector’s success as an industry or within the Best Workplaces™ ranking comes as a surprise, given the experience of the workforce and the best practice adopted by their employers.

It’s no secret that companies need trust to innovate, and 86% of IT employees trust their employers – one of the highest levels across all the industries represented by Best Workplaces™. A similar proportion – 87% – have pride in their workplace.

The sector also has a positive perception of wellbeing at work, with 84% of employees saying that “people are encouraged to balance their work life and their personal life”. The

IT SECTOR

same proportion of Best Workplaces™ in the IT sector offer home or teleworking, compared with 22% in the average UK workplace. Flexitime is offered by 55% of IT Best Workplaces™, contrasting with 37% across all UK organisations.

IT companies also demonstrate best practice in two key areas of being a Best Workplace™ – developing and learning. Employees in the largest occupational group in IT Best Workplaces™ receive over three times the amount of formal job training across all UK organisations – 62 hours compared with 20.4 hours per year on average.

The sector is not without its challenges, however. IT organisations are particularly likely to report difficulties filling vacancies, and 40% of digital entrepreneurs told the ec Nation 2016 report that it is hard to recruit skilled digital workers, a challenge likely to increase after the UK leaves the EU. The sector also struggles to recruit women. Just 25% of staff in IT are women, compared with 47% across the entire workforce, according to the World Bank’s DataBank 2016 indicators.

IT Best Workplaces™ are rising to address these challenges. Cisco has introduced a nine-month programme for its high-potential, mid-level female workforce, to build a talent pipeline for women. So far, 1,500 women have completed Cisco JUMP, and participation has grown by 20% every year.

Profits boostSalesforce UK has provided an opportunity to ‘Create Your Own Career’ by job shadowing, finding mentors through the company’s internal app and accessing internal positions across departments on internal job board listings. If a desired role doesn’t yet exist, employees may be able to create it.

These kinds of programmes, within strong workplace cultures in which

innovation and collaboration are rewarded and employees

are engaged, mean the IT sector flourishes. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of IT Best Workplaces™ report

net profits, compared with 50% of organisations, across all sectors, that aren’t ranked as

Best Workplaces™.

The UK’s first ranking of organisations recognised as Best Workplaces™ in IT demonstrates the sector’s high levels of trust and engagement

RANK 2017 Best Workplaces™ in IT

LARGE

1 Salesforce UK

2 Softcat

3 Cisco UK

4 Adobe Systems Europe Ltd

5 Rackspace

6 SAS Software Ltd

MEDIUM

1 UKFast

2 CPS

3 Intuit UK

4 DMW

5 Autodesk

6 Cadence Design Systems

7 Madgex

8 Cirrus Logic

9 QuantiQ

10 Winshuttle

11 Liberty IT

12 HSO UK Ltd

13 FactSet

14 Reward Gateway

15 Technology Management

16 BigHand

17 Jobsite

18 CONTEXT

19 Neueda Consulting

20 FinancialForce

SMALL

1 Foundation SP

2 World Wide Technology

3 Nintex

4 Hutch

5 Computer Task Group

Tech at the top

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BEST SMALL WORKPLACE


Best Workplaces™ understand talent management, and McCarthy Recruitment, this year’s Best Workplace™ (Small Category), is no exception

Recruitment drive

ost Best Workplaces™ demonstrate best practice in recruiting talent and, in turn, recognition as a Best Workplace™

has huge benefits for recruitment practices in businesses.

As a specialist in hiring talent into different roles in the retail sector, this year’s Best Workplace™ in the Small Category, McCarthy Recruitment, understands how best to attract people to companies, both as a recruitment partner to a range of clients and as an employer of 27 people.

Understanding a business’ culture and values is crucial. “When we’re talking to clients

it’s really important to establish what their core identity is and therefore what defines a successful person in their business,” says Managing Director Kate McCarthy.

“We need to understand what great looks like for a particular role, look for great talent from a behavioural perspective, and make sure we are not just ticking boxes,” she adds.

“Often a vacancy comes up because someone is leaving, and it can feel like a big burden on a business. Recruiting talent should be seen as an opportunity to bring new experience and gain insight from an external perspective to get the best people for your business.”

p26_27_GPTW_small workplace•CT•FINAL.indd 26 20/03/2018 11:18

c arthy ecruitment is really good at providing opportunities to match

someone who might come from a different background to the business but who fits it implicitly

an c ullin o ercial irector c art y ecruit ent

ecruitment in its entirety hasn t got a great image t is seen as a sales process

as opposed to talent management ecruiters become a necessary

evil rather than a talent partnerate c art y ana in irector

c art y ecruit ent

mployer brandingBy working in partnership with its clients, McCarthy Recruitment becomes an extension of their employer brand and values – a crucial feature of the Best Workplaces™.

Our own research shows that nearly three quarters (72%) of Best Workplaces™ have a defined employer brand, and 67% have created an employee value proposition, compared with 62% and 50% of unranked organisations, respectively.

Being a part of a company in this way enables McCarthy Recruitment to really understand the jobs market it is operating in and the candidates available, in order to improve its employer brand.

“But you’re only a great recruitment partner if you retain your own talent,” McCarthy says.

Recognition as a Best Workplace™ tells the external markets in which a company operates that it is an employer of choice. It is a central element of many employer branding strategies, and the ranking also benefits recruitment and retention.

Our figures show that 82% of employees in Best Workplaces™ say they want to work there for a long time, compared with a UK average of 57%. Moreover, 89% would recommend working at their organisation to others and 91% say they are proud to tell others they work there. This compares with 58% and 62% respectively, within the average UK organisation.

McCarthy Recruitment is “really good at identifying the behaviours and cultural fit needed for businesses and providing opportunities to match someone who might come from a different background to the business but who fits it implicitly,” according to Commercial Director Ian McMullin.

It’s rare for McCarthy Recruitment to hire from the recruitment sector. Instead it chooses to recruit on the basis of 12 key behaviours established in its ‘DNA’ that are essential for people to be successful in the business. It then trains new starters in how to recruit.

he recruitment processPotential recruits go through a detailed assessment process, which is linked to the 12 behaviours, and in which other team members are involved. By the time they get to the final stage, most other team members have met the candidate and given their feedback. “It’s a collective team decision whether that person fits,” McCarthy says.

“And when they arrive there is a collective of people looking out for them, with a vested interest in their success,” McMullin adds.

This is crucial in light of the challenges that the recruitment sector faces. The jobs market is currently a “contradiction”, McCarthy says. “One minute it’s buoyant

and companies are expanding, the next businesses are really struggling and closing.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty from the candidate world and that can mean a lack of movement, because people become unsure and want security. There are also more routes to market than there have ever been, but you have to go through a lot of people to get the really great talent out there. None of this is good for improving and managing talent.”

he recruitment industryThe reputation of the recruitment industry is another challenge. “The sector in its entirety hasn’t got a great image,” McCarthy says. “It’s seen as a sales process as opposed to talent management. Recruiters become a ‘necessary evil’ rather than a talent partner.”

The pay and bonus structure can prove a challenge, too. “People may work really hard to find the perfect candidate, only for a client to decide to move an employee internally,” McCarthy says. “No one gets paid. They’ve done nothing wrong, done a cracking job and at the end of the month realise they’ve not hit their target. It can be quite demoralising.”

Good recruitment companies recognise that the job is really tough and that people must have high levels of resilience, McCarthy explains, and this is why many of them are great employers. This year, 16 companies from the recruitment sector feature on the Best Workplaces™ ranking, proving that the image problem associated with the sector doesn’t stop it producing exemplary workplaces.

“We have a responsibility to create environments that are positive, and ensure our employees feel valued,” McCarthy says. “A lot of people leave recruitment or don’t stay in it too long because they feel they can get burnt out. I don’t want that for any of my team.”

The company celebrates the small wins. “Every day there is something to be proud of and we celebrate with the team,” McMullin says. “At the same time we are open and direct with feedback when things could have been done better. People know where they are because they get that feedback, but at the same time they get a pat on the back when they do something really well.

“They also know that when they are having a difficult time there are people around them who have been in that same place and will support them.”

The recruiters that engage in these kinds of practices for their own and their clients’ hiring are the “clever ones – being a great

place to work just makes sense,” McCarthy says.

It all comes back to the principle that a company may have great profitability and growth in a business sense, but it’ll never be truly great without getting the people side right.


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UK RANKINGS


1 McCarthy Recruitment Ltd

Employees 27Recruitmentmccarthyrecruitment.com

McCarthy represents a genuine opportunity to build and shape your own workplace. All our decisions are collaborative, your voice is heard through our unique, inclusive team environment.

2 Foundation SP Employees 33IT Softwarefoundation-sp.com

FSP is forward-thinking, with an operating model designed for empowerment. We work to establish and maintain trust at every level, with learning and continuous improvement paramount.

3 Automation Logic Employees 36IT Consultingautomationlogic.com

Our culture is very important to us and it helps us to achieve our goals. It differentiates us from our competitors and ensures that cherished operating values persist in all interactions.

4 ISL Employees 31Recruitmentislrecruitment.co.uk

We have focused on increasing lines of communication between senior management and employees, through 360-feedback, director drop-in sessions and anonymous surveys.

5 Futureheads Recruitment Ltd

Employees 37Recruitmentwearefutureheads.com

We live and breathe our company values; this starts at the top. Collaboration, unusual in the recruitment world, drives our recruitment practice, our communication and our rewards.

6 CentorInsurance& RiskManagement

Employees 45Financial Services/Insurancecentor.co.uk

We have a clearly-defined ethos – caring about each other as well as our clients. We are a meritocracy. Everyone should have an opportunity for personal growth.

7 Thinkbda Ltd Employees 23Advertising & Marketingthinkbda.com

We believe in providing a culture of learning and development to ensure we are always moving forward, able to offer new services, the best advice and adapt to a continual state of change.

8 Wilderness Scotland Ltd

Employees 25Tourismwildernessscotland.com

We are committed to changing how tourism is viewed as a professional career choice, and have created meaningful work, paid well above average and with benefits rarely found in a small company.

9 Opinium Research Employees 23Professional Servicesopinium.co.uk

Aside from above-industry salaries, bonuses, pension, trips abroad and social events every month, employees are rewarded with 25% equity in the business already awarded to the agency.

10 Madano Employees 32Professional Servicesmadano.com

Our independent status, flexible structure and transparent communications regarding financial status and long-term business strategy encourage a collective entrepreneurial spirit.

11 Synergy Vision Ltd Employees 26Professional Servicessynergy-vision.com

We pride ourselves on our fantastic culture and team environment. We aren’t afraid to ask questions, nor to challenge each other and our clients, to ensure we do the job properly.

Best WorkplacesTM 2018 Small: 20-49 employees


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12Decision Tech Employees 45

Online Internet Servicesdecision.tech

We understand that people and culture are so important when creating a great place to work so we continuously strive to be the best. Our reward for this effort is a truly engaged workforce.

13World Wide Technology

Employees 44ITwwt.com

Inclusion on this list is reflective of and validates our ambition to distinguish ourselves by creating a place to work that’s inclusive, respectful and incites a high-performance culture.

14 Jobwise Employees 28Recruitmentjobwise.co.uk

We recruit around values rather than skillset as we believe skills can be trained. Everyone has an induction programme tailored to their need and we continually offer rewards that reflect success.

15 Sobi UK & RoI Employees 36Pharmaceuticalssobi-uk.co.uk

We strive to listen to employees, understand their key issues and put into place measures that address these. We’ve developed a culture of trust so that if this isn’t achieved, people will tell us.

16 Charlton Morris Employees 47Recruitmentcharltonmorris.com

We have a forward-thinking, progressive culture, where a hardworking, motivated individual can succeed and thrive. We help people believe in themselves because we believe in our people.

17 firstlight PR Employees 36Advertising & Marketingfirstlightpr.com

We inspire, support and trust our employees through a variety of policies, namely flexible working, training and development and encouraging an open and fun culture.

18 JITR Employees 27Recruitmentjitr.co.uk

We’ve seen individuals come to us with really interesting potential who are now instrumental in running the current business. They are loving life whilst hitting their personal and monetary goals.

19 IGNITION DG Ltd Employees 34Advertising & Marketingignitiondg.com

We care for our clients’ businesses as much as our own. We care for our staff, who stay with us for careers, not just jobs. We look after the micro as much as the macro.

20 Hutch Games Employees 46IT Softwarehutchgames.com

We support our employees and believe in autonomy. We all work from home every week (typically, Tuesday and Thursday) and are efficient in how we allocate resource and work.

21 Conversion.com Employees 36Advertising & Marketingconversion.com

We hire the most driven, talented people and invest a lot of time in the best inductions possible to help retain them. We keep everyone involved in the goals to feel integral to the business.

22 Computer Task Group (UK) Ltd

Employees 23IT Consultingctg.com

There are no challenges over hierarchy here. We’re all treated the same and are approachable, regardless of role or level. The management team is understanding and supportive.

23 Mason Advisory Limited

Employees 32IT Consultingmasonadvisory.com

Our organisation stands out because of our commitment to bringing our staff together as a team, despite the fact that we work in an industry where remote working is the norm.

24 Yext Employees 34IT Softwareyext.co.uk

Our employees treasure the opportunity to hear our CEO and Executive Team’s vision every week. This radical transparency allows employees to connect with why Yext was created.

25 Rockpool Digital Ltd Employees 20ITrockpooldigital.com

Rockpool stands out as an employer due to the unique way we empower employees through our flat organisational structure. Employees are given autonomy and accountability for their work.


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UK RANKINGS


Recognition as a Best Workplace™ is highly sought after – it says ‘we’re an employer of choice’, provides a competitive advantage for

recruiting, and many organisations value it as a key part of their employer branding.

It’s all about cultureGreat organisations like Best Workplaces™ have great cultures, where people feel trusted and valued, have pride in what they do and enjoy working with their colleagues. High-trust cultures have a strong sense of purpose and are more innovative, more collaborative. They are great at attracting and retaining talented people who can help drive the business forward and achieve its goals. In short, they’re more competitive and more successful. Research shows Best Workplaces™ outperform the market by 2%-3% a year (Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance, London Business School, ‘Employee Satisfaction and Firm Value – A Global Report’, July 2014).

How does it work?To see if you’ve got what it takes, we need to evaluate your organisation’s culture. We do this in two ways:

➊ We measure what your employees think about their workplace through our Trust Index© employee survey.

➋ We evaluate the leadership and HR practices that create that employee

Top of the treeWhat it takes to be an award-winning workplace

Winning has helped us win new business, attract new employees and even

explore new areas of opportunity. We’d have been mad not to be involved again. It has helped us to clearly differentiate from competitors in a busy and noisy market, and we expect that it will continue to benefit us, now and in the future.”

Nikki Gatenby, MD, Propellernet

experience using our Culture Audit©.Over many years of research, we’ve identified 9 key HR practice areas where organisations need to perform well if they are to create the kind of workplace in which people can thrive and perform at their best. Two-thirds of the final score is based on the results of your employee survey, the other third is based on the evaluation of your organisation’s culture and people practices.

Recognition and insightBut it’s not just about making the Best Workplaces™ ranking. The aim of the Trust Index© and Culture Audit© is to understand your culture. So, as well as the chance for external recognition, you’ll also get a wealth of insight into your organisation’s culture and people practices, how these compare with other organisations, and suggested areas for improvement. And because the Culture Audit©

is unique to Great Place to Work®, you won’t get this holistic insight anywhere else.

Helping you create a great workplaceIt’s not easy creating and sustaining a great workplace, but, wherever you are on that journey, we can help – from leadership training and learning from the UK’s most successful organisations, to analysing the impact investing in your people has on business performance.

Find out more at www.greatplacetowork.co.uk

Register by Survey and Culture Audit© by List published

Best Workplaces™ for Women 2018 30th April 15th May 4th July

Best Workplaces™ in IT 2018 30th April 15th June 26th September

Best Workplaces™ for Carers 2018 13th August 31st August 21st November

Best Workplaces™ 2019 30th October 20th November 2nd May 2019*

Excellence in Wellbeing Available and awarded throughout the year

We recognise the importance of employee engagement and people

management. Taking part in a programme as prestigious as Best Workplaces™ is also a great source of pride for our organisation, as well as an inspiration for people wanting to join our organisation.”

Roy Williams, CEO, Sovini

Best Workplaces™ is the most prestigious employer award in the

market. We see participating as a great way to increase our employer brand awareness and get our name in front of candidates who may not be familiar with Salesforce. Earning a spot on the list gives us an incredible story that we can use in recruitment marketing and that recruiters can speak to candidates about for the entire year ahead.”

Andrew Lawson, EVP, EMEA, Salesforce

The Great Place to Work®

Trust Index© employee survey is the most

appropriate, comprehensive and independent workplace measure available… There is now an even broader and deeper understanding of just how fundamental trust and engagement are to the success of our, and indeed any, business.”Stephen Gordon, Managing Director,

REL Field Marketing

AWARDS TIMELINES

* Subject to confi rmation

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GPTW2018.031.indd 31 20/03/2018 12:29

Thank you to our team for making Workday one of the best places to work.We’re honoured to be one of the Best Workplaces in the UK. It’s the

work we do, the diversity we embrace, and the fun we share that make

Workday a great place to be. A huge “thank you!” to our teammates all

around the world. Your dedication makes every work day rewarding.

workday.com/careers

Workday, the Workday logo, and Built for the Future are registered trademarks of Workday, Inc.,

registered in the United States and elsewhere. ©2018 Workday, Inc. All rights reserved.

GPTW2018.032.indd 32 20/03/2018 12:33

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