Great Workplaces 2018

GREAT WORKPLACES A piece of the action How to build and sustain a winning culture

It’s a challenge Top five workplace topics

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Different shapes

This year’s Best Workplaces™

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We are Catalyst. We are ïèäçìñê ìñçèóèñçèñ÷ Ĥñäñæìäï öèõùìæèö æòñöøï÷äñ÷ö àè óõòùìçè öóèæìäïìöð ä÷ öæäïè ÷ëõòøêë ä çìö÷ìñæ÷ åïèñç òé èûóèõ÷ìöè ìñ õìöî õèêøïä÷ìòñ ÷èæëñòïòêü äñç ÷äïèñ÷ 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. Óòìñ øö www.catalyst.co.uk

Best Workplaces™ Medium Category UK

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2018

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

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CONTENTS EDITORIAL Great Place to Work® and Redactive Media Group SALES MANAGER Paul Barron SALES EXECUTIVE William Hunter ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Joanna Marsh EDITING AND DESIGN Anna Scott, Glen Wilkins, Gene Cornelius, Caroline Taylor ANALYSIS Kari 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 BY Redactive Media Group, Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London E1 8BL, Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200 PRINTED BY Wyndeham Peterborough FRONT COVER Ben O’Brien PUBLISHED April 2018

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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 times As 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.

The Large Category list The top 37 Best WorkplacesTM (Large Category), with 500 or more employees. Property management and development company The Sovini Group heads this year’s ranking.

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Best Workplace™ (Medium Category): A growth experience How do companies maintain their culture while expanding? Workday UK has some answers.

The Medium Category list The top 66 Best WorkplacesTM (Medium Category), with between 50 and 499 employees, headed by IT software company Workday UK. Tech at the top The UK’s first ranking of organisations recognised as Best Workplaces™ in IT demonstrates the sector’s high levels of trust and engagement.

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

The Small Category list The top 25 Best WorkplacesTM (Small Category), with between 20 and 49 employees. McCarthy Recruitment tops the list this year.

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Top of the tree What it takes to be an awardwinning 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.

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INSIGHT FROM BEST WORKPLACES™

Top five workplace challenges today

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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.

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.

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.

What are they, and how are Best Workplaces™ tackling them?

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THE PRODUCTIVITY 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.

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MANAGING CHANGE

More 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

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THE GENDER PAY GAP

Change management. What do employees think? (%)

85

81

77

53

49

44 33

Management involves people in decisions that affect their jobs or work environment

32

32

Management keeps me informed about important issues and changes

Best Workplace™ 2018

Management has a clear view of where my organisation is going and how to get there

National Average 2018

Difference

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

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INSIGHT FROM BEST WORKPLACES™

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% of employees who think their workplace is psychologically and emotionally healthy (by size of organisation)

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 longterm 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.

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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

90

82

73

52

47 Large

National Average 2018

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.

Difference

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.

% of employees who feel able to take time off when they need to (by size of organisation)

94

91

86

60

57

90 58

Large

Medium

Best Workplace™ 2018

58 36

31

29

32

Small

Overall

National Average 2018

Difference

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

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 benchmark pay and benefits against competitors

9% 33

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91% I feel I receive a fair share of the profits made by this organisation

National Average 2018

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

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Overall

CONTINUOUS SUPPORT IN ACTION

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32

Small

Best Workplace™ 2018

52

Best Workplace™ 2018

49 38

Medium

66

People here are paid fairly for the work they do

52 30

26

Most employees at Best Workplaces™ see pay and rewards as fair (%)

74

81

Difference

■ Yes ■ No www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 5

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

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 customers and 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.

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INSIGHTS

Talent management in high-trust cultures How do Best Workplaces™ create a trusting environment in which to manage their workforce?

REWARD AND RECOGNITION Unsurprisingly, 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

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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.

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

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

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INSIGHTS RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING Engagement begins from the very first moment of the employee life cycle – long before the first day, or even before a job offer

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.

Perceptions of streamlined hiring around cultural fit differentiates Best Workplaces™ from average UK organisations Best Workplaces™ 2018 %

National average 2018 %

Difference

86

52

34

Management hires people who fit in well here

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

EFFICIENT SELECTION Workday 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.

Best Workplaces™ understand the value of thorough onboarding with a human touch Best Workplaces™ 2018 %

National average 2018 %

Difference

94

63

31

When you join the organisation you are made to feel welcome

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

RAPID ONBOARDING Vibe, a recruitment consultancy with 55 employees, aims to eradicate anxiety and build trust with new joiners via a quirky onboarding

WORKFORCE PLANNING There 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

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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.

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.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Performance management 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.

CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK Salesforce 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, realtime 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

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT The 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.

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INSIGHTS % of employees who say they get valuable feedback which helps improve their performance

85 53

32

Best Workplace™ 2018

Difference

National Average 2018

Opportunities 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.

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

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.

ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION Building 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.

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Employees’ views on their professional development

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

REVERSE MENTORING IN ACTION With 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

83

81 48

I am developing professionally working here

700

30 / Ăŵ ŽīĞƌĞĚ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ Žƌ development to further myself professionally

Best Workplace™ 2018

Difference

National Average 2018

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

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.

Spend (in GBP) per employee on training per year

700

51

35

Hours of formal job training per year

800

39

38

650

40

35 25

250 Best Large WorkplacesTM

Medium

Small

UK median CIPD

Best Large WorkplacesTM

Medium

Small

UK median CIPD

Source: Great Place to Work® 2017 data and CIPD 2015

Best WorkplacesTM employee intention to stay, by industry

Median employee turnover rate (%)

16.5

CIPD '16 Median Rate

84

13.4 Best WorkplacesTM

81

IT

79

79

Professional Financial Manufacturing Services Services & Production

Source: Great Place to Work® 2017 data and CIPD 2016 data 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.

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BEST LARGE WORKPLACE

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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.

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Changing times As 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

Values “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

20/03/2018 11:07

Change management or continuous improvement is assimilated into our organisational culture. 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.”

Roy Williams, CEO, The Sovini Group

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.”

Other companies This 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-yearold 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

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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.

The housing sector The 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.

Essentially, Sovini’s values, vision and mission belong to us all, and the drive and determination is something that we have developed as an organisational team.”

Roy Williams, CEO, The Sovini Group

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20/03/2018 11:07

UK RANKINGS

Best WorkplacesTM 2018

Large: 500+ employees 1

The Sovini Group

Employees 591 Property Management & Development sovini.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 530 Management Consultants baringa.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-today actions of everyone in the company – they all own their piece of Baringa.

3

Salesforce UK

Employees 1,315 IT salesforce.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 3,165 IT cisco.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 8,079 Pet Supplies Retailer petsathome.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 8,278 Hotels hiltonworldwide.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 6,401 Auto Insurance admiralgroup.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 3,825 FMCG mars.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 662 IT Software adobe.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 643 Recruitment adeccogroupuk.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.

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REL Field Marketing

Employees 669 Advertising & Marketing relfm.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.

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

12

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12

SAS Software Limited

Employees 649 IT Software sas.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 1,720 IT Software sap.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 593 Pharmaceuticals abbvie.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 1,815 Credit Services mbna.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 831 Pharmaceuticals bayer.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 6,803 Education & Training brighthorizons.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 Centre Travel Group

Employees 1,926 Travel Management flightcentre.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 1,022 Data Management rackspace.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 2,659 IT delltechnologies.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 3,978 Motor Dealer Group marshall.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 1,778 Soft Drinks www.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 8,588 Financial Services/ Insurance tsb.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 909 Agri/Forestry/Fishing frontierag.co.uk

We are a large employer, but are not corporate.

We have a flexible, local and friendly, down-toearth approach. Our employees are enabled and empowered with the tools and appropriate level of authority to meet customer needs at local level.

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UK RANKINGS

25

AccorHotels UK & Ireland

Employees 5,059 Hotels accorhotels-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 836 Hotels hyatt.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 2,732 Not-for-profit homegroup.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 1,067 Legal gowlingwlg.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 1,036 Energy bu-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 571 Professional Services kantarworldpanel.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 519 IT Software factset.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 812 IT stepstone.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 2,374 Telecoms sales.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 1,124 Agri-Food Business abagri.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 513 Auto Insurance mercedes-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 1,160 Financial Services/ Insurance principality.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 14,505 Professional Services ey.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.

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

Laureates have been a Best Workplace™ for five consecutive years Masters have been a Best Workplace™ for 10 consecutive years 14

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It’s not the winning, it’s the taking part that counts.

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

Congratulations everyone from bdht.

Building excellent communities with passion and pride.

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RANKED 1ST IN 2017

20/03/2018 12:44

BEST MEDIUM WORKPLACE

O

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.

Rapid growth The 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.”

People-centric This 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

16

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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.”

Mandy Jeffery, Vice-President of People, International and Operations, Workday UK

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 purpose Another 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.

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

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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 action Great 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

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.”

Dan Look, Senior Partner, Baringa Partners 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.

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20/03/2018 11:13

UK RANKINGS

Best WorkplacesTM 2018

Medium: 50-499 employees

18

1

Workday

Employees 232 IT Software workday.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 135 Housing bdht.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 183 IT Software intuit.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 130 IT natilik.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 55 Recruitment vibeteaching.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 86 Management 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 233 Not-for-profit rhp.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 59 IT Consulting dmwgroup.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 187 FMCG danone.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 156 Recruitment goodmanmasson.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 56 Media propellernet.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 57 Online Internet Services found.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.

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13

Sellick Partnership

Employees 81 Recruitment sellickpartnership.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 360 IT Software autodesk.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 104 Advertising & Marketing lansons.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 486 IT Hardware cirrus.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 111 FMCG tweglobal.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 172 Building Materials instarmac.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 84 Financial Services/Insurance bairdeurope.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 310 FMCG lindt.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 71 Financial Services/Insurance liberis.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 69 Professional Services axon-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 125 IT quantiq.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 77 Not-for-profit smartenergygb.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 335 Internet Service Provider ukfast.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 57 IT nintex.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.

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UK RANKINGS

20

27

London Vision Clinic

Employees 50 Health Care londonvisionclinic.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 121 IT Software bighand.com

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

29

Office Angels

Employees 300 Recruitment adeccogroupuk.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 92 Not-for-profit southliverpoolhomes. 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 331 Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals novonordisk.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 58 FMCG godrejuk.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 100 IT rewardgateway.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 139 IT Software hso.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 62 Financial Services/ Insurance fleetalliance.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

National Instruments Corporation (UK) Ltd

Employees 114 Electronics Manufacturer ni.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 284 Not-for-profit wateraid.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 190 IT cadence.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 105 Professional Services cougar-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 236 Recruitment badenochandclark.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.

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41

Indeed UK

Employees 89 IT indeed.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 89 Not-for-profit rcvs.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 115 Recruitment driverhire.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 307 Advertising & Marketing marketmakers.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 56 Management 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 430 Data & Analytics dnb.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 54 Advertising & Marketing virgohealth.com

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

48

Ryder Architecture

Employees 136 Architecture & Planning ryderarchitecture.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 190 IT Software kronos.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 53 IT Consulting amido.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 58 Recruitment starmedical.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 348 FMCG scjohnson.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 235 Management 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 256 IT Software splunk.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.

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UK RANKINGS

55

Spring

Employees 123 Recruitment spring.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 226 Advertising & Marketing powerforcegb.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 300 Financial Services/ Insurance blackstone.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 86 IT Consulting neueda.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 75 Supply 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 137 IT mulesoft.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 60 IT Software ri-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 430 Professional Services robertwalters.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 112 Health Insurance the-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 212 IT Software ifsworld.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 86 Professional Services thegappartnership.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 53 Electronics Manufacturer phoenixcontact.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.

Laureates have been a Best Workplace™ for five consecutive years Masters have been a Best Workplace™ for 10 consecutive years 22

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20/03/2018 11:16

I love these ideas. I love this book. Make sure you read it but, even more importantly, make sure you use the ideas. And then pass it on to somebody you want to inspire.

Henry Stewart, &KLHI +DSSLQHVV 2É?FHU +DSS\ Author, The Happy Manifesto

Propellernet is the UK’s answer to Zappos.

Nick as many of their ideas as you possibly can.

Lisa Pantelli, Founder, Become Communications

rst download theptfi s at er a couple of chga co.uk d. ge www.superen

How to be a‘Great Place to Work’ From Propellernet – A Great Place to WorkÂŽ Best Workplace™ Laureate and Campaign Top 5 Best Places to Work

Do you aspire to be a ‘great place to work’? Do you want to make life better for yourself and the people you work with? Are \RX KHOG EDFN E\ WKH WKRXJKW WKDW SXWWLQJ SHRSOH Č´UVW could harm your bottom line?

SUPERENGAGED is an honest, in-depth and upbeat look at the value of having values and the power of being people-focused.

Written by practitioners, not theorists, it’s a practical playbook SDFNHG ZLWK WLSV DQG JXLGDQFH IRU LQFUHDVLQJ SURȴWV DQG business outcomes.

If you’d like to know how to engage your people and live out \RXU YDOXHV ZKLOVW GULYLQJ D KHDOWK\ SURȴW SUPERENGAGED is the book for you.

A Propellernet Business Playbook From the team that brought you

Help make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere, within a generation.

It’s a massive goal and an incredible thing to be part of.

WaterAid/ Joey Lawrence

Ready for the challenge of a lifetime?

Join us

wateraid.org/uk Best Workplaces™ Medium Category UK

2018

Registration numbers: England and Wales 288701, Scotland SC039479

GPTW2018.023.indd 23

20/03/2018 12:47

In Good Company

@ sovinigroup

www.sovini.co.uk

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GPTW2018.024.indd 24

20/03/2018 12:52

IT SECTOR

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

FinancialForcee SMALL

1

Foundation SP P

2

chnology World Wide Technology

3

Nintex

4

Hutch

5

Computer Taskk Group

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

M

ore 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 off The IT sector employs about 7.5% of the UK workforce, equating to 1.46 million people, states Tech City’s 2016 Tech 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

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 Tech 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 boost Salesforce 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 wi strong workplace cultures in which innovation and collaboration are collab rewarded and employees em are engaged, mean the IT m sector flourishe flourishes. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of IT Best Workplaces™ report Workpla net profits, compared with com 50% of organisations, organis across all sectors, sect that aren’t ranked rank as Best Workplaces™.

Workplace

www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 25

20/03/2018 11:17

BEST SMALL WORKPLACE

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

26

info@greatplacetowork.co.uk

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M

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.”

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Employer branding By 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.

The recruitment process Potential 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

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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.”

The recruitment industry

McCarthy Recruitment is really good at providing opportunities to match someone who might come from a different background to the business but who fits it implicitly” Ian McMullin, Commercial Director, McCarthy Recruitment

Recruitment in its entirety hasn’t got a great image. It is seen as a sales process as opposed to talent management.

Recruiters become a ‘necessary evil’ rather than a talent partner.”

Kate McCarthy, Managing Director, McCarthy Recruitment

The 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.

www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 27

23/03/2018 14:35

UK RANKINGS

Best WorkplacesTM 2018

Small: 20-49 employees 1

McCarthy Recruitment Ltd

Employees 27 Recruitment mccarthyrecruitment.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 33 IT Software foundation-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 36 IT Consulting automationlogic.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 31 Recruitment islrecruitment.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 37 Recruitment wearefutureheads.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

Centor Insurance & Risk Management

Employees 45 Financial Services/ Insurance centor.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 23 Advertising & Marketing thinkbda.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 25 Tourism wildernessscotland.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 23 Professional Services opinium.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 32 Professional Services madano.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 26 Professional Services synergy-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.

Laureates have been a Best Workplace™ for five consecutive years Masters have been a Best Workplace™ for 10 consecutive years 28

info@greatplacetowork.co.uk

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20/03/2018 11:20

Decision Tech

Employees 45 Online Internet Services decision.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.

World Wide Technology

Employees 44 IT wwt.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 28 Recruitment jobwise.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 36 Pharmaceuticals sobi-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 47 Recruitment charltonmorris.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 36 Advertising & Marketing firstlightpr.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 27 Recruitment jitr.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 34 Advertising & Marketing ignitiondg.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 46 IT Software hutchgames.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 36 Advertising & Marketing conversion.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 23 IT Consulting ctg.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 32 IT Consulting masonadvisory.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 34 IT Software yext.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 20 IT rockpooldigital.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.

12 13

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www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 29

20/03/2018 11:20

UK RANKINGS

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

R

ecognition 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 culture Great 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.

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 insight But 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 workplace It’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.

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

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

Excellence in Wellbeing

30

info@greatplacetowork.co.uk

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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

Find out more at www.greatplacetowork.co.uk

Register by

AWARDS TIMELINES

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

2nd May 2019*

* Subject to confirmation

Available and awarded throughout the year

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

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20/03/2018 12:06

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.

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20/03/2018 12:33