great workplaces special report - … · willing are best workplaces tm employees to go ... 26 30...
TRANSCRIPT
Increasing returnsMaking the most of your employee engagement investment
Pick and mixWinning cultures at winning organisations
Life is sweetThis year’s Best Workplaces™
GREAT WORKPLACES
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At McDonald’s we’re proud to employ great people who love their jobs. Some want to improve their prospects. Others want a job that fi ts around family
time. And some just want to earn a bit of extra cash working alongside friendly people. Everyone needs different things. But no matter who they are or where
they’re going, they’ll fi nd a role that suits them here. Because whatever you want to get out of your career – with McDonald’s, you can.
mcdonalds.co.uk/people
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CONTENTSEDITORIALGreat Place to Work® UK and Redactive Media Group SALES MANAGERSarah Walsh
SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVESLauren Matthews, Charles Boutwood
PUBLISHING DIRECTORJoanna Marsh
EDITING AND DESIGNAnna Scott, Gene Cornelius, Sarah Campbell
ANALYSISSuzy Lee, Chris Caldwell, Kari Johannsen, Carlota Mohamed Wilson
GREAT PLACE TO WORK® UKAdeola Taiwo, Alvin Ashford-Quaye, Amy Ong, Benedict Gautrey, Carlota Mohamad Wilson, Elliot Slade, Hayat Hamici, Helen Wright, Jason Hawes, Jonathan Reid, Kari Johannsen, Magda Parkinson, Mariana Skirmuntt, Marianna Roach, Mathew Hellela, Matthew Dunbar, Mukesh Sachdev, Musteyde Fikret, Natalie Grant, Nick Honour, Nicola Papenfus, Petrina Carmody, Phil Wilson, Sarah Akanbi, Seamus Robertson, Suzy Lee, Tom O’Byrne, Tugrul Bolayir, Zarah Patel
PUBLISHED BYRedactive Media Group, 17-18 Britton Street, London, EC1M 5TP, Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
PRINTED BYWyndeham Peterborough
FRONT COVER Alex Chilton Design
PUBLISHED May 2017
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4 Trust and engagement at the Best Workplaces™
The findings of our annual survey into trust and engagement levels. How much more willing are Best WorkplacesTM employees to go the extra mile than in other UK organisations? And how much more do they trust their bosses?
6 The top 5 drivers of trust There are five business and HR practices in particular that create the kind of
environment where people can flourish. Here’s how Best WorkplacesTM turn them into reality.
8 The frontrunners in the race to survive and thriveThe pace of change in the world of work
is breathtaking, but Best WorkplacesTM face their challenges head-on. We find out what happens behind the scenes at top employers – and discover secrets of their success.
14 The large listThe top 37 large Best WorkplacesTM (with 500 or more employees).
Management consultancy Baringa Partners takes this year’s number one spot.
18 The medium listThe top 56 medium-sized Best WorkplacesTM (with between
50 and 499 employees), headed by housing trust bdht.
24 The small listThe top 27 small Best WorkplacesTM (with between
20 and 49 employees). IT companyFoundation SP tops the list this year.
26 Increasing returnsEmployee engagement is more than a moral obligation.
Organisations with an engaged workforce perform better – it’s as simple as that. So measuring the return from your investment in engagement is as important as keeping track of any other financial metric. We find out how it works for some of the Best WorkplacesTM.
29 A growing worldwide success storyOur data shows that
employers around the world – and in the UK in particular – are getting better at creating cultures of trust and increasing levels of wellbeing. And that can only be good for our global society.
30 Why you need a people performance systemIt’s all very well collecting data
about your people – but then what? Research suggests that few organisations have the capability to thoroughly analyse the information and use it to their business’s advantage. So where do you start?
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NUMBER CRUNCHING
Employees need to trust their employer and their colleagues to be engaged at work. The UK Best Workplaces™ demonstrate this: on average, they score 86% on the Trust Index© compared with just 55% for average organisations. Trust and engagement are infl uenced by organisations’ approaches to values and ethics, communication and involvement, teamwork, recognition and empowerment and accountability. We’ve examined how well Best Workplaces™ fare against average workplaces on trust and engagement across some of the 58 Trust Index© employee survey statements.
Emmployyeees wwworkinng in ddiifferrennt ffunccctiionss – howwww enggaagedd aarre theey??Values & Ethics
Communication & Involvement
Teamwork
Recognition
Empowerment & Accountability
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Great Place to Work® measures the trust in an organisation through its Trust Index© employee survey. The 58 core statements are categorised into 19 core business and HR areas. Here are the top 5 categories – with examples from some of this year’s Best Workplaces™– which help create the kind of environment where trust and engagement are high and people can fl ourish.
Selected statements from the Great Place
to Work® Trust Index© employee survey
BEST PRACTICES
Values & Ethics Communication & Involvement
Fletchers Solicitors Throughout 2016 Fletchers Solicitors celebrated a ‘Year of Values’. They dedicated each quarter to demonstrating a different value: what it means, how staff can incorporate it into their work and what Fletchers has done to embody the value.
Marshall Motor HoldingsThe company’s ‘Code of Business Ethics’ booklet includes an easy-to-use ‘decision tree’ to help colleagues decide what is the best course of action to take when faced with a difficult situation. Every employee has completed online training on the code, and every new starter goes through the training when they join.
ThinkbdaThinkbda has a bespoke year-long programme for each employee to take long-term ownership of one of the company’s corporate values. It involves six half-day training workshops on how to embody the values and bi-weekly workshops where employees take turns to discuss their allocated value. Each employee also has this value printed on the back of their business cards.
Cadence Design SystemsCadence conducts ‘stay interviews’ to gain insight into how employees are finding life at the organisation. Employees have the opportunity to express what keeps them at Cadence and identify any concerns or issues that might prompt them to leave. These conversations allow the organisation to work proactively with employees and leaders to resolve and improve workplace issues, boosting retention in the process.
Hilton WorldwideThe company makes the most of social media, with leaders and employees not using computers all day, staying connected via Skype, Google Hangouts, Facebook, instant messaging and texting. Podcasts and their scripts (which can be translated into more than 40 languages) are used to communicate about a variety of topics. Team members can post feedback and questions directly to the podcast blog.
AbbVieLeaders run three sales conferences a year. These allow both remote-working and customer-facing employees to have face-to-face sessions with colleagues and senior leaders, ensuring open dialogue and consistency of message.
I can ask management any reasonable question and get a straight answer
Management is approachable, easy to talk with
Management involves people in decisions that affect their jobs or work environment
Management keeps me informed about important issues and changes
Management delivers on its promises
Management’s actions match its words
Management is honest and ethical in its business practices
People avoid politics and backstabbing as ways to get things done
Managers avoid favouritism
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Teamwork Recognition Empowerment & Accountability
R.Twinings & Company LimitedEach employee is allocated a ‘house group’ – a collaborative initiative led by employees. They can earn points for their house group through activities all year round, including charity events, winning values awards and referring friends for employment.
Hilton WorldwideThe annual ‘team member appreciation week’ is designed as a thank you to all employees from the President and CEO. A variety of customisable recognition tools, best practices and e-cards in multiple languages are made available and all hotels and corporate locations have a schedule of activities, competitions, treats and events.
Mars UKThe Coffee Connections initiative randomly pairs two people to have a coffee together in the office to build a connection and encourage camaraderie.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation As part of ‘celebrating our people’ week, hotel managers thank their staff each day in different and unique ways. Some managers act as chauffeurs and wash employees’ cars. Others host a tea or coffee break and serve food to employees at a special banquet.
Goodman Masson In a programme to thank employees, a golden ticket was left on a different desk every day for 13 weeks over summer. Winners had the chance to attend events and activities including Euro 2016 in France, parachute jumping, supper at an exclusive London restaurant, cricket at Lord’s and a hot air balloon ride.
Intuit UKThe Scott Cook Innovation Award (named after the company co-founder) recognises employees who create innovations that deliver real benefits to their customers, employees and shareholders. They receive a statue, recognition on the ‘Innovation Wall of Fame’, dinner with the executive team and an all-expenses paid trip for two. In addition, winners are also granted either half of their time for six months or all of their time for three months to work on a project of their own creation.
AccorHotels UK & IrelandThe company’s ibis brand runs an employee engagement scheme where hotels compete against each other in business challenges such as increasing breakfast sales or guest satisfaction ratings. Winning regional teams receive a cash reward, a team dinner and a celebration ceremony. Following the ceremony best practices are shared across the network.
Liberty ITAll employees are encouraged to take part in regular internal ‘hackathons’. These involve teams developing a good idea and pitching it to the wider community. The event is full of opportunities for self-development and networking, and it’s a great way for employees to increase their visibility in the organisation.
Intuit UKIntuit UK has developed an innovation programme called ‘Lean StartIN’. It is designed to empower employees to identify and quickly test their ideas, and it offers them sessions where they are taught rapid experimentation techniques in an intensive two-day workshop.
Management trusts people to do a good job without watching over their shoulders
People here are given a lot of responsibility
Management makes its expectations clear
Management shows a sincere interest in me as a person, not just an employee
Management shows appreciation for good work and extra effort
Everyone has an opportunity to get special recognition
People care about each other here
There is a ‘family’ or ‘team’ feeling here
We’re all in this together
You can count on people to cooperate
People celebrate special events around here
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ROUNDTABLE
The pace of economic, political and technological change that organisations face in 2017 is breathtaking. Our Best WorkplacesTM are perfectly positioned to meet the challenges that arise
The frontrunners in the race to survive and thrive
THE WORLD OF WORK in 2017 is characterised by continuously shifting challenges ranging from the uncertainties caused by Brexit to retaining organisational culture during expansion. They pose problems and opportunities internally, externally, on a macro and micro
level for all organisations. The Best WorkplacesTM are no exception.Take the housing association bdht, which is ranked number one Best
WorkplaceTM 2017 in the Medium category. Its income has reduced significantly because of the government’s austerity budget cuts. However, it has committed to meet its business objectives of growth and excellence, and continues to provide quality of service for existing customers and build homes for new customers. “The number one issue for us at the moment is remaining competitive in an environment in which our income is reducing year-on-year in real terms,” says Chief Executive Mike Brown. “We are very ambitious to continue to grow the business to meet our social purpose.”
Managing and sustaining growthBusiness growth is the major challenge for consultancy Baringa Partners, ranked first in the Best WorkplacesTM 2017 Large category. “Over ten years we’ve gone from 50 people to almost 600,” says Managing Partner Adrian Bettridge. “We need to manage our growth sustainably, maintaining and reinforcing the culture as we grow. We need to take the best of what we have in the UK and create a great culture and client proposition across the world.”
A similar challenge is faced by tech provider Foundation SP, ranked number one in the Best WorkplacesTM 2017 Small category. “We are a technology business but what we do for our clients is more than technology: it’s about engaging people,” says Simon Grosse, the company’s CEO. “For us, our culture is our strategy, and the big thing is maintaining our high people standards and attracting and retaining talent whilst also actively planning for growth.”
Human capital is also the most pressing issue for Gowling WLG, a law firm which has been ranked a Best WorkplaceTM for 17 years in a row. “The quality of our lawyers drives our success. So we have to make sure that our proposition is sufficiently different in the sea of sameness of law firms,” says HR Director Chris Oglethorpe.
Innovating capabilityOglethorpe adds that another major issue for his organisation is coping in an increasingly digitised and automated world of work. But this could work in Gowling WLG’s favour. He says: “As a law firm, we can capitalise on some of the automation of processes to allow our lawyers to focus on more interesting, valuable work.”
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Search marketing agency Propellernet, which has been a Best WorkplaceTM for five years in a row and is now a Laureate, has had to adapt to the fast-moving industry in which it operates. “The rate of change in digital marketing is only getting faster. We are working at the bleeding edge of the marketing industry,” says Managing Director Nikki Gatenby.
“A massive strategic challenge for us is that our clients, quite rightly, expect us to be experts in a medium that evolves every 24 hours. It’s widely reported that it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert – so there is a constant need to learn and innovate while maintaining a solid business,” she adds. “Our people need to be comfortable with change, ready to put the hours in to learn new things, and see taking risks or things not working out not as failures but as learning opportunities.”
One of the ways Propellernet approaches these challenges is to examine what will make life better not only for clients but employees too. For example, it created a tool to automate the production of ‘PR coverage books’ to collate client press coverage. When the tool was launched it saved the Propellernet PR team the equivalent of a day a week previously spent on this thankless task. At the same time, in developing this tool, Propellernet found itself with a new product on its hands, which it has now launched to clients globally. “We’ve solved an industry issue by fulfilling our agency’s purpose: making life better for our clients and our team too,” Gatenby says.
Meanwhile, in the completely different world of car leasing, fleet manager Fleet Alliance – another organisation that has been ranked a Best WorkplaceTM for five consecutive years – also focuses on being the best in its sector and instilling in its employees pride in their work. In this
We are very clear that engaged people provide better client service. Our values and culture are a strong driver of that. We are very clear that engagement
is driven out of strong communication, a clear offering and a good understanding of where people fit with strategy. We take the wider feedback from Great Place to Work® and really focus on what it is saying, as opposed to simply saying that we have got a badge called ‘great place to work’.”Chris Oglethorpe, HR Director
Our experience has proven to us that when you get the people proposition right, execute it well, put your hand up when you make mistakes, are humble
enough to see this as a continuous improvement process (you never get to where you really want to be but you are always striving for it), then that’s when you really engage the hearts and minds and energy of the workforce.” Adrian Bettridge, Managing Partner
SECRETS OF SUCCESS: GOWLING WLG
SECRETS OF SUCCESS: BARINGA PARTNERS
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PROUD TO HAVE BEEN VOTED ATOP 50 UK WORKPLACE SINCE 2013
Cloud ERP on the Salesforce Platform
@sovinigroup www.sovini.co.uk
In Good CompanyHelping organisations create
high-performing workplaces where people feel trusted and valued
0870 608 8780 | [email protected]
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ROUNDTABLE
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sector, challenges are linked to the economy. The main issues facing organisations such as Fleet Alliance are uncertainty around Brexit and the government’s green agenda to reduce emissions from cars.
“We need to make sure that we are advising customers properly,” says Managing Director Martin Brown. “If we want to be the best and have pride in what we do then, really simply, we need to have a team that is coming into work wanting to do the job. I can’t make car leasing sound as cool as working for Google. But if we don’t have a nice environment in which people feel engaged and trusted then we won’t be anywhere near our competitors.”
Trust and engagementThis is why trust and engagement form a crucial component of any Best WorkplaceTM response to the strategic challenges it faces.
For recruiter Adecco, another Laureate with five consecutive rankings as a Best Workplace™, trust is one of its most important values. “People are empowered to make their own decisions and given support when they require it,” says Alex Fleming, President, General Staffing. “Giving our colleagues independence encourages entrepreneurial spirit and ownership. This creates strong, engaged and motivated teams.”
Fellow Laureate FinancialForce, a cloud applications provider, considers engagement “hugely influential in meeting the skills gap” – the major challenge it faces – according to Kirsten Brumfitt, Senior Director, Employee Success. “Over the past two or three years our most successful method of recruitment has been employee referrals, testament to the mutual trust between the company and our employees.”
Baringa focuses on trust too. “It’s a bit like your family environment at home,” says Adrian Bettridge’s colleague David Harris, Lead Partner for People Initiatives. “Everybody would like to have a trusting, open and supportive environment. We foster that behaviour from the very top and it’s essential to demonstrate that in every interaction with our people and our clients.”
Housing association bdht, meanwhile, has a very specific way of improving trust and engagement. It has given its workforce a no-redundancy promise. “We need to migrate the business to a position where we reduce our overall cost but maintain profitability, employment and the commitment to all of our staff,” Chief Executive Mike Brown says. “We don’t see this as management, we see this as every single member of staff getting involved in the leadership of the business.”
Our culture is like a circle and it’s impossible to plot how it all fell into place. But now it’s continuous. We engage the team, and the more the team is
engaged the more profit we will make. The more profit we make the more clients we win. The more clients we win the more money we have for engagement and a social purpose. It’s really hard to break it down into its components.”Martin Brown, Managing Director
If you’re going to set out an ethical stall then you have to be genuine. If you are going to say you care then you genuinely have to care, and any
evidence of you not behaving ethically or not caring will damage the business. And don’t forget to celebrate success. If you’ve done well, share that within the organisation immediately. The feedback allows you to focus on what needs to be done and motivates your staff to do it.” Mike Brown, Chief Executive
SECRETS OF SUCCESS: FLEET ALLIANCE
SECRETS OF SUCCESS: bdht
“For us, our culture is our strategy, and the big thing is maintaining our high people standards and attracting and retaining talent while thinking about growth”
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ROUNDTABLE
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This has meant being open about the challenges the business faces, and demonstrating to employees where they fit in with what bdht is trying to achieve. The organisation believes in ‘adult-adult’ relationships – not protecting, or excluding, employees from difficult messages.
Any downsizing has come from natural wastage and roles have been redesigned. The organisation has looked hard at finding every individual employee’s unique ability to add value – including their employees on the autistic spectrum, whose skills have been redeployed to make the best use of them. “Work has a moral and social significance,” Brown adds. “It gives us all a reason for being. It gives us dignity, pride and self-esteem.”
Learning from Best WorkplacesTM
Recent changes at bdht were partly driven by being ranked seventh as a Best WorkplaceTM (its first ranking) in 2016. “We thought we were pretty good, but we realised there were better organisations out there,” Brown says.
The Best WorkplacesTM ranking gives organisations the momentum to continue to focus on their engagement. “It provides a benchmark and we can say that we have an honest and open approach where engagement and individual input matters and is recognised,” says Harriet Kempton, Head of Marketing, PR & Events at Career Moves Group, a recruiter that becomes a Laureate of Best Workplaces™ in 2017. “This helps us to find the right people that work well in our culture.”
The programme also provides “no better credibility statement” when solutions providers like Foundation SP are consulting with clients in the area of transformation and people, Simon Grosse says. “From a client perspective that value proposition is significantly strengthened by being a Best WorkplaceTM. It becomes compelling and easier for us to attract high-quality people to come and work here. We are also starting to see the emergence of a new ecosystem for us, including organisations that want to talk to us about how we run our business because of our approach, success and passion about it.”
But most crucially the Best WorkplacesTM ranking is like “holding a mirror up to the organisation”, according to Propellernet’s Nikki Gatenby. The flaws and the highlights of a business’s culture become visible, showing organisations what they are getting right and where they need to improve. Having this knowledge is crucial for organisations to meet whatever challenges come their way. ■
It’s a journey and it’s a continuous cycle of improvement and you’re never done. We’ve always known along the way that integrity and being authentic are so important because
those things resonate so much with people. But there are also times when we have to be bold and do things that maybe other people haven’t done before. Our ethos is to embrace more, to continously affect positive change, and consciously develop our culture. Great culture and high performance should not be mutually exclusive.” Simon Grosse, CEO
We have a sense of purpose – to make life better. Everyone here understands what it means and how it works. We also have strong values and live them
properly. We value innovation and creativity (that’s what our clients buy us for) but also adventure, fun and wellbeing (that’s what they start to feel when they are working with us). People have to want to come into work every day and they have to want to take risks.” Nikki Gatenby, Managing Director
SECRETS OF SUCCESS: FOUNDATION SP
SECRETS OF SUCCESS: PROPELLERNET
“Work has a moral and social significance. It gives us all a reason for being. It gives us dignity, pride and self-esteem”
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UK RANKINGS
TTTTMMM
Large: 500+ employees
1 Baringa Partners
Employees 501Management Consultingwww.baringa.com
Every year for the past ten years we have invested in making Baringa a better place to work for everybody who is in it – listening to new ideas, innovations and trends and embracing them when appropriate. It astounds me how much our people collectively care for each other and our clients, and are passionate about building a better Baringa.” Adrian Bettridge, Managing Partner
2 Salesforce UK
Employees 1,028ITwww.salesforce.com
We’re bound by a common mission to help our customers succeed and give back to our communities, and each of us knows the role we play in achieving those goals. Gavin Mee, Country Leader, UK
3 The Sovini Group
Employees 564Construction/Infrastructurewww.sovini.co.uk
I’m most proud that we’ve built a successful business that feels like a family, where people care about what they do and support each other to achieve it. Roy Williams, CEO
4 McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd
Employees 37,124Food and Beverage Servicewww.mcdonalds.co.uk
McDonald’s has taught me skills for life. I’ve learned how to work as a team and take pride in what I do. I feel like I’m on my way to a promising future. Charles, Crew Member
5 Softcat plc Employees 1,032ITwww.softcat.com
Recognition and appreciation for colleagues comes naturally and it brings a sense of pride and unity across the whole company. Martin Hellawell, CEO
6 Hilton Employees 8,768Hotel/Resortwww.hiltonworldwide.com
Engagement is at the core of our business strategy. When we look after our people they look after our customers and business success flows from that simple equation. Ben Bengougam, SVP, HR, EMEA
7 Adecco* Employees 551Recruitmentwww.adeccogroupuk.co.uk
Adecco is very team-spirited and has an ‘in it together’ mentality. We invest enormously in our employees and attribute our success to the people who work for us. I am incredibly proud to be a part of this success. Rebecca Houghton, Principal Branch Manager
8 Cisco UK Employees 2,098ITwww.cisco.com/uk
Cisco has a commitment to employees called the ‘People Deal’, which focuses on inspiring and engaging employees in a meaningful way. We’re proud of what this helps us achieve. Scot Gardner, CEO UK & Ireland
9 Pets at Home
Employees 7,950Retail/Specialtywww.petsathome.com
It is our colleagues who make us the fantastic business we are. We appreciate the individuality of each of them. Vicky Hill, Head of People
10 Mars UK Employees 3,928FMCGwww.mars.co.uk
Our unique culture stems from five principles. Through responsibility and mutuality we empower associates to treat the business as their own. Blas Maquivar, President Mars Chocolate UK & Global Retail
* Adecco: 2017 Laureate – a Best WorkplaceTM for fi ve consecutive years
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11 Adobe Systems Europe Ltd
Employees 601IT Softwarewww.adobe.com
The strongest vehicle of attitude and behaviour change is constant open feedback. Employees feel valued because their opinion matters. Victoria Palmer, Head of Talent Enablement & Operations, EMEA
12 Bright Horizons Family Solutions
Employees 5,148Education & Trainingwww.brighthorizons.co.uk
Our mission is to provide families and employers with exceptional care and education. People are at the heart of all we do. John Handley, People Director
13 REL Field Marketing
Employees 729Advertising & Marketingwww.relfm.com
People engagement is the heart of our business and engine of our growth. Our vision reflects that simplicity: ‘Loved by our people and first choice for customers.’ Stephen Gordon, Divisional Managing Director
14 Admiral Group plc
Employees 5,727Auto Insurancewww.admiralgroup.co.uk
We think our culture is the single most important contributor to our success. Our staff make the difference and managers are here to help them. Ceri Assiratti, People Services Manager
15 Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Employees 850Hotel/Resortwww.hyatt.com
The November 2014 gas explosion at Hyatt Regency London The Churchill was a terrible incident but it was also an incredible display of the camaraderie and spirit of Hyatt. Dawn Turner, Area Director, HR – UK & Ireland
16 AccorHotels UK & Ireland
Employees 4,728Hotel/Resortwww.accorhotels-group.com
We love blending cultures and are proud of our differences but we all share the same passion: people. We make our ‘talents’ grow and we welcome guests with our heart. Sophie Kilic, SVP HR
17 Bayer Employees 868Pharmaceuticalswww.bayer.co.uk
Every day I see the passion of Bayer’s culture at work, people driven by the higher purpose to improve lives and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. Dr Alexander Moscho, CEO UK & Ireland
18 Rackspace Employees 1,148Data Managementwww.rackspace.co.uk
Our culture is unique. There is a great feeling of empowerment, family and loads of opportunities to develop and grow your career. (Employee)
19 AbbVie Employees 552Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticalswww.abbvie.com
AbbVie is a great place to work due to our highly engaged and motivated people and their dedication to patients with severe diseases. Monika Pocinkova, UK HR Director
20 MBNA Employees 1,852Credit Serviceswww.mbna.co.uk
I always share news when I have it. Leadership is about making a choice to stand for something, and it is visible. Ian O’Doherty, Chief Executive
21 SAS Software Limited
Employees 677IT Softwarewww.sas.com/uk
We believe in meaningful work and a culture that makes it possible. Treat employees like they make a difference and they will. Jim Goodnight, CEO
22 Marshall Motor Holdings Plc
Employees 2,469Retail/Specialtywww.marshallweb.co.uk
Despite the size of our business you are made to feel like you are part of a close family and are supported to develop and grow your career. Roger Baldwin, Sales Colleague
23 Thai Leisure Group
Employees 742Food and Beverage Servicewww.thaileisuregroup.co.uk
All staff care about the business and about each other – it is a real family. (Employee)
24 Flight Centre Travel Group
Employees 1,921Travel Managementwww.fl ightcentre.co.uk
A flat structure makes everything and everyone accessible. I love getting up to go to work in the morning and genuinely enjoy my job, which makes life a lot better in general than in previous jobs. (Employee)
Best WorkplaceTM every year since 2001 – when UK awards began
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25 City Football Group
Employees 596Professional Footballwww.mancity.com
We are most proud of our strong sense of pride and unity within the group. We are very much ‘one team’ who is always striving to be globally game-changing. Zoe Brough, HR Manager
26 KFC UK&I Employees 10,172Food and Beverage Servicewww.kfc.co.uk
At KFC we empower people to make a real difference – to themselves, their teams, the wider business and the community. Our culture is fun, friendly and collaborative. Cody Cluff, VP HR
27 Gowling WLG UK LLP
Employees 1,120Legalwww.gowlingwlg.com/en/united-kingdom
Engagement is driven by strong communication, a clear offering and a good understanding of where people fit with strategy. Chris Oglethorpe, HR Director
28 Yorkshire Building Society
Employees 4,445Credit Serviceswww.ybs.co.uk
I love the fact that we strive to give our customers the best experience ever, and this is at the heart of everything we do. Yorkshire Building Society employee
29 L&Q Employees 1,711Housingwww.lqgroup.org.uk
This is the 13th consecutive year we have received this honour. It recognises us as having a high-trust and a high-engagement workplace culture that attracts and retains talent and helps drive our business success. Tom Nicholls, Group HR Director
30 Totaljobs Group
Employees 507Online Internet Serviceswww.totaljobsgroup.com
Being trusted and empowered to contribute ideas to aid the strategy of our local office is a big plus. We have a fun office atmosphere and sensational incentives for top performers. Jamie Bull, Online Sales Executive
31 Tenpin Limited
Employees 885Hospitalitywww.tenpin.co.uk
All our employees want to feel valued, happy and engaged. Our people strategy, ‘It’s all about YOU’, supports that. Helen Gilbert, Director of People and Talent
32 H&M Employees 9,872Retail/Clothingwww.hm.com
Our people are our strength and our success. Within H&M, the opportunities for progression are endless. When they grow, we grow! Carlos Duarte, Managing Director, H&M UK and Ireland
33 Home Group Ltd
Employees 2,460Housingwww.homegroup.org.uk
We’re most proud of our social purpose with a commercial edge. Doing the right thing makes a real difference to our customers’ lives. Mark Henderson, CEO
34 EY Employees 15,065Professional Serviceswww.ey.com
We have 26 people networks, a flexible working culture and an inclusive leadership programme. We want all our people to feel that they can be themselves at work. Maggie Stilwell, UKI Managing Partner for Talent
35 TSB Employees 8,035Financial Services & Insurancewww.tsb.co.uk
Our unique culture, based on making banking better for all UK consumers, differentiates us and creates a workplace that our partners are proud of. Rachel Lock, HR Director
36 Barnsley Premier Leisure
Employees 549Sports Managementwww.bpl.org.uk
BPL prides itself on the quality of its staffing team and the ‘can do’ attitude that is present in everything that we do. (Employee)
37 Britvic Soft Drinks
Employees 1,692Soft Drinkswww.britvic.com
Whoever you are, wherever you work, you can make a difference. This isn’t just about leaders and engagement champions, this is about everyone doing something to make Britvic an inspiring place to be. Doug Frost, Chief HR Officer
UK RANKINGS
Best WorkplaceTM every year since 2001 – when UK awards began
14-16 GPTW large lists 2017_v6_SC.indd 16 28/03/2017 13:45
Great clients Great people Brighter together
Baringa Partners LLP Dominican Court, 17 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ
+44 (0)203 327 [email protected] baringa.com
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.
And w e’re delighted to have been recognised as one of the 2017 Best Workplaces.
Why working in partnership is a good thing for all of us.
GPTW.April2017.017.indd 17 27/03/2017 09:45
UK RANKINGS
TTTTMMM
Medium: 50-499 employees
1 bdht
Employees 132Housingwww.bdht.co.uk
We are most proud of the bdht culture: it is tangible and can be described by all of our employees. It is the determining factor that governs what we do, how we treat each other and how we respond to the challenges the business faces. The culture begins with our mission statement which is real and has meaning to the bdht family. Mike Brown, Chief Executive
2 Belron International Ltd
Employees 129Vehicle Repair & Maintenancewww.belron.com
We employ lovely people with great attitudes and we trust everyone to do their jobs brilliantly – which they do. Jo Steel, Head of People and Leadership
3 Goodman Masson Limited
Employees 132Recruitmentwww.goodmanmasson.com
Our employee engagement programme, The Experience®, is at the heart of everything we do, and in many ways has created the DNA of the organisation. Guy Hayward, CEO
4 Impact International
Employees 75Management Consultingwww.impactinternational.com
We are all in this together and we all contribute to making Impact the greatest workplace in the world. Verity Bellouere, Programme Manager
5 UKFast Employees 292Internet Service Providerwww.ukfast.co.uk
Through strong and fast growth we’ve maintained that special family feel throughout the business and throughout the years. (Employee)
6 R.Twinings & Company Limited
Employees 86Tea & Coffee Merchantswww.twinings.co.uk
Our success is down to our working culture: leadership and agility balanced with fun and camaraderie. Alan Rootkin, Sales Director UK & Ireland
7 AXON Employees 61Professional Serviceswww.axon-com.com
We invest in people on a wide scale, but also individually, so every employee is valued for their contribution to the company’s success. (Employee)
8 CPS Employees 54IT Consultingwww.cps.co.uk
We believe that an engaged workforce is a happy and productive one. As we have grown, we have made sure that everyone can contribute to the business. Steve Adams, COO
9 Natilik Employees 110Telecomswww.natilik.com
I’m inspired every time I walk into the office. We accomplish some incredible things alongside a team of incredible people. (Employee)
10 Intuit UK Employees 121IT Softwarewww.intuit.co.uk
We live our ‘We Care and Give Back’ core value by providing opportunities for employees to volunteer locally, and to make a difference on their own terms. Dan Marsh, Head of Employee Relations EMEA
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* Propellernet, Office Angels: 2017 Laureates – Best WorkplacesTM for 5 consecutive years
www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 19
11 DMW Employees 50IT Consultingwww.dmwgroup.com
Everyone attends an annual offsite ‘Strategy Day’, which is a great opportunity to understand how DMW has performed and how we can develop it into an even better place to work! Kate Shaw, Managing Consultant
12 Propellernet* Employees 55Mediawww.propellernet.co.uk
By aligning our values to the hopes and dreams of our people, our business helps us be a best version of ourselves while delivering success.Nikki Gatenby, Managing Director
13 Virgo Health Employees 60Advertising & Marketingwww.virgohealth.com
We’re a highly ambitious, supportive and passionate team and we live and breathe our ‘Being Human’ ethos. We have a progressive internal culture. Ondine Whittington, Managing Director
14 FIRST Employees 50Event Marketingwww.fi rstprotocol.com
The experience of working with such a talented and inspirational, global group of people is what makes it so rewarding. Paul Stephenson, Account Director
15 Autodesk Employees 340IT Softwarewww.autodesk.co.uk
We have some of the most talented and committed employees anywhere. Their passion for helping customers create a better world makes us special. Jan Becker, SVP Human Resources and CREFTS
16 Cadence Design Systems Limited
Employees 184ITwww.cadence.com
Our culture of open communication allows individuals to bring forward new ideas. Employees feel empowered to make their mark on the business. Ian Dennison, Sr., Group Director, R&D
17 Baird Employees 86Financial Serviceswww.bairdeurope.com
Our independent, employee-owner model is Baird’s biggest differentiator. It creates a culture of camaraderie, allows us to attract and retain the best people and put our clients first. (Employee)
18 PayPal UK Employees withheldFinancial Serviceswww.paypal.com/uk
Our ‘Culture Champions’ are employees who are passionate about our company, customers and the wellness of all our employees. Cameron McLean, VP, UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland
19 Vibe Employees 50Recruitmentwww.vibeteaching.co.uk
Our impact on people could not make me more proud. We ‘inspire better education’ and ‘make people happy’. Paul Harris, Founder & CEO
20 Madgex Employees 80IT Softwarewww.madgex.com
We really care about what we do and what we stand for. There’s a real sense of camaraderie. I don’t think I’ve ever worked anywhere like it. Hanna Smith, People Director
21 Spring Technology
Employees 141Recruitmentwww.spring.com
The leaders here have years of experience in the recruitment industry. They give me the support and belief in myself to develop and grow. Gemma Marshall, Senior Consultant
22 National Instruments Corporation (UK) Ltd
Employees 106Electronics Manufacturinguk.ni.com
Seeing the impact of our work on the engineering world through our customers, and collaborating with them and colleagues to make this a reality. Cate Prescott, VP Global HR
23 Offi ce Angels*
Employees 335Recruitmentwww.adeccogroupuk.co.uk
My inspirational colleagues and strong brand make me proud to work here. The specialised and constant training and support have made me successful. Kimberley Harvey, Recruitment Consultant
18-23 GPTW medium list 2017_v7_SC.indd 19 28/03/2017 13:47
24 Cirrus Logic Employees 423IT Hardwarewww.cirrus.com
Following the acquisition of Wolfson Microelectronics, we’re now truly a global team, unified in culture.Bill Schnell, Manager, Strategic Communications
25 Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Employees 70Education & Trainingwww.rcvs.org.uk
The people in our organisation are what make us stand out. They are the true leaders of engagement. Matt Wallace, HR & Training Manager
26 Lansons Employees 113Advertising & Marketingwww.lansons.com
Over a third of our people are partners in Lansons. Our commitment to sharing our success with our people is truly inspiring and engaging. Helen Proud, Director
27 Lindt & Sprüngli (UK) Ltd
Employees 219FMCGwww.lindt.com
Management have been great at putting people’s needs first and I think that contributes to a positive attitude when working. Specifically, giving them confidence to do a good job. (Employee)
28 Meltwater Employees 77Online Internet Serviceswww.meltwater.com
We care about every individual and try to make sure they have a positive and challenging experience with Meltwater. Jan Sutherland, Sales Manager
29 Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition*
Employees 178FMCGwww.danone.co.uk
The fact that everyone has stayed motivated, committed and carried on business as usual, despite the challenge of our office relocation, is testament to the strength of our culture and the trust that exists in our organisation. Liz Ellis, HR Director
30 Liquid Personnel
Employees 134Recruitmentwww.liquidpersonnel.com
We have to accept regular change to move forward. Our success comes from our team being adaptable, flexible and working together. Paul Cellini, Marketing Manager
31 Smart Energy GB
Employees 68Not-for-Profi twww.smartenergygb.org
We define the problems together, we create the solutions together, we produce the work of a lifetime together and we celebrate our success together. Gavin Sheppard, Director of Marketing
32 QuantiQ Employees 110ITwww.quantiq.com
QuantiQ is extraordinary people doing extraordinary things every day. Our team is knowledgeable, engaging and above all thoughtful. Stuart Fenton, CEO
33 Winshuttle Employees 54IT Softwarewww.winshuttle.com
We have created a culture where our PACT values of ‘people, action, continuous learning and trust’ are at the heart of everything we do. Lorraine Hartill, HR Director
34 Liberty IT Employees 443IT Softwarewww.liberty-it.co.uk
Over 18 years, we have built a team working towards a common goal but, more importantly, whose members have a genuine respect for each other. Dianne Gallagher, HR Operations Manager
UK RANKINGS
*Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, Liquid Personnel: 2017 Laureates – Best WorkplacesTM for 5 consecutive years
18-23 GPTW medium list 2017_v7_SC.indd 20 28/03/2017 13:47
UK RANKINGS
www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 21
35 Third Bridge Employees 185Management Consultingwww.thirdbridge.com
A team is most effective when everyone can influence change. Our founders look to the team for ideas on how we can keep growing. Emmanuel Tahar, CEO
36 HSO UK Ltd Employees 125IT Softwarewww.hso.com
Our culture is one of empowerment, where employees are fully supported to make the role their own. We invest in our people so that they develop individually and collectively. David Little, Managing Director
37 Media iQ Digital
Employees 73Mediawww.mediaiqdigital.com
From the top down we eat, sleep and breathe our company values. We have the passion, ambition and determination to just get things done better than anyone else. Gurman Hundal, CEO
38 Evaluate Group Ltd
Employees 90Online Internet Serviceswww.evaluategroup.com
We are most proud of our open culture which is based on trust, one of our core values. We have maintained our culture while growing rapidly. Alexander Karle, CEO
39 Sellick Partnership
Employees 71Recruitmentwww.sellickpartnership.co.uk
The relationship between Managing Director Jo Sellick and every employee underpins this company. He has no door to close. Rob Gee, Group Director
40 FactSet Employees 436IT Softwarewww.factset.com
We have a unique culture in the finance sector. We understand that to be successful we must harness our employees’ potential. Andrew Burton, VP & Director International HR
41 SC Johnson Employees 323FMCGwww.scjohnson.com
I’m proud to be part of a family company committed to doing the right thing for employees, our customers and the community. (Employee)
42 Reward Gateway
Employees 94ITwww.rewardgateway.com
Engaged employees are more productive because they love what they are doing. This is what we tell our clients, and the philosophy we live by. Robert Hicks, Group HR Director
43 Technology Management Ltd
Employees 94ITwww.tecman.co.uk
No politics and prima donnas: we are one team and we all do what it takes to succeed. Anyone will help anyone. James Crowter, Managing Director
44 Fletchers Solicitors
Employees 301Legalwww.fl etcherssolicitors.co.uk
Being a great place to work is one of our guiding principles. We want to create an environment where people can flourish, develop and enjoy what they do. Ed Fletcher, CEO
45 MarketMakers Employees 258Call Centreswww.marketmakers.co.uk
Our MarketMakers Business School lies at the heart the business. Everybody has the opportunity to learn throughout their career. (Employee)
46 Fleet Alliance*
Employees 61Financial Services & Insurancewww.fl eetalliance.co.uk
A people-focused management style and excellent benefits package have helped build and retain a loyal, caring and motivated team. Martin Brown, Managing Director
*Fleet Alliance: 2017 Laureate – a Best WorkplaceTM for 5 consecutive years
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UK RANKINGS
47 BigHand Employees 112IT SoftwareBigHand.com
It’s all about the people – the BigHanders! The pride, passion, teamwork and fun is infectious and flows into our relationships with our clients. Ian Churchill, CEO
48 Jobsite Employees 203Internet Service Providerwww.jobsite.co.uk
We are proud of our culture: a family feel, open, friendly and a lot of fun. This culture goes beyond our written policies. Nick Gold, CEO
49 Renault UK Limited
Employees 203Automotivewww.renault.co.uk
We embrace flexible working. We believe this enhances trust, creating a positive environment which empowers the team. Siân Vernon, Director, Human Resources
50 CONTEXT Employees 133IT Consultingwww.contextworld.com
Our values are our bedrock. Without them, we would not be able to achieve our mission of being a trusted global provider of insight and intelligence in the ICT sector. Adam Simon, Global Managing Director
51 Driver Hire Employees 114Recruitmentwww.driverhire.co.uk
Good people flourish here. We take finding ‘Driver Hire’ people seriously and we invest in our people to make our culture special. Chris Chidley, CEO
52 Neueda Consulting Ltd
Employees 56IT Consultingwww.neueda.com
We live our values. The calibre and openness of our people makes our organisation a great place to work. Peter Russell, Director of Sales and Marketing
53 FinancialForce Employees 233IT Softwarewww.fi nancialforce.com
We continually seek ways to provide support that doesn’t stifle but instead nurtures individuals and unifies our teams. Kirsten Brumfitt, Senior Director Employee Success
54 Badenoch & Clark
Employees 303Recruitmentwww.adecco.com
Collaboration, peer support and development are threaded into our culture. Every day I go home feeling satisfied that my contribution has had a positive impact. Kelly McQueen, Executive Consultant
55 General Mills UK Ltd
Employees 170FMCGwww.generalmills.co.uk
We are proud of the environment we create – where people feel they can be themselves – this leads to a unique team and a winning culture which delivers business growth. Sue Swanborough, HR Director, General Mills Northern Europe
56 Mars Capital Employees 72Financial Services & Insurancewww.marscapital.co.uk
The words employees use to describe what it is like working here are ‘hardworking’, ‘enthusiastic’, ‘fun/witty’, ‘driven’, ‘reliable’ and ‘dependable’. Sian Williams, Group HR Manager
*FinancialForce: 2017 Laureate – a Best WorkplaceTM for 5 consecutive years
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TECHNOLOGY RUNS ON GREAT PEOPLE
Technology can do more than keep your everyday business running smoothly. It can drive your success. At World Wide Technology, we use a proven and innovative approach to help large public and private organizations discover, evaluate, architect and implement advanced technology.
VISIT US ONLINE: WWT.COM
Great places rely on great peopleOur people work with passion, take responsibility, embrace inclusion and have real impact.
We have a wide range of roles in a flexible working environment with excellent benefits. Join us if you want to be part of it.
www.lqgroup.org.uk
GPTW.April2017.023.indd 23 27/03/2017 09:48
UK RANKINGS
TTTTMMM
Small: 20-49 employees1 Foundation
SP
Employees 33IT Softwarewww.foundation-sp.com
Our employees regard our values and our commitment to authentic, mutually beneficial relationships as a key factor in joining and staying at FSP. Our values provide the energy and framework to guide our business together – and to feel great along the way! Simon Grosse, CEO
2 McCarthy Recruitment Ltd
Employees 27Recruitmentwww.mccarthyrecruitment.com
Our team spirit and unique culture helped us through the recession and ensured significant growth this year. We are a people-centric business. Kate McCarthy, Managing Director
3 World Wide Technology
Employees 27IT Consultingwww.wwt.com
The leadership team filter the core values, culture and information to the team. Employees view WWT as more than just a place to work. Ben Boswell, Director, UK office
4 Amoria Bond Limited
Employees 42Recruitmentwww.amoriabond.com
We are proud of our focus on progressing lives through our ten-step progression plan, our meritocratic environment and our organic-growth business model. Daniel Daw, Founder and Managing Director
5 Career Moves Group*
Employees 23Recruitmentwww.careermovesgroup.co.uk
Because of our culture, staff stay with us for four to five years on average, which is unusual in recruitment. It means clients can be assured of a consistent approach. Claire Smith, Head of HR
6 Found Employees 44Online Internet Serviceswww.found.co.uk
Our supporting, caring environment means everyone feels part of the Found family. Trust and respect are a two-way street. Tina Judic, CEO
7 money.co.uk Employees 48Online Internet Serviceswww.money.co.uk
We are small but pack a big punch. And we give 10% of profits to charity. I feel the management really care about our development. Emma King, Researcher
8 Decision Tech
Employees 42Online Internet Servicesdecision.tech
Everyone understands and is aligned towards the same goal, is positive about working here and believes we have a bright future. Michael Phillips, CEO
9 Amobee EMEA
Employees 32Online Internet Serviceswww.amobee.com
From welcoming new hires to achieving a work-life balance, we have programmes in place to take care of our most important asset – our people. David Barker, Managing Director and SVP, EMEA
10 Centor Insurance and Risk Management
Employees 40Financial Services & Insurancewww.centor.co.uk
We treat our staff exceptionally well. We involve, reward, nurture and develop them and give them the very best technology to do their work. Paul Field, Claims and Support Director.
11 Thinkbda Ltd Employees 25Advertising & Marketingwww.thinkbda.com
Our values are based on ‘The rules for being amazing’. They shape everything we do from our interior décor to marketing and HR. David Knowles, Managing Director
12 AV Rillo Employees 35Legalwww.avrillo.co.uk
Our focus on staff culture has developed a happier team; allowing them to make their clients happier. Our NPS® and business have increased, as have our staff engagement levels. Angelo Piccirillo, Partner
* Career Moves Group: 2017 Laureate – a Best WorkplaceTM for 5 consecutive years
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www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 25
13 Sobi UK & ROI
Employees 26Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticalswww.sobi-uk.co.uk
People can be themselves at Sobi. Most employees have had a job in the pharma industry before, but they now feel they have a career with us. (Employee)
14 Roevin Employees 28Recruitmentwww.roevin.co.uk
We are just as proud of our heritage and industry experience as we are about the fantastic people who have built the company into a great place to work. Gary Meechan, Head of Roevin
15 Bacs Payment Schemes Limited
Employees 40Credit Serviceswww.bacs.co.uk
We believe we are a great example of how trusting your people can impact the culture and productivity of your business. (Employee)
16 firstlight Public Relations
Employees 28Advertising & Marketingwww.fi rstlightpr.com
We hire good people then do everything humanly possible to help them make a difference and become great. Paul Davies, Managing Director
17 Medela UK Ltd
Employees 36Medical Sales/Distributionwww.medela.co.uk
We are proud of the empowerment our people enjoy. Results show that we have a knowledgeable, engaged, skilled and happy workforce. Paul Furlong, Managing Director
18 Madano Employees 32Professional Serviceswww.madano.com
We focus on creating an environment of trust; hiring the right talent, both for team fit as well as skill and experience; and empowering the team. Michael Evans, Managing Partner
19 London Vision Clinic
Employees 48Healthcarewww.londonvisionclinic.com
We develop organically, support each other and strive for the very best in our service. Work doesn’t feel like work, and it’s an absolute pleasure to be part of it. Kate O’Brien, Patient Care Coordinator
20 ClearScore Employees 38Financial Services & Insurancewww.clearscore.com
The ClearScore Principles and Operating System – our rule book on how we are better than and different from other companies – is our core competitive advantage. Justin Basini, CEO & Founder
21 JITR | Just IT Recruitment
Employees 26Recruitmentwww.jitr.co.uk
Our People Development Framework is the cornerstone of helping everyone at JITR work towards their career ambitions consistently and transparently. Lee Dempster, CEO
22 New Street Group*
Employees 44Recruitmentwww.newstreetgroup.com
Our consultants create and deliver against their own business practice plans. This fosters an environment of personal accountability and is aligned to our values. Debbie Norman, HR Director
23 Rowlinson Knitwear
Employees 45Textile Manufacturingwww.rowlinson-knitwear.com
We provide financial support when people are in need. Interest-free loans have helped 25% of our workforce. Providing loans to clear debts has improved our people’s wellbeing. Donald Moore, Managing Director
24 ISL Recruitment
Employees 23Recruitmentwww.islrecruitment.co.uk
My opinion is listened to, so can make a real difference. The business is values driven, with autonomy key, and I know my personal development is important to ISL.(Employee)
25 Nintex Employees 47IT Softwarewww.nintex.com
The impact our employees have on our success is tremendous. We aim to be connected, transparent and encourage a collaborative culture.Nicola Cresswell, HR Business Partner
26 Hutch Employees 43IT Softwarewww.hutchgames.com
By encouraging engagement, collaboration and innovation, our team is able to deliver games of higher quality, faster, and at lower cost than our competition. Shaun Rutland, CEO and Co-Founder
27 Computer Task Group (UK) Ltd
Employees 25IT Consultingwww.ctg.com
CTG promotes agile working, a high degree of trust is displayed by management and as an employee I feel like a major stakeholder and know where I fit in the bigger picture. (Employee)
* Previously listed as Interim Partners
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FEATURE
Spending money on employee engagement isn’t just ‘the right thing to do’ morally. There are also sound fi nancial reasons – so it’s worth measuring what you’re getting from your investment
GREAT EMPLOYERS ARE also higher value firms. Best Workplaces™ have stock returns that are better than their peers’ by between 2 and 3
percentage points a year, wrote Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School, in his 2014 study, Employee satisfaction and firm value: a global perspective.
This finding has been replicated in the majority of Western economies where Great Place to Work® has multiple years of data. If employees aren’t engaged in their work, any organisation – whether it’s a small business or a global corporation – will underperform. Equally, any organisation that invests in programmes and processes to engage its workforce will reap the benefits.
‘People’ businessesEngagement is a key priority for multinational consultancy EY. “It’s on
the firm’s scorecard [which fits on to a side of A4] alongside other metrics,” says Maggie Stilwell, Managing Partner for Talent, UK & Ireland.
EY has found from its global people survey, which it undertakes every two years, that revenue growth was 10 points higher for the business groups recording the highest levels of engagement than those with lower levels. These ‘best-in-class’ engagement groups also had 7 points higher gross margin and 6 points higher retention than those groups with lower engagement. “Retention is a key statistic for us,” Stilwell adds. “We like to keep hold of our best, most talented people for the benefit of clients.”
CorrelationsAnother Best Workplace™ that focuses on people serving people is hotel chain Hilton Worldwide. Its annual global team member survey, which goes out to more than 160,000 employees, measures engagement.
“Employee engagement is not an exact science and it’s quite difficult to draw correlations between investments in engagement and financial returns on those investments,” says Ben Bengougam, Senior Vice President, HR, Europe, Middle East & Africa. “However there is ample evidence where indirect correlations can be made to improved customer experience and financial performance over the same measurement period.”
One company that can make direct correlations between what it spends on employee engagement and an increase in financial returns is this year’s Best
Workplace™ in the Small category, Foundation SP. The tech provider has retrospectively measured what it has spent on employee engagement and what its profit figures have been for the same period.
In 2014, when the company invested £50,000 across eight categories of employee engagement, including directors’ time, HR time and external consultancies, it posted a pre-tax profit of £130,000 and engagement spend was 2% of revenue. In the most recent financial year, the company has invested £276,000 in engagement – 8% of revenue – and is demonstrating a pre-tax profit of £600,000.
“Our values are more important to us than return on investment,” says CEO Simon
Grosse. “However, the ROI tells a powerful story. It’s refreshing for us to see how much we have invested in employee engagement and it has been worth it. If someone had said to me two and a half years ago, ‘You’re spending £50,000 on engagement, do you want to increase it to £276,000?’ I’d have probably said, ‘No thank you’. But there is absolutely a correlation between the two.”
Financial services sector recruiter and Best Workplace™ Goodman Masson also measures engagement spend, setting aside £250,000 for this financial year. It has seen improvement across a range of HR and financial metrics. Productivity per head has risen by £1,400 over four years to £11,400 in 2016. Profit per head has gone up from £10,700 in 2013 to £14,500 in 2016. The number of direct hires has increased from 26% in 2013 to 67% in 2016. And sickness days have gone from 279.5 in 2013 to 155 in 2016.
The Experience®, Goodman Masson’s employee engagement programme, allows the company to take measurements through four components: ‘work’, ‘grow’, ‘reward’ and ‘connect’. CEO Guy Hayward says: “There is not one thing that we do in isolation, but because we have those four components people stay with us, they know their markets better, have stronger client relationships and their performance goes up.”
MeasurementThe same applies to AV Rillo, a Best Workplace™ that invests about £200,000 in engagement, a “big part of its budget”, according to partner Angelo Piccirillo. The conveyancing firm measures its employee engagement levels through absence records, retention rate and profit, and customer loyalty through Net Promoter Score® (NPS). “Last year we scored +65. This quarter we’re currently at +76,”
“Revenue growth was 10 points higher for business groups recording the highest levels of engagement than those with lower levels”
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www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 27
“Profits have climbed by 68% year-on-year and NPS®
scores have gone from -24 when the bank was
launched to +23 this year. Our success is all downto our partners and the
experience they are giving to our customers”
Piccirillo says. “It’s going up because we keep our staff engaged. In turn they are happier and more focused on providing excellent client care.”
ISL Recruitment sees its ranking as a Best Workplace™ for the first time in 2017 as a starting point for measuring return on its investment in employee engagement, says Director Alan Furley. “We think we are doing good things and if we can get someone to independently verify that it helps us attract good clients and employees with similar values. It’s also helped us realise that being a Best Workplace™ is not a final destination but a step along an ongoing journey.”
A guide to business successBut measuring return on investment in engagement isn’t all about knowing what is spent on engagement programmes. Best Workplaces™ vary in their approaches to counting engagement spend. EY’s Maggie Stilwell “can’t give a pound figure of how much we invest”. Rowlinson Knitwear, which has made the Best Workplaces™ ranking for the first time this year, doesn’t record what it spends on engagement.
However, measurement of how engaged employees are is as important as financial statistics, says the school and corporate garment producer’s Managing Director, Donald Moore. “Just like the numbers, it is a guide to success,” he adds.
Since becoming employee-owned in September 2015 the company has seen
employee satisfaction leap from 34% to 100% and customer satisfaction jump from 43% to 98%, not surprising now that employees share a greater responsibility in the success of the business. The impact on the bottom line has been significant – a rise from 2% profit to 13% with a higher sales turnover.
“Employee engagement is what we are all about – we’ve put customers and employees before profit,” Moore says.
This has meant increasing lower-paid employees’ salaries at a much greater rate than those of the highest-paid members of the workforce, paying everyone’s pension contributions and having monthly meetings with an employee council that represents all parts of the company.
ValidationHigh Street bank TSB has also prioritised employee voice at a senior level. Its engagement approach has a number of significant elements: an Interlink Forum (a chat tool on the intranet); Link Group (150 employees or ‘partners’ from all parts of the business who meet the executive committee regularly to discuss employee-related topics); transparent communications (including bi-monthly live Q&As and video
the bank’s entry into the Best Workplaces™ ranking for the first time this year, says HR Director Rachel Lock. “It validates the culture we are building and enables me to see if we are on the right track.”
TSB doesn’t track the amount it invests in employee engagement but “we do what we need to do in line with our values and I don’t think you can put a price on that sort of thing”, Lock says. Measuring engagement is really important to the bank, particularly since its split from Lloyds Banking Group in 2013.
Profits have climbed by 68% year-on-year and NPS® scores have gone from -24 when the bank was launched to +23 this year. “Our success is all down to our partners and the experience they are giving to our customers,” Lock adds.
Not all Best Workplaces™ measure the financial return on employee engagement or possible correlations with financial success. But they do all invest in engagement.
The amount they invest is not important – it doesn’t have to be big sums – but instead the focus should be on how strategic their approach to engagement is. And when they do measure ROI, the results always demonstrate that engaged employees equal happy customers, which results in business success. ■
blogs from the CEO); and a decision to strip out about 40 different bonus schemes inherited from Lloyds and replace with a flat rate on-target award of 10% for all employees.
“Showing how we stack up against the best of the best” has also been crucial to
“Employee engagement is what we are all about – we’ve put customers and employees before profit”
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id to
work hard to help the team
I feel
empowered
and I love to
come to work
every day
If I make a
mistake my
manager will
help me rec
tify
it and then we
turn it into
a learning
experience
I HAVE NEVER WORKED AT A PLACE WHERE I FEEL SO VALUED AND ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH
Working here I have made lots of very close friends. There is a really strong family feeling
My employer’s response to my mental health issues and family loss has been very supportive. I feel close to those who manage me and
grateful to work here
WE HAVE A FANTASTIC CULTURE OF
OPENNESS AND DYNAMISM.
THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO PUSH
THROUGH YOUR OWN
IDEAS WITH EXPOSURE
TO PARTNER LEVEL AND A WELCOMING,
FAMILY-FRIENDLY
ATMOSPHERE
28.indd 28 28/03/2017 14:21
HIS YEAR’S UK Best Workplaces™ have made quite an impact around the world. Among the 19 multinational businesses in Europe’s Best
Workplaces™ list, 15 are Best Workplaces™ in the UK. Seven out of eight of the large businesses and five out of six of the small and medium-sized businesses in Europe’s Best Workplaces™ list are Best Workplaces™ in the UK.
The story is the same further afield, too. Of the 25 global companies that have made the annual list of the World’s Best Multinational Workplaces™, 14 are in this year’s Best Workplaces™ in the UK. These organisations have been recognised as having trust-based workplace cultures consistently across many (up to 23) countries.
In addition, about three-quarters of the countries that Great Place to Work® has data for have recorded higher trust levels across their national Best Workplaces™.
In some cases, the increase in the national Trust Index© benchmark has been minimal, suggesting a period of stability. No country saw its Best Workplaces’™ trust levels drop by more than 5 percentage points. At the same time, trust levels jumped at least 5 points in 11
countries, led by a 21% surge at the Best Workplaces™ in Poland.
The World’s Best Multinational Workplaces™ have improved the most in the area of employee wellbeing in the Trust Index©. Rating of the statement ‘People are encouraged to balance their work and personal life’ has increased by 5.1 points in five years (see table, below).
Among the top ten scoring statements
on the Trust Index© across the World’s Best Multinational Workplaces™ are: ‘I’m proud to tell others I work here’ (91.3%); ‘Management is honest and ethical in its business practices’ (89.2%); and ‘When I look at what we accomplish, I feel a sense of pride’ (89%).
When it comes to the differences in Trust Index© statements between Best Workplaces™ and unranked organisations, some of the biggest points gaps are: ‘Everyone has an opportunity to get special recognition’ (5.9) and ‘People care about each other here’ (5.1).
Business leaders recognise that greater levels of trust mean better performance and greater innovation in their organisations. Employees are more likely to risk sharing ideas in a climate in which they feel secure and proud of what they do. Collaboration needs friendships between employees.
Social media provides visibility into organisations, and greater demands for better physical, mental and emotional health among employees provide an imperative for employers to ensure their workplaces are better.
There’s a growing recognition that everyone deserves to work in an organisation where they trust their leaders, take pride in what they do and enjoy spending time with their colleagues. And the best workplaces around the world are getting better. ■
“Regardless of where they are or what they offer, more and more organisations realise that high-trust workplaces – where every employee’s potential is realised – are good for business and good for our global society”Kim Peters, Executive Vice President of Great Place to Work®’s Certification programme
An increasing number of workplaces around the world are demonstrating higher levels of trust and employee wellbeing, according to Great Place to Work® data
www.greatplacetowork.co.uk 29
EUROPEAN AND GLOBAL BEST WORKPLACESTM
Most improved Trust Index© statements at the world’s Best Multinational Workplaces™ 2011-16
Point difference
2016 score
‘People are encouraged to balance their work and personal life’ 5.1 79.4%
‘People celebrate special events around here’ 3.8 84.7%
‘Promotions go to those who best deserve them’ 3.4 69.6%
‘This is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work’ 3.3 81.1%
‘People avoid politicking and backstabbing as ways to get things done’ 3.1 73.7%
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C OMPANIES WITH MORE than 500 employees are now required by law to include non-financial information in their annual reports to improve
transparency. The new rule came into effect this year, after the requirements of the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive were transposed into UK law on 1 January 2017.
Under the Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Non-Financial Reporting) Regulations 2016, businesses must disclose their activity relating to environmental, social and employee-related matters, respect for human rights and anti-corruption and bribery matters – “as a minimum”.
Car insurance multinational Admiral Group, which has been ranked a Best Workplace™ for 17 consecutive years, opens its annual report with: “We pride ourselves on being a great place to work.” Alongside its accounts, Admiral focuses on employee matters, giving figures for staff satisfaction and outlining its employer values.
Gathering metricsIt’s perhaps not surprising that a long-time Best Workplace™ would highlight its people strategy in its annual summary of activities. But it has become increasingly common for HR and finance departments in organisations to work together to provide metrics relating to people that give investors a better sense of overall performance.
In 2013, a CIPD report, Talent analytics and big data: the challenge for HR, outlined the importance to businesses of developing the capability and skills to analyse people metrics. In the intervening four years the volume, speed and availability of data has grown. Statistics on organisations’ people and performance are critical to them remaining competitive.
However, few organisations actually have the capability to understand HR analytics, according to the 2016 academic paper, ‘HR and analytics: why HR is set to fail the data challenge’, in Human Resource Management Journal. This is due partly to a lack of understanding of analytical thinking and a lack of government regulation.
Using data for improvementThe increasing amount of data about people held on HR information systems has the potential to be used to make better decisions about staffing strategy. Organisations may already collect metrics related to return on investment, such as revenue per full-time equivalent or labour costs. They should go further than this, however, and focus on the impact of employee engagement and organisational culture on financial data. Organisations need to move from transactional to more trusting and engaging relationships among the workforce. This should be reflected in what they measure.
This is not easy, but organisations can start by considering some specific areas of HR metrics. For example, what role does people management play in the business’s strategy? What impact does staff turnover have? What is the value of training? Is the varying performance of business units the result of employees’ performance?
Getting the full picture By considering what may prevent the gathering of these measurements, organisations can work out how to answer these questions. This is where data management, storage and reporting technology can help. However, data analytics should not be the only measurement of the impact of HR .
Getting the full picture of an organisation’s human capital needs qualitative evidence, too. The Great Place to Work® Culture Audit© evaluates HR and management practices qualitatively. It scores them against other benchmark organisations. The Trust Index©, meanwhile, gathers employee opinion. This kind of cultural analysis should feed into an organisation’s strategy, as well as HR analytics.
The non-financial reporting regulations currently apply only to large companies. But an in-depth understanding of people metrics and of culture is one area that Best Workplaces™ of all sizes have in common. The ability to analyse the impact of people on business strategy both qualitatively and quantitatively provides a significant competitive advantage. ■
Get in touch with Great Place to Work® to find out how we can help you tomeasure and improve your people’s performance
HR ANALYTICS
“The increasing amount of data about
people held on HR information
systems has the potential to be used to make better
staffing decisions”
Organisations that don’t yet know how to analyse data about their people are missing out on opportunities to improve their business
30 GPTW hr_analytics_v4_SC.indd 30 28/03/2017 14:13
Do you work for purpose or pay?
We all need financial reward in order to live. However, no matter how big your pay packet, you’ll be risking the Monday morning blues if job satisfaction levels are on the floor.
The thing is, you don’t need to sacrifice one over the other – you can have your cake and eat it.
One employer that offers financial reward combined with meaningful employment is Home Group - one of the UK’s largest developers of new homes and providers of affordable housing and integrated housing, health and social care.
Based in the North East, Home Group is a national charity and social enterprise as well as a commercially minded organisation that values efficiency and effectiveness.
Susan Coulson, Director of People at Home Group said: “We know that, for most, the opportunity to play a part in changing somebody’s life for the better is key to their job satisfaction.”
The organisation supports affordable solutions for individuals and families who want to take their first step on the property ladder; provided care and support for those living with mental health problems and learning disabilities, and currently houses 120,000 customers in 55,000 homes across the UK – so it certainly plays a significant role in today’s housing, health and wellbeing agenda.
Susan added: “The great thing about Home Group is that we work commercially in order to achieve our social goals. This means we create our own funds – through new housing developments and sales – in order to reinvest this money back into the business to support those who need it the most.”
“This allows us to attract top quality candidates to our roles, from the public and private sector, as we can offer competitive salary packages and a great work life balance, sector leading learning and development as well as a focus on making sure all colleagues understand our strategy and the role they play in delivering it.”
Home Group has won awards for the strength of its reward packages but it is the strong values-based culture, camaraderie and closeness to customers that many of its colleagues value most.
“Because Home Group works with some of society’s most vulnerable people, we truly understands the need to look after our colleagues, supporting a healthy and happy workforce that, in turn, delivers an exceptional service to its customers.
Susan concluded: “We’re really proud of our passionate team of colleagues who work incredibly hard to make a big difference to people’s lives. We’re currently going through a really exciting period of growth and change, which is creating new opportunities for even more brilliant people to join us.”
That’s when it hits home.
www.homegroup.org.uk/careers
At Home Group, you’ll get to experience moments like these. That’s because we’re changing things for the better.
Sales-savvy managers, compassionate support workers, IT gurus and customer solutions pros.
Our diverse and dynamic roles are open to brilliant people like you.
Home Group Limited (Charitable Registered Society No.22981R) Home and Communities Agency Registered No: L3076
Colleagues at Home Group’s multi award-winning customer service centre
Seeing Anthony ready to take on the world
June moving from isolation to celebration
Xander realising this one’s for keeps
Seeing Sarah’s eyes light up
For more information and to view current vacancies, visit www.homegroup.org.uk/careers
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