Ranking: The 50 best companies to work for in the UK, according to employees

Fashion and homeware retailer Oliver Bonas placed 26th – the first time the company has been named in the list, which is compiled based on reviews from employees.

Footwear specialist Schuh finished in 36th place.

All four of the retailers that featured in the list last year – Majestic Wine, The Body Shop, Waitrose and Greggs – have been relegated from the top 50 based on the latest employee reviews.

Online grocer Ocado’s technology division secured 21st place in a list that was dominated by tech and digital companies. ServiceNow, AND Digital and Salesforce claimed the top three spots, while the likes of Adobe, Meta, Microsoft and Google were all in the top 20.  

Global brands including Apple and Lego, as well as restaurant operators Nando’s and Dishoom, were also among the best places to work for the year. 

Glassdoor chief executive Christian Sutherland-Wong said: “The world of work is rapidly evolving, fueled by the pandemic and now millions of workers re-evaluating their expectations of employers. This year’s Best Places to Work winners are leading the way by listening and responding to employee feedback and reimagining the employee experience to truly put their people first.”

According to Glassdoor, four key themes emerged that were valued most by employees: culture; leadership and senior management; learning and development; and a work-life balance.

Strong company culture 

Employees highlighted the importance of a company’s culture, from smart colleagues to good team ethics and clear values. 

Schuh, which has featured in the ranking on three occasions, placed increased focus on connecting with staff members, particularly during national lockdowns.

Finance and HR director David Gillan-Reid told Retail Week: “We supplemented our existing wellbeing programme with further services to provide additional support to our staff and their families. During lockdowns, we stayed connected to our people and maintained a fun working environment with virtual events.”

Oliver Bonas, which made the top 50 for the first time, welcomes input from employees to shape its culture by organising regular surveys. The retailer also ensures its employees feel acknowledged at all stages of their lives and careers, including recognising the need for extra support during tougher times. 

Zoe Bullock, head of people at Oliver Bonas, said: “We are committed to nurturing the good health and wellbeing of all our team members and have over 20 trained mental health first aiders across the business, in addition to the valuable support available from our employee assistance programmes.

“We have also introduced several new measures to support our teams during difficult times. These include fertility treatment, pregnancy loss and domestic abuse policies.”

Mental health awareness was a standout theme among the top 10 companies. Immediate Media Company, which ranked fourth, introduced mental health first aiders, while software design company Arm, in ninth, was praised for its “people first” policies. It offers staff access to a workplace mental health app, which includes exercises on a host of topics from productivity to sleep stories.

Leadership and senior management 

The desire to feel respected and supported by your employer’s senior leadership team was another area that workers highlighted.

Bullock explained how Oliver Bonas’ leadership understood the importance of employee trust: “We celebrate difference and work hard to ensure that Oliver Bonas is a place where each person can be their authentic selves and thrive. 

“We have supported this through a commitment from our leadership team; creating and listening to our ED&I Voices groups; providing beneficial learning experiences and resources; regularly reviewing our internal policies and processes; and working with the wider community through our partnerships with UK Youth, Mentor Lab and Mentor Black Business.”

Employees at Schuh highlighted the positive impact of having an approachable management team, right up to the chief executive, contributing to them feeling valued and heard by those running the broader business. 

Learning and development 

Employees placed huge value on the availability of opportunities to progress their careers. Training, fresh opportunities and being handed additional responsibilities were all important to them in the workplace.

The top-ranked company, workflow automation platform ServiceNow, was lauded for its internal training programmes for staff. It also launched speed connecting events to allow employees to meet those in other areas of interest across the organisation.

Learning opportunities were also highlighted as positive aspects of many of the other top 50 companies, including Google, Mastercard, Lego and Trailfinders, illustrating how important career development opportunities are to employees.

Schuh was among those promoting development and training opportunities for staff on the shop floor, illustrating that learning programmes were welcomed for employees in all parts of the business.

Work-life balance 

Establishing a healthy work-life balance is an area that has been thrown into stark focus by the pandemic – and it was cited as an important factor for employees when assessing how much they enjoyed working for their companies.

The ability to choose flexible hours and the opportunity to work from home are now seen as ‘musts’ by employees, a trend that has transformed the world of work during the Covid crisis.

SAP, which ranked 19th, introduced a “pledge to flex” policy in 2021, allowing employees to choose their own hours and work location. IT services provider Softcat now offers flexible start and finish times, as well as the chance to jobshare with other members of staff.

Sky Betting and Gaming placed 29th in the ranking, helped by its long-running wellness programme, which aims to support employees in achieving this balance. Among the perks offered by the businesses are the option of additional days off and complimentary use of the in-house gym.