UK’s 100 Most Loved Workplaces 2023

By Ed Barredo

It takes more than the traditional norms of salary and benefits to become a company that its workers love. For the second year, Newsweek is recognizing the organizational cultures that create exceptional workplaces. Our ranking of Most Loved Workplaces® takes a holistic approach that encompasses a company's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, its dedication to employee growth and development and its ability to adapt to the needs of its workforce.

We recognize these 100 organizations as the U.K.'s Most Loved Workplaces® because the heart of their success lies within the dedication and passion of their employees. From innovative tech giants to small, community-focused enterprises, the common thread is a profound commitment to cultivating an environment where employees are integral contributors to the organization's success.

As with the 100 Most Loved Workplaces in America®, published in September, this collection of small, medium, and large companies was produced with our research partner, the Best Practice Institute of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

So, join us as we celebrate the U.K.'s 100 Most Loved Workplaces®, where we recognize the leaders, innovators and dreamers who are redefining the future of work. These workplaces are not only driving success in their industries. They are also setting the bar high for organizations worldwide, proving that the possibilities are endless when employees are truly valued.

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▸ Most Loved Workplaces® is a registered trademark of the Best Practice Institute, Inc., of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Rank

Company

Employees

UK HQ

Loved Because

1Virgin Atlantic5,283SussexVirgin Atlantic Airways LTD.'s four-year plan is to become the most loved travel company and to be sustainably profitable. The organization values community involvement, empathy, and diversity. CEO Shai Weiss recognizes that people are the company's greatest asset and treats them as such, empowering them to bring their true selves to work through a Red Spirit series. This series allows make-up, tattoos, and non-bias towards gender identity.2Zopa661LondonAt Zopa Bank employees and management work together to determine company strategy and achieve goals. The culture is flat and open with ample opportunity for all voices to be heard publicly and through employee surveys. Career progression and personal growth are high priority, and new programs are being launched to support this. Employees are recognized, trusted, and respected.3Certinia1,000LondonCertinia employees are passionate about serving their customers and giving back to the community. Employee led programs host local events and benefit the surrounding community. Certinia values diversity and cutting-edge innovation while prioritizing employee growth and development at all organizational levels.4Lewis Silkin LLP603LondonBrilliant colleagues are doing brilliant work that is well-known in the legal industry for bravery and kindness, Lewis Silkin has perhaps the lowest chargeable hours requirement of any firm in the industry, which allows its employees to spend time on research, writing articles, podcasting, or even gardening. Once recruited, people tend to stay with the firm for life, lending to its growth and success.5Wyndham Hotels & Resorts2,169LondonEmployees at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts are guided by The Wyndham Compass- a strategic plan which guides and aligns team member to the company strategy and values of integrity, accountability, inclusivity, caring, and fun. These represent the deeply held ethical principles the company believes to be right and true.6HLB International40,832LondonHLB International is a network of accounting firms that sets itself apart from The Big Four by offering flexibility and a good work-life balance. Employees are empowered to learn and develop themselves through the HLB Skills Hub, which offers upskilling and reskilling opportunities. They’ve also introduced HLB Building the Future, an executive learning program in partnership with Cambridge University. HLB places a huge emphasis on diversity, believing that the most impact can be made by bringing together diverse viewpoints and ideas. They have a Global Diversity and Inclusion that sets clear goals for gender diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups, and they organize “Days of Understanding” to talk openly and learn from one another.7activpayroll334Aberdeenactivpayroll fosters a relationship of trust from the onset, doing away with the traditional 6-month probationary period. Employees are given various opportunities to provide feedback and help shape the culture. They have a Talent Advisory Board that meets every six months with the CEO to share employees’ ideas, and comments from quarterly surveys are reviewed by the C-suite and turned into action. Employees also recently helped to reimagine the company’s values - Big, Bold, and Brilliant. At activpayroll, all roles are advertised internally and anyone can apply for any role. Employees are given the chance to move vertically, horizontally, and internationally (if they want).8OVO4,500BristolAt OVO, the company ethos is born from its vision of clean, affordable energy for everybody, and it’s a huge part of why people join and stay with the business. They put people ahead of process, and have a strong agenda when it comes to inclusiveness and diversity. Last year, 28% of all new hires were from ethnic backgrounds and they won an award for Diverse Company of the Year, believing fundamentally that they should represent the population they serve. They’ve produced inclusive language guides to allow people to talk to each other more competently - people need to be able to show up and be their true self there - and they audit every process and policy for inclusivity. They bring people to the work, rather than work to the people, utilizing multi-functional autonomous groups that come together to solve problems. Their most talked about value is “Do What’s Right,” always seeking at a human level to make the right decision, and this is a value that people feel connected by. People are given tons of opportunities to learn, including their award-winning eLearning modules on climate change, technical re-skilling, apprenticeships, reverse mentoring, and leadership training that teaches leaders to become coaches.9Delt Shared Services230DevonCandidates join Delt Shared Services for their focus on wellness, community, and investment in training and development. The company has enjoyed a hybrid work model with flexible and compressed working hours well before Covid, understanding that people have lives and allowing them to work around them. Employees have monthly 1-on-1s with line managers to discuss personal wellbeing and the employees’ needs. Being community focused, they offer extra days off for charity work. They have an open office plan, conducive to open, honest, and transparent conversations. Every employee has an annual personal development plan ensuring that their needs for personal growth are met, whether they want to stay in their current role, change departments, or enter the aspiring managers leadership program. They’ve recently launched an early pay app, allowing employees to access pay throughout the month if needed to help with their financial wellbeing.10Metro Bank4,339LondonMetro Bank is a value-driven organization. Values are considered in recruitment, performance evaluations, and the building of leadership programs. Metro Bank strives to do meaningful work where employees have the opportunity to make a difference. The CEO is active and involved. Additionally, the company provides Days to AMAZE- an opportunity to get involved in the local community.11Alfa Financial Software460LondonAlfa Financial Software has made the shift to hybrid working, but is still finding ways to maintain its culture. “Smart” working allows managers and teams to decide how frequently they want to meet in person and to create schedules that work for everyone, and the company has increased the number of activities and events that encourage people to get together in person. For example, once a month “Come Dine With Me” invites people to the office for lunch from a different part of the world. As it turns out, they’ve found that because people are conscious about not being together, they are making more of an effort to connect, doing more purposeful activities in the office, and going above and beyond to welcome new joiners and make sure that they feel part of the company. In terms of development, they have a 3-month training program for all new graduates joining Alfa. They also offer a mentoring program, and have recently launched a Leadership Development Program with training for those just stepping into their first leadership role all the way up to senior leadership.12Chainlink Labs529LondonChainlink Labs is a mission-driven company with a positive vision for the future they are building. Employees are high-achieving, skilled individuals who are continuously learning and growing in their field. Employees feel aligned with the company values and mission and embrace a culture of innovation and collaboration. The organization’s values include true ownership, prioritized focus, and constructive dialogue.13Hilton Grand Vacations15,844LondonHilton Grand Vacations offers employees the opportunity to follow their desired career path while discovering numerous and diverse perspectives. The culture empowers employees to demonstrate openness, integrity, and respect in addition to creating an environment of continual learning and service to their communities. Team members are akin to family, and the organization boasts a people-first mentality.14Auticon63LondonAuticon is a social enterprise working to end employment inequalities for people with neurodivergence, especially autism. Each employee is teamed with a job coach and a technical lead and allowed to be their authentic selves while learning to excel in their roles and also helping the broader employer community learn to embrace and celebrate neurodivergent talent.15Join Talent Solutions176BrechinJoin Talent is a 100% remote company tied together by its values, which were created in collaboration with employees. Engagement survey results show that people are grateful for an open and honest culture where people can be themselves and work autonomously. Pulse surveys help shape the people strategy, most recently focusing on career development - they assembled a cross-functional group of 15 employees to determine what skills and training courses were needed and designed career development paths around those needs. While employees are given the freedom to work autonomously, the company provides plenty of opportunity for connection and collaboration, including their virtual HQ, fortnightly Squad Calls for local team members to get together, and Lunch & Learns where people can share their knowledge and expertise.16AKQA2,800LondonAKQA believes in empowering the next generation of diverse talent. This is done through a comprehensive curriculum for employees and an 8-week global internship program for potential future employees. Employees are given the freedom to be entrepreneurial and make their own decisions. Overall, employees are attracted to AKQA for the opportunity to create a better future through innovation, service, quality, and thought while joining a diverse and inclusive team working to improve professionally and culturally.17GWI560LondonGWI offers employees a clear path to both professional and personal growth. There is opportunity for internal advancement, and everyone is rewarded for their hard work and achievements. Employee voices are heard and ideas are celebrated. Employees are given the space, flexibility, and support they need to achieve their professional goals.18Kraken2,300Remote, UKEmployees, referred to as Krakenites, work together to accelerate the global adoption of crypto assets with a shared vision of helping the world achieve financial freedom and inclusion. Kraken is a global company with employees participating from over sixty countries. The organization strives to hire the brightest minds based on merit and not proximity to a tech hub. There are several avenues in place to encourage communication and collaboration in an otherwise asynchronous field. Kraken additionally strives to provide ample opportunity to grow professionally and personally.19Blue Zoo362LondonBlue Zoo is an animation studio creating children’s programming and it is every bit as fun as it sounds. Company activities like Clay Club, which makes clay figurines to send as gifts, and Recipe Club, where everyone cooks the same recipe at home and joins a chat to eat together, help support this creative culture. Blue Zoo has a flexible, hybrid schedule and autonomous work environment where everyone, from intern to management, is treated as an equal and respected member of the team, career pathways are mapped and shared to encourage growth in the company and animation industry.20KnowBe41,600YorkEvery day at KnowBe4 is a celebration- streamers, horns, applause, and all. The culture is people-centric and embraces both working and playing hard. Employee collaboration is enforced through daily meetings and check-ins, and employees are encouraged to bring their ideas to the leadership team with a no-door policy. Employees are given the tools and support needed to succeed. Team members are additionally encouraged to give back to the local community through community outreach efforts and philanthropic activities.21Mapp625LondonA real sense of authenticity and a hundred small things add up to making Mapp a most loved workplace. In the last year, the company responded to survey results that asked for more opportunities to collaborate by refurbishing all of their offices or relocating them to spaces more appropriate for collaboration. The company is also in the process of establishing an Employee Owned Trust to create employee ownership of the company. Employees have a seat on the board and were involved in selecting the new CEO.22PureSpectrum219LondonPureSpectrum strives to utilize collaboration as a way to cultivate new ideas and technologies. Employees enjoy the freedom to work where they feel most productive, whether that be at their desks, outside, or in a conversational room. Employees are both trusted and held accountable for their work. Mostly, employees love the opportunity to participate in shaping the future of market research today.23Scott Logic500Newcastle upon TyneThis tech company uses short, iterative delivery cycles and creates frequent releases of new technologies – a process that requires small teams to be highly collaborative across disciplines and locations. Line managers only have a small number of direct reports so they can form quality, nurturing relationships. Communities of Practice and Learning Lunches encourage a culture of shared learning to support personal development and innovation within the company.24Ansys5,956CambridgeAnsys employees work together to solve the world’s toughest challenges. Teams are global, and Ansys is proud to say they bring together the best and brightest skillsets and perspectives to their projects. Several employee resource groups focus on leadership, diversity, and skill-building. The organization offers a global mentorship program, flexible work arrangements, recognition, and several fun activities throughout the year.25Media.Monks8,600LondonMedia.Monks consists of a multidisciplinary, digital, global team. Team members share a vision of rapid transformation and growth. There is a digital-first mindset and the work is innovative, invigorating, and aligned with the always moving company culture. Entrepreneurial spirit abounds at Media.Monks and is supported through a number of training and development programs offered by the company.26BVNK230LondonBVNK is aggressively hiring a talented global team to execute its ambitious goals. Employees are greatly rewarded for working towards BVNK’s innovative vision with travel opportunities, events, in-office yoga, routine recognition, promotions, and above market compensation. Hiring is done in line with company values to ensure alignment with the culture. The culture also has a focus on low-ego attitudes and high DEI.27EPAM59,250LondonEPAM offers the best of both large-company and start-up worlds. It is both global and entrepreneurial. Employees feel they can make a difference in the industry and in their communities. There is a sense of ownership and belonging. Employees can chart their own course and be their genuine selves.28Busy Bees Nursery23,300StaffordshireBusy Bees is a value-driven organization where employees unite around the purpose of contributing to the critical first 5 years of children’s lives and giving people the best start in life. They offer employees education training from the ground up, including an apprenticeship program and numerous upskilling opportunities. In addition to their Chief People Officer, they have a Head of Happiness, which shows the importance they place on employees’ wellbeing. Being 97% female, Busy Bees offers market leading benefits tailored for women, including menopause support, enhanced maternity (and paternity) pay, support for fertility treatment, and discounted childcare.29Exabeam459CheltenhamExabeam has a committed, communicative, and collaborative leadership team focused on its people who are responsible for achieving the company’s mission of making security operations teams as efficient and successful as possible. The leadership team hears and values employees’ ideas and feedback. The culture is innovative, welcoming, and mission-driven with values including delivering the exceptional, working and winning as a team, communicating openly, interacting confidently without ego, and always doing what is right.30Pure Storage3,490LondonPure Storage understands that great culture stems from talented and diverse individuals and offers critical opportunities for development via learning teams, stress management programs, leadership development, and a mix of new on-the-job experiences that take the employee beyond their day-to-day domain. Pure listens to employees and values diversity of thought while embracing various working styles. Pure provides an opportunity for employees to be part of a true innovation house, enabling the future of business.31Jumo220LondonJumo prides itself on being a collective of smart hearts working as one team to achieve its goals. Employees find collective meaning through a united purpose and know that their work impacts the lives of their customers. The culture is one of autonomy, diversity, and respect. It is a quirky community who enjoys having fun and celebrating wins together.32Flexera1,100CheshireFlexera is a growing B2B business providing services to roughly half of the Fortune 500 companies. Employees love the opportunity to work with a reputable and recognized organization. Flexera values passion, candor, professionalism, celebrating success, keeping score, and giving back. These values drive the culture and programs offered by the organization. There are additional programs with a focus on mental wellness, flexibility, and support.33Equilibrium91CheshireEquilibrium’s purpose is to make peoples’ lives better, their people included. Employees are given the gift of time with up to 38 days paid leave, and they operate in a flexible framework where employees are trusted to do their job even if they aren’t in the office. Their team advisory group meets once per quarter to discuss and employees’ needs and give them a voice. Because the business is still small and growing, there is ample opportunity for employees to grow themselves within the business. They are keen on investing in employees’ development with various academies, leadership groups, and 1-on-1 coaching and mentoring.34Gilead18,000Stockley ParkCandidates choose to come to Gilead Sciences to be part of a highly socially-responsible and ethical company. Employees love the culture of inclusion and the ability to make a difference in the world and positively impact the community. Gilead Sciences’ CEO expects integrity and accountability from every employee, including himself, as he believes every person in every role is a leader in one way or another. Gilead’s teams are taken care of with several health, wellness, and development resources.35Colart International Holdings1,002LondonCandidates choose to work at Colart to be part of something that creates and beauty and inspires. Onboarding includes art classes to help people understand what makes the brand. Post-Covid, they shifted to 2 days in office/3 days at home flexible working and put an emphasis on mental wellbeing, building on their people first mindset. Employees play an active role in shaping the culture through DE&I councils, well-being collectives, and as sustainability ambassadors.36Opencast460Newcastle upon TyneOpencast employees are centric to its success and are heavily involved in both the obtaining and the reward of success. Opencast provides share options, annual bonus rewards, programs to support professional and personal growth, celebratory events, and a say in which ten charities the company’s charitable program will support. A range of initiatives focused on respect ensure that all voices are heard and valued with employees involved in major decisions including determining the company culture and values.37Neo4j700LondonThis open-source community aims to make graph technology available and accessible to all. All company plans, developments, and issues are shared with everyone through All Nodes meetings and Ask Management Anything sessions. Ideas are diligently reviewed, and employee feedback is valued through public and anonymous surveys38GoHenry308LymingtonGoHenry is a company whose employees are free to make their own success - you can’t hide there, but they’ll support you in whatever you’re doing. In terms of training, they’ve shifted away from corporate workshops towards removing the red tape and letting employees choose what would be the most impactful training for them. They rely heavily on employee feedback to shape their people strategy. Their engagement surveys led to the enhancement of paternity and maternity leave (a very competitive 6 months full pay for employees who have been there at least 3 years), flexible holidays (if you don’t care for a certain holiday, you can work that day and take a different day off), and a cycle to work scheme.39Genomics128Oxford and CambridgeCandidates are drawn to Genomics for their diversity, the opportunity to work with smart people, and their vision, to transform healthcare through genetics. Their leadership wants to be challenged, so employees here can share their opinions from the jump through an anonymous post box, open-door sessions with the CEO, and breakfasts with the leadership team. They have an “All-In Club” focused purely on DE&I where people from all different roles come together and do a spotlight or an event on a different topic, from gay pride to women in STEM to mental health.40Kyndryl90,000LondonKyndryl is devoted to shared success and enforces collaboration through its massive Guild program promoting the global exchange of industry knowledge, technical ideas, professional learning, and innovative techniques. Employees are united by a commitment to progress in technology, business, and society. The culture is built on the Kyndryl Way which consists of challenging the status quo, being restless to power the future, and having an empathetic approach to diverse perspectives.41Cielo2,856LondonCielo cares about providing a positive employee experience. The CEO holds listening sessions to understand which areas need improvement and the feedback is used as part of the organization’s strategic planning. Cielo University offers continued education opportunities, and Cielo-versary offers paid days off for birthdays and anniversaries to ensure a healthy work-life balance. Cielo partners with Country Navigator- the market leader offering learning for cultural awareness, global leadership, DE&I, collaboration, and more.42Coforge23,365LondonCoforge is a people-first company that believes in respect in the form of praise, trust, candor, feedback, and transparency. Employees are always in the spotlight and have the ability to make a significant impact. Learning and growth are important at Coforge as they believe that as the employees grow, so does the company. Employees have many unique programs to take advantage of, including mentorship from the CEO himself.43Setfords138Guildford, SurreySetfords is a forward-thinking law firm that sets itself apart by looking after its employees. The business was designed to give lawyers a bit more autonomy and control, and they now have over 450 lawyers who work predominantly remotely all across the UK. While their lawyers work mostly remotely, their headquarters has a lot to offer, including a fully funded restaurant, a gym, a personal trainer that can be booked by any employee, monthly yoga sessions, a book club, and a number of events, such as SetFest, a festival held in their restaurant that raises money for charity. They even allow dogs in the office every Wednesday - again, not your typical law firm. At Setfords, employees are encouraged to be curious and share ideas - you don’t need to be a manager to initiate change. All employees make a pledge of how they’ll treat each other and are held to those standards, creating an environment of respect.44LHi366LondonAt LHi, every employee has a piece of the pie through their Employee Ownership Trust, where every person in the business, once they’ve been there for 12 months, is stakeholding. They’ve also created an Employee Ownership Trust Committee, which takes feedback from the various teams and delivers it to the board to shape business decisions. This approach ensures cohesion because everyone is working towards a common goal. This is company with no open door policy because there are no doors - nobody is bigger than the business and anyone can pick up the phone and call the CEO. Their “Launch Program” is a professional development program designed to send employees’ careers up into higher orbit. They have a program called “The Future You,” driven by the CEO, which encourages employees to do things every day to improve their future self. Their people-focused approach also includes a market leading family policy where everyone can take a year off if they have a child. A unique concept, employees are rewarded for promotion, extraordinary performance, and workiversaries with Converse sneakers where the color represents their achievement.45Automattic1,990LondonThis isn’t your typical work-from-home job. Employees have location flexibility worldwide, tracking projects on WordPress blogs, private chat rooms, and Slack due to the geographic spread. The company operates 24/7, yet individuals enjoy flexible work hours. With an open vacation policy, parental leave, and wellness perks, Automatticians are trusted to prioritize their well-being. Working from the coffee shop? Automattic buys the requisite latte.46Jägermeister UK53LondonWorking for Jägermeister UK is every bit as fun as you would imagine it to be. This family-run company is all about authenticity and opportunity – come as you are and enjoy the social life and networking opportunities as you’re empowered to succeed by leadership that responds to the needs of employees. The benefits are excellent, salaries are above average, and yes, there are cocktail parties galore.47Tiger Recruitment62LondonEmployees at Tiger Recruitment love coming to work. They bring their dogs into the office, regularly lunch or grab cocktails together, and since their bonuses and rewards don’t require them to compete, there is a strong spirit of collegial support at Tiger. With offices in London, Dubai, and New York, employees can choose to work abroad – or with flexible and hybrid work options, they may just choose to work from home.48Viewber45BerkshireWellbeing is integral to their strategy and employees can ask for a Bear Hug to receive a little extra kindness and leniency from teammates that day. Employees receive and share recognition of each other by awarding “Viewbears” which can add up to days off or cash awards, leadership is highly accessible and collaborative in the work and all staff can rate leadership on a regular basis.49Zaizi150LondonPeter Drucker said that culture eats strategy for breakfast, and that’s the belief at Zaizi. They have a culture of open communication, listening, and trust. They’ve shifted from a hierarchical structure to clubs, allowing them to maintain a family feel. People are given the power to shape the company, as well as to grow themselves. Employees collaborated on and signed the “It’s OK” charter, which gave people a voice on what is okay to do when working remotely (they are nearly 100% remote since Covid) - perhaps most importantly, it’s okay not to be okay. Zaizi offers coaching for teams to work better together and coaching for individuals. They also have a very clear framework for career progression with a KPI that 30% of staff move up a level each year, and employees are given time and a budget for personal development.50Quantexa650LondonQuantexa’s team members are curious, caring, and authentic people who push the boundaries of what is possible. The company considers employees’ mental and physical wellbeing and safeguards these through a variety of programs and initiatives. Employees love the unique and comprehensive benefits including the Work from Anywhere Scheme which allows employees to spend up to two months working outside of your country over a rolling 12-month period. Mostly, employees love the opportunity to contribute in their own way and are empowered to do their best work.

METHODOLOGY

Newsweek's ranking of the 2023 U.K.'s Most Loved Workplaces pays tribute to companies that put respect, caring and appreciation for their employees at the center of their business model and, in doing so, have earned the loyalty and respect of the people who work for them.

The list was created in partnership with Best Practice Institute (BPI) and its Most Loved Workplaces® operation, a benchmark research, assessment, and culture change company that studies and identifies the specific management practices that lead to employee motivation and satisfaction and has documented the strong link between worker satisfaction and productivity and performance. Through its Love of Workplace Index™, BPI and Most Loved Workplace® measure five basic areas to determine how employees feel about where they work to create the Most Loved Workplaces list: the level of collaboration at the firm; how positive workers are about their future at the company; how much employer values align with employee values; respect at all levels and career achievement. Working in consultation with Newsweek editors, BPI also considered return-to-office policies, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and other workplace and talent development initiatives.

More than 600,000 employees were surveyed at businesses ranging in size from 10 employees to well north of 5,000.

To identify the top 100 companies for the Newsweek ranking, companies were evaluated and scored as follows: 35 percent of the initial score was based on responses to BPI's proprietary Love of Workplace index™. Another 25 percent was derived from analysis of external public ratings from sites such as Comparably, Careerbliss, Glassdoor, Indeed and Google. The final 40 percent came from direct interviews with and written responses from company officials. Newsweek then conducted additional research into every company on the list and the top runners-up to determine the final list of 100 companies and their rankings. (The list includes U.K. firms and companies with a strong U.K. presence based overseas.)

The rankings combine quantitative and qualitative analysis developed by BPI in partnership with The School of International and Public Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh and featured in the book In Great Company (McGraw-Hill, 2019) by BPI and Most Loved Workplace founder Louis Carter.

Most Loved Workplaces® is a registered trademark of Best Practice Institute, Inc.

▸To learn more about becoming a certified Most Loved Workplace or applying for next year's list, go to MostLovedWorkplace.com.