A BRIGHT IDEA in 1960 led to three Cambridge graduates setting up a technology consultancy that specialises in “helping companies achieve the seemingly impossible”. Cambridge Consultants is now a subsidiary of the global engineering group Altran, and has a UK workforce of 489. Under the leadership of chief executive Alan Richardson, the Cambridge-based firm develops products for clients ranging from FTSE100 corporations to tech start-ups. A senior engineer typically makes about £40,000 a year and colleagues can nominate each other for extraordinary effort, with the chance to win a cash reward. People are happy with their pay and benefits, scoring 72% positive on this measure, and feel they are paid fairly for the responsibilities they have, relative to those working in comparable organisations (66%). Half of the Cambridge Consultants workforce takes advantage of flexitime and people do not feel their health is suffering (77%). They are happy with their work/life balance (68%). Work brings a lot of satisfaction on problem-solving projects, primarily in the medical, consumer or wireless technology fields. Employees are proud to work for this organisation (85%). www.cambridge consultants.com
