MAKING THE MAGIC of technology seem simple is the remit of The Carphone Warehouse & Best Buy UK and when it comes to employee engagement the simple rule also applies. The company recognises that well-trained managers equal happy teams and has gone beyond expectations to ensure good communication and supportive leadership. "Despite tough economic times, we're continuing to perform and we continue to dominate the electrical market," says chief operating officer Andrew Harrison. "This is because we have great people and it's the energy and commitment they display that makes us successful. If you get your people engagement right, then customer loyalty will follow." According to our survey, the firm's more than 9,000-strong workforce feels it can make a difference in the organisation (a 72% positive score). Staff are excited about the future of the business (71%), what is expected of them is made clear (77%), and they go out of their way to provide a great service (87%). All four are top 10 rankings. The company, which includes the Geek Squad brand, gets its highest overall result in the My Manager factor (73%), a score bettered by just three other firms on our list. Staff receive 35 hours of training annually at a cost of £400 each. Programmes include a "developing towards management" module, where people gain the skills they will need to apply for branch manager roles. Staff say managers are excellent role models (69%), supportive (74%), take an active interest in their wellbeing (77%) and talk openly (78%). Seeing senior managers singing karaoke badly or coming into work and finding it "snowing" in the canteen are some of the fun ways the company's suppliers have introduced new products. The snow-filled canteen was especially popular with the children in the firm's crèche. "If there's an opportunity to do something fun for our people, we'll explore it, because we want our people to come to work, not because they have to, but because they want to," Harrison says. thecarphonewarehouse.com