Chess

“Every day, we encourage, motivate, and support each other to maintain a friendly positive atmosphere where everyone feels valued and cared for,” says Chess, one of the UK's leading independent and trusted technology service providers. The business won The Best Company to Work For award in 2018, when executive chairman David Pollock was named Best Leader for the second year running. It employs 300 people and supports over 20,000 organisations.

Born in 1993 as a utilities reseller, the firm started focusing on telecoms after deregulation. It now covers software design; development and support; partner and mobile sales; hosted and cloud solutions; and – most recently – cyber-security.

Chess, based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, maintained six offices across the UK but post-pandemic the plan is to choose one site as a head office and to set up local hubs. The company will then work with each employee to put in place a plan that meets their requirements and those of their team.

Aware that people risked becoming isolated and disengaged during a year of lockdowns, Chess has hosted virtual social events such as Future Fit, which focused on physical and mental health; and online pub clubs and bingo, which enjoyed high levels of participation. A Chat Lounge Teams page is extensively used for informal socialising.

Managers hold monthly Q&A sessions and Chess appointed Cultural Ambassadors across all areas of the business to help solve any issues. Feedback goes straight up to the CEO, who holds monthly lunches, with people invited by rota to put any concerns to him personally.