Loans.co.uk Ltd

At Loans.co.uk money obviously matters but it is not the bottom line for staff. Only 24 people at Britain's leading credit brokers earn more than £35,000 yet the company has some of the most positive employees in the country. The firm is a subsidiary of MBNA Europe and employs 400 staff who arrange and complete loans. Last year it turned over £64.5m of business and made pre-tax profits of £2.75m. The 81% positive score for happiness with pay and benefits (even though there is no pension scheme) is bettered in just three other businesses and the 86% score for good work being appropriately rewarded is topped just twice. Employees at the company's Watford headquarters have access to an on-site gym, while satellite TV, internet access and PlayStations help staff at the Preston office unwind. The employee of the month receives a £1,000 prize with another £1,000 going to charity. With just 10% of staff aged over 35 there is an active social calendar and the company spent the equivalent of £773 per member of staff on fun activities last year. Teams being fun to work with earns an 89% positive score, and workmates care a lot about each other (85%) and go out of the way to help (82%), all top 10 scores. Everybody knows Steve Hayes, the chief executive, who has a high profile and attends social events so people get a chance to speak to him; staff think he is doing a great job (84%) and have a great deal of faith in him (81%). The company, which donates to charity for each loan it completes, is run on strong principles (82%) which translates into a strong sense of pride among the workforce and a 78% positive score. Staff appear to be getting a good work/life balance; just five companies can better the 84% positive score for low stress levels, although the low 45% positive score for staff feeling exhausted most days when they get home ranks the company 73rd on this measure. End-of-month company meetings keep staff informed. They are also kept up-to-date through team, department or one-to-one meetings. Employees feel fully involved at work and that they can make a difference in the organisation, evidenced by 77% positive scores for these questions; they also have confidence in the leadership skills of senior management (79%).