Consulting and business services group Mouchel has big ideas for the future. In the past 18 months the firm has acquired five companies and 3,120 new staff. The aim is to add a further 6,000 to the current workforce of 8,752 by 2012. As an organisation grows it can become more difficult to keep staff fully engaged. Mouchel is bucking the trend and has held on to last year's rank of 16th, despite the increase in staff numbers. Employees say work is an important part of their lives, giving a positive score of 73%. The Surrey-based firm was founded in 2003 and has 166 sites throughout the country. Staff are involved in planning, designing, building, managing and maintaining road and railway, education and energy, water and welfare projects. “It has a fundamental role in making a difference to people's lives,” says Jane Smith, head of organisational development. “It's an organisation that cares about people.” Staff agree that it makes a positive difference to the world, earning the firm a 63% score, ranking Mouchel 10th on this point. The rapidly expanding company is aware of the challenge of ensuring new staff feel part of the Mouchel culture. “We do things, like every other company, to make money, but people are equally important to us and we are consciously doing things to show that,” says Smith. The company's original corporate values were replaced last year with three guiding principles: passion for success, spirit of adventure and integrity at heart. Staff think chief executive Richard Cuthbert runs the company on sound moral principles (67%) and that managers really listen to them (68%). Shirley Moffat, a recruitment consultant based at the Lincoln office, was among those who discussed the new plan: “We thrashed it out and it was changed. How fabulous is that? They listened. They made it about us.” Lincoln Castle is currently benefiting from a restoration project overseen by Mouchel. Stonework in the walls of the castle is being secured so that the walkways around the walls can be extended to the whole circumference. Home to one of the original copies of the Magna Carta, the castle dates back to the 11th century. The challenges ensuring the structure is safe for the public are dealt with by the team at Lincoln, who are proud to be involved. Peter Duff, business services assistant, joined as a temp and after taking two months off work to travel, he returned to a permanent contract. His main responsibility is to deal with post at the Lincoln office, but he feels part of the bigger picture. “It's not just local history you're dealing with at Lincoln Castle, its national history,” he says. “To be involved in that is phenomenal.” Working at Mouchel isn't boring (a 71% score ranks the company fourth) and people are excited about the future (64%). A 72% score shows employees feel they can make a contribution to the success of the firm. A score of 66%, the seventh highest on this point, proves that staff think work does not interfere with responsibilities at home. Employees say they are not spending too much time at work (55%, a result bettered in just five other companies) and are happy with the balance between their work and home life (64%).