Employees at recruitment consultancy SThree thrive on a work hard, play hard culture where high levels of success are achieved but there are still plenty of laughs to be had. Most new employees are young, in their first or second job, and are attracted by the extensive training and personal development on offer as well as the opportunity to work with ambitious, motivated teams and the chance to win fantastic prizes such as trips to exotic destinations and lunch at top restaurants. The company, which employs more than 1,300 staff at 29 locations in the UK, earns an 85% positive score for being a fun place to work. Staff also say that people in their teams care a lot about each other (80%). Promotion at the London-based company is earned on merit alone, not time served. The senior management team is almost exclusively home-grown and this creates a natural empathy between the bosses and their teams and lets them see where the hard work they put in can get them. Because they know their contribution is appreciated staff really do feel that they can make a difference (79%). Team members are regularly involved in reviewing training material and observing or supporting training programmes while senior managers who, according to employees, truly live the values of the organisation (81%), host monthly and quarterly lunches to celebrate top achievers. Managers sit among the staff and are all on first-name terms with workers. They are seen as excellent role models (73%) who motivate people to do their best every day (71%), both top 20 scores. Team spirit is strong and SThree has dedicated social funds for fun nights out. There are Friday beers, free ice cream in hot weather and an extra day off for birthdays, not to mention caring extra touches such as a £50 “cab fare” home for everyone at Christmas. Staff also benefit from childcare vouchers, life assurance, discounted services, a wellness programme and a contributory pension. All this leaves employees feeling positive about their work, which is an important part of their life (80%). They think they can make a valuable contribution to the success of the company (83%) and are excited about where the organisation is going (84%).