Broadcast from Media City in Salford, Manchester, on Friday 18th February, the second edition of ‘Best Companies Live’ revealed which organisations had achieved an employee engagement score high enough to gain a place on the national, regional, and sector-based League Tables of the Best Companies to Work For in the UK.
It goes without saying that in any year improvements in employee engagement should be celebrated. However, for those that have managed improvements so significant that they have made the biggest change to their previous survey score in their size category – it is more important than ever. In this article, we hear from the winners of the Special Award for ‘Best Improver’ at Best Companies Live, where they discussed how they made such an achievement in such a challenging year.
Putting an emphasis on delivering training is undoubtedly more difficult during a pandemic, however, some organisations found innovative and unique ways to continue their employees learning and development when Covid-19 hit. In the following article, we hear from the winners of the ‘Personal Growth’ Special Award at Best Companies Live, where they shared the practices they put in place and how their learnings will shape the way that employees train, develop and grow in the future.
Wellbeing might well be the buzzword of the last 18 months, with the pandemic heightening awareness of the importance of both mental and physical health. In this article, we hear from the four winners of the ‘Wellbeing’ Special Award, as they discuss what they learnt about wellbeing and the approaches they put in place during Best Companies Live.
Through the difficulties of the pandemic, it has been truly encouraging to see many organisations playing a part to help those in need. But why does doing the right thing matter? In this article, we hear from four organisations who participated at Best Companies Live about the reasons why giving something back is so important to them.
Since March 2020, the world of work has, for many, become very different. But what has the time since taught us, and what does it mean for the future of the workplace? In this article, we hear from four organisations who participated at Best Companies Live, about their learnings and their strategies going forward.
In times of uncertainty, change, or crisis, employees look to the leaders of an organisation for clarity and direction. According to the winners of this year’s ‘Best Leader’ Special Award, there’s a few key areas of focus that helped them through difficult times, which they shared during a discussion at our recent Best Companies Live event.
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Broadcast live from Media City in Salford on Friday May 21st, the inaugural ‘Best Companies Live’ event revealed not only the very best organisations nationally, regionally and by sector in 2021, but also awarded the most deserving individuals with ‘Special Awards’ for their contributions to the workplace.
Download your free report - Covid-19 has seen organisations having to think on their feet, make decisions quickly and react swiftly to a landscape that is constantly changing and evolving. Take a look at survey analysis from over 50,000 employee responses that highlights workplace engagement factors impacted by Covid-19.
Despite growing demand for development, many organisations are falling short, 57% saw declines in Personal Growth scores last year. As employees crave more opportunities to learn and progress, the role of the manager has never been more critical in closing the gap. Is your L&D strategy helping or holding you back?
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Once considered redundant, middle managers are now being reimagined as critical connectors in today’s hybrid world, bridging the gap between leaders and teams. By stepping into coaching roles, they can boost engagement, clarify strategy, and drive performance across the board. Could the key to future organisational success lie in the middle?
Organisational clarity means employees clearly understand the company’s purpose, strategy, and their role within it. The Clarity Index - Primary Purpose, Core Principles, Outrageous Ambition, and Ingenious Plan - helps build alignment and engagement. Learn how reinforcing these elements at every level can drive performance, motivation, and a stronger organisational culture.
Great managers don’t just hit targets—they build trust, clarity, and connection. Best Companies’ Manager Index outlines four key behaviours that drive strong employee relationships: Inspire, Support, Listen, and Care. While our data shows many managers connect well with their teams, the challenge lies in linking those relationships to wider organisational goals and direction.
For many women, the joy of motherhood can be accompanied by a harsh reality in the workplace: the ‘Motherhood Penalty’. There can be no doubt that this is a very real issue in UK workplaces. However, organisations in the Best Companies’ community are doing something quite different when it comes to supporting their female employees.
Download your free copy of our State of Engagement report and discover the key drivers of engagement for the year ahead. Packed with data from nearly 350,000 employees across 468 organisations, explore what organisations can do to improve, despite the challenges many are facing right now.
The culture that you cultivate at your organisation can be the cause of your collapse or the catalyst of your success. Find out what the building blocks are for an exceptional culture and how some of the best in the business have created a way of working that helps their people, and the organisation, to thrive.
How do you ensure that your organisation's purpose, strategy, and goals are being clearly communicated too all employees? Through your managers, of course! Find out all about 'The Miracle in the Middle', what makes a world class manager, and how they are the key to organisational clarity.
What are the key elements that create effective Organisation Clarity? We discuss that here, as well as what the latest data shows us about how connected employees feel to their organisations.
What makes truly amazing teams? In this article, we look at the importance of relationships within teams, what our latest data tells us on how people are currently feeling about their teams, and what industry experts have to say on the subject.
The UK’s Best Companies to Work For in 2023 have been unveiled during a spectacular event that firmly put the spotlight on employee engagement and organisational health. The leading workplaces were praised for demonstrating they truly care for their people, particularly in challenging times.
Research shows that companies that prioritise employee wellbeing are more likely to be successful. Our Red Chair panellists discussed how their organisations had built their workplace cultures around employee wellbeing, what practices they have implemented to do this, and answered the question: how are workplace wellbeing and culture related to each other?
We believe that strong team spirit is essential for any successful organisation. In this session, valued members of our community discussed the cultures their managers and teams had instilled to ensure team spirit is high. We hope these insights will inspire you to create a workplace where employees feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves.
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Take a deep-dive into how the leaders of your organisation can effectively lead with purpose from our Best Companies Live event for Q3. Valued members of our community took to the famous red chairs and discussed the initiatives their companies have implemented to improve their employee engagement against the workplace factors of Leadership and Giving Something Back.
Communication is everything to an organisation. Our data and MC³ model shows that managers who can not only effectively inform their employees, but listen to them too will build greater relationships and improve their engagement scores. We know management is one of the most important aspects of a company, that's why our Best Companies Live event for Q2 was dedicated to effective people management. See what insights were shared from valued members of our community who took to the coveted red chairs.
Close working between team members is not an issue in itself; it can hone specialisms and skills. A problem arises when collaboration between teams is rare rather than routine. Has the hybrid working explosion further cemented silo mentalities, or has a post-pandemic change in attitude and workplace norms – including greater use of tech – boosted team communication?
