Best Company to Work for AWARDS
Winner (professional & larger firms): BDO
Winner (creative, agency & hi-tech): Retail Marketing Group
Simon Brooker, BDO, (2nd left) collected the award from Simon Winfield, Hays, (right)
With skills shortages, recruitment and staff retention in the minds of most Thames Valley employers at present this was an award that every company wanted in its cabinet.
And from the quality of nominations there are plenty of companies now making great strides in employee engagement, workplace culture and career fulfilment. Once again Fiona Bruce announced that the judges would be splitting the award into two classifications to recognise the widespread excellence of contenders.
There were four in the Professional Services & Larger Companies classification: BDO the global accountancy and business advisory firm, now employing over 200 people in its Reading office; Brethertons Solicitors. The law firm has offices in Banbury, Bicester, London and Rugby, employing 250 in total; HMT has grown to become one of the leading independent advisory and corporate finance boutiques in the UK; and, winner of the evening’s first award category, Ridgeway, the fast-growing motor dealership listed 12th on the latest Top Track 250.
Simon Winfield, South West and Wales managing director of Hays, assisted by Nick Hewer, presented the awards to Brethertons Solicitors who were highly commended, to third-placed HMT from Henley, second-placed Ridgeway and finally to the overall winner BDO.
The judges said BDO was a very deserving winner: “We were incredibly impressed with how the firm’s Reading office has managed to create a distinct identity of its own. This is not always an easy task for a global business. There are many great incentives, teambuilding activities,
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – DECEMBER14/JANUARY15
Jonathan Peach, RMG, (4th right) with team, collected the award from Simon Winfield, Hays, (right)
social events and what we thought was brilliant internal communication for employees. What really came across was how the support staff have just as much development and involvement in the culture of the firm as the fee- earning staff do.”
Simon Brooker, lead partner of BDO’s Reading office, explained: “As a professional services firm, we don’t sell products or manufacture cars, we only have our people, so we try to include them all in what we do.
“I don’t think there’s a silver bullet solution, you just have to do lots of communication, have meetings, social events, etc to get the culture right throughout the firm.”
In the classification of Creative Agency & Hi-Tech the finalists were: Berkeley PR the Theale-based public-relations agency with 58 staff; already a winner on the night; FISCAL Technologies the world leader in accounts payable software; Opsview, the IT systems management software company from Reading; and, Retail Marketing Group, the award-winning Oxfordshire agency specialising in consumer engagement with brands.
Simon Winfield and Nick Hewer again announced the results in reverse order revealing that third place had gone to Opsview, second to FISCAL Technologies, and the winner was the Retail Marketing Group.
The judges said about the winner: “Having won this category last year, the management team immediately set out a plan to become an even better place to work and they have succeeded. Entering Investors in People for the first time, they were awarded silver, which is incredibly
rare. There has also been significant investment in the working environment and facilities.
“This is a truly unique company, where the management team really do want the happiness and engagement of their staff to be central to the success of the business.”
Jonathan Peach, director of employment and engagement at Retail Marketing Group, said afterwards: “You need to really respect your people and allow them make decisions, even mistakes, and give them empowerment to grow the business. It’s not just down to the management team, everyone has a real vested interest in what we do and genuinely wants to do their best.”
Berkeley PR was highly commended.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE AWARDS 2014
THAMES VALLEY
SPONSORED BY Celebrating its 20th year
www.businessmag.co.uk
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