Marlow: Softcat pounces into fourth place in UK Best Workplaces ranking

IT provider, Softcat, has attained a much sought-after position in the UK’s Best Workplaces 2013 list. The Marlow-based company, renowned for its excellence as an employer, came fourth in the medium category for 50-499 employees. 

Managing director Colin Brown accepted the trophy at the award ceremony which was held this week at the Pavilion in The Tower of London. Guardian writer and author Guy Browning hosted the event, with David MacLeod, co-chair of the Engage for Success Task Force, appearing as a guest speaker.

This is the second time Softcat has ranked in the list, owing to its outstanding commitment to employee welfare.

Softcat’s HR and recruitment manager Shelley Ferrigno said, “People often talk of customer centricity as being the ultimate priority for a business, but as a company we believe that customer satisfaction depends on our employees’ performance – so we make them our primary focus. Our special work culture motivates us to provide excellent customer service and support. We place our employees’ welfare at the heart of our operations, as it guides our goals and objectives as a business. We aim to keep our staff happy, enthused and feeling supported, so we’ve created a community, not just a place to work.

She added, “We strive for integration and a sense of togetherness, aims that our open organisational structure help to support. Managers sit with their teams rather than in separate offices, which provides every employee with immediate support, and cultivates a strong team ethic. We hold a company-wide meeting every week, engaging all employees in our vision. When employees have a stake in a company – emotionally or otherwise – they have a greater sense of reward and satisfaction from the work they do.”

Great Place to Work is the organisation responsible for compiling the Best Workplaces list. It surveys both employees and management to get a holistic view of the organisation’s HR policies and practices, and how these are perceived by employees. It uses its research, based on data from more than 6,000 organisations and 10 million employees in 45 countries, to share stories and insights about great workplaces around the world.

Tom O’Byrne, chief executive of Great Place to Work, said: “I am once again delighted to congratulate all our Best Workplaces on their achievement, and thank their leaders for continuing to champion the importance of trust in the workplace. In the current economic climate, it has never been more crucial for organisations to recognise the importance of creating and maintaining great workplace cultures and understanding how this can improve performance. The jury is no longer out – employee engagement works and to be engaged you need trust!”

Brown commented: “Every employee in the company has contributed towards Softcat achieving this accolade. We’ve accomplished it together, through a combined company-wide effort to deliver professional excellence. To be recognised by an international standard means the world to us, because being a great place to work is our deepest ambition.”

Softcat’s turnover has risen year on year since inception, a fact that Softcat attributes largely to the hard work and commitment of its satisfied employees. Already in 2013, the company has won major partner awards from the likes of NetApp, Veeam HP, and on the back of its proven success, has secured contracts with organisations as large as the NHS. “Happy, well-trained employees result in excellent service and satisfied customers. It’s that simple,” added Brown.