You have a lot of big mobile companies that could be confused for big consultancies (companies like Vodafone, Telefonica, T-mobile etc). Not a lot of appetite for risk, analysis paralysis type environments.

Some smaller companies have great fun atmospheres, companies like Moo.

Some smaller companies can still be hierarchical and bureaucratic

But no one seems to be really using their excellent culture and working environment as a competitive advantage here – like Zappos totally does in the US.

Congrats on the award.

The criteria used differs between the Times and the Fortune list, but both have overall stats (like average salary, voluntary turnover etc) as well as employee surveys (asking things about the leadership and what not) and benefits offered (job share, telecommuting, services like gyms, nurseries/Crèche, etc).

You can find the criteria used under the lists themselves.

Regardless of criteria, it's a shame that there aren't more European companies in general and specifically (at least in my opinion) EU tech companies on the Times list.

I am curious what the criteria was that got these companies on those lists to begin with?

Many times when a company is “listed” as a great place to work, the HR team has likely submitted an application to be “listed.” This seems to be the case for most print publications.

We just went through this at my work place and were named one of the Toronto Stars GTA's Top 90 Employers. The criteria on which we won (derservedly so) had more to do with certain employee incentives and programs that we have the resources to support. It really didn't have much to do with the actual culture of our organization or our outstanding leadership. (Both which make my workplace phenomenal but were not criteria.)

Happy day,

Faiza

Regardless of work philosophy, how many days off people get, and personal definitions, there still should be companies which pride themselves on being fantastic places to work.

It's a global recession, the companies that will retain people when we get out of this will be the ones that people enjoy working for.

Turnover is a problem for organisations regardless of geography and work laws, so even companies in Europe should have strong culture to make sure they retain the best people, and so that people actually enjoy working in the environment.

I bet the “great” companies you seek in the UK are indeed better than the ones on the current list but my guess is that their employees' diverse backgrounds and individual cultures are the driving factor.