Energy consultant, Northern Gas and Power, ranked number one in the first ever CMI and Glassdoor ranking of best companies by culture and leadership. The company was top of the table due to its focus on management behaviour and a track record of promoting and developing its people, which employees said helped boost productivity and morale.
Hospitality technology firm, Fourth, was second in the table, using a split leadership model that distinguishes between two types of manager – the technical specialist and the people specialist. Equal Experts, a software company, was third, aspiring to be a ‘company of grown-ups’ where staff are recruited on the premise that they will be able to act autonomously and seek advice on the decisions they make, rather than adhering to any strict organisational hierarchy.
The firms were scored through analysis of employee reviews posted on the Glassdoor web site.
Patrick Woodman, head of research and advocacy at CMI, said:
‘The companies featured in the Top 20 point towards a new way of defining management. Traditionally, getting on at work meant getting into management and climbing the ladder, but this hasn’t always led to a perfect fit between people’s skills and the demands of the role – especially when employers spend too little on training. Many of the best employers are now changing how they do things to make sure they put people with the right skills in the management roles that are critical to their company’s success.’