Nationwide branch front

EY, Iceland, Nationwide Building Society, Skyscanner and Water Aid are among the organisations recognised in The Sunday Times' Best Companies to Work For 2016 lists.

The lists rank the best large employers to work for (3,000 employees or more), the best 100 mid-sized organisations to work for (between 250 and 3,000 employees), as well as the top 100 small employers (between 50 and 250 staff), and the best 100 not-for-profit organisations to work for.

The rankings are based on feedback from employees gathered via a detailed questionnaire about workplace culture, benefits, work practices and employee sentiment towards their employers.

The top five organisations in each of the four categories are listed below.

The 25 Best Big Companies to Work For (more than 3,000 employees):

  1. Inchape UK
  2. Synter Group
  3. Nationwide Building Society
  4. Bourne Leisure
  5. American Express
The 100 Best Companies to Work For (250-3,000 employees):
  1. Simply Business
  2. Chess
  3. Red Carnation Hotels
  4. WVF
  5. Skyscanner
The 100 Best Small Companies to Work For (50-250 employees):
  1. Paragon Interiors Group
  2. Phaidon International
  3. Educ8
  4. The 7 Stars
  5. Reassured
The 100 Best Not-for-profit Organisations to Work For:
  1. SLH Group
  2. Wales and West Housing
  3. B3 Living
  4. Dale and Valley Homes
  5. University of Surrey’s Student Union
Steve Varley, UK chairman and UK and Ireland managing partner at EY, which was ranked thirteenth on the 25 best large organisations to work for list, said: “Being named one of the top organisations to work for is certainly a highlight of the year for the firm. It is a sure sign that we are continuing to create a positive working environment where our people feel empowered to achieve their personal and professional ambitions.

“We have a leading people culture, and will continue to be innovative in our approach to recruiting and retaining the very best talent while shaping the workplace for the future, for the benefit of our people, our clients and the communities we work in.”

Wendy Taylor, global HR director at Bibby Financial Services, which climbed 19 places to rank 31st in the 100 Best Companies to Work For list, added: “Attracting and retaining leading talent is key to providing excellent service to our customers. As a business we have heavily invested in employee wellbeing and workplace benefits over the past 12 months, and we’re thrilled to have been awarded a place in this prestigious list for the fifth time in recent years.”

Steve Hood, chief executive officer and chairman of Trust Ford, which was ranked 23rd in the large employers category, said: “Across the team we work hard to provide each and every one of our colleagues with a great place to work, whether they are based in a dealership site, one of our parts distribution centres or in a supporting role.

"There has been a shared focus on how we work together to achieve our goal and we are absolutely thrilled because this is great recognition of those efforts from across the entire business.”

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