Softcat crowned best place to work in UK

Titan scoops top award in Best (large) Workplace in UK after being runner-up last year

Softcat has added another trophy to its bulging cabinet after beating tough competition to grab the top spot in the UK's Best Workplace 2016 list.

The Marlow-based firm was given the accolade last night by Great Place to Work, in the "large" category - for organisations with 500-plus employees.

Other UK tech firms that made the top 10 in the 30-strong list were SalesforceUK, Cisco UK, Rackspace and Adobe Systems Europe.

To top it off, the VAR - whose turnover has rocketed from £50m to £600m in the last 10 years, and which went public last November - was also named as one of Great Place to Work's Laureates - recognising the firm's consistent ranking as a best workplace for five consecutive years. It is now one of just 47 firms to achieve this.

Martin Hellawell, chief executive of Softcat, said: "Softcat was set up with one clear goal in mind: to create an organisation where people enjoyed coming to work and felt engaged.

"Being named as the Best Large Workplace in the UK, over 20 years after the company was formed, celebrates that original goal. It is an outstanding achievement for our entire team - the very people who contribute to making this a vibrant and successful working community.

"We don't have any intellectual property, we haven't invented any products or made any, so the attitude of our employees and quality and enthusiasm of the customer service we offer is how we differentiate ourselves - it is the cornerstone of our success," he added.

"Our formula is simple: we recruit the right staff in the first place, continuously train and develop them and ensure they are engaged so they offer a fantastic service to customers. Our focus on people is ingrained here; it's set in stone and that foundation can't easily be broken up."

Tom O'Byrne, chief executive of Great Place to Work, added: "We are delighted to see Softcat head our Best Workplaces list this year. It is a validation of the strength of its leadership and its commitment to creating the kind of culture where employees enjoy coming to work and want to do their best.

"The hallmark of a great workplace like Softcat is that its policies and practices are designed around the employee; this employee focus helps attract and retain the talent essential for driving and sustaining competitive performance."