It has been a fast-moving year for Bluefin Solutions. The firm, based in Brentford, west London, offering specialist IT services, has doubled in size in terms of employees and powered into the 100 Best Small Companies to Work For list.

Staff turnover is low at 4% but there has been an injection of new workers: more than half of staff (55 of the 100 people) have joined in the past year, 37% of them in the past six months. Bluefin has recruited experienced people, though: the average age is 34 and more than half earn more than £55,000 a year.

There’s a sense of excitement about where the firm is going, with a positive score of 88%. People find their work stimulating (84%) and feel there are plenty of opportunities to grow (77%).

The organisation gets its highest relative scores for the strong values on which it is run, with staff rating it third overall, with a positive score of 92%. The company was established in 2002 with a decent sense of corporate responsibility: 1% of profits is donated to charity each year and Bluefin Solutions matches up to £500 raised by workers.

Turning up the Heat pays off

Strong training and a sense that work is to be enjoyed add up to Heat powering past its rivals into top spot this year

Background

• Hats off to great leadership

• Getting the message across loud and clear

• Fly high with the X Factor

• Why it pays to know what you’re doing

Background

• Charity wins top small company award

• Special awards for best practice

• Rules of engagement

• 100 Best SME's to work for 2008

Multimedia

• Best Small Companies to Work For 2008

• Highlights from the awards ceremony

James Appleby, chief executive and founder, is rated highly by his employees. They believe he runs the firm on sound principles (88%), have a great deal of faith in him (91%) and confidence in senior management’s leadership skills (88%), all top 20 scores. Appleby and the chief operating officer meet all new starters in their first two days.

People can work reduced hours or from home. However, although there are days off in lieu for weekend work, people feel they are spending too much time working (with a positive score of just 59% for this question).

Most staff get performance- and profit-related pay, and there are six-monthly reviews to discuss performance, development, pay and wellbeing. Everyone has Bupa cover that includes spouses and dependants.

There is no pension scheme but staff are happy with their pay and benefits (80%) and Bluefin works hard to make its consultants — who are often out on the road — feel part of the firm.

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