Being the Best Big Company to Work For in the UK is a landmark achievement. Doing it twice is unparalleled. But that’s just what KPMG, the winner in 2006, has managed this year. And the victory is convincing to say the least; the company scores so consistently highly with its staff that, in responding to the 66-point questionnaire, they have ranked it first in three out of the eight “factors” that the survey questions fall into.

Results show that the 11,872-strong workforce are happier than any other with the opportunities for personal growth offered them by their employer, scoring this factor 80% positive. At no other big company do staff have better relationships with their managers (76% positive) and while it’s unlikely anyone would say they have enough, staff are the most satisfied with their pay and benefits of any big company, giving a 69% positive score overall to questions about how fair they feel their deal is.

KPMG is hardly slacking when it comes to the strength of team relationships, which at 77% positive received the second highest overall score, or giving something back to society, which also ranked second at 66% positive. Just four other companies received more positive results for questions on leadership (72%).

What sets KPMG apart from contenders among its Best Companies peers is a rigorous and organised approach to engaging employees and getting the best out of them. There is not just one area that the company concentrates on offering particularly good terms on, it happens across the board. From flexible working practices to corporate social responsibility, and every area of employee experience in between, KPMG has an initiative in place not just to cover it but to go above and beyond the norm in each field.

Related Internet Links

• Company website

• KPMG's entry in 2007

• KPMG's entry in 2006

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

Rachel Campbell, head of people management, says being a Best Company to Work For is increasingly allied to KPMG’s corporate objectives. “When we started this three or four years ago, we were dealing with a retention issue. But it’s no longer a retention issue, it’s about helping our employees see why being a good place to work raises the bar of the business. And ensuring that personal goals and business goals are aligned. It has meant going into some tough areas. We expect engagement, commitment and passion from our people,” she says.

And she gets it, in spades. Staff say their job is good for their personal growth (85% positive), feel fully involved at work (79%), find the training they receive to be highly beneficial (78%), feel supported by their managers (79%) and care for their team members (84%) — all five among the 19 top-ranking scores achieved by KPMG across our 66-question employee survey.

Key to KPMG’s success as an employer is a combination of not resting on its laurels and the authenticity of its objective to provide staff with an excellent working environment. Which means the messages have to come from the top. Colin Cook, chief executive, says that the company’s success is founded on attracting and retaining talent, as well as nurturing people once they are in the business.

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