Employees at Goldman Sachs are famously well remunerated for their work and they are also in the black when it comes to job satisfaction. Our Best Big Company to Work For last year has racked up more than 20 top scores in our staff survey, especially regarding how favourably employees feel about their leadership and the company as a whole.

Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is one of the oldest and largest investment banks with offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other leading financial centres around the world. The 5,712 UK staff are highly motivated, dedicated and content. Employees are proud to say they work for the bank, giving the statement an 89% positive score. They love their job (79%) and are excited about where Goldman Sachs is going (83%). Most staff members would not leave tomorrow even if they were offered another job (81%) and would strongly recommend the company as a place to work (87%), all top scores.

Goldman staff feel the benefits of working for the company not just in their wallets but by taking advantage of gym facilities (including the provision of gym kit, sauna and steam rooms), complementary therapies such as chair massage and shiatsu, generous paternity and maternity policies and very good prospects.

A series of events from cultural orientation to talks from business leaders and networking opportunities are organised for new recruits to help them settle in and learn the ropes. Training is a high priority and is viewed as a continual process rather than a one-off event. A wide range of courses are on offer at this firm, which has a strong coaching and apprenticeship tradition.

Related Internet Links

• Company website

• Goldman Sachs's entry in 2007

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

Leading from the front is the way things are done at Goldman Sachs, which explains why it scores well for staff having confidence in the leadership skills of senior management (86%) and for having faith in the two UK leaders, Michael Sherwood and Richard Gnodde (80%).

The company prizes teamwork in the belief that it often brings the best results. Goldman Sachs University offers sessions that examine potential communication, behaviour and style differences within a group and works with teams to establish ways to maximise the advantages presented by a diverse set of people.

Managers are encouraged to hold off-site meetings with their teams to further strengthen the strong esprit de corps and, in performance reviews, teamwork is one of the primary competencies for which an employee’s performance is evaluated. Successful teamwork is also a key promotion criterion.

While staff are the happiest when it comes to their pay and benefits, they are least happy about their wellbeing. They think they spend too much time at work (with a positive score of just 40%) and say it interferes with their responsibilities at home (50%), the lowest scores for these statements of all the top 20 big companies.

But the bank offers its staff free private healthcare, subsidised sports activities, an on-site crèche and a final salary pension scheme. Other perks include a share option scheme, childcare vouchers and discounted services.

In addition, Goldman Sachs employees are given one day away from the office each spring to volunteer in a team-based project organised with local charities.

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