The spotlight is on, the dragons are waiting, and a lowly individual steps forward to give her idea . . . about how to make Microsoft UK a better company. This is not a television show, but an internal Dragons’ Den where staff can pitch for funding for improvement schemes. The international software giant created by Bill Gates and established in the UK in 1975 is determined to release the potential of its 2,046 employees with imaginative projects such as the ideas panel. Gates himself runs “think weeks” several times a year and anyone in the business can submit a white paper for the top boss to consider — accordingly, the firm gets a 73% positive score for people saying that they are not too scared to voice their concerns to management.

Based in Reading and with four other sites around Britain, Microsoft UK is flexible about working patterns. It offers challenges and rewards for driven people — but the flipside is that its flexible hours can be long and stressful.

The firm — a previous winner of the competition — has a stream of top 20 scores in some areas set against some of the lowest results among the top 100 companies in others. People obviously love the challenge of the work: they say that it is stimulating, the fourth highest score at 82%, and experience gained from the job is valuable for their future, with an 86% positive result (the third highest).

They love working for Microsoft (80%), feel they have found their dream job (56%) and that the organisation makes a positive difference to the world we live in (80%) — all top 20 scores.

Related Internet Links

• Company website

• Microsoft's entry in 2007

• Microsoft'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

The company obviously suits some staff down to the ground: more than 40% of employees have been with the organisation for more than five years, and more than 10% have been there for at least a decade. But many people report that they are spending too much time working, have had stress-related symptoms in the past 12 months due to work and that their job interferes with responsibilities at home. The results for all of these questions put the firm in the bottom 10 of the top 100. It also ranks 99th for people saying that there is nothing about the company that they would change (27%).

These sharply diverging scores translate into a wide variation in our eight overall factor scores, the key ingredients we have identified that the best workplaces have in common. So the company ranks in the top 20 for Personal Growth and My Company, but in the bottom 10 for Fair Deal and Wellbeing.

A flexible benefits scheme offers a good range of perks such as buying and selling leave, and there is an on-site crèche, plus childcare vouchers, free private healthcare and dental insurance, and performance-related pay.

To alleviate some of the stresses the company has two wellbeing centres offering doctors and health management schemes such as a “bump club” for expectant mothers, while the head office has a huge gym, reflexology, massage and acupuncture on offer and chill-out areas.

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