Two prove jewels in the crown
Apr 8 2009 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette
TWO Middlesbrough companies have been recognised as being among the top 100 companies in the UK to work for.
Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG), which has offices in Redcar, Middlesbrough and Thorntree, came in at number 23 in the recent Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For.
And the overall winner was Beaverbrooks, the nationwide high street jeweller with a branch in Middlesbrough.
Each year Best Companies and The Sunday Times review the best small, mid-size and large companies to determine the top workplaces in the UK. The accolades came following an employee-based survey of some 20,000 employees from 1000 companies who applied to be considered for recognition.
PPDG CEO Colin Birchall said: “We have always known that our employees are at the heart of the organisation’s success and as such we make it our priority to ensure they enjoy coming to work and are given the opportunity to maximise their impact throughout everything that we do.”
The award follows hot on the heels of another major achievement at the Jobcentre Plus Local Employers Partnership awards where one of PPDG’s clients, Jason Churchill, won an outstanding achievement award and the company received two runner-up titles. This is in addition to being shortlisted in two categories for this year’s North East Business Awards.
David Ward, PPDG area operations manager for Teesside, added: “We continually conduct in-depth employee opinion surveys to ensure we understand the expectations of our employees so they can be met and exceeded through continuous improvement. We knew we were a great company to work for and this endorsement is testament to the talented and hardworking team we have not just here on Teesside, but across all our areas of operation.”
Employee benefits include long-service awards, team performance targets rather than individual, an award-winning payroll giving scheme, match funding for employees who fund raise for charity, secondment opportunities, personal development reviews, free childcare vouchers and free health scheme.
The survey found that 82% of employees see the company making a positive difference to people’s lives, 75% find their jobs stimulating and 81% believe they can make a valuable contribution to business success.
Topping the poll is a huge achievement and the Beaverbrooks team in Middlesborough is thrilled that their company has been recognised.
Kelly Blakely, Store Manager of the Beaverbrooks branch in Middlesborough, says: “We’re extremely proud to be part of a company that has come top and I know the whole team here in Middlesbrough is thrilled with the win. Beaverbrooks is an extremely open and positive environment and we have a really strong team and family spirit, so we’re all looking forward to celebrating!”
The win is a further boost to the company following a string of successes over the past twelve months. Andrew Brown, Chairman of Beaverbrooks, was awarded an OBE in December last year for helping raise over £1m for charity and each year the company donates twenty per cent of its annual post tax profit to good causes. Mark Adlestone, Managing Director, was also awarded the Best Prize for Leadership in the Sunday Times poll last year and also received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Beaverbrooks came sixth in the Financial Times Best Workplace Awards in 2008.
