The best workplaces in the UK consulting industry

According to Great Place to Work’s annual list, UK employees most highly value gender equality and corporate social responsibility in a prospective workplace. A band of 15 advisory and accounting firms have been listed among the UK’s 120 best workplaces.

Since 2000, Great Place to Work has conducted research into what makes a great workplace. According to the site, a great workplace is one where employees feel valued and trusted, have a sense of purpose, and are proud of what they do and who they work for. Top employers also focus on trusting, listening to and caring for their employees, with employee wellbeing being high on the agenda; effective leadership and line management, and a strong culture aligned to a strong business strategy, are also important.

In its latest due diligence on UK employers, Great Place to Work concluded that a select group of 120 employers can call themselves one of the UK’s best workplaces. Among them are 15 players from the consulting industry.

The UK consultancies named in the list are as follows:

EY

Sector: Accounting and Consulting
Location: London
Employees: 15,629

CGI

Sector: Technology Consulting
Location: Chelmsford
Employees: 5,360

Accenture

Sector: Management and Technology Consulting
Location: London
Employees: 11,013

Deloitte

Sector: Accounting and Consulting
Location: London
Employees: 19,572

Baringa Partners

Sector: Management Consulting
Location: London
Employees: 671

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Sector: Technology Consulting
Location: London
Employees: 450

Impact

Sector: Professional Services
Location: Windermere
Employees: 100

DMW Group

Sector: Technology Consutling
Location: London
Employees: 112

CPS

Sector: Technology Consulting
Location: Marlow
Employees: 85

Nteractive Consulting & Events

Sector: Professional Services
Location: Staines-Upon-Thames
Employees: 55

Project One Consulting

Sector: Project Management
Location: Holmes Chapel
Employees: 82

PEN Partnership

Sector: Management Consulting
Location: London
Employees: 41

REPL Group Worldwide

Sector: Technology Consulting
Location: Henley-in-Arden
Employees: 384

CTG

Sector: Technology Consulting
Location: London
Employees: 26

Armakuni

Sector: Technology Consulting
Location: London
Employees: 31

Mason Advisory

Sector: IT Advisory
Location: Salford
Employees: 46

Workplace trends

In a competitive labour market, the rankings reflect a number of the key trends among top-performing workplaces. According to the research, organisations looking to recruit most successfully will have to improve workplace equality and paid benefits, while stepping up their efforts in terms of making the world a better place.

In the wider list, Great Place to Work found that the number of ‘Best Workplaces’ with women in leadership roles has almost doubled from 17% in 2001 to 30% this year in 2020. Meanwhile the number offering paid maternity has risen from 34% in 2005, to 86% now. At the same time, the importance of corporate social responsibility has seen an increase in the hours offered to employees for volunteering, from an average of three hours offered per year in 2005 to 14 hours per year in 2020.