Softcat is officially one of the UK’s best workplaces

Softcat’s managing director Martin Hellawell and its HR and recruitment manager Shelley Ferrigno celebrated the company’s achievement at a gala dinner held at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich last night.

“Employee welfare is the centrepiece of absolutely everything we do and everything we are as a business,” Miss Ferrigno said. “We have always done our best to keep our people enthused at work, to encourage a culture where people care about each other and the community we are building together.”

She added, “We have a very open, democratic structure at Softcat, and it works very well for us: our employees feel engaged; they feel that they belong, that they are part of something big. You feel the sense of togetherness and belonging in everything from our day-to-day work to the effort we put into raising funds at our charity events. We believe that this special culture is a huge part of what motivates us to provide an excellent level of service to our customers. And that, in turn, is what keeps us growing.”

The organisation responsible for compiling the Best Workplaces list is Great Place to Work. It uses its own workplace assessment tools to help companies interpret and improve their workplace cultures, and it uses its research, based on data from more than 10 million employees in 45 countries, to share stories and insights about great workplaces around the world.

Its Chief Executive in the UK, Tom O’Byrne, said, “The standard of entries this year was particularly high so to have achieved 10th place is indeed a significant achievement, one which Softcat should be very proud of.”

It is only the first time that Softcat has entered these awards. The company also came first in the Sunday Times’ Best Small Companies to Work For in 2010.

Mr Hellawell commented, “Every single employee can take credit for this: they have all contributed to making Softcat a great place to work. This accolade isn’t about our directors and managers; it’s about all of us. It recognises what we have all achieved together. And we’re delighted to have done so well, and to have it recognised by an international standard. Being a great place to work is more important to us than anything else.”

Rory Watts, an account manager at Softcat, said, “It makes me so proud to work for such a fantastic company. I have been at the Marlow office for just over two years, and have loved every minute of it. I think Softcat gives you better opportunities to progress in your career than you would find anywhere else. I have had a lot of support and encouragement.”

Softcat has doubled both its turnover and its headcount in the last two years, and the current year is shaping up to be just as impressive. Already in 2012, it has won major awards from the likes of Cisco, HP, Sophos, Symantec and VMware, and in 2011 it became the first company to retain Reseller of the Year at the CRN Channel Awards. “Positive employees, positive attitudes, positive workplaces – positivity is what we have to thank for our success,” said Mr Hellawell.

Softcat is recruiting all year round, at each of its offices – in Marlow, London and Manchester – to support its rapid growth. As well as giving its staff opportunities to progress in their careers, Softcat offers healthcare and dental plans, a company contributory pension, half-day holidays on employees’ birthdays, lunch at exclusive restaurants, and team-building activities. Softcat regularly rewards its highest-performing employees with holidays in exotic locations, such as Monaco, Cambodia and Antarctica.