Where the U.K. Wants to Work Now

John Lewis is serious about employee happiness. One of the few companies with a written constitution, the John Lewis Partnership considers “the happiness of all its members” its ultimate purpose. Each staff member (called a partner) is a co-owner, and company profits are shared between partners in the form of an annual bonus. Partners also receive a wide array of benefits and perks, from employee development programs and charity initiatives to community-oriented activities like choirs or kayaking. Not only is John Lewis the UK’s largest omni-channel retailer, with 46 stores and a thriving online presence, 2014 research from the partnership found a positive correlation between employee happiness and customer satisfaction.

Virgin Media is a digital communications powerhouse. It was the first UK media company to offer the big four—broadband, TV, mobile, and home phone services—and it’s only getting bigger: the company is spending £3 billion to expand its cable footprint, the largest investment in the UK’s Internet infrastructure in over a decade. And as Virgin Media grows, its employees grow with it. From engineering apprenticeships to development programs, the organization hopes to empower its workers. “It's not just about changing the the game for our customers, our business, and the industry. It's about changing the game for our people too.”

With such a prestigious brand, it’s no wonder Harrods attracts its share of jobseekers. What’s more surprising is the breadth of roles on offer: the company employs over 5,000 people across 20 industries, from sales and finance to engineering and marketing. Each role helps the retailer create an unparalleled experience for more than 15 million visitors each year. And Harrods wants the same unique experience for its workers: The retailer encourages employees to learn about other sectors of the business and to focus on career growth. Last year saw the first careers week, which included coaching sessions and more. While retail is known for high turnover, Harrods doesn’t accept the norm: “Working at Harrods isn’t just about having a job – it’s about having a career.”

In the arms race for perks, few can top Google. The company lavishes its 60,000 workers with mountains of food, A-list speakers, on-site massages — even benefits after death, as HR chief Laszlo Bock shared. The bigger draw, though: working on noteworthy projects with “impatient overachievers,” as one ex-Googler wrote on LinkedIn. The company obsesses about employee happiness, rigorously studying the perfect teams. It doesn’t allow managers to make hiring decisions — removing bias — and bases pay on the job, not someone’s prior salary, to close the gender gap, Bock wrote.

There’s a reason PA Consulting Group has been called “Britain’s best kept secret.” The firm first came on the scene in 1943, training housewives to build the tail gun sections on Lancaster bombers; it’s since tackled everything from 3D-printed chocolate to unmanned military vehicles to reimagining the NHS. Dwarfed by larger consulting firms like McKinsey, the organization is small but mighty: its 2,600 employees are given incredible freedom to innovate and create. This has led to unique offerings like the Cambridge Technology Centre, which houses lab facilities and over 200 engineers, scientists, and consultants. “We don’t just float ideas,” PA’s website reads. “We roll up our sleeves and get the job done.”

ASOS.com has a lofty goal: to be the world’s number one fashion retailer and “as synonymous to fashion for twenty-somethings as Google is to search.” The company, founded in 2000, is well on its way—it’s already the second most-visited fashion site in the world and boasts 10.9 million active customers. Besides its 80,000+ uber-hip product lines, ASOS is using its digital savvy to woo Millennials: mobile-friendly shopping (44% of orders come from smartphones), localized sites and apps, and a wide variety of fashion and lifestyle content. With new CEO Nick Beighton at the helm and profits on the rise, ASOS is in the retail big leagues—but it still thinks and operates like a startup, encouraging innovation and collaboration in its employees.

KPMG’s workforce has never been larger — now at close to 174,000 people globally. Last year, the audit and consulting company hired 24,000 new college graduates, a record, and created the largest partner class it’s ever had, promoting roughly 650 employees into that coveted role. So when it notes that “talent has never been more important to our business,” you get the sense it’s not corporate bluster. The company told LinkedIn that employees stay happy with stretch assignments and global placements; last year, 2,500 KPMG’ers participated in the company’s “global mobility program,” allowing them to work internationally. Want a job there? KPMG says it prizes agility in candidates, looking for those who can connect “issues that may not have been obvious before.”

Jaguar and Land Rover became one company in 2008, merging two of the most iconic British auto brands ever. While both have their origins in the early 20th century, the combined JLR is looking to the future: part of the company’s mission statement is a promise to deliver “more great products, faster than we have ever done before.” The largest UK car manufacturer appears to be doing just that—it sold a half a million cars in a year for the first time, and the company has doubled staff headcount over the past five years. One of the perks of working at JLR is extensive career development options, from apprenticeships to expert-led training courses. JLR has also pledged to employ 1,000 former Armed Forces personnel by 2020 (a five-fold increase).

Is there a more quintessentially British fashion brand than Burberry? Founded in 1856 and steeped in history, the company has has dressed everyone from Ronald Reagan to Audrey Hepburn. Yet in recent years, Burberry has moved far beyond its distinctive check and timeless trench—CEOs Angela Ahrendts (now SVP of retail at Apple) and Christopher Bailey have reinvigorated the classic fashion house. Beyond the clothes, this has also meant everything from unique collaborations (with DreamWorks, Google, Apple, Snapchat, and more) to its Acoustic series to making its runway collections instantly available. Although the company has struggled under a flagging luxury market, Burberry is developing a facility that will be the biggest newbuild clothing factory in the UK for 50 years.

PwC employs more than 17,000 across the UK, and like its sister operations, its culture is rooted in flexibility. Employees can apply for arrangements to, say, start earlier in the day or to work fewer days per week. The company tests the schedules over a three-month period and formalizes them if successful. But, for professionals to be satisfied, they must also like their work; in 2015, 79 percent of PwC employees globally reported that they get to contribute to challenging assignments. Want to stand out? Global Chairman Bob Moritz wrote on LinkedIn that he encourages applicants to talk about their passions, whatever those might be: “I’m looking for signs that this is the kind of person who will throw their all into something.”

The company behind Carphone Warehouse, Currys and PCWorld recently won a big award: “Retailer of the year” from Retail Week, an honor CEO Sebastian James likened to “the Oscar of our industry.” When the news hit LinkedIn, employees took to the comments to rave that they were “proud to be part of this company.” The accolade recognizes what few might have suspected two years ago: Dixons’ merger with Carphone Warehouse is working, with profits on the rise. The electronics and appliance chain employs more than 40,000 people across Europe and is expanding (opening 500 Sprint-branded stores in the U.S. through a joint venture). In November, it debuted a  new headquarters in London, complete with an on-site Starbucks and a private garden.

The appeal of construction and services giant Carillion is simple, its executives say. “We do very, very real things,” like building hospitals and schools, the company’s chief sustainability officer said in a recent LinkedIn post. The company employs 46,000 and is behind noteworthy projects like the extension of Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield Stadium. Workers rave on LinkedIn about the fast-changing nature of the business; one jumped from city to city, supporting various contracts. There’s also support to give back: Every worker gets up to six fully paid days to volunteer. Carillion is the largest trainer of construction apprentices in the UK — hiring 1,500 in 2015 alone — helping tackle the skills gap among young people.

The wireless carrier is fresh off its merger with BT Group and seemingly hitting its stride. Its 14,000 workers are happier (internal employee engagement numbers are among the highest in years) and the company recently expanded its widely praised apprenticeship program. EE hires hundreds of apprentices throughout the year for its call centers, retail locations and corporate office, giving each person a 12-month contract, eligibility for bonuses and lots of guidance. The program has reduced internal attrition while helping EE groom a new generation of workers. It’s still hiring, too: It recently announced that it would bring all of its customer service operations back to the UK and Ireland by the end of this year, creating 600 jobs.

In the ultra-competitive grocery market, Sainsbury’s is finding ways to stand apart from rivals. The company, which employs more than 160,000, raised the minimum wage for its supermarket employees by 4 percent last year to £7.36, surpassing the standard required by the UK’s new national living wage. To better compete with the likes of Amazon, Sainsbury’s has doubled its digital team to more than 900 people in the past year. In September, it held its first hackathon — attended by the chairman and CEO — where, for instance, developers tested personalization ideas for a shopper looking only for fair-trade products. The pitch to would-be applicants? Work here, and find scale: Thousands shop with Sainsbury’s every week.

In May, Lloyd’s added an employee benefit that quickly made headlines: The bank will now pay for its workers to have gender reassignment surgery, making it one of the first U.K.-based employers to do so. By covering the procedure in its private health plan, the bank says U.K.-based individuals will be able to access the surgery quicker than through other programs. The company employs 75,000 and is in the midst of a post-crisis turnaround. Employee satisfaction scores rose 11 points last year, and as it shared on LinkedIn, it’s helping employees keep their skills fresh with programs like “expert days,” meant to expose workers to new ideas. One such session: “Transforming our digital marketing,” attended by 300 employees.

When you’re competing for the most cutting-edge engineers — and you need an army of them each year — a culture that brings them in the door isn’t just a competitive advantage, it’s a must-have. Facebook promises that those people who are builders will get plenty to work with at the company: managers “set them free” to conquer projects. There are plenty of benefits for life outside the office, too. Last year, Facebook extended its four-month paid parental leave program to all full-timers. Another draw: The strength of its business. Revenue has increased by more than 40 percent for 14 straight quarters. As startup life gets more difficult, the appeal of landing at a growing safe-haven like Facebook is appealing: It recorded a 34 percent increase in new hires during our Top Attractors reporting period.

When the CEO of Travis Perkins, John Carter, took the top job a little over two years ago, he made it his early mission to reinvent the company’s values. The building supplier and home improvement retailer came up with five plain-spoken principles, like “keeping people safe” and “make decent returns.” When the company shared one of those “cornerstones” on LinkedIn earlier this year, employees commented that those values had made Travis Perkins an appealing employer. The company operates 21 brands, from Wickes to City Plumbing Supplies, and employs 28,000, all of whom are eligible for annual bonuses. As its top executive’s profile proves, the company’s not afraid to promote from within: Carter started as a management trainee more than 35 years ago.

Interserve builds skyscrapers and roads around the globe, but its operations extend far beyond muddy job sites. Its massive services operation is involved in everything from supervising criminals to caring for the homebound and cleaning London Tube stations. The company employs 50,000 in the U.K., with thousands more overseas, and it's growing rapidly. To help its employees advance, it tells LinkedIn it provides group coaching programs so people can "identify their strengths and goals." It also hosts an annual company-wide awards scheme and a "big ideas hunt," looking for creative thinking. Another big focus: safety. Last year, Interserve reduced its “accident incident rate” by 30 percent. It’s now cut that rate in half since 2010 — four years ahead of its internal goals.

Employees at the iconic retailer aren’t merely slinging goods; they’re performing “retail theatre,” as the company puts it. People who snag a job here know they’re working for a customer service legend; Selfridges has won “world’s best department store” multiple years running. Employees enjoy a 35 percent discount on Selfridge’s own products, plus frequent recognition: every quarter the company takes nominations for “extraordinary employees … living our values,” as it wrote on LinkedIn. The brand is so well known that it can be a career launching pad, too. One former employee wrote on LinkedIn: “My first job was working at Selfridges,” before noting, “best retail experience ever and the start of many retail opportunities.”

Deloitte is so in-demand as an employer that the company receives 1.9 million applications annually. One simple — but important — reason so many employees want to join? “Our people are challenged by interesting work,” it told LinkedIn. The 225,000-employee firm is known for its accounting, consulting and tax services. But its scope, coupled with its use of emerging technologies like data analytics and AI, has attracted many employees with STEM backgrounds. Deloitte invests heavily in its employees, offering various training as well as education reimbursement. It also encourages employees to give back: In the 2015 fiscal year, employees spent 340,000 hours on pro-bono assignments and more than 820,000 hours volunteering.

Arcadia Group oversees eight retailers, from Topshop to Dorothy Perkins. So it’s 24,000 global employees have options: “With so many brands, you can change jobs without ever moving employers,” the company told LinkedIn. Buzzy new projects — dressing Stella Maxwell and Kate Upton in “bespoke Topshop” at the Met Gala; collaborating with Beyoncé on an activewear collection — have also excited employees, it said. All new hires receive a £100 Arcadia gift card plus a 25 percent discount across its brands. One tip for job seekers: Skip the fusty business garb while interviewing. “We don’t expect people to dress formally for work or for an interview,” the company told LinkedIn, advising, “be yourself and choose clothes that reflect your personality.”

The retailer readily acknowledges that “gone are the days of linear career paths.” So to help its roughly 5,000 workers keep progressing, it offers multiple ways for them to learn, whether that’s an online portal called the “House of Learning & Development” or in-person trainings that might, for example, help someone refine their negotiating and sales skills. Another option is its “Buddy” program, which pairs new hires with an experienced mentor “so that they can offer support and guidance in their first few months,” as it recently shared on LinkedIn. The training's a perk, as is the time off: Store and corporate employees both get 33 days of holiday.

The clothing and food retailer is well known in the UK, but its reach is expanding: the company now has more than 1,300 stores, with about a third located internationally. The brand name is a draw, but it told LinkedIn there’s another project that has its 83,000 employees excited: “smarter working,” an internal effort to assess everything from office locations to work environments and technology. Store and corporate employees, for example, can now easily swap ideas on an internal social network; previously, some systems were separated. Those wanting a job should be ready to show off their customer service skills: the company tells LinkedIn it looks for people “who can bring new ideas forward to put [the customer] at the heart of everything we do.”

In the middle of the assessment period for this list, Net-a-Porter merged with another fashion e-commerce pioneer: Italy’s Yoox. The deal makes the combined company one of the largest retail players on the web, selling everything from Gucci bags to Tiffany jewelry, with 3,500 employees around the world and combined revenues of 1.3 billion euros. Jobs at the company come with a sense of glamour; The Sunday Times wrote that Net-a-Porter’s chandelier-strewn London office resembles the “fragrant lobby of a chic hotel.” And while Net-a-Porter had been known for its glossy editorial features and Yoox for its discounts, CEO Federico Marchetti told Womens Wear Daily the two cultures can co-exist: “With admiration, there is no desire to change.”