WRK+ has released its Best Place to Work list for 2022, with four media agencies taking spots in the top 20 companies with under 100 employees.
The annual survey asked over 59,000 employees from 127 organisations dedicated to building great workplaces why their organisation is the best.
WRK+ CEO Zrinka Lovrencic said: “I have had the honour of curating Australia’s Best Places to Work List since 2007. Something that took WRK+ surprise as we were conducting the 2022 Best Places to Work study was the number of senior leaders who asked us whether the great resignation is actually a thing or if it is just media hype.
“The consolidated revenue of the 2022 Best Places to Work is $2.5billion, an 18% increase on their last financial year revenue. When an organisation gets its employee experience right, their employees will stick around and help the organisation thrive,” the CEO added.
Sparro
Leading the agency representation on the list was Sparro, ranking highest among the agencies in the fourth spot.
The report noted that the agency inspired employees to feel their work has meaning and purpose. WRK+ said: “Sparro recognises that everyone in the company plays a role in the company achieving the awards, and it is important for everyone to be given the opportunity to enjoy these fun, rewarding nights.”
Great work and positive client feedback are recognised in fortnightly company meetings and through the company’s Slack channels. Sparro also extends invitations to industry award events to their entire company through a ballot.
Sparro has a team of 81 and looking to grow its team, according to the WRK+ report.
The Works
Taking the ninth spot is The Works, an advertising agency specialising in strategy, creative, innovation and digital.
Employees, known as ‘Works people’, are defined as someone that “supports each other, pushes for the best, and cuts the BS.” The agency uses this definition as a benchmark for how they expect people to behave and hold each other accountable, WRK+ noted.
The Works supports their team with a Wellness Team, certified to provide mental health support. The company also arranges monthly well-being activities such as FebFast teams, afternoon all-team hikes, and medication training.
The agency also provides an Employee Assistance Program for anonymous life coaching or counselling for employees and their families.
KOJO
KOJO came in 10th place on the 2022 Best Place to Work list. The agency works across marketing, brand experiences, film & TV, and sport, and its mission is to captivate and inspire audiences globally.
WRK+ noted that gathering suggestions and feedback is paramount to the company’s success. It also uses a range of activities, and formal development programs ensure staff continuously contribute ideas and suggestions and have the opportunity to grow.
KOJO also encourages their team to have frequent and regular feedback discussions with their leaders regarding their development to fuel their growth and identify personal and professional goals.
The company also runs a fun game of office tag via Slack called “What Cha Doin?” in which team members share a few words on what they are working on and then tag someone else to share their update.
The report also noted that KOJO encourages fun and camaraderie amongst the team, with their executive team leading. This is done so that speaking to the CEO is less daunting when addressing him by his nickname.
Slingshot
In 12th on the list is Slingshot, moving up an impressive seven spots. WRK+ noted that the independent full-service media, digital and content agency, and their commitment, approach, and genuine care underpins what they do.
The agency offers employees three well-being hours for seventeen weeks to ensure their mental well-being is cared for. It also offers a range of tools, training and programs to encourage employees to take control of their development.
Slingshot also creates a fun environment for their staff with their ‘Culture Club’, comprising individual representatives from each department who are responsible for organising fun events during the year to build and maintain camaraderie.
Simon Rutherford, CEO of Slingshot, said: “We are incredibly proud to be named in the top 20 Best Places to Work for the second year in a row. Receiving this accolade indicates we’re on the right path. This process is invaluable, as it gives us positive feedback on where we can be better.
“We base our decisions on our people first. Our view is that if we look after our people and have the very best people delivering the very best product in market, then the profit should take care of itself. We have created a diverse and inclusive environment where every person feels they can contribute in their own unique, meaningful way and feel safe and secure in doing so, and they do it well.
“Our promise to our people is that we will propel them further, faster in their careers. We are invested in our people and, therefore, committed to making them better people and better professionals. Simply because better people make better Slingers.”
