WRK+ has revealed the Best Places to Work in 2023, with three media agencies claiming a spot on the annual list.
Zrinka Lovrencic, CEO of WRK+, shared that employees from the workplaces on the list said they feel engaged, included, and connected, as well as heard by their leaders and supported in different aspects of life – from dealing with the current cost of living pressures to flexibility and holistic wellbeing support.
“They have access to technology and tools they need to succeed in this new hybrid world of work, they enjoy the work they do, and they feel connected to a bigger purpose,” she said.
Lovrencic noted that for the first time in the 17 years she has been curating the Best Places to Work benchmarking study, she has seen the impact of the last three years, and the current economic pressures have become evident in the data.
“The appetite to invest in the employee experience has historically been stronger during favourable economic times; it is most important and imperative to invest in during harder times. When an organisation gets its employee experience right, their employees will stick around and help the organisation thrive in difficult times,” she said
Lovrencic continued: “To be resilient, the 2023 Best Places to Work truly put their people experience first. Whilst we seem to read daily about organisations going out of business or going through yet another round of redundancies, the 2023 Best Places to Work have increased their revenue on average by 17.77% and headcount by 8%. Let’s celebrate those who are dedicated to building great workplaces and congratulate the organisations on this year’s Best Places to Work list!”
This year, three media agencies made the list, divided into two categories: under 100 employees and over 100 employees.
The only media agency in the over 100 employees category was KOJO, a Sports, Experiences, and entertainment company that creates premium work in sports, events, film & TV.
KOJO
Stephen Lord, chief executive officer of KOJO, told Mediaweek he was proud of the agency’s achievements in its workplace culture and employee experience for its staff of 102.
“The WRK+ Best Place to Work Study allows us to simultaneously benchmark our culture against an externally validated model and seek feedback from our team on what’s working well and where we need to improve. Our people are our business and the reason we’re successful, so our focus is on the feedback we receive from them each year.
“We want to ensure that we keep evolving the culture we have curated over 30+ years and that it’s being experienced as we intend. This is the second year we’ve participated in the study. As we have moved to the 100+ employees category this year, where a greater number of companies participate, we are delighted to be named at #11 on the WRK+ 2023 Best Places to Work list.
“We’re not immune to the current economic climate or the strain of the pandemic years, which has evolved what people want from work, so making this list is absolutely credit to our genuine, curious, caring and fearless people and the unique culture we’ve collectively curated at KOJO,” he said.
“We are committed to living up to the expectations set by being named as a Best Place to Work, providing the best workplace for all our people to flourish in and build a career they love,” Lord concluded.
The Works, part of Capgemini
The Works, part of Capgemini, has claimed #4 in the under 100 employees list – its best spot yet – in the WRK+ Best Places to Work awards.
The recognition is a milestone for the agency of 58 employees. It is its fifth consecutive year in the top 10, highlighting its commitment to fostering an exceptional workplace culture that empowers and nurtures its employees.
Julie Dormand, managing director, said achieving the recognition underscores their ongoing efforts to cultivate a workplace that values and supports our incredible team.
“Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, and this recognition only strengthens our resolve to continue fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity,” she said.
The Works has consistently demonstrated its commitment to employee satisfaction by offering a range of benefits and initiatives designed to enhance professional growth and work-life balance.
The team at The Works, part of Capgemini
From development programs to flexible work arrangements that extend well beyond the office vs. WFH debate to tailored physical, mental and financial plans and an in-house mindset coach – The Works strives to create an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential.
Dormand said: “We know that 60% of the award weighting is attributed to staff engagement survey scores via a recent survey where we were pleased to see we scored 100% in categories associated with being made to feel welcome when you join, plus feeling comfortable to have open and transparent conversations with management.”
“Stats from the Mentally Healthy study show that across our industry, behaviours and leadership in a company are more important for people’s wellbeing than staff benefits,” she said.
“At TWS, we also know that the pandemic, while challenging for most, also offered people the chance to reconnect and assess what was important in life. That’s why we shifted things to be Life / Work centric – rather than the other way around. Sometimes creating a great culture is as simple as that,” Dormand added.
Slingshot
Independent full-service media, digital and content agency Slingshot took #8, marking its third consecutive year on the annual WRK+ list.
Laura Dodds, general manager of Client Partners & Investment at Slingshot, noted that its people-first approach and diverse and inclusive environment have been factors the agency has been working hard to deliver for its 46 employees.
“We’re very proud to be named in the top 20 Best Places to Work for the third year in a row. It means we’re consistently delivering on our people-first approach, resulting in a strong culture. Our view is that if we look after our people and have the very best people delivering the very best product in the market, then the profit should take care of itself,” she said.
“We’ve worked hard to create a diverse and inclusive environment. A place 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!
Dodds added: “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.”
See also: Sparro, The Works, KOJO and Slingshot make the 2022 Best Place to Work list