CorpComms Magazine

Independent public relations agencies Edelman and Engine Group have achieved the accolade of being among The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2011. Their success follows that of eight PR agencies who were recently among The Sunday Times Best Small Companies to Work For. 

Edelman achieved 74th position on the list, which was topped by commercial radio broadcaster UKRD Group. But it achieved third place overall in the survey, with a score of 73 per cent, for empowering employees, who believe the opportunities to learn and grow within the agency are limitless, and seventh place for employees saying the experience they gain on the job is valuable for the future. 

In the main, Edelman staff find their work stimulating (76 per cent) and good for personal growth (81 per cent) but the agency, which allows employees to do one day's work for charity every year in office time and encourages voluntary pro bono work, falls down in the Wellbeing factor. It ranked 100th on the list as staff complained about exhaustion, high levels of stress and a poor balance between home and working lives. But Edelman has committed to turn the situation around, and will develop a formal time-in-lieu policy while restricting contact with staff while they are on leave.

Communications consultancy Engine Group, which owns ten firms including MHP, Slice PR & Events, Fuel, Jam and Edward Groom Saunders, came in at number 86. Every new employee is welcomed by two buddies from among the 469 staff, one from inside their own company and one from the group, and staff are allowed to spend a week within another Engine company to further their professional development.

Team members spend an average of 43 hours a week at work, which they feel is too long, but 82 per cent have fun with their colleagues and 80 per cent claim that work is an important part of their life. Eight out of ten employees are excited about where Engine Group is going while 82 per cent believe their team members care about each other. And 79 per cent believe that the experience they gain is valuable for their future, while 77 per cent think their job is good for their own personal development.

Market research agency Kantar Worldpanel, which analyses consumers' purchasing patterns, came in at number 99.

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