Version 1 Named a UK Great Place to Work 2020

Version 1 was honoured today to have been named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces for the second time, ranking 16th again this year. This is the second year in a row that Version 1 has been named as a Great Place to Work in the UK.

Going from strength-to-strength, Version 1 is enjoying continued success having also been named as the 8th Best Large Workplace in Ireland earlier this year, and a Best Workplace in UK Tech in late 2019.

Great Place to Work 2020 UK ranking assesses employees’ perspectives on leadership, innovation, inclusion, organisational culture, and trust. It is therefore a particularly proud milestone as Version 1 was surveyed by our own employees, validating our continued commitment to establishing a great place to work for all of our people. Throughout our UK journey, we have grown rapidly to almost 500 employees and 250+ UK customers. There isn’t any one thing that makes us a Great Place to Work in 2020 but there are a few things that set us apart:

  • Our strong core values
  • A culture of trust and empowerment
  • A vision for customer success

These elements come together to form Version 1’s culture, but it is every single one of our employees that bring that to life. With a recent HR report stating that poor workplace culture is the reason that 1 in 5 UK workers quit their jobs, today is a day to reflect on the fantastic culture we’ve established; how far Version 1 has come; and to look forward to where we go next.

So, today we are celebrating remotely across Redditch, Kings Hill, Belfast, Edinburgh, Knutsford, Southampton, London, Sunderland, Manchester, Birmingham, and any of the other locations across the UK where we have offices and customers.

Examples of What Makes Version 1 a Great Place to Work in the UK

London

Local buzz manager and Events Lead Emily Owen described the growth in our London offices as a big positive for helping to boost morale and culture: “I would probably say our growth is one of the biggest contributors in making Version 1 London a Great Place to Work UK. With our people often working remotely or out on client site, it’s fantastic to see how the office has grown with a great mix of faces, stories and backgrounds adding to our culture. You never know who will be in the office each day, so it’s always a great chance to get to know new people.” The team enjoyed several group events throughout the year and some of the team attended award ceremonies on behalf of the company too.

Redditch

Redditch’s buzz manager Rob Deeley believes a great work-life balance enhances our culture.  “I think the Redditch Office did a fantastic job of engaging its employees with a wide selection of events throughout the year. Ranging from the competitive Winter Wolf Run to simply enjoying Pancake Day within the office, everyone will always find something that appeals to them. It’s nice to get involved in activities that can sometimes push us outside our comfort zone, re-enforcing a strong feeling of connectivity and team spirit. That kind of work/life balance truly makes Version 1 a Great Place to Work.”

Belfast

Our Belfast team is always busy with an array of wellbeing, cultural and team-building events to keep staff entertained and enjoying their Great Place to Work. Efforts throughout ’19-’20 included International Women’s Day, Women in Tech and School Initiative events, where our team presented to external student guests on how to enter a career in IT. For Culture Night, the team shared food and drinks from all walks of life and educated each other on facts about where they come from.​ ​In October, each team was able to showcase what is involved in the running of their team at the inaugural Empowered People internal event, while at Halloween the office had a fancy dress party with games and also held a Murder Mystery evening.

Edinburgh

One of our Edinburgh buzz team members Reka Fasi believes the close-knit team really helps to make the office a Great Place to Work. “The culture not only in Edinburgh but the whole of Version 1, is great. At a local level here in Scotland, we all make the effort to keep in touch and get together whenever we can. It means that you aren’t just colleagues – you’re friends too. We all enjoy the company-wide events as well like the Christmas and Summer parties.” The team enjoyed several group events throughout the year like the Version 1 Bake Off, a sushi-making evening, go-carting, quiz nights and many more.