Things just got really exciting at Equal Experts! I’m delighted to confirm that our global consulting firm has been ranked at number 15 in Newsweek’s prestigious list of the 100 most loved workplaces in the UK. 

As Chief People Officer, I’m thrilled at the recognition, but more importantly, I’m so proud of the culture that our expert software consultants have created for each other and for themselves. 

Part of the qualifying process for a place in the Newsweek top 100 most loved workplaces was an anonymous survey –  the results revealed that people love working here for so many reasons, including our flat structure, our grown-up attitude, and the genuine trust and respect we have for one another. 

“We are treated as adults who deliver results, not just time based ‘resources’,” said one respondent when asked what they liked about the company. 

Others drew attention to the fact that “having a company that actually lives by its values is truly refreshing,” and said that the flexibility to focus their working hours on productivity rather than a ‘bums on seats’ model made them happier and more effective in their work. 

A haven for experts who want to learn

I went through the responses to see if there were particular themes, and was thrilled to hear the values we stand by so firmly reflected back in the words of the people who work here. As a relative ‘newbie’, I’ve had the opportunity to observe these values lived out by everyone I come into contact with, and I can honestly say that I’ve never experienced a company like it. 

Thomas Granier, Co-Founder and CEO of Equal Experts says: “When I founded Equal Experts I had a main driver. I wanted to create a haven where both IT expert consultants and customers could work together, focusing on long term mutual value instead of one-sided short term gain. I wanted to build an organisation of ‘grown-ups’ – a working environment with fewer politics, less hierarchy  and more autonomy. I wanted to create a place where it is easy to have genuine relationships, built on trust between everyone, behaving as equals, be they consultants or customers.”

And that’s what I see every single day when I go to work. 

Doing brilliant things for customers

People at Equal Experts say they’re involved in ‘doing brilliant things for customers’ and know that their input is valued and valuable – a key principle of the business is that customer success is valued over getting recognition for the organisation. 

As Thomas says, “It is much more important to us that our customers win awards – instead of us – for the outcomes we have helped them achieve.” 

A business run with humility, curiosity and transparency

In making Newsweek’s list, the Equal Experts team has demonstrated that it is possible to create a business where people feel trusted and motivated to do their best work for their customers, however that looks for them.

One survey response said, “Everyone I have interacted with (including Thomas, the CEO) has been warm, interesting, intelligent and humble.” Another says, “The people I work with are the most knowledgeable, non-judgmental, mellowed, down to earth bunch.” And it’s really true!

What this means is that there’s a very low-ego feel to working at the company, which encourages open and honest evaluation of the work done. One person talked about working with “Great people who are not scared to challenge each other and have robust discussions on interesting topics.” 

“It’s in the name – I feel like an equal among experts”

What I love about one of the themes in the survey is the amount people feel they learn from each other at Equal Experts. With a flat hierarchy of fellow experts, our people are able to pursue their own agendas for career development, with multiple opportunities for cross-functional learning and collaboration. 

“Working with other incredibly talented individuals is a huge driver for personal development,” said one respondent, with another stating that they “Work with brilliant people who are eager to solve complex problems that help our customers meet their desired outcomes.”

The freedom to experiment and learn without judgement comes across really strongly too: 

• “I feel safe enough to make mistakes, ask questions, get support and present my ideas. At Equal Experts I can define my own career path and there are opportunities allowing me to pursue any path I choose.”
• “The overall technical excellence in the network is second to none.”
• “I have the freedom to be myself and sometimes surprise myself with the outcomes.”

Again, the low-ego, flat hierarchy of the company supports learning for everyone, no matter how long they’ve been with the organisation. Someone said, “My opinions are always listened to and I’m not afraid to speak to and challenge anyone at any level. Even the CEO,” and it’s completely true. 

I love this comment, and for me it really sums up why Equal Experts is so high up in the Newsweek top 100 most loved places to work in the UK: 

“People at Equal Experts are always more than willing to help. I’ve never come across anyone who isn’t friendly, intelligent, willing to help, willing to listen and they always seem to go out of their way.”

I’m thrilled to have landed here at Equal Experts. I’m even more thrilled that our haven is being recognised. But you know what thrills me even more? That our people feel this way about the place where they work.

That’s gold.