Dancing Ledge takes top spot as a host of familiar names feature

The Responder indie Dancing Ledge Productions has taken the top spot in this year’s annual Broadcast Best Places to Work, with The Finish Line named best non-indie for a second year running.

A total of 32 companies made it onto the list, compiled on Broadcast’s behalf by the Workforce Research Group which surveys employers on the benefits offered to staff and employees’ opinions on the company, rated in favour of responses.

Also performing well for the second year running, Wonderhood Studios landed second place in the list of indie winners, followed by ITV Studios’ Quay Street Productions which last year won Best Place to Work for Women.

On the non-indie list, Serious Facilities landed second place and was followed by Red Bee Creative.

This year’s survey found that a co-operative culture and including opportunities to have fun in the workplace were important for staff members, with additional benefits such as private medical insurance also highly prized.

The largest differentiator however between firms that were awarded a Best Place to Work versus those that weren’t was related to work life balance, with BPTW employees far more likely to respond positively to questions related to work life balance compared with firms that did not make it onto the list.

Leadership

Diversity and leadership were also key differentiators. Dancing Ledge’s head of production Jacquie Glanville said that a key challenge to ensuring a team feels collaborative is finding the time to check in with everyone, but that it is crucial for wellbeing.

“The most powerful thing you can do is lead by example, that’s how you create a culture” she said, while appearing on a panel at today’s event.

The team at Dancing Ledge come in three days a week, with Glanville saying that this is crucial for “collaborating and speaking with each other”.

In a challenging market where a number of companies have closed and commissions are in short supply, issues related to job security and and pay were also key concerns of those surveyed, as well as a lack of formal job training.

The Best Places to Work Survey asks companies’ management about their firms’ pay and best practices, while employees are asked to share their views on areas such as leadership and planning, training, development and resources, role satisfaction and environment. This year, questions were also posed about freelancers.

The overall and individual company scores are calculated, weighted in favour of the employees’ responses and supplied by WRG to Broadcast.

Further breakdowns on this year’s best places to work can be found here.

This article first appeared on our sister site, Broadcast.