Today, we unveil the 2025 UK's Best Workplaces, marking 25 years of recognising exceptional employee experiences.
This year's list showcases organisations setting new standards in workplace excellence. The list features 350 standout companies across four size categories, with top honours going to Fortitude Nicsa Global, Hatmill, NVIDIA a²Ô»å Hilton in the Small, Medium, Large and Super Large categories respectively.
As we celebrate this silver anniversary, we reflect on how HR trends have transformed the workplace over the past 25 years – and what the future holds.
Unlike the 80s and 90s, when work was characterised by rigid structures and transactional people management, the early 2000’s saw HR emerge as a strategic business function. Research proving the impact of an engaged workforce on the bottom line meant employee engagement became a top business priority – and it remains one to this day.
By 2004, The Workplace Employment Relations Study showed the number of companies offering flexible working almost doubled, as attitudes to work-life balance evolved. However, flexible work looked very different from what it does today. Although part time roles and job sharing became common practice, research by the Work Foundation found that only 2% of UK employees worked from home.
In 2008, the Global Financial Crisis struck. Many organisations implemented measures such as hiring freezes, pay freezes, and redundancies to to reduce costs. In fact, The Job Economist found that 1 in 7 UK employees were made redundant between 2008-2013. This intensified pressure on HR teams to manage workforce reductions and a potential loss of trust in leadership, whilst maintaining employee morale and productivity.
In 2020, the global pandemic catalysed a seismic shift to remote work, and new concepts like ‘furlough’ and ‘lockdown’ being adopted at scale. HR had to play several roles: operational (in setting up employees
for remote working), and strategic (in maintaining wellbeing, productivity, morale, and engagement) with, in many cases, a reduced workforce.
The Covid pandemic profoundly affected employee wellbeing, as the anxiety and unpredictability of the crisis forced major changes
to take place nearly overnight. Remote working – an unknown for many – was a welcome change for some employees, but also blurred the
boundaries between work and personal life.
Learning and development became increasingly digital, with significant investment in L&D tech – as well as a focus on reskilling and upskilling existing employees to address digital transformation needs. This period also saw increased emphasis on measurable DEI outcomes, a focus on inclusive recruitment practices, and the implementation of anti-bias training and initiatives.
So, in a post-Covid world – where AI and hybrid working have brought even more rapid change – what’s next for you and your people?
Find out in the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Best Workplaces Magazine. Download your copy now.