Isle of Man based business telecoms company plan.com is celebrating after being placed 14th in the Top 100 Best Small Companies to Work For by The Sunday Times.

The Sunday Times Top 100 Companies list is based largely on employee surveys and feedback. It’s an annual ranking of Britain’s happiest and best motivated workforces that is judged according to performance in eight key areas.

The four-year-old company, whose headquarters is in Douglas, entered the highly-regarded listing for the first time this year. They managed to achieve a score of 100% in the ’my company’ category, which is one of the eight sections that underpin the list’s criteria, demonstrating that plan.com employees are fully engaged with their jobs.

Kevin Perks, head of HR, said: ’We’re experiencing rapid growth and building a team of exceptionally talented individuals to enable us to achieve our ambition of being a global player in the telecoms space. People choose to work for plan.com because of its dynamic environment.

’Everyone’s input counts directly to our success and each individual sees how their contributions matter. We have cultivated a culture that truly embraces, supports and celebrates our people.’

When asked why the company did so well on the list, Mr Perks put plan.com’s success down to three things. ’Firstly, we work hard during the interview process to identify people passionate about what they do and are keen to make a real difference in their role. Successful candidates show to us during interviews that their work life is as important as their home life and they can look above the immediate horizon. Secondly, in return for their dedication, we support staff in their career development with regular training, qualifications and opportunities. Finally, we reward and recognise hard work.’

We’re a family and like to enjoy life beyond the office.’

’That means sports, travel, recreation and also giving back through charity work, too.’

Nick Verardi, plan.com COO said, ’We initially entered the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For award to gain insight into how our team feel about where they work, and what can be done to improve. Feedback is key as without it, positive change doesn’t happen. Being placed so highly on the list is as much of a recognition of our team’s loyalty, dedication and sheer hard work as our success as a company.’

plan.com not only attracts and employs island residents, they search across the world to fill specialist roles and have attracted international talent from Brazil, France, Poland and South Africa to work on the Isle of Man in their technology and analytical departments.

How do they manage to attract local and international talent? Kevin said, ’Industry standards such as bonuses, extra holiday and benefits such as gym memberships form part of our make-up, but we offer so much more. In January, the entire workforce enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Iceland, which was the latest in a series of company events.

’I honestly believe we are one of the most exciting places to work, not just in the Isle of Man but throughout the UK. This listing affirms my belief.’

He added: ’The standard we set is high. We stretch ourselves to reach our goals and we all work extremely hard. If you’re looking for a job to push you outside your comfort zone, and you believe in your skills and talents, we could provide you with the ultimate job.’

The company says it is always looking for exceptional people to join their talented team.