Wilmott Dixon is leading the way in employee satisfaction after being listed as one of the top companies to work for by the Sunday Times.

The firm was named fourth in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to work for list, the highest of any construction firm.

Based mostly on employee feedback, Wilmott Dixon was recognised for an 87% positive score showing "employees have no wish to leave this family-run outfit". Further results showed Willmott Dixon people value the chance to learn and grow with the company, which has a training programme with over 50 modules for personal growth, plus a personal learning fund of £750 for its people to learn a new skill.

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Best Companies, which runs national awards to highlight the UK's best places to work, said Willmott Dixon gained the highest score of all 100 companies in three areas. It said: "Chief executive Rick Willmott is the fifth generation of his family to lead the firm. Of its 1,693 employees at 100 UK sites, 330 have worked for the business for 10 years or more. Loyalty is rewarded with a learning fund of £750 per head so workers can try something new, such as learning a language or taking singing lessons. These initiatives contribute to the firm winning our special award for Discovering Potential. People value the opportunities to learn and grow (75%, first), which may help to explain its industry-leading 6% staff turnover rate.

"Giving Something Back is another of this enterprise's strengths (85%, first on this factor), reflecting the firm's 'purpose before profit' philosophy since it began trading in 1852. The Willmott Dixon Foundation, set up in 2011, has distributed £286,058 to good causes in the past year and the business aims to leave a positive legacy in the communities it touches. One recent project, completed in December, was the refurbishment of the east wing theatre at Alexandra Palace, north London, a grade II listed venue unused for 80 years."

(CM/JG)