Oxfam is the best not-for-profit, public sector employer in the UK, according to data released by Indeed.
The charity came top of a ranking of the UK’s best public sector and not-for-profit employers that was compiled from tens of thousands of employee reviews.
While the research compared branches of central and local government as well as the uniformed services, the league table was dominated by charities and the armed forces – which together accounted for three-quarters (75 per cent) of the top 20.
By contrast, local authorities – which have seen their combined budgets cut by billions since 2010 – scored poorly with employees. Just one city council and one county council made it into the top 25.
Staff were asked to score their workplace on five categories: management, work-life balance, job security, pay and culture.
Oxfam, a global charity tackling poverty, scored consistently highly in all categories, with the six other charities in the top ten all receiving high scores for their working environment and culture.
Charity employees frequently cite the sense of purpose and the chance to make a difference as key rewards for working there. The third-placed employer, the Army, received high scores from soldiers for its culture and job security.
Bill Richards, UK managing director at global job site, Indeed, comments, ‘A salary might be what drives people to work, but what makes us enjoy our job is more complex. While the public sector contains a huge range of jobs, from the civil service to charity work, many of those who choose a career in the sector are looking beyond their pay packet to other rewards.
‘The popularity of charities in our ranking stems not just from the obvious satisfaction that their staff get from helping a good cause, but also the nature of the workplace. Employers who make their team feel valued, and offer a good work-life balance and a positive culture scored consistently well. Having fun and feeling like your work is having an impact — those are the things that make a workplace in any sector feel special.’
Penny Lawrence, Oxfam GB’s deputy chief executive says, ‘The research tallies with our own regular surveys which show that the vast majority of staff feel proud to work for Oxfam, enjoy their job and share Oxfam’s vision to end extreme poverty around the world.
‘We try to ensure staff have every opportunity to develop their talents in Oxfam and that there are lots of opportunities to learn and engage in our wider work. While salary is important, it’s not everything and it’s clear to us that delivering job satisfaction is not simply a question of wage, it’s a matter of professional development, engagement and recognition of the value of our wonderful staff and volunteers.’
The full list can be found at: Indeed Best Places to Work 2016: Public Sector & Non-Profits
Further reading on the public sector
