Why SPORTFIVE Was Recognised in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work
Published on
by Anna Davey
SPORTFIVE is extremely proud to be recognised in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, reflecting our commitment to being a people-first organisation.
In this article we explore why we were celebrated within the highly regarded list.
In this Insight:
What is the Sunday Times Best Places to Work
The Sunday Times Best Places to work is a highly regarded annual award in the UK as it spotlights the best employers across various industries that value employee experience and wellbeing.
This year SPORTFIVE were included in the list of 567 businesses as one of the best places to work in the Medium Organisation category.
The list is determined by a survey sent to employees that evaluates engagement and satisfaction. The survey is created by The Sunday Times in partnership with WorkL and assesses wellbeing, empowerment, job satisfaction, inclusion, work-life balance, and career development.
To qualify for the list, each organisation much receive at least a 70% employee engagement rate.
What it Means to SPORTFIVE
SPORTFIVE is extremely proud to be recognised in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, reflecting our commitment to being a people-first organisation. Since rebranding from the Lagardère Group to SPORTFIVE in 2020, we have focused on defining our identity, culture, and values.
As a global full-service sports marketing agency, our team of more than 1,300 people connects brands, rights holders, media platforms and fans through strategic, commercial and creative partnerships that drive impact across sport.
Alongside our business growth, we have prioritised investment in employee wellbeing, development and engagement initiatives, creating an inclusive, supportive and positive workplace culture. We believe successful organisations are built by people who feel empowered, connected, and proud to be part of the business.
Our values are central to this approach. Rather than simply asking employees to be able to recite them, we strive to ensure they experience openness, freedom, fearlessness, resilience, and unity in their everyday working lives.
This commitment has also been recognised through awards including iWorkinSport's Best Employer in Sport, and we are proud that our achievements continue to reflect our commitment to our people and culture.
Highlights of Working at SPORTFIVE
The Sunday Times Best Places to Work survey asses the following areas:
Reward & Recognition
SPORTFIVE recognises that rewarding employees goes beyond salary alone. Our benefits package is designed to support colleagues at every stage of life, helping them feel valued, secure and supported both personally and professionally.
This includes additional paid time off for important life events such as moving home or getting married.
Employees also benefit from salary sacrifice schemes including pensions, electric vehicles and Cycle to Work, alongside Vitality private healthcare, life assurance and funding for external training, qualifications and professional memberships that support long-term career growth.
Instilling Pride
At SPORTFIVE, we want our people to feel proud of where they work and the impact they make.
Our values of openness, freedom, fearlessness, resilience and unity are embedded into everyday working life, creating a culture built on trust and belonging.
In 2023 we invested in a new modern office environment to help create an even more positive and collaborative workplace and instil pride within our people each day they come to work.
“This award stands as a testament to our world-class team at SPORTFIVE, and reflects our commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive and industry-leading place to work. We look forward to continuing to evolve our workplace to support the wellbeing and development of our people.”
Tim Birt & Lee Goldwater, Managing Directors, SPORTFIVE UK
Wellbeing
Employee wellbeing is central to our people-first approach. We provide a range of wellbeing initiatives that support physical, mental and emotional health, recognising that everyone has different needs.
Employees can access Vitality private healthcare, mental health support, menopause and neurodiversity support. Aswell as enhanced maternity, paternity and family leave policies, fertility treatment resources, carers leave and pregnancy and baby loss leave.
We facilitate dedicated wellbeing events, including women's and men's health sessions and wellbeing mornings to promote education and open conversation. As well as ensuring we have activities, social events, Employee Forum meetings and Women's Networking events to help further connection and inclusion across the business.
Examples of Employee-led Initiatives
As an organisation, we do not want to just force initiatives on our employees to tick a box, we want to ensure we are providing beneficial and impactful support and opportunities.
SPORTFIVE believe there is no better way to do this than giving our people a voice and a space to share and connect. Our Employee Forum, which also contributed to our empowerment and information sharing sections, is a place for several employees who want to be a part of the forum to bring together ideas from across the business and facilitate constructive conversations.
Seasonal social events are a key part of the employee calendar. Bringing our people together to build relationships outside of the working environment and create a sense of pride and unity within our teams.
Empowerment
We believe empowered employees deliver the best results. That's why SPORTFIVE prioritises employee voice, flexibility and development, creating an environment where people can shape both their careers and workplace experience.
Flexible and hybrid working arrangements are also important to us as we are aware that our employees have responsibilities outside of the office, so offering flexible start and finish times, extended remote working opportunities and support for sabbaticals help employees balance professional and personal commitments.
Development is supported through our Leadership Development Programme, external training opportunities, professional qualifications and tailored development plans, ensuring every employee has the tools and feels empowered to grow.
Information Sharing
Open communication and transparency are a key part of our culture at SPORTFIVE. We want employees to feel connected to the business, understand the decisions being made and have opportunities to share their ideas and shape the employee experience.
Through internal presentations, panel discussions and knowledge-sharing events, employees gain insight into different areas of the organisation and learn from colleagues across the business.
Combined with annual performance and development conversations, these initiatives help create a culture built on collaboration.
A Selection of SPORTFIVE Employee Initiatives and Programmes
Job Satisfaction
At SPORTFIVE, employee satisfaction is shaped by an environment where people feel supported, connected and able to develop throughout their careers. By investing in wellbeing, encouraging collaboration and creating opportunities for employees to have their voices heard, we aim to create a workplace where people can do their best work and feel valued for their contribution.
This people-first approach helps drive engagement across the business, contributing to a culture where employees feel motivated, proud of what they do and excited about their future at SPORTFIVE.
To find out more about opportunities to work at SPORTFIVE, visit Life at SPORTFIVE below.
