Being named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2026 was more than an accolade for TC Group’s offices in Milton Keynes, Northampton, Leicester and Southampton – it was independent recognition of a workplace built on trust, openness and a genuine caring commitment towards its people.
The business advisory and accountancy firm invests not just in building and retaining a healthy client base – it also understands that in the current economic climate, one of the most important factors in driving sustainable success is investment in and retention of its people.
At the heart of the firm’s ethos is the belief that when culture, trust and wellbeing are strong, it drives employee engagement, and that gives the organisation a critical business advantage.
Chris Dell, Partner – Head of Brand, Creative & Culture at TC Group, said: “We’re over the moon to have been named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work this year. It isn’t a typical award entry and holds incredible signifi cance and reputation, whilst sharing the story of the culture our team help shape every single day.
“As a Senior Leadership Team, we’ve always been committed to doing things ‘the right way, not the easy way’, creating an environment where people feel safe, supported and able to thrive in their careers.
“For us, creating an organisation where people feel valued, heard and empowered puts us, as a team, in a better position to innovate, retain talent, and deliver exceptional client service.”
The Sunday Times Best Places to Work survey is based entirely on anonymous employee feedback gathered through colleagues’ day-to-day experiences. As well as celebrating success, inclusion on the list strengthens employer brand, supports talent attraction and retention, and reinforces the link between employee experience and sustainable business performance.
The results refl ect the strength of TC’s workplace environment. Independent employee feedback gathered by The Sunday Times and WorkL showed 91% job satisfaction and wellbeing, while 95% of employees said they ‘feel safe in their working environment’.
In an era where employees increasingly seek purpose, clarity and authenticity from employers, organisations that communicate openly and involve people in decision-making can foster greater trust and engagement. 92% of TC’s team believe information is openly shared across the organisation and 89% feel their views are heard – strong indicators of a workplace where communication, trust and inclusion are embedded in everyday behaviour.
TC Group proudly champions its six core values of Distinctive, Inclusive, Valuable, Courageous, Caring and Progressive. This plays out daily in business, infl uencing the way colleagues work together, support clients, and contribute to the wider community through initiatives, including the firm’s ESG (Environmental, Sustainability & Governance) Forum.
The Forum helps drive the organisation’s social responsibility agenda, including charitable involvement such as collecting and distributing Christmas gifts through children’s and young people’s services, and supporting The Never Alone Project, which helps people navigating grief and bereavement.
Group COO and Managing Partner Stephen Watts said: “I genuinely can’t describe in words just how much of a proud moment this is for the board. The employee experience journey didn’t happen by accident or overnight. It required vision, persistence, accountability, leadership commitment, not just from me and Chris but the whole leadership team, and years of sustained effort. The Sunday Times recognition is a result of all of the above.
“For us, our employee surveys, including The Sunday Times, aren’t simply about feel-good statistics. They provide evidence of a workplace where transparency, collaboration and supportive leadership have become embedded behaviours rather than corporate aspirations. They reinforce a growing body of evidence that happy, supported people are more likely to stay, contribute and perform at their best.”
A significant contributor to TC’s success has been its Employee Board, established five years ago to strengthen engagement, surface ideas and develop home-grown talent. Created to break down any suggestion of a ‘them and us’ culture, it gives colleagues a genuine voice in how the business evolves and grows. When the board was set up, TC estimated that fewer than one per cent of businesses operated a similar initiative.
Chris Dell said: “The Employee Board’s an initiative we’ll absolutely continue to invest in, as we’ve seen people flourish through the opportunity. Members have come up with ideas that are genuinely listened to, eff ectively championed, and that have even become long-term strategic initiatives for the business.
“This feeds into our Sunday Times Best Places to Work accolade, as it helps maintain consistently high satisfaction levels. At our most recent Quarterly Business Review, our team were asked ‘how likely are you to recommend the company to friends and family due to our culture?’ and rated it 8.1 out of 10. This score’s remained strong quarter after quarter, year after year.
“We’re now on cohort five of the Employee Board, with 39 people having gone through the programme to date. It gives rising talent exposure to monthly board-style discussions, strategic scenarios, and opportunities they may not otherwise experience. So many of the ideas and initiatives fi rst raised by the board, including our Values Awards, Inspirational Speakers Programme, Lunch & Learns and Coffee Club are now firmly embedded across the organisation.”
Emma Jones, Partner, Head of Audit, said: “Our culture’s always been one of our greatest diff erentiators. It’s authentic, people-led and visible throughout the business, rather than something solely curated for recognition or awards.”
In a market where attracting talent, increasing productivity and delivering exceptional client service remain ever challenging, TC believes culture is not a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a commercial advantage.
Happy, engaged people don’t just create better workplaces; they help build stronger, more resilient businesses.
For more information, visit the TC Group website.
