What makes a great place to work? Our people have helped us find the answer

It’s a lovely piece of recognition. But, for us, the more important part is what sits behind it.

A great workplace isn’t created by an award, a benefits package or a single initiative. It comes from the experience people have every day: whether they feel able to speak up, whether they have opportunities to grow, whether they’re recognised for the contribution they make, and whether work can fit alongside the rest of their lives.

Those are the things we’ve been working hard to get right at Virgin Media Business Wholesale.

We want people to feel comfortable contributing ideas, challenging how things are done and being themselves at work.

That means creating plenty of opportunities for colleagues to be heard. Our Employee Voice programme gives people a route to influence decisions that affect them, while our informal All Ears sessions create opportunities to speak directly with senior leaders.

Our seven employee networks also give colleagues spaces to connect around shared experiences, build communities and help shape change across the organisation.

And we’re seeing encouraging signs that this is having an impact. Our latest Vibe survey recorded a 74% psychological safety score. It’s something we’re proud of, but also something we continue to work on, including through support for managers and teams around inclusive language, microaggressions and workplace culture.

Telecoms is changing quickly, and the skills people need are changing with it. So development can’t be something that happens once a year.

We’ve tried to make learning part of everyday working life through regular coaching and career conversations, alongside tools and programmes that give colleagues different ways to develop.

That starts from day one. When 49 new colleagues joined Fixed Wholesale in early 2026, we brought them together for in-person inductions designed not simply to explain how the business works, but to help them build relationships and feel part of the team from the outset.

Being a good place to work should also give people the chance to contribute to the things they care about.

Through Take Five, every colleague can take up to five paid volunteering days each year. Over the past 12 months, 40% of the team have used them, supporting everything from digital mentoring in care homes and environmental clean-ups to zoo volunteering and social mobility mentoring for young people.

That matters because culture isn’t only about what happens inside an organisation. It’s also about giving people the time and freedom to make a difference outside it.

Being named Best Company to Work For is something we’re hugely proud of.

But more than anything, it is recognition of the culture our colleagues create for each other every day.

We’ll keep listening, learning and looking for ways to make Virgin Media Business Wholesale an even better place to build a career. Because there will always be more we can do, and the best workplaces never stop trying to get better.

Congratulations to everyone recognised at this year’s UK Fibre Awards.