Pictured above: The team celebrating the news

Communications agency the drpgroup has entered the prestigious Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to work for list at its first attempt. Placing 51st, the drpgroup was assessed by the Best Companies organisation which compiles the list on behalf of the Sunday Times.

The workplace engagement specialists assess participating companies on factors such as job security, faith in team leadership and belief that the business provides a great service to clients.

The drpgroup, which is based in Hartlebury, scored in the 90th percentile in each of these categories based on feedback from its employees, meaning the group was awarded a two star rating out of a possible three; an extremely rare result for a company being assessed for the first time. The results were announced at a gala dinner and ceremony hosted by newsreader Kate Silverton.

Throughout the history of the group, Managing Director Dale Parmenter has operated the business with a constant focus on his people, an approach borne out of starting the business from the ground up and working with a small, close-knit team. Dale has maintained this dedication as the company has grown, with investment in and training of his people extremely high on the agenda. As the recession took hold over the past 18 months, job security in every company became an issue and so Dale stepped up his policy of openness and honesty allowing the group to share concerns and raise questions in a weekly 'war room meeting' which involved every single drpteam member.

An annual summer conference, a comprehensive reward and recognition scheme informed by fair team appraisals and the annual drpgroup Brilliance Awards have all ensured that the drpteam have felt engaged, motivated and committed to delivering for the group. These factors all contributed to the extremely high placing of the group in the list for a first time entrant.

Dale commented on the achievement: "To enter the Top 100 Companies list in our first attempt is a great achievement to say the least, but to make it to 51st position has demonstrated that the company's approach to the wellbeing of our people, their training, reward and recognition has paid dividends, especially in the trying times of the last 18 months.  

"Entering the list where we have has set a positive standard which needs to be maintained and we will be using the results and feedback we have received from the Best Companies organisation to further improve our team's working environment throughout the year."