Manx Telecom has received Star Status in the Best Companies business accreditation system - the first time the company has applied for the accolade. The Best Companies awards are based on a survey of employees and from the results organisers produce a comprehensive analysis of employees’ engagement across eight key factors in the workplace. The Best Companies star rating is granted for entrants achieving high marks in the survey and is structured in a similar way to the Michelin ratings for restaurants. Star Status awards range from a ‘First Class’ one star award; an ‘Outstanding’ two star award; and the ‘Extraordinary’ three star award. John McChesney, Manx Telecom Director of Human Resources, said that achieving Best Companies one star accreditation at the first attempt was a fantastic accolade, especially as the company is now a standalone business. Manx Telecom was part of the Telefonica group, but was bought by CPS Partners and HgCapital last year. John said: “In previous years we have benchmarked ourselves against other companies in our parent group and were always pleased with the results. However, to see how we compare to other organisations in general which employ between 250 and 4,999 employees is extremely valuable. The results tell us that we have all the right ingredients in place to be the employer of choice that we want to be for our existing team members and future recruits. They also highlight the immense pride that our staff have in being part of Manx Telecom and how much they value the team aspects within the business as well as the personal growth opportunities we provide. However, it also enables us to look at other specific people processes and areas which we can improve upon, to support and help drive the future growth and success of the business.” Jonathan Austin, Founder and CEO of Best Companies, presented the award to Manx Telecom at the Best Companies’ Art of Engagement day held at Milton Keynes Bowl. Art of Engagement is a day of workshops which illustrate the benefits to both employers and employees of creating a constructive working environment. Manx Telecom is now waiting to hear whether it will be included in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Mid-Sized Companies to Work For list. This is the first year that the company has applied for inclusion in the list which attracts applications from companies across the UK and is based on an employee survey and organisation questionnaire. The 2011 Top 100 will be announced next month. Ends