The 'Sunday Times' ran a feature today on the 250 top companies to work
for.
Number 1 was guess who?
(second was Microsoft)
CISCO SYSTEMS
Internet products supplier
Annual sales: #12.9 billion (global)
Staff: 2,246
Female staff: 11%
Staff turnover: 9%
New jobs created: 819
Entry-level pay for sales and marketing: #20,000-#25,000
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BENEFITS 5 Stars
RESPECT 5 Stars
PRIDE 5 Stars
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The global internet specialist has recently been tossed on the horns of the
stock market but its shareholder employees have remained loyal. The
investment works both ways: in exchange for loyalty and achievement, Cisco
trusts its staff with highly flexible work patterns and a hands-off
management style. The relationship between the two makes Cisco's 2,246
workers among the happiest in Britain.
Indeed, it is the enthusiasm of its staff that puts Cisco at No1 in our
survey: 98% of them say the company is honest and ethical; 99% report they
get the training needed for advancement; 100% say Cisco people are willing
to give extra to get the job done, and 94% declare they get a fair share of
the profits (among the companies on the list, the average response to this
question is 46%).
It is no wonder then that Cisco gets 60% of its recruits from employee
referrals. If the appointee stays, a bonus of #1,500 is paid.
Besides share options, Cisco offers a rich package of pay, benefits and
amenities. Graduates start on #20,000 to #25,000, while experienced
professionals begin on #35,000 to #40,000.
Cisco, which has its world headquarters near San Francisco, has grown
phenomenally since it was launched in 1986. Selling routers and switches for
the internet and helping companies build their own information
infrastructures has made millionaires of the original shareholders and many
staff.
Cisco was at one point ranked as the largest company in the world, based on
market value. Now it is second only to General Electric.
When it launched in Britain a decade ago, there were about 60 employees at
one site: now more than 2,000 workers fill three huge buildings on an
industrial park in Uxbridge, west London, and at sites in central London,
Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester.
Staff in Britain are mainly responsible for selling Cisco's own software and
hardware products, or its expertise in building communications networks.
More than half of the British team are sales staff, working directly with
customers.
Rapid growth means that workers who have been at Cisco for more than five
years are considered old-timers. They may have seen new divisions of work
and strata of management appear, but the consensus is that they are still
happy with their salary, share options and the company atmosphere.
Cisco is a young company but its attitude to its workers is rooted in
maturity. They are given the freedom to work when and where it suits them.
"The culture drives everything, including how workers and managers
interact," says Steve Durkin, a finance manager who has been there for
nearly five years. "We are not bogged down with administration or tied to
spending hours commuting to one office. It is a hands-off management
policy."
Durkin often works from the central London office in the former NatWest
tower and begins his week with an 8am conference call with other managers
around the country. He may see them only once a month, communicating mainly
by e-mail, telephone and mobile voicemails.
He is provided with a mobile and laptop with a wireless chip, which means
that he can check his e-mails from anywhere. He often works through the
night from home, speaking to people in offices around the world. It is not a
40-hour week but the hours are completely flexible.
All systems go: it was the enthusiasm of Cisco staff such as Margaret Lunda,
Howard Turner, Sian Davies and Karen Underwood that put the internet
specialist at the top of our survey. Photograph: Paul Vicente
Democracy is a word that Cisco people often use. Pat Whitton, a receptionist
for the company, is so happy that she comes into work half an hour early
every day so that she and a fresh pot of coffee are ready to greet visitors
at 7am.
She especially appreciates the flat, open structure of the firm: "I started
here six years ago when there were 68 people and although things have
changed, the culture has not. It could not improve on perfection. Everybody
is pleasant, and there is a buzz about the company and a feeling that we all
play well and are rewarded well."
Nikki Weston, who recently joined as an administrative assistant, says the
vice-president is "never too busy to speak to you and that is very
important".
The buildings in Uxbridge are airy, clean and light, and the coffee shop is
stocked with free drinks and fresh fruit. The offices are paper-free:
everything is stored on the laptops people bring with them. Managers do have
their own offices but, when travelling, they fly economy like everyone else,
in line with the policy of frugality.
The most obvious concrete benefit for employees is the share options. They
are given options on joining, become eligible for more through
pay-for-performance schemes, and can allocate up to 10% of pay for share
purchases. Cisco's share price plummeted 40% last year and fell again in
January but the company's potential for growth is considered huge.
Some staff receive as much in share options as in salary. Bonuses are paid
to everyone and are generous when the teams achieve their targets. Everybody
is entitled to a pension and private healthcare, which also covers family
members, including unmarried partners. Company cars and travel insurance are
offered to some. The package is meritocratic, and depends on seniority, not
on time served.
Career development is another visible benefit. Graham Vann, a solutions
manager, joined in 1995 and has progressed rapidly. "We are very empowered,"
he says. "Self-teaching is the way now. We have video classes and training
programmes online, so you can learn when you need to. There are also
feedback meetings where I can speak freely to my boss."
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