Annual study of employer attractiveness · United Kingdom
World's Best Employers 2027 – United Kingdom
World’s Best Employers is an annual study of employer attractiveness. For the United Kingdom, our research team screens more than 2.7 million businesses every year and checks them against more than 20 data sources. Employers that score at least 300 out of 500 points are named World’s Best Employer – United Kingdom 2027.
Data collection and scoring: 10–30 November 2026. The 2027 results will be published on 1 December 2026.
businesses screened
data sources
core areas
points maximum, 300 to qualify
employers recognised
What is the World's Best Employer award?
The World’s Best Employer award recognises companies that are attractive places to work, judged on evidence that can be checked from the outside. We don’t run a single staff survey and call the result a ranking. Instead we bring many signals together: how employees rate their employer on review platforms, results from workplace surveys, employer awards and certifications a company already holds, and what it publicly offers its people.
In research terms, this is a meta-analysis. It pulls together evidence that already exists and weighs it with one consistent scoring model. Only employers the study has already recognised can order a marketing package.
How the 2027 study works
The study runs once a year in five phases:
Defining the research question
We start from published research on what employees look for in an employer and turn it into clear criteria.
Selecting primary sources
For each criterion we choose sources that provide comparable data. For the United Kingdom we use more than 20 of them.
Collecting and coding the data
From 10 to 30 November 2026, our team gathers data on more than 2.7 million businesses and codes it into the scoring model. AI helps us cope with the volume, and people check the results.
Analysis
Every employer receives points in ten core areas, up to a maximum of 500.
Awarding
Employers with at least 300 points are named World’s Best Employer – United Kingdom 2027.
The ten core areas we assess
The 500 points are spread across ten fixed areas, so no single factor decides the result: Subjective ratings sit alongside objective facts, such as a certification a company already holds. Together they give a fuller picture than any single source could.
Who is behind the study?
The World’s Best Employers study is carried out by the International Quality Standards Network, operated by Quality Standardization and Certification LLC, based in Sheridan, Wyoming, USA (quality-standard.com). Under the name USIQ – United States Institute for Quality (usiq.org), the company develops quality standards and certifies organisations against them. The study is published every year in seven countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Türkiye and the United States.
The study is independent and not affiliated with other rankings that use a similar name.
For employers: how to use the award
Recognised employers can order a marketing package. It includes the digital World’s Best Employer – United Kingdom 2027 seal with an unlimited right of use. Companies typically use the seal on:
- their careers page and job adverts
- LinkedIn and other social media
- email signatures and recruitment material
- trade fairs, events and print
- press releases and newsletters
Besides the seal, the package contains a high-quality certificate, an acrylic display, a results page with a link to your company, a press release and a social media post. Packages start at €2,490 as a one-off payment.
In a randomised experiment with 1,093 participants, the share who were likely or very likely to apply rose from 38% to 54% when the job advert showed an employer seal.
Marketing packages from
one-off payment, up to 100 employees
Learn more about the World's Best Employers study
SOME AWARD WINNING COMPANIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
World's Best Employers 2027: the results
The list of all recognised employers in the United Kingdom will be published here on 1 December 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the World's Best Employer award?
It is the result of an annual study of employer attractiveness. Employers that reach at least 300 of 500 possible points receive the award.
Who runs the World's Best Employers study?
The International Quality Standards Network, operated by Quality Standardization and Certification LLC in Sheridan, Wyoming, USA.
How are the World's Best Employers 2027 selected?
Our team evaluates more than 2.7 million businesses in the United Kingdom using more than 20 data sources across ten core areas, from employee reviews to certifications and press coverage. Each employer can score up to 500 points.
Can a company apply or pay to be included?
Employers don’t apply. The study team identifies the recognised employers itself, and only employers the study has already recognised can order a marketing package.
When will the 2027 results be published?
On 1 December 2026. All data is collected and scored between 10 and 30 November 2026. Employers that qualify are recognised for the year 2027.
How long can the seal be used?
There is no time limit. The seal shows the year of the study, so anyone can see when it was awarded.
What does it cost?
Marketing packages start at €2,490 as a one-off payment for employers with up to 100 employees. For up to 499 employees the package costs €2,990, and for more than 500 employees €3,990.
How is this different from rankings based on a single employee survey?
A survey-based list reflects what one group of employees said at one point in time. Our study combines survey results with reviews, awards, certifications and other public information, and scores every employer with the same model.
Questions about the study?
Write to us if you have questions about the 2027 study, your result or how to use the seal.
