Heat moves 21 places up the rankings this year thanks to the glowing reports of staff who find few faults with it.

Strong leadership, great team spirit and a feeling of being valued fuel the motivated and loyal workforce. With rewards ranging from a bottle of bubbly to Easter eggs concealing a £50 note on Good Friday, the use of the Heat villa in Turkey or £100 worth of vouchers on the birth of a baby, it’s not hard to see why staff strongly recommend it as a place to work, gaining the company an 87% positive result.

Employees feel they can make a valuable contribution to the success of the company (82%) and are proud to work for the firm (85%).

The company specialises in the design, installation and maintenance of domestic central heating and renewable energy sources in the social housing market sector within the UK, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The open, informal style of management contributes to a spirit of collaboration and deep respect for Bill McCandless, the group managing director. He is an inspiration to staff (81%) and they have a great deal of faith in him (86%).

Committed to investing in its staff, Heat spends £1,100 per head a year on training which, in addition to gaining the necessary industry qualifications, can involve taking apprentices to circus school to learn how to juggle. There are also a range of formal and informal events to engage employees, from Saturday quarterly forums to annual awards, the company quiz and summer barbecue.

A wellness programme, private healthcare and free sporting activities are all part of the flexible benefits package. All this seems to go down well with workers, few of whom have reported symptoms of stress in the past 12 months because of work (earning an 84% positive score, ranking Heat fifth). The same score is awarded for the support the company gives to employees in their efforts to help causes outside the business. Employees are encouraged to propose charities to receive funding. Just one company scores higher on this measure.

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