As you would expect, when it comes to communicating with its workforce, Vodafone has got it covered.

Every month, chief executive Nick Read sends a personal update message to his 10,000plus staff in more than 350 stores and offices who can watch it on their 3G phone, the intranet or listen to it on their mobile phone.

Employee engagement is critical to the success of the company that started a technological revolution 22 years ago when it made the first mobile call. It’s a two-way thing. To ensure workers are aware of the company’s direction and goals, the UK board went on the road to enable more than 3,000 employees to hear about its priorities last year. Meanwhile, staff submitted more than 700 ideas in the firm’s My Big Idea competition to find ways of making life easier for customers. Vodafone earns a 70% positive score for employees believing they can make a valuable contribution to the success of the organisation and for thinking their job is good for their own personal growth.

When it comes to workmates, they are on the same wavelength. Colleagues are fun to work with and go out of their way to help each other (both 76%). Bosses aren’t bad either. Staff feel managers trust their judgment (77%) and talk honestly and openly with them (76%), scores that rank Vodafone seventh and fifth respectively.

Newbury-based Vodafone offers jobs in retail, call centres, technology and support to a diverse range of people including parents returning to work and mature workers, and has 2,000 people managers. To motivate staff, the firm launched a recognition programme called Legends in 1995 to find the top 100 employees nominated by their colleagues, with the winners getting an all-expenses paid holiday. This year they will go to Cape Town.

The company funds a variety of fun events including Vodstock, an exclusive musical festival for employees and their partners which was held at Blenheim Palace last year and included performances from Texas and Embrace. Staff also get to enter competitions to win tickets for Uefa Champions League matches and before the Ashes tour the firm arranged for England cricketers to visit its main offices to hold a Q&A session with employees before departing for Australia.

Vodafone encourages flexible working wherever it is practical and, as a consequence, nearly 25% of employees work flexibly, part-time or from home.

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