Working as a software developer couldn’t be more of a contrast for Adam Bradley, who was a vet in South Africa just two years ago. But communications technology firm Data Connection makes sure all of its 314 employees get the chance to take a new direction.

As a vet, Bradley says he was working long hours, most weekends and was constantly on call. “You can get a lot out of being a vet if you are willing to sacrifice aspects of your life, but I wasn’t,” he says.

“I knew Data Connection hired people who didn’t necessarily have the academic background and I certainly didn’t have the detailed software knowledge,” Bradley says. “But I knew they were progressive in how they treated and trained their personnel and that was very appealing.”

Today, Bradley has time outside work for sport, climbing and playing saxophone with a band. Colleagues give a 61% positive score for not feeling exhausted when they come home from work, are happy with their work-life balance (78%) and say their health is not suffering because of the job (85%) — all top 10 scores nationally.

The Enfield-based organisation, founded in 1981, lists Microsoft, Cisco and Juniper among its clients. Employees say work is an important part of their lives (77%), feel they can make a valuable contribution to the success of the organisation (81%) and are proud to work for it (84%).

Chairman Ian Ferguson, one of the firm’s seven founders, describes Data Connection as a “development factory that will develop people in the direction they want to go”. He adds: “Developing people is my passion; it is something I really love to do.”

Chief executive John Lazar joined the firm 22 years ago as a software engineer and worked his way up the ranks. “Most of the people who join Data Connection are doing the same thing,” he says. “We are strongly dominated, at management level, by people who have worked through the company as I have.”

Employees say managers care about them as individuals (82%), they feel supported by them (84%) and think they talk openly and honestly with them (86%, and the top score).

New employees are assigned a mentor who, along with managers, sets aside 50 days of their time to train a new starter in their first year. Every employee has an individual development plan that is updated every three months.

“Managing people here is about nurturing and getting the best out of them,” says recruitment manager Alison Jackson. “They don’t ask for your life, but you need to do the job well.”

Employees say there are opportunities for them to learn and grow within the organisation (72%), feel their jobs are good for personal growth (78%) and say their work is stimulating (79%).

A flexible benefits package includes free private healthcare for employees and their dependents, critical illness cover, life assurance and profit-related pay. Its overall Fair Deal factor score (75%) is bettered by just three other companies.

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