Zen named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces for Development™ 2026

We’re delighted to share that we have been recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces for Development™ 2026 by Great Place To Work UK®.

The list celebrates organisations that make learning, growth and career development a meaningful part of everyday working life.

For us, development isn’t limited to formal training programmes or qualifications. It’s about creating an environment where people feel supported to learn, trusted to grow and encouraged to take the next step in their career.

Over the past year we’ve continued to invest in development across our business through mentoring, leadership support, internal progression opportunities and ongoing professional learning.

Mentoring plays an important role in how we support development at Zen. It gives colleagues space to build confidence, develop skills, explore career pathways and learn from others across the business.

During FY24/25, 33 mentors participated in our mentoring programme, supporting colleagues across a wide range of development areas including technical skills, career progression, confidence-building and business awareness.

One colleague who took part in the programme said:

“The mentoring programme helped me overcome self-doubt and gave me the confidence to pursue my professional goals. It also helped me better understand the opportunities available at Zen and gave me a strong foundation for my development in Cloud Architecture.”

The impact of mentoring can also be seen in progression outcomes across the business. During FY24/25, five women progressed into new roles or next-step career opportunities following mentoring support.

The recognition follows detailed feedback from colleagues alongside an assessment of workplace culture, leadership and development opportunities.

It reflects the experiences of our people and the culture we continue to build together.

Marking the recognition during Learning at Work Week, Maxine Blackwell, our people & culture director, said:

“I’m incredibly proud that we have been recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces for Development™.

“What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it’s based on colleague feedback. It reflects the culture we’re continuing to build together and the way people across Zen support one another, share knowledge and keep learning.

“During Learning at Work Week, we’ve been talking about the value of small, practical moments of development, and that’s important. Learning shouldn’t feel out of reach because people are busy. Creating space for continuous growth in realistic ways is a big part of building a workplace where people can thrive.”

Benedict Gautrey, managing director of Great Place To Work® UK, said:

“Learning and development go beyond enabling people to do their jobs well today – they signal that employees matter and that their future within the organisation is taken seriously.”

As an independent telecommunications provider with more than 30 years of experience, we know great customer service and technical expertise start with great people. Investing in development helps our teams build long-term careers at Zen, deepen their expertise and continue delivering the high standards our customers and partners expect from us.

We’re incredibly proud of this achievement and grateful to all our colleagues who help make Zen the business it is today.

Interested in joining us? You can view our latest opportunities here: https://story.zen.co.uk/our-people/careers