Big Brother producer Initial has been named the best indie to work in TV in Broadcast’s annual guide to workplace culture and job satisfaction.
The Banijay-owned indie, which last year was in third place behind Strawberry Blond TV and Stellify Media, heads up the 2024 Best Places to Work in TV.
The list of 44 companies is drawn up by the Workforce Research Group consultancy and based on surveys of management and staff.
Factual indie Wonderhood Studios came in second place, while the third placed company, Dragonfly, was also deemed to offer the best work/life balance.
Rounding out the top 10 are Wild Child Animation, Quay Street Productions, Dancing Ledge, Stellify Media, The Garden, Yeti Television and Hidden Light.
Quay Street, the ITV Studios-backed label run by former Red Production Company head Nicola Shindler, was also named best place to work for women. Some 69% of its 28-strong workforce are female, as are two-thirds of its senior team.
Blue Zoo Productions took the title of best place to work in TV for Gen Z, with a fifth of its 243 staff within the 18-27 working age bracket within that demographic, while creative agency Red Bee Creative was recognised as having the best communication and workplace culture.
A focus of this year’s survey was how companies are helping staff and freelancers with the financial and welfare impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the commissioning slowdown.
Almost half – 48% - have offered one or more payments to some or all staff to support them in hard financial times, several emphasising that this was particularly weighed to junior staff. A fifth said they had reviewed pay or ensured that wages are in line with inflation.
Arrow Media said it is offering weekly and monthly surgeries and drop-in sessions for workers to chat about their CVs and mental health, and to network within the organisation.
Juli Porter, chief operating officer at Wildstar Films, which offers staff access to an external financial adviser, was one of several execs mentioning the importance of including freelancers in staff events and updates.
“Many freelancers in our industry have been hardest hit by the current climate,” she said. “We believe in the vital contributions these freelancers make to our collective success, and we are committed to ensuring that they do not feel isolated or uninformed during these difficult times.”
The company invited freelancers to the office for a casual gathering featuring drinks, nibbles and invaluable networking opportunities.
“In these times of uncertainty, we firmly believe that coming together and fostering relationships can be a source of resilience,” Porter added. “Our commitment to supporting freelancers is an integral part of our broader mission to weather the current climate and emerge stronger as a unified industry.”
Wendy Rattray, managing director of Hello Halo, talked up the importance of giving freelancers the longest possible contracts.
Describing the current situation as “a hideous time to be a freelancer”, Rattray said: “We have managed to retain all of the freelancers we work with this year due to rolling productions. And where there have been gaps, we have put them into development to tide them over.
“It hasn’t been easy to do this but there is a strong sense of loyalty and commitment from many of the freelancers we work with, so where possible, we have managed to repay this by keeping them employed.”
