The winner of this year’s Best Workplace in Europe award for large organisations (those with more than 500 employees) is Microsoft. As reflected in consistently high scores on the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey, the global software company, based near Seattle in the US, excels in maintaining high levels of satisfaction among its 7,526 employees, who work in 14 subsidiaries across Europe.

This is achieved largely through a loose, informal culture that keeps all employees aligned through a set of core values and various channels of communication.