Two years in the Top 10 best places to work for our Customers business

From colleague experience to customer impact – two years in the Top 10 best places to work for our Customers business

After securing a place on The Sunday Times Best Places to Work top 10 for the second consecutive year, EDF’s Customers business is seeing the positive impact of focusing on creating a great place to work.

We asked Philippe Commaret, Managing Director of Customers at EDF, to share his thoughts on the role leadership, culture and everyday behaviours play in creating an environment where teams and customers can thrive.

We’ve now made The Sunday Times Best Places to Work top 10 for the second year running – what does that consistency say to you about the Customers business?

Creating the best possible working conditions for our teams has been a core focus for the past five years.

It’s fantastic to see that our teams recognise the progress we have made in this area and reflect that through such a prestigious award. We strongly believe there is a clear link between the satisfaction of our people and customer experience.

From your perspective, what are the key things we’re doing differently in our Customers teams that are driving this kind of recognition?

From our employee engagement surveys, I can see that one of our key success factors is the quality of our managerial relationships.

I also believe that the organisational transformations of recent years aimed at simplifying the organisation and empowering teams have improved both quality of working life and team performance.

Finally, we continue to invest in new tools and technology that help our teams to do their jobs more effectively and spend more time supporting customers.

What does a ‘great place to work’ actually look like in practice across our Customers teams, day-to-day? 

From the teams’ perspective, it’s about the atmosphere at work and a relationship of trust with their manager.

It’s also about small, everyday gestures and the weekly recognition of the work delivered. This is reflected in the language we use: we often talk about teams as families, where colleagues feel a strong sense of support and connection, and look out for one another and help each other succeed.

This culture of cooperation focused on helping others succeed is at the heart of our Customers business.

How does creating a great place to work translate into better outcomes for our customers? 

We're proud to have one of the highest Trustpilot scores among our competitors, as well as one of the lowest numbers of one-star reviews.

Creating a great place to work is also a mindset: one where we care deeply for our customers, especially the most vulnerable.

The Customers business was also Highly Commended for Best Places to Work for disabled employees – what does that recognition mean, and what progress are you most proud of in this space?

This is a fantastic achievement, and one I’m personally extremely proud of as the sponsor of EDF’s Carers and Accessibility Network, which supports colleagues with disabilities and their managers.

The network not only provides practical solutions, it’s also a source of inspiration and guidance when we design products and services to be accessible to everyone, and when we lead transformations while ensuring the wellbeing of all. While we know there is always more to do, this recognition reflects the progress we’ve made and is the result of an ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion across our organisation.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities to build on this momentum over the next year?

We must continue to ask ourselves how we can better help our teams do their jobs.

For example, AI tools can simplify, accelerate and improve certain activities, but their adoption must always be in the service of our teams and the relationships they build with customers.

You’ve been with EDF (UK) for 6 years – how has your experience of working here evolved over that time, and what changes have stood out most to you? 

There have been many changes across the Customers business, including the shift to home working following Covid, the introduction of new digital platforms such as Kraken and more agile, team-based ways of working, and a move towards an organisation with clearer accountability for people and financial performance.

However, what has had the greatest impact on me has been the evolution of our leadership and management approach.

I’m extremely proud of and grateful to my team. 

At EDF, we believe there are multiple definitions of what it means to succeed. That’s why we offer you the freedom to develop a career that’s unique to you. Here, Success is Personal – it’s your journey, powered by us. Find out more about opportunities with our Customers business here.