People Make Cisco a Best Place to Work

Cisco is delighted to be a Glassdoor UK Employees’ Choice Award winner. This award means so much to us as it was all based on the comments of our own people, and their views and feedback are what really matter to us. What really makes a difference is the environment and the people. We’ve tried to capture a few reasons why we believe our colleagues have voted Cisco a best place to work (for more info, take a look at the reviews). Have a philosophy that you live by At Cisco, we believe if we “connect everything, innovate everywhere and benefit everyone” we’ll build an organisation which is not only successful but also puts employees at the heart of everything we do. Having a strategy and direction that we all understand and buy into helps everyone to feel connected and know how their efforts contribute to Cisco. Innovation is part of life for our employees and is welcomed no matter how big or small the innovation is. Our people tell us that they feel encouraged to come up with new and better ways of doing things. Our people are empowered to challenge ideas and make a difference, and this is what makes them and us special. Helping people to be themselves Our people really do fantastic things, and it’s great to be part of a company where everyone can flourish, learn from others, be themselves and get involved in issues that really matter to them, both personally and professionally. We want to make sure we have an inclusive culture which one that allows people to be who they are with everyone and not feel that they have to pretend with colleagues, customers or managers. Our “Open Minds” blogs help foster this culture. Our people tell their personal stories, what matters to them and why they’re sharing their background. They are an important part of us helping everyone feel that they can bring their whole self to work. Our “Managing Bias” training programme, which everyone is encouraged to attend, also creates this inclusive culture by helping people be more self aware, consider their own biases and perhaps remove them. Making virtual (working) a reality Using our technology is a day-to-day reality for everyone. We connect with colleagues and teams virtually, we use a range of tools to help us be more effective and we’re trusted to manage our own time and work deliverables. Working in this virtual environment is fantastic for enabling everyone to work the way that best suits their needs, whether this is to cut down on commuting time, be at home in time for dinner with the family or pick up the kids up from school. On our largest site at Bedfont Lakes, we recently built our own onsite nursery and pre-school. Feedback from employees has been fantastic, as this is another way we’re investing in our people and helping them to balance and manage their work and home lives. Our people make amazing happen Even though many of us at Cisco work virtually and flexibly, we still create a sense of community through our “Be Amazing” employee engagement programme. It brings together all sorts of different people thanks to activities from getting the next generation excited about STEM subjects to delivering presents to ill children in hospitals, building a community spirit across the UK locations and having fun at summer barbecues and virtual pub quizzes to helping people focus on their own development, careers health and well being. We use a network of Be Amazing ‘Ambassadors’ to help get others involved and make a difference in our Cisco community and to the lives of those who live near us. Investing in (y)our future Bringing in the right talent and helping people be successful in their careers in Cisco is a top priority for us. We’re keen to tap into the potential young talent and get them excited about technology. Our Work Experience programme brings in 14-to-16-year-old students to help them consider careers in technology. Our apprenticeship programme is also expanding each year. We’ve now broadened it so that our apprentices gain experience and knowledge in many different business units across Cisco, including IT support, HR, Supply Chain, labs and technical teams. To sum up our advice, have a philosophy that you live by, benefit your real asset (your people) and help everyone achieve their full potential.