Milton Keynes business recognised as "one of the best places to work"

Milton Keynes-based medical recruiters Cook Investment Group were recognised as one of the best places to work in a new national survey.

Cook Investment Group received recognition from Best Companies, a research agency that supplies data to the Sunday Times for its annual Best Companies to Work For survey.

The Milton Keynes recruiters were awarded a two-star rating, recognising the company’s 'outstanding level of engagement'.

Best Companies accreditation system works on a three star process. One star represents a 'very good' company when it comes to workplace engagement, two stars is reserved for 'outstanding' businesses and three stars is for world-class places to work.

Companies are measured on eight different criteria: their dealings, whether they give back, management, leadership, company happiness, wellbeing of staff, opportunity for personal growth and teamwork.

Cook Investment Group managing director David Cook said: “After achieving a one star ranking in 2020, we are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded two stars in this year's Best Companies to Work For scheme.

"Supplying locum doctors and nurses for the NHS in the most challenging environment any of us can remember has meant working ever more closely with our people.

“Together, we have grown the business, ensuring that our support for NHS staffing has been matched with a determination to ensure our people are happy, healthy and fully motivated.”

Cook Investment Group recruitment agencies supply temporary doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals to the NHS – and the Covid pandemic has proved the most challenging period in the family firm’s 12-year history.

A spokesperson for the company outlined how they kept staff safe working during the pandemic:

- "Instituted a rigorous safety regime, offering maximum protection to its 100 staff, and providing them with the opportunity to work from home.

-"Staged twice-daily meetings, online and on site, to ensure the maximum number of medical professionals were being supplied to hard-pressed NHS hospitals, as well as checking on each team member’s wellbeing.

- "Introduced weekly ‘How Are You?’ calls to staff working from home.

-"Staged quarterly surveys to track any employee worries and foster a healthy work ethic.

-" Managed to operate without any employees being furloughed.

-"Continued to deliver ‘the fun stuff’ to help alleviate worry and stress, such as Pancake Day, with enthusiastic consumption matched with stringent food handling and safety standards, and Friday ‘Prosecco Time’."