Inside Softcat: Voted the second best place to work in the UK

Softcat is an industry leading tech provider for big names such as Red Bull, Comic Relief and River Island.

The multi award winning company has been voted the 2nd Best Place to Work in the UK, 2015.

We spoke to four graduates, Issy Perkin, James Rendall, Daniel Bray and James Bowman about their experiences so far working at Softcat.

Join the Softcat team, apply for a job as a Graduate Account Executive

What attracted you to apply to the organisation?

IP: I researched Softcat and saw they’d been voted 2nd Best Place to Work. I was also attracted to the fun culture which I think a lot of companies are missing.

Why and how do you think working in sales differs to the stigma attached to sales?

JB: I think there is a stigma to sales, a lot of my friends will say that. The reality is Softcat is very different, we’re not seen as “sales people” to our clients, we’re seen as partners to our customers.

How does the reality of the job compare to what you expected?

DB: I’ve been in sales before and I had done some call centre work. I didn’t want a job that represented that and I knew Softcat wasn’t like that. This is not simply a call centre job – it’s account management and there’s so much room for progression.

What is the office environment like?

JR: Everyone is very ambitious and we work very hard but in return Softcat ensure that it is very fun. Anything from bringing your dog into the office, to enjoying the beer fridge on Fridays at 4:30pm. There’s a pool table and always something to do in your free time. There are a lot of people our age, so you have that common ground – it’s really fun in that way.

DB: The openness of company information is great, you’ll constantly be updated on changes and your opinion actually matters. A lot of companies I’ve worked at it’s all been very hush-hush. I think that’s quite important, and shows you how Softcat value their employees and want to keep them in the loop.

What have you got out of the role personally?

IP: At Softcat everyone is really welcoming and fun. We work with vendors like HP and Dell, so there’s a lot of Softcat and vendor incentives, parties and nights out.

JR: A lot more confidence when dealing with customers, constantly learning week in and week out, learning more about technology and how to work with clients. 

What types of things as a graduate do you get up to day to day?

JR: The first few months are very intense, trying to build your account base and researching accounts. From there it expands into a more interesting role, building those relationships.

What makes Softcat stand out as a company?

IP: I think they are very supportive as an employer, they go by the mantra that if their employees are happy then the customers are happy and they follow through on that.

JB: The ownership that Softcat gives to its employees is really crucial. They actually trust young people. I could go to a different grad job and have nowhere near the exposure to customers as I do here and would not have developed as much as I have.

Join the Softcat team, apply for a  job as a Graduate Account Executive

We also spoke to Team Leaders Dan Robinson and Joanna Cutter about the type of people who do well at Softcat, and some of the company incentives that Softcat offer: quarterly team nights out, commission, half year and annual incentives.

Can you describe the graduate role to people who want to apply?

DR: The role is super dynamic and really progressive, the IT industry is amazing as it doesn’t stand still for a second – because of this things change and you’re not talking about the same thing day in and day out.

JC: You’re in control of how quickly you progress and how much money you can earn. When you finish university and you’re going into a 9-5 it can be quite daunting especially if it’s an overly formal environment. We’re very professional on the outside, on the inside it’s a very family orientated business and a lot of fun.

What are the future plans for Softcat and where do graduates fit into them?

JC: Graduates are the heart of everything that we do. We’ve very much got an ethos of bringing people on with a view to develop them and give them a long-term career.

What’s your best memory working at Softcat?

JC: My favourite memory was being in the sea in Hawaii with Softcat people, and having giant turtles popping up on Waikiki beach at the annual incentive. If you over-achieve on targets, every six months the company will take a group away to congratulate their hard work.

DR: My first incentive was when I’d been here for nine months – I got taken on a trip to Lapland. We went up to the Arctic circle, did husky sledging, stayed in an ice hotel and saw the northern lights.

Charis Turner, Internal Recruitment Executive told us what Softcat look for in graduates.

“We look for three key things in graduates: Drive and determination, intelligence and hard work. As well as having that Softcat spark.”

“There are over 900 people with different backgrounds and different personalities but they all have those three things in common. They are the three things we won’t budge on.

“With our word of the year being ‘passion’ we want grads with the hunger and passion to succeed, to earn money and who are passionate in building long-term relationships with new clients.”

“You’ll be building new relationships with senior IT professionals at fantastic companies. You’ll be seen as a trusted consultant for them, assisting them with their strategy.”

Join the Softcat team, apply for a job as a Graduate Account Executive

Softcat pride themselves on their employee satisfaction, world-class customer satisfaction and unique working culture and have remained loyal to this ethos for years.

If you haven’t already clicked apply, here is their 2013 Harlem Shake video: