Firms on the list were rated by their employees as supportive of personal and professional growth
Insurance firms Admiral, Aviva and Markel have all been recognised on an honours list of workplaces at which employees feel “supported to grow professionally and personally through ongoing learning, training and development opportunities”.
The UK’s best workplaces for development list 2025 was compiled by workplace assessor and certifier Great Place To Work and was evaluated from an anonymous survey of over 240,000 employees at UK businesses.
Firms were required to have a met the Great Place To Work certified standard of accreditation, and were assessed across four key areas – development, management behaviour, empowerment and recognition – as well as consistency in the age, tenure, work status, gender and job level of employees.
Insurance Times spoke exclusively to the three insurers that featured on the list to understand why their employees scored them so highly.
Danny Harmer, chief people officer, Aviva
”We invest significantly in our people at Aviva, so they can build brilliant careers with the skills they need for today and tomorrow and provide outstanding support to our customers and partners.
”Critically, we’re also focused on developing our leaders because of the pivotal role they play for colleagues.”
Matt Wintle, head of talent acquisition and development, Admiral
”We’re incredibly proud to have been recognised as one of the UK’s best workplaces for development again this year. Making sure everyone at Admiral has the right support to grow and progress has always been a key focus for us.
”We’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our colleagues to shape their career in whatever way that suits them, supported by our network of talent ambassadors, our dedicated learning and development team and ensuring our internal mobility pathways are accessible to all.
Kimberly McMillian, HR business partner, Markel
”Creating a great place to work is founded in Markel’s purposeful intention that grows roots through its people.
”We recognise that our strength lies in our employees and we’re only able to deliver on our promises to our customers and communities by empowering our people to be their authentic selves and reach their highest potential.
”We specialise in sectors where our knowledge makes a real difference, promoting an environment where people feel valued for their contributions and acknowledged for the difference they make.
”Our employee networks are central to what makes Markel a great place to work. They’re incredibly popular and many employees find them not just avenues to connect with like-minded people and to educate themselves on diversity and inclusion topics, but also as ways to broaden their professional horizons and pick up skills they may not have the chance to in their day-to-day role.
”We also care deeply about our physical environments, from making sure our offices are state-of-the-art, to adding reflection rooms, breakout spaces and meeting rooms.
”Our benefits are designed to be inclusive, broad and regularly reviewed to stay competitive and attractive for current and future employees, which is particularly important considering our UK growth plans.”
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