The top 25 companies for remote jobs in the UK

Sometimes the best way your boss can show their appreciation is by sending you home. Remote working has gone mainstream in 2020, and your digital commute won’t just save you from the spread of Covid-19: it can reduce your stress levels and improve work-life balance, too.

Companies across the UK and the world have experimented with a remote workforce this year. And many won’t turn back. In fact, the number of people working remotely looks set to double in 2021, situating more than one-third of the world’s professionals in the cloud. It’s a whole new work landscape. And that means new opportunities to find an employer that you love (and who loves you).

Resume .io recently unveiled the top 20 UK towns for remote workers. Our research revealed the small towns with the biggest hearts – and the best house prices, broadband connections, and coffee! To complete the picture, we have now done the same for the UK’s remote employers, revealing the best companies hiring for remote jobs in the UK right now

Our researchers crunched the numbers using job ads and company profiles on Indeed. We took salary data from Payscale and verified our findings against Glassdoor's Best Places to Work in the UK and Top Employers Institute awards. And we calculated ratings across eight categories to identify the top 25 UK and international businesses looking for remote UK talent. The ones offering the highest wages, best company culture, the most promising opportunity for advancement, and more.

Our findings come at a critical point for many UK professionals looking to find work or realign their career path.

Tech is the UK’s leading remote employment sector…

…but it’s not the only one. We found that about half (44%, or 12 out of 27) of the companies that got the highest scores across the categories were tech firms, with the Finance & Insurance and Engineering & Manufacturing supplying three top-25 companies each. But with ten industries represented at the top of our chart, there’s sure to be something for you.

The table includes one (non-departmental) UK government agency. Innovate UK is funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government but working at “arm’s length” from the Tories. At the point of writing, available jobs include ‘Innovation Leads’ for the Creative Industries and Digital Pathology, Imaging, AI & Integrated Diagnostics. Both jobs come with a salary of around £50k ($64.5k). The average salary across the companies in our study is around £45k ($58k).

The highest average salary in our study is at the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology company, IQVIA. In fact, IQVIA is the overall number one company for remote jobs in the UK. IQVIA is based in Durham, NC, but promises you’ll be “surrounded by very interesting and intelligent colleagues very often in a global context.” In the UK, that means positions like Clinical Research Coordinator and Biostatistician.

Perks of the (virtual) job

Of course, money isn’t everything. The company that offers the best work/life balance in our study is Bit Zesty, the London-based digital service design and development agency. 

Bit Zesty gets full marks for both Work/Life Balance and Culture on Indeed. And the employer comes overall 2nd in our study, as a “progressive culture” where “you will be challenged and get the opportunity to collaborate with intelligent people every day,” according to one current employee. 

The company itself promises thoughtful remote-working practices that improve work/life balance, encourage autonomy, and attract the best talent regardless of location. “We’re always open to fun ideas that keep us connected,” claims the website. “Our team is based around the world, but comes together virtually to work and socialise.” 

However, the main issue that prevented Bit Zesty from claiming the overall number one spot in our study is that there aren’t many remote jobs available. So if you can’t find a suitable vacancy with this lot, delve into the figures in our sortable index to find a remote employer whose values, conditions, and numbers match your own.

For those on the lookout for remote opportunities, the importance of a standout resume and cover letter cannot be overstated. Crafting these vital documents with care and precision can greatly enhance your chances of securing a remote position. Utilise the best resume templates to create a compelling resume that showcases your skills and experiences tailored to remote work. Enhance your application further with a free cover letter template, ensuring your motivation and capability for remote work shine through. For inspiration, check out various cover letter samples and sample resumes that highlight successful applications in your target industry. And if you're looking for efficiency, a cover letter generator can help you craft a personalized cover letter quickly, focusing on your strengths as a remote worker.

As the UK and global companies continue to adapt to the evolving work landscape, aligning your application to reflect the flexibility, autonomy, and productivity of remote work can set you apart. Whether you're interested in tech, finance, or any of the other industries embracing remote work, the right preparation and resources can pave the way for a fulfilling remote career.

Methodology & Sources

To create this table we first shortlisted organisations that have advertised for three or more roles on Indeed. Recruitment agencies were excluded, as were remote roles marked as “Temporarily remote (COVID-19).”

The we gathered the following data for each company:

• Number of remote job ads
• Percentage of ads for remote roles in the total number of job postings
• Average salary for the remote roles advertised
• Work/Life Balance score
• Salary/Benefits score
• Job Security/Advancement score
• Management score
• Culture score

The salary data was sourced from PayScale, the other scores were sourced from Indeed.

Next we checked the employers against two lists of best employers in the UK: the Glassdoor- Best Places to Work in the UK and Top Employers Institute via The Guardian.

The data was gathered in October 2020 and can be viewed in full upon request.