Stride Treglown recently completed both B Corp recertification and a 10-year transition to an Employee Ownership Trust. The practice has introduced the Lattice career progression platform and Strengthscope, a tool for measuring and developing employee strengths. It has enhanced its maternity and paternity pay policies, tripled its student bursary support and introduced five and 15 additional days of holiday at 10 and 20 years’ service respectively.
Heritage specialists Donald Insall Associates describes its culture as driven by core values of intelligence, integrity and innovation. The B Corp-accredited practice offers flexible and hybrid working from day one, maintains an intentionally low CEO-to-typical employee pay ratio and acts on feedback from quarterly staff surveys and focus groups to improve culture, communications and processes. Staff benefits include paid study leave and professional memberships, private medical insurance, menopause support and enhanced family leave.
Morris+Company aims to create a holistic studio ecosystem prioritising care, professional growth and responsibility to employees. Supportive policies include a nine-day fortnight, enhanced family leave packages from day one, end-of-year practice closure in additional to contractual holiday entitlement and complimentary lunches from its in-house café/restaurant. Its Hackney studio aims to act as a reciprocal community interface by hosting exhibitions, events, tours and gatherings to encourage neighbourhood connection.
Last year’s winning (Collective Architecture) and highly commended practices (Gensler) are both shortlisted again.
Based in Scotland, Collective Architecture last year implemented an Objectives and Key results (OKR) framework that treated people and planet ‘with the same strategic rigour as profit’. Other recent initiatives included colleague engagement surveys with binding follow-up actions and pursuing B Corp certification. Its new Collective Pathways career progression strategy led to six new team co-ordinator positions.
Gensler has invested in an AI training initiative for all roles and seniority levels, designed to equip staff with the confidence to integrate AI tools into their everyday workflows. Last year it also launched EU Advance, a retreat attended by 100 leaders from across the practice’s European business. This led to a new leadership sponsorship programme with each partner mentoring three senior associates.
The coveted category recognises employer best practice in relation to employment issues such as training, workplace culture, diversity, inclusion and staff wellbeing and satisfaction.
The winners of all the AJ100 awards will be announced in June.
AJ100 Employer of the Year 2026 shortlist
Collective Architecture
Donald Insall Associates
Gensler
Morris+Company
Stride Treglown