Outrank, the full-service digital marketing agency, which has a base at South Charlotte Street in Edinburgh, has been named in the Top 10 Best Small Places to Work in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, securing one of the most coveted employer accolades in the UK alongside some of the country’s leading businesses.
The Sunday Times ranking marks the second consecutive year Outrank has appeared on that list, and the first time it has broken into the top 10.
Outrank, which has offices in Edinburgh, Blackpool, Middlesbrough, Brighton & Hove and London, achieved a 99% average engagement score in the assessment, with a 96% response rate from across the team – placing it 12% above the Marketing and Advertising sector benchmark.
Founder, Stephen Robinson, said: “Making The Sunday Times Top 10 is a genuinely significant moment for us. Not because of the ranking itself, but because of what sits behind it – the scores came directly from our team, and they were exceptional. When your own people rate you that highly, it tells you that the culture you have worked so hard to build is actually being felt day to day.”
The result reflects Outrank’s sustained growth over recent years. The agency now employs more than 60 people – up from 43 just over a year ago. Throughout that expansion, the business has continued to prioritise culture as a driver of performance rather than a by-product of it.
Operations Director, Francesca Kosina, said: “Across every measure – wellbeing, recognition, empowerment, job satisfaction – our team scored us at 98 or 99%. We’ve grown quickly, and fast growth can put culture under pressure. The fact that these scores have held up, and actually improved, tells us we’re managing that growth in the right way.”
Outrank operates an open-door recruitment policy, welcoming applicants at any time rather than hiring only to fill vacancies. The approach has helped the agency build a team with strong loyalty and low turnover, reflected in the Sunday Times assessment’s finding that 100% of employees feel trusted by management, have a good relationship with their manager, and are happy with their working hours.
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Head of Culture, Lucy Stirman, added: “People aren’t just turning up, they want to be here, they’re invested, and they feel like the business is invested in them too. Building that kind of environment takes time and it takes intention. I’m incredibly proud of what the whole team has created.”
The Sunday Times recognition rounds off a remarkable run of culture accolades for the agency. In recent months, Outrank has won Best Agency Culture at the Northern Digital Awards 2026, been awarded Silver for Best Team Culture at the Company Culture Awards, seen Lucy Stirman named Culture Ambassador of the Year, received official Great Place to Work Certification for 2026, and placed 2nd in the UK’s Best Medium Workplaces, all while continuing to grow its client base and expand its services across the UK.
Outrank is one of very few North East agencies to feature consistently in national workplace rankings, and the only digital marketing agency in the region to achieve recognition across both the Great Place to Work and Sunday Times lists in the same year.
