Over the past 18 months, the Reading-based tech group has transformed how they support their people, prioritising wellbeing, inclusion, engagement and purpose-led performance. Being recognised as a top tech employer in the Thames Valley region highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to fostering a culture where every employee thrives.
Judges praised Ciphr for being “a truly people-first organisation, with exceptional benefits, culture, and strong EDI and ESG strategies, which underpin genuine employee engagement. Where staff feel empowered by real, visible change”.
Sion Lewis, CEO of Ciphr, commented on the win: “We’re incredibly proud to be recognised as Tech Employer of the Year. 2024 was a big year of transformation and growth for Ciphr – from enhancing and expanding our product suite to relocating our headquarters to Reading and making two strategic acquisitions. And our people are at the heart of our progress and success.
“Winning this award and being a finalist in two other categories at the Thames Valley Tech and Innovation Awards is a fantastic accolade for Ciphr and a credit to our customers and employees alike.”
Karen Lough, director of people at Ciphr, added: “Winning this Tech Employer of the Year Award is an incredible honour and a reflection of the journey we’ve been on as a business. Over the past year or so, we’ve reimagined what it means to be a people-first organisation – embedding flexibility, inclusion, wellbeing, and purpose into every part of our culture. From launching our Amplifying Performance framework to becoming the first UK tech company to achieve CIPD People Development Partner status, we’ve made bold moves to support our people and help them to thrive.
“This award belongs to every member of the Ciphr team who has embraced change, supported one another, and helped to shape a workplace where everyone can do their best work and feel proud to belong.”
Ciphr was also shortlisted for two other awards – High Growth Tech Company of the Year and Tech Leadership of the Year.
Some of Ciphr’s highlights in 2024 include developing new products and enhancements to their existing solutions, acquiring and onboarding two businesses – Shape and Avantus, launching a rebrand, relocating to Reading, formalising hybrid working across the business, restructuring internal processes, introducing a new V2MoM framework, a new management development programme, improving internal communications and collaboration, and gaining CIPD PDP status.
The Thames Valley Tech and Innovation Awards are organised by Insider Media and The Business Magazine. The winners were announced on 10 July.
Ciphr is the go-to HR and payroll software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, benefits, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams, helping to inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Based in Reading, and backed by ECI, Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.
Over 1,400 organisations globally use Ciphr Group’s people management solutions, which cover the entire employee lifecycle – from recruitment and onboarding to HR, LMS, eLearning, cloud payroll, and benefits and rewards. Customers include Bensons for Beds, Lifetime Training, Bunzl, Haygrove, Crisis UK, Social Care Wales, Prudential, Barnardo's, Police Scotland, Greater London Authority, the Church of England, Newcastle University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, the Irish Universities Association, Evri, Michelin, INEOS, Shutterstock, and Perfetti Van Melle.
For more information, please visit www.ciphr.com.
###
Media enquiries:
Emma-Louise Jones, digital PR manager at Ciphr
e: ejones@ciphr.com
Chris Boddice, chief marketing officer at Ciphr
e: cboddice@ciphr.com
Website: www.ciphr.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ciphr
Notes:
Photo to accompany this announcement – (pictured left to right) award host Scott Bennett, Sinu Mohan, director of customer operations at Ciphr, Karen Lough, director of people at Ciphr, Andrew Stevens, CTO at Ciphr, and award sponsor Nick Lilley, founder of R3vamp Recruitment (credit: The Business Magazine / Insider): https://www.ciphr.com/hubfs/corporate-pr-images/TVTI_Awards_2025_Ciphr_Tech_employer_of_the_year.jpg
Ciphr is the go-to HR and payroll software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, benefits, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams, helping to inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.
The Ciphr Group is a privately held company backed by ECI Partners and headquartered in Reading. Over 230 employees work across the group, which includes Ciphr and Avantus.
Ciphr spokespeople are available to provide expert media comment on a broad range of topics, including HR strategy, people management, employee experience and wellbeing, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), payroll, pay, benefits and rewards, learning and development, the future of work, tech trends, business and leadership, marketing, and more.
