Tandem Bank has been named among the UK’s Best Workplaces 2026, marking its first appearance in Great Place To Work’s national rankings.
The Blackpool-headquartered challenger bank was placed 99th in the large companies category at this year’s UK’s Best Workplaces Awards, held at Grosvenor House in London.
The recognition gives Tandem another workplace accolade after its inclusion in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list in both 2024 and 2025. This time, however, the lender has secured a place on Great Place To Work’s flagship national list, which is based largely on confidential employee feedback.
Tandem employs more than 500 people across Blackpool, Durham, Cardiff and London. Its position in the rankings also means it was one of only seven businesses from the North West to make the list.
For a business with roots in one of the North West’s growing digital and financial services centres, the award offers further evidence of its efforts to build a workplace culture that can support expansion while retaining staff in a competitive labour market.
The bank said its internal culture has been shaped by a focus on inclusivity, learning and employee voice. That includes colleague-led campaigns and groups covering areas such as Women in Leadership, Pride, Neurodivergence and Black History Month.
A People Council, described as an employee-led forum, also plays a role in ESG and wider social impact initiatives. Tandem said charity work, health and wellbeing support, and incentives linked to the bank’s sustainability focus are also part of the wider colleague experience.
The UK’s Best Workplaces list is compiled using analysis of employee responses to the Trust Index survey, alongside an assessment of workplace culture and leadership practices. Only employers with the highest overall scores are included.
Catherine Diamond (pictured), chief people officer at Tandem Bank, said: “Being recognised in Great Places to Work for the first time is an achievement that we’re very proud of.
“This means that the work we’re doing to build an inclusive and positive culture really is reaching our colleagues and they’re seeing it every day.
“Whilst there is always more that we can do, creating an environment where people feel valued, supported and empowered to do their best work is fundamental to our success.”
For lenders operating in specialist and mainstream markets alike, staff retention, recruitment and workplace culture have become more prominent commercial issues as firms compete for talent across operations, technology, underwriting and customer-facing roles.
Against that backdrop, Tandem’s first appearance on the list adds another marker of progress for the bank as it continues to grow its national profile from its Blackpool base.
