COMPANIES employing hundreds of Hampshire people have been named among the top companies in the UK to work for.

The very best employer in the UK is the national pest control and hygiene firm Rentokil, pushing Apple into second place, according to reviews left by staff.

Three of Southampton’s biggest retailers figure on the list of the top 25 employers.

Marks and Spencer – and anchor tenant at Southampton’s Westquay and Hedge End – was the 15th best company to work for.

It came just ahead of Swedish-owned IKEA, whose Southampton store is a major part of the retail landscape.

John Lewis & Partners, whose recently upgraded Westquay store employs 628 people, was named the 19th best company to work for. It was one ahead of Waitrose & Partners, the food and drink arm of the same business, which also has a presence in the department store.

Other retailers on the list compiled by the jobs website indeed were Wren Kitchens, Lush Cosmetics and Clarks, while Nando’s was the only restaurant business on the list.

Bill Richards, UK managing director at Indeed, said: “Britain’s job creation boom may be easing off, but it’s still very much a jobseeker’s market – in which companies have to fight hard to attract the staff they need to grow.

“With private sector employers facing stiff competition for the best talent, many companies realise they need to offer more than just an attractive salary.

“Other factors can be just as important when it comes to wooing good people.

“Reviews posted this year on Indeed’s website by tens of thousands of employees demonstrate just how much value they put on a good work-life balance and a positive work culture – and how likely they are to research and consider these factors before deciding to apply.

“The companies in our top 25 scored consistently highly across all categories, and reviews from their staff show what a decisive difference these factors make in how they are regarded as employers.”

The full top 25 was:

1 Rentokil Initial

2 Apple

3 Agincare Group

4 Wren Kitchens

5 Lush Cosmetics

7 Barclays

8 Nandio’s

9 Kumon

10 JP Morgan Chase

11 Siemens AG

12 PwC

15 Marks and Spencer

16 IKEA

17 Bakkavor

18 GlaxoSmithKline

19 John Lewis & Partners

20 Waitrose & Partners

21 RBS, 22 Clarks

23 BAE Systems

24 Lloyds Bank

25 Arnold Clark