Best Agency to Work For is possibly the only predictive award the Holmes Report gives out. By this, we mean there’s a direct correlation between the agencies on this list and those that take home our biggest honor (often times at some point in the future) — Agency of the Year recognition. That’s, in part, because firms that take culture seriously tend to attract and retain smart and creative talent who, in turn, produce stellar work. It’s a simple formula but one that’s easily overlooked amid the breathless pace and tremendous pressures that are a seemingly inevitable reality of agency life. But this pace is exactly why agencies shouldn’t underestimate the power its culture has on the work its employees produce.

In 2018, the firms recognized on the rankings include a few holding companies firms, but mostly independents. Some have generous benefits, others prioritize professional development or interesting work that keeps talent engaged. We’re working on an in-depth feature that will more deeply explore the factors that drive employee engagement within our industry. All participating firms can also obtain their own results mapped against either the industry or its competitive set. (For more information on this, see FAQ.) 

Top winners are listed below, profiles of  top-firms, plus the top five ranking in each category, can be found here.

Trophies for the top ranking agencies will be presented at the 2018 North American SABRE Awards in New York on May 1. Tickets and tables are available here.

2018 BEST AGENCY TO WORK FOR, LARGE (201+ employees) 
W2O Group (Independent) 

2018 BEST AGENCY TO WORK FOR, MIDSIZE (121 - 200 employees)
PAN Communications (Independent)

2018 BEST AGENCY TO WORK FOR, SMALL(71 - 120 employees)
Walker Sands (Independent) 

2018 BEST AGENCY TO WORK FOR, BOUTIQUE (11 - 70 employees)
Davies (Independent)

The 2018 Best Agencies to Work For rankings is sponsored by Capstone Hill Search. 

NORTH AMERICA 2018: About/FAQ