Company details

HEADCOUNT

100-499

ORG TYPE

Corporate

SECTOR

Technology & Digital

WEBSITE

http://www.chessict.co.uk/

About the company

Chess ICT is a UK technology services provider selling managed IT, connectivity, cloud, cybersecurity, and related services to business customers. Public company profiles describe Chess ICT as employing 280+ people and supporting 18,000+ UK businesses. Chess ICT promotes a “home-first” approach to flexible working and a long-running presence in the Best Companies to Work For rankings. The company advertises roles across sales, customer success, engineering, and corporate functions.

Locations and presence

Chess ICT lists a registered office in Alderley Edge (Cheshire) and describes a network of local hubs across the UK, with many roles offered as hybrid or home-first. Job ads reference occasional travel to group offices depending on team needs.

Palpable Score

69.4

/ 100

Chess ICT publishes unusually detailed job adverts with salary caps on several roles, concrete benefits, and clear performance measures, which helps early-career candidates make informed choices. The score is held back by limited public visibility of a consistent graduate pipeline across teams, plus mixed third-party signals on management consistency and career opportunities.

Pillar 1: Early-career access

Score

13.0

/ 20

The company advertises junior-accessible roles like Customer Success Outreach Executive with a stated salary up to £25,000 plus monthly commission and KPI-based work that does not require deep prior specialism.
Chess ICT references graduate entry via developer profiles that describe starting as a summer intern or graduate developer and progressing within the digital team.
The company references apprenticeships in public procurement materials, but Chess ICT does not present a clearly signposted apprenticeships or graduates hub on the main careers pages, which limits discoverability for first-time applicants.

Pillar 2: Hiring fairness and transparency

Score

13.8

/ 20

The company job descriptions commonly include salary detail, working pattern, and specific success measures such as call volume, lead generation, and data quality KPIs.
Chess ICT includes an Equal Opportunities statement in role pages and invites candidates to request adjustments during application or interview.
The company does not consistently publish the interview stages, assessments, or typical timelines on the careers site, so candidates still face a process “black box” before applying.

Pillar 3: Learning and support

Score

15.8

/ 20

The company promotes a “Learn 2 Earn” scheme tied to building skills and increasing salary, which is a concrete learning signal beyond generic training claims.
Chess ICT job templates reference bespoke onboarding and leadership training, plus a dedicated Culture Team to support people once hired.
The company highlights certification pathways for some functions, but Chess ICT does not publish role-by-role ramp plans or manager coaching cadence, so the day-to-day learning structure is unevenly evidenced.

Pillar 4: Pay fairness and stability

Score

14.8

/ 20

The company publishes salary ceilings on multiple roles, including up to £25,000 for Customer Success Outreach Executive and up to £40,000 for Corporate Account Manager, rather than relying only on “competitive” language.
Chess ICT lists a broad benefits package in job pages, including private healthcare (after one year), home office allowance, holiday buy and sell, and a referral bonus.
The company does not show salary ranges across every vacancy, so early-career pay fairness is strongest where the job advert includes a clear figure.

Pillar 5: Early-career outcomes

Score

12.0

/ 20

The company has mixed employee sentiment on review sites, with a majority recommending Chess ICT but weaker scores in areas like career opportunities compared with work-life balance.
Chess ICT has strong candidate-experience feedback on review platforms, with a high share of applicants reporting a positive interview experience and mid-range difficulty.
The company has some negative review themes around management and changing reward structures, and Chess ICT does not publish promotion rates or early-career retention data, which limits confidence on outcomes.