Independent and chain hotels named on UK best workplace list
The UK institute is part of a global research and management consultancy firm which works with more than 5,000 organisations a year. Three lists of the best small, medium and large workplaces in the country are produced each year based on employee surveys and expert research.
Accor
Accor, which operates various hotel brands in the UK including MGallery, Novotel, Ibis and Sofitel, has made the list of 25 of the best large workplaces for the first time coming in at number 23.
"Our great workplace culture, training programmes and benefits schemes have made Accor a place where people want to work," Thomas Dubaere, managing director of Accor Hotels UK & Ireland, said of the recognition.
The France-based operator was the only hotel organisation to make the list of large workplaces and was especially recognised for its initiative to prepare future leaders by sending employees that are moving towards head of department roles for a year's experience in a hotel abroad.
"We invest heavily in the training and development of our people. Over 100 of our hotel General Managers are graduates of our Management Development Programme, a 12 month modular course which has run since 1997. Over 70 per cent of the people who have been through this course in the 15 years since it started are still with Accor. Last year alone 90 per cent of our colleagues attended training programmes," Dubaere added.
Wonderful example
Insurance provider Admiral topped the list of the best large places to work in the UK which also featured McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks. Tom O’Byrne, chief executive of the Great Place to Work institute, said Accor set a wonderful example for the industry.
"The highly diverse staff point to caring leadership shown from the top all the way down to line managers, and they truly appreciate the priority that is placed on each individual having the chance to grow and develop within the business," he said.
Summer Isles Hotel
As well as workplaces with more than 500 employees, the institute also rewards medium and small employers who have 75-499 or 20-74 staff.
Hospitality businesses were also represented among the 25 small workplaces that were recognised. The Summer Isles Hotel and Restaurant near Ullapool, North West Scotland, was named as the sixth best small workplace in the country.
The independent hotel, which boasts a one Michelin star restaurant from award-winning head chef Chris Firth-Bernard, was recognised for its intensive training to help new starters fit into the culture at the remote hotel and for developing a team that live and work together.
The full list of best workplaces can be found on the UK Great Place to Work institute website and for hints and tips on advertising and interviewing potential employees and retaining staff take a look at BigHospitality's recent feature on recruitment.
