The top 30 Best Places to Work in Hospitality 2017

The Best Places to Work in Hospitality awards, held in partnership with Purple Cubed and sponsored by Perkbox, celebrate those operators who put people at the centre of everything they do and in the process deliver an exceptional product. Rosalind Mullen rounds up the innovative employers that make up the top 30

You can be the biggest, most luxurious, cutting-edge hotel, restaurant, pub or contract caterer out there, but if you don't support and develop your staff, any success your business has is going to be short-lived or, at best, hard-won. And in this TripAdvisor, social media age, your failures could be spectacularly public to boot.

As the country gears up for Brexit, many in this industry fear the implications for recruitment. But Brexit or not, hospitality operators are continually battling skills shortages.

Each of these 30 Best Places to Work winners has been recommended by the majority of its employees. Between 77% and 92% of their staff will have filled out an anonymous survey created by people retention expert Purple Cubed. This survey analyses and showcases the performance of their employer against industry benchmarks.

And as you will see from those profiled below, a common trait of good employers is that they understand how to engage their staff to get the best out of them. They recognise their needs and aspirations and exceed the minimum requirements of an employer in ensuring that everyone who works for them is happy, motivated and working towards their own goals.

TOP 30 BEST PLACES TO WORK IN HOSPITALITY

1. Firmdale Hotels

In a nutshell Tim and Kit Kemp’s collection of uber-cool, luxurious boutique hotels
Locations Five hotels and three townhouse hotels in London; two hotels in New York
Employees 1,300
Average staff turnover 31%
Annual sales turnover £122m

WINNER OF THE BEST EMPLOYER AWARD AT THE 2017 CATEYS

Firmdale’s recent long service awards flag up that just over a quarter of employees have five or more years’ service with the company.

One employee comment explains why: “It’s a fun and vibrant company to work for. There is ample opportunity to grow and explore your own strengths. The number of people who leave the company and return speaks volumes of how it compares to others.”

Certainly, its communication, engagement and employee involvement initiatives
are often fun and always cutting-edge. The latest, Employee Engagement Week, was launched in February with a rolling programme of internal and external exhibitor stands, masterclasses, presentations, competitions and interactive events designed to highlight training opportunities and reinforce the team spirit. Each day was themed, culminating on the Friday with the Love What You Do Employee Awards, with quirky recognition for Inspirational Service, Bright Idea, Unsung Hero and Rising Star.

The results are tangible. There has already been an increase in training nominations, attendance and waiting lists for courses, plus an increase in the group’s Glassdoor rating to 3.9 and the engagement survey shows an increase of 2.6% to 82.6%.

During Employee Engagement Week, the team Facebook group saw a 994% increase in traffic to the page with 14,282 video views in one week and the number of people reached increased to 22,232. At one point, more than 150 people were watching the in-house Ready Steady Cook competition live.

2. The CD Pub Co
In a nutshell A family-owned business set up in the Midlands in 2007 to offer quality pub dining with slick, efficient service
Locations Two sites in Leamington Spa, one each in Redditch and Crowle
Employees 100+
Average staff turnover 15.2%
Annual sales turnover Undisclosed

CD Pub Co retains the family values it was founded on. Operations director and founder Charles Harris explains: “We know that our business will only grow by the continued support and hard work of our employees and we therefore recognise and nurture the talent shown by them, helping them to develop in a way that is both beneficial to them and to us.”

Many of CD Pub Co’s managers started with little catering experience. Their development, along with the growth of the company, means they now have a strong sense of ownership.

Indeed, as the company expands to a fifth location, the plan is to draw all managerial appointments from existing team members who understand the company values.

Making this possible is the fact that everyone has access to accredited training, from NVQs to WSET. In addition, the biannual personal development reviews occasionally highlight the need for specific learning courses, such as cellar management or social media.

Communication across the team is seen as key, but to avoid information overload the process has been streamlined. The company is part of the beta trial for Facebook’s new work platform, Workplace, which gives all staff a voice without the confusing plethora of emails, Twitter and so on. In addition, great importance is given to face-to-face meetings and social events, with full team meetings held every eight weeks.

Incentives keep everyone agile and focused. Rewards are described as “bigger and better” and include distillery visits followed by dinner for up to six people. There is also a prize of £100 worth of vouchers for the employee of the month and a £50 employee attendance bonus. These can be spent at one of CD’s pubs, which in turn helps promote networking.

And the “one big happy family” idea is reinforced by an expenses-paid employee day out once a year, as well as regular team nights out. This company has even been known to send a bottle of Champagne to employees when they arrive at a hotel for the first night of their holiday.

3. The London Edition
In a nutshell A Ritz-Carlton partner hotel, this is a slick, uber-cool property with 173 Ian Schrager-designed rooms and Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton overseeing the restaurant
Location Berners Street, London W1
Employees 311
Average staff turnover Undisclosed

The London Edition hit the London scene in 2013, launching a new-generation luxury hotel in the UK, created by Ian Schrager working with Marriott International.

This city-slick hotel in the heart of Fitzrovia combines innovative design and cuttingedge dining and entertainment with personal, friendly, modern service.
To keep it like that, there’s been a stellar effort to maintain high employee engagement.

Scores of 81% in 2014 and 76% in 2015 and 2016 show that the London Edition has surpassed the Ritz-Carlton engagement benchmark of 70% for three consecutive years.

Credit for this success can be attributed to a large extent by its fresh approach to
creating a bonded team. Berners Street Social, for example, comprises a group of employees who devise a fun social scene for their colleagues. Let’s face it, not many hotels offer their staff the prospect of a boat party on the Thames, zombie laser tag, a private cinema screening, party in the park, Christmas lunch, pub quiz, bowling or trampolining. No wonder that in 2016, an average of 72.5 employees joined every month.

One of the company’s priorities for this year has been wellness, through yoga and meditation classes. Pop-ups that support this health push include massage sessions, a juice bar and a breakfast bar.

But it’s not all play and no work. Bi-monthly communications meetings update staff on business performance and a small group of employees are invited every month to meet with the general manager.

Key courses on offer include: Essential Skills, to enhance management and supervisory skills for high performers; Departmental Trainers, which helps staff to gain leadership skills within their department; individualised training for heads of department; and Cross Training, a hotel-wide policy that encourages internal movement.

So far, 80 employees have graduated from the Essential Skills course, 75% of whom were promoted during their time on the programme. And in 2016, there were 85 internal promotions.

4. Ego Restaurants
In a nutshell 14 restaurants/pubs in the Midlands and North West serving Mediterranean dishes in a family-friendly environment
Employees 622
Average staff turnover 15.7%
Annual sales turnover £18m

It’s not insignificant that Ego’s chief executive is James Horler. Having built up brands such as La Tasca and Frankie & Benny’s, he’s no stranger to commercial success. But as a life patron of Springboard, a charity that encourages young people to work in hospitality, he also understands about nurturing people.

Certainly, people are at the heart of Ego. To keep staff in the loop, the company’s weekly newsletter shows key financial updates and includes a message from Horler recognising hard work and notable achievements. General
managers also add congratulations to the named employee of the week. Staff perks include meals during shifts, plus discounts across the portfolio.

There’s scope for spontaneous fun, too, as illustrated by a recent competition devised by group executive chef Neil Morris. He used the Head Chef WhatsApp group to challenge the teams to create the best special dish of the day and win a £50 John Lewis voucher. They simply had to post a photo of the dish with costings and full description, plus a photo of the floor team trying the dish in their pre-shift briefing. The result was immediate. Every site entered within five hours and as well as generating fun, banter and interaction among the teams it saw the sale of 73 special dishes against 44 the previous Saturday.

It is company events such as these that are no doubt responsible for 70% of staff reporting they are happy working there “all the time”. Some 94.62% (against a benchmark of 79.47%) valued being part of a team that respects each other and 95.06% (82.61%) reported they had good communication with their manager

5. Q Hotels
In a nutshell A collection of 26 four-star hotels with leisure, golf and meeting facilities
Location Across the UK
Employees 5,000 (2,500 full-time)
Average staff turnover 33%
Annual sales turnover £199m

There’s a clear remit to develop talent at Q Hotels as evidenced by its Management Trainee programme. Awarded by University College Birmingham, its bespoke Hospitality Management Foundation Degree is one of the first qualifications of its type to be provided by a UK hotel group.

The course is offered to current employees and external applicants who are given hands-on experience in full-time operational roles while they study towards their degree.

Such has been its success that it has been singled out for accolades such as Springboard’s Education & Industry Liaison award in 2016 and the HR Distinction Award in Developing Future Talent.

One member of staff who joined as a graduate two years ago told the Purple Cubed survey that they have since been promoted three times. “If you work hard and treat everyone with respect you can progress really quickly. It is big enough that you have access to progression, but small enough that everyone knows your name and you can build up a strong reputation quickly,” they said.

You get a strong sense that QHotels puts people first, with 83% of employees recording a good relationship with their manager.

“This comes from the top,” says one. “Our MD is inspirational, kind and experienced. He allows us to make mistakes and learn from them. A genial leader, putting his team and clients first.”

6. The Macallan Estate
In a nutshell The whisky-making distillery was founded in 1824; a majority share was bought in 1999 by the privately held Edrington Group
Location The Visitor Centre is on the 390-acre Macallan Estate on Speyside
Employees 20
Average staff turnover Undisclosed
Annual sales turnover Undisclosed

The Macallan Estate is home to one of the world’s most famous single malt whiskies.

Visits to the stills are limited to groups of 10 guests at a time, and staff share their knowledge of how the spirit is created and then lead a nosing and tasting session of four of the Macallan whiskies.

Macallan’s owner, Edrington, has its headquarters in Scotland but more than 60% of staff are based overseas, focusing on brandbuilding opportunities. The company’s business model has always had social responsibility at its core and to this end it donates a portion of profits to good causes chosen by staff in its overseas offices.

Private ownership allows Edrington to be quick in its decision-making but long range in its planning, which gives its employees greater flexibility. That may be why Macallan’s employees are so apparently content. Astonishingly, its hospitality team has scored 100% on several categories, including appreciating good communication with a manager, respect and trust for a manager, and access to personal development.

Among the many positive comments from staff, is this one: “This job can be demanding. With people above me who respect and encourage me, this job is made easier.”

7 Rudding Park
In a nutshell A privately owned 90-bedroom country house hotel with two golf courses and two restaurants
Location Set in 300 acres near Harrogate
Employees 245, plus a large casual database for events and functions
Average staff turnover 38%
Annual sales turnover £14.5m

Business is set to ramp up a notch when Rudding Park’s £9.5m spa opens in May. In the meantime, it is pushing two new incentives. The first focuses on giving middle and junior managers formal managerial training. The hotel is working in partnership with a local college to support Chartered Management Institute qualifications and a tutor is based at Rudding three to four days a week.

It’s proving to be a rewarding project, not just for those involved, but also the senior team who are acting as mentors and the managing director and HR manager who are also engaged with the programme. Feedback is good, with 66% of staff saying the company is “brilliant” at personal development and 32% saying they do it well.

The second initiative is the F&B-led Rudding Passport, aimed at new staff. The step-by-step programme boosts staff knowledge of products and confidence in providing service. There’s even a reward after its successful completion. As it’s tailored to the individual’s requirements, the aim is to use it as a development plan going forward.

8 The Koh Group
In a nutshell Founded in 2009, the chain of Koh Thai Tapas restaurants recently
underwent a management buyout
Location There are 13 restaurants in Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset and Hampshire
Employees 298
Average staff turnover 3.43%
Annual sales turnover Undisclosed
One of the attractions for staff at Koh is that there is a proven path to progress, even for those joining at entry level. Nobody illustrates this better than the chief operating officer who started with the company just five years ago as a waitress.

Certainly, the Koh Group is hot on incentivising its staff. As well as managers nominating their ‘spotlight’ employee, staff are encouraged to nominate each other for being ‘awesome’. The latter is done across the whole group, creating a culture of peer-to-peer recognition and prizes for the top performer.

Staff also gain recognition for being named in guest reviews and helping to hit TripAdvisor targets. And to keep things fun, there are a number of incentives encouraging staff to upsell and meet targets, such as Food Bingo, Koh Olympics and Fantasy Foodball, with rewards such as recognition and vouchers.

As to whether it works, Koh’s extremely low staff turnover of 3.43% says it all. There is also a consistent score on the Purple Cubed survey of more than 90% who feel they are part of a team that respects each other, their manager, being in a good environment and working well with a team to produce good results.

9 The Frog
In a nutshell Award-winning chef Adam Handling opened his urban-chic restaurant the Frog in 2016, and uses Asian flavours and techniques in his cooking
Location The Old Truman Brewery, London E1
Employees 20
Average staff turnover 0% in the kitchen and one or two front of house since opening
Annual sales turnover £1.4m

Although it’s not been open for a full year, it’s hard not to be impressed that labour turnover at the Frog is a resounding 0% in the kitchen.

That degree of loyalty is compounded by the fact that all of the brigade have been working with chef-restaurateur Adam Handling for between two and 10 years.

Most of the original front of house team remains too. Over the next couple of months, the Frog will be recruiting 47 new members of staff to work in both the original site and the new Frog restaurant in London’s Covent Garden, which will open later this year.

The Frog’s hiring process is simple, but has proven effective in that Handling and senior management take into account personality over skill. In Handling’s view, junior members of staff can be taught skills over the course of their career, but enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and a belief in the familial environment at the restaurant is crucial from the start. Clearly the warm, sociable atmosphere makes the restaurant an attractive place to work. Some 95% surveyed reckon it’s a good environment and 100% said they were proud to work there and that the company treats them well.

10 CEME Conference Centre
In a nutshell A purpose-built conference venue
Location Rainham, close to the City of London
Employees Nine
Average staff turnover 5.5%
Annual sales turnover £850,000

This small conference team has achieved huge recognition â€" not least earning Gold Standard accreditation from the Meetings Industry Association and being a member of Conference Centres of Excellence.

Among the many tools it uses to boost performance and team spirit, the not-forprofit regeneration charity recently invested in personal profile analysis (PPA) for all staff through a learning and development partner.

Individuals then had one-to-one coaching sessions to identify their motivations and traits.

This culminated in a team engagement day that explored how employees could understand their colleagues’ profiles to improve teamwork, communication and performance.

The PPA profiling was hugely beneficial in increasing individual and team performance, as underlined by the fact that 75% feel they are part of a team that respects each other.

An astonishing 100% said they were proud to work for the company and acknowledged there was respect for work-life balance, and 87.5% said it treats its people well.

11 The Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa
In a nutshell A modern five-star, 269-bedroom property
Location 1 Festival Square, Edinburgh
Employees 219
Average staff turnover 33.3%
Annual sales turnover Undisclosed

Feedback reveals this hotel is recommended by 92% of its guests. That has to be partly down to its success in developing staff. All senior staff, for instance, must complete a two-day leadership retreat. This provides a framework for management style and embraces key messages about their role and an insight into improving both individual and organisational effectiveness.

Assistant managers and supervisors are also offered a tailored training course, which senior leaders are trained to deliver in-house. This is rolled out to teams to give them the best start in their career paths as managers.

More than 94% of staff surveyed said they felt part of a team that respects each other and that they work in a good environment. With comments such as: “This hotel really cares for its employees. We are recognised for the good work we do and our successes are celebrated regularly,” there seems little else to add.

12 One Event Management
In a nutshell An independently owned company encompassing six brands and the catering expertise for large-scale sports events, concerts and so on
Location Head office is in Bicester, Oxfordshire
Employees 250 salaried/2,500 casual
Average staff turnover 10%
Annual sales turnover £28m

One Event’s brands range from F3, which provides match day and non-match day catering in sports stadiums, to event design company Absolute Taste, which lists private jet catering among its remits. What they all have in common is that employees are trained and motivated.

To incentivise and reward staff, the company has introduced two games. The first, Wheel of Fortune, is played each match day. Employees are asked questions about the area they work in, relating to menu, pricing and company values. The first to get a question correct spins a wheel to reveal their prize, which might be books, vouchers or club merchandise.

The other game is Plinko, whereby the management team awards poker chips to any employee who is seen going above and beyond to ensure great service. When staff collect five chips they can swap them for a gold coin, which is then dropped into the Plinko game to reveal a prize. No wonder 92% of staff surveyed say they want to do a good job â€" prizes range from mini iPads and flat-screen TVs to Virgin Experience vouchers and concert tickets.

Most of the comments on the Purple Cubed survey mention the great working atmosphere.

Here’s one that sums it up: “It’s a fun and rewarding environment where we are achieving great things as a collaborative team.”

13 Georgian House
In a nutshell A privately owned luxury B&B hotel
Location St George’s Drive, London SW1
Employees 43
Average staff turnover 15%
Annual sales turnover £2.4m

Last year, this hotel became only the second in London to receive the five-star guest accommodation award from VisitEngland. This is down to owner Serena von der Heyde, who believes that the best service comes from staff who are happy, healthy, have a good work-life balance and are empowered in the workplace.

To make it easier to reward and motivate staff, the hotel recently invested in employee benefits service Perkbox, which has been well received. Another success is the staff committee, created to give the team ownership of staff welfare and events, and to boost communication between staff and management.

These simple initiatives help not only to improve the running of the business, they also empower the team, develop strategic and leadership skills, and improve communication. It has also fostered an atmosphere of respect with 93.33% of survey respondents saying they trust their manager.

14 Ennismore International Management
In a nutshell Ennismore is the owner and developer of properties and experiences across the world, founded in 2010 by Sharan Pasricha
Location London-based, embracing the Hoxton hotels worldwide and Gleneagles in Scotland
Employees 158
Average staff turnover 11%
Annual sales turnover £39.2m

Part-developer, part-operator and part in-house creative and design studio, the multidisciplinary team at Ennismore is currently crafting the global expansion of the Hoxton, building on the Scottish legacy of Gleneagles, as well as launching several standalone restaurants across London.

Just one of the initiatives introduced last year was a Switch It Up programme, which allowed team members in London to swap roles, properties and lives with two of their colleagues in Amsterdam for a month.

Needless to say, this exciting opportunity was well received by the team, with each of its participants growing as a result of the experience, not only professionally but personally also. And with hotels set to open in Paris, New York and more in the pipeline, there’s scope to roll it out even further next year.

One team member commented: “It’s dynamic and that keeps it fresh and stops you getting stale. The leadership is always looking for new opportunities but is also focused on its goals, making it rewarding as well.”

15 Red Carnation Hotel Collection
In a nutshell A collection of 17 four- and five-star boutique luxury hotels
Locations South Africa, the US and Europe
Employees 850 in the UK
Average staff turnover 25%
Annual sales turnover Undisclosed

Whatever the role, Red Carnation provides employees with the training and development needed. That’s why it holds Investors in People Gold Standard Awards across the portfolio as well as being listed third in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2016.

“This has only been possible through consistently brilliant service delivered by highly trained and motivated employees,” comments vice-president of HR Liz McGivern. If the HR team could single out just one of their great initiatives, however, it would be the two-and-a-half year management programme that aims to equip junior managers with the tools to embrace long-term careers within the company. This has helped with succession planning, reduced the need for ad hoc training, helped promote brand consistency and reduce