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Whitbread

Whitbread has been certified as one of Britain's Top Employers 2013. Independent research into its employee offerings showed this company has outstanding working conditions. On this page you will find out exactly what makes it one of the best companies to work for in the UK.

About this company Research Results HR Perspective Employee Perspective

Whitbread
Whitbread Court
Houghton Hall Business Park
Porz Avenue
Dunstable
Bedfordshire
LU5 5XE

01582 424 200
www.whitbread.co.uk

From the research by the CRF Institute

The Top Employers Certification is awarded only to organisations that meet the highest standard in Human Resources (HR). The research assesses all critical areas of HR management of the participating organisations. The research showed that Whitbread has outstanding employee offerings and thus qualified for the exclusive Top Employers certification. The research

Development Programmes

Internship programmes
Graduate development programmes/traineeships
Talent management/high performer programmes
Leadership development programmes
Coaching/mentoring programmes
Peer support programmes
Job rotation programmes
General training programmes
Industry-related/job-specific training programmes
Self-selected training programmes
International exchange programmes

Benefits

Car/travel allowance
Company car
Phone/smartphone allowance
Laptop
Gym or gym subsidy
Home Internet connection
Health insurance
Meal subsidies or subsidised canteen services
Sabbatical/approved extended leave of absence
Extended maternity leave/payment
Study leave
Study (financial) support
Other insurance
Pension scheme
Performance-related bonuses based on individual/team performance
Profit sharing/variable pay based on the organisation’s performance
Share options

Onboarding Activities

A tour around the organisation
Induction course (covering the organisation’s mission, vision, values)
Employee handbook that specifies HR policy and regulations (hardcopy or online)
Networking events for new employees
A mentor is assigned to the new employee
Meeting with HR to explain procedures
Standard meeting after specified period
Meeting with the CEO
Meeting with Executive Management
Formal session on targets

About the company

Whitbread is Britain’s largest hospitality company. Our multiple branded businesses serve more than 11 million customers in the UK and overseas each month. Our brands include Costa Coffee, Premier Inn, Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table and Taybarns. We are FTSE 100 listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Facts and figures

Industry:	Other
Countries:	28

“The trust in me, and the value I feel I add, are huge”

"I graduated in 2010, and Whitbread was the only company I attended (out of four Assessment Centres) where I genuinely felt, ‘This is it, this is the place I want to be’. Eighteen months later, I’m still smiling! In my eyes, Whitbread stands head and shoulders above other organisations – the people are genuinely friendly and helpful, it’s a really positive place to work and to develop, and it feels like everyone is committed to doing the right thing."

"Within my HR Graduate scheme, I’ve been offered opportunities to work on high-profile employee relations cases; work with directors on senior level recruitment; and to work on a number of projects, including talent management at the very highest level and a pioneering learning and development project. I’ve had a real deep understanding of the various HR disciplines I have been involved with. I don’t know of any other graduate scheme where anything like this is done, let alone within a FTSE 100 company like Whitbread. The trust in me, and the value I feel I add, are huge. In an economy where all too often employers are cutting costs and maximising profit, Whitbread has maintained its focus on development and the future talent pipeline."

Samantha Galloway, HR Graduate, joined Whitbread in 2011

“Every day I feel like I am making a real difference for our customers and shareholders”

"I started working for Whitbread when I left university with a business degree. I was offered a role working for the Premier Inn business when it was introducing its new website and jumped at the chance to join the Information Systems (IS) team of a major player in hospitality."

"After a short period I was playing a leading role in the development of the Premier Inn website and working with all levels of management both within the IS team and the Premier Inn business. What has been great about working for Whitbread is that I have constantly been developed and encouraged to deliver great results, and rewarded through promotion and recognition throughout my time in the company. Every day I feel like I am making a real difference for our customers and shareholders as part of a large team who are all committed to keeping Whitbread at the forefront of the Hospitality and Leisure sector."

Matthew Broom, Digital Optimisation Manager, Information Systems, joined Whitbread in 2009

“It is our 40,000 team members across the UK who are at the core of our success”

"Whitbread’s vision is to grow legendary brands by building a strong customer heartbeat and innovating to stay ahead, and it is our 40,000 team members across the UK who are at the core of our success. It is our engaged teams who will provide a superior experience for the 19 million customers we serve every month across Whitbread. We believe in building trusted and confident leaders who can generate the passion and pride in the customer propositions we offer. As a result our team members serve our customers with pride for the product and pride for their place of work."

"We focus our energy on developing the skills that equip our teams to confidently deliver an unbeatable customer experience. There are three key elements to our skills development programmes: Whitbread Apprenticeships, specialist skills training and management skills and development. This range of opportunities is critical to attracting and developing great people at every level who value the chance to progress. We continually measure our success in creating a great place to work through our 'Your Say' team engagement survey, and we always act on the results. As a growing business, we are able to offer unrivalled career opportunities."

Louise Smalley, HR Director, Whitbread

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