The 2024 UK’s best workplaces in Retail, Hospitality & Leisure 2024
Retail, hospitality and leisure are the backbone of consumer economies. And despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, UK retail sales in 2023 alone were reportedly worth £510 billion, an increase of 3% on 2022.
It begs the question: why, then, have both the CIPD and Great Place To Work® UK uncovered a 31% average employee turnover rate for the thriving retail industry? And how can employers within the broader sector begin to shed their industry’s image as merely a stopgap en route to one’s final career destination?
According to employee data, it’s quality of leadership that differentiates top-performers from the rest. Seema Shah, Director of Consulting at Great Place To Work UK explains:
“We’re living in an era where a strong sense of purpose, flexibility, and fair pay are the principal desires for UK employees in every industry. Ultimately, the company we work for, more than the industry we work in, creates our workplace experience. The companies on our Best Workplaces™ Lists prove that employers can be great in any sector – including fields like retail, which many candidates dismiss as being a stopgap en route to one’s ultimate career.
Our studies – which are based on confidential feedback shared by thousands of employees across the country – shows that 78% of those working for the UK’s Best Workplaces in Retail, Hospitality & Leisure™ say they want to stay at their employer “for a long time” – compared to the 56% national average for this sector. And a significant influence on people’s experience of their work is directly impacted by their degree of trust and camaraderie with their manager.”
Among the awarded retailers on the 2024 UK’s Best Workplaces in Retail, Hospitality & Leisure™ List is Savers Health and Beauty, who stands out as a master of great leadership and retention.
Remaining with the same retailer for 6-20 years is almost unheard of. And yet, it’s become the experience for over a quarter (28%) of their 5,000+ employees – many of whose survey responses showed people at various seniority levels placing high value on the transformational leadership that runs throughout the company.
The retailer’s ‘Back to the Floor’ scheme, for example, encourages head office staff, field teams, and support teams to spend a few days each year working in local stores. By walking in the shoes of their employees – figuratively, of course – leaders at Savers can take a more empathetic approach to leading.
“This first-hand experience helps these teams understand the challenges faced by our store teams, and provides an opportunity to offer feedback on optimising various processes,” says Sean Watret, Sales Operations Director at Savers Health and Beauty.
“Our Executive Team also formulates our strategy through an annual process that involves temporarily stepping out of day-to-day operations for a few days. During this period, the Executive Team thoroughly reviews, refines, and advances the existing strategy. Throughout these sessions, a focus is placed on examining our strategic pillars and establishing key projects to be pursued in the coming 12 months.”
Other notable brands listed include:
- Benefit Cosmetics
- Jimmy Choo
- MICHAEL KORS
- ProCook
- Specsavers
- Tapestry
- TrustFord
- and Webbs Garden Centres Ltd.
To learn how your organisation can become a recognised UK’s Best Workplace™ in your sector, visit www.greatplacetowork.co.uk or call 0870 608 8780.
