KEiBA employer
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EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
(sponsored by Southeastern)
Holiday Extras, Newingreen,
Hythe
A great all-round performance landed this
prize for a made-in-Kent success story.
Who can argue with the 900-strong workforce
who voted Holiday Extras into The Sunday Times Best 100 Employer
List an impressive four times.
When staff rate their employer highly, you can
be sure that it is doing most things right.
Judges agree. They commended an excellent
business performance and “a flexible training and development
programme that’s fitted to the needs of individuals.”
They singled out low turnover and sickness
rates for particular praise and concluded: “People are clearly
happy in their work environment.”
This is surely the ultimate accolade for a
company that has carved out a market-leading position with all
those holiday add-ons that so many people need – travel insurance,
car parking, airport hotels and lounges, and travel to and from the
airport by rail or coach.
Holiday Extras, founded in 1983 by Gerry Pack,
even made a commitment to staff that there would be no downsizing
during recession.
This pledge was underpinned by a growth
strategy and determination to expand market share by offering best
choice, prices and service.
It has done this by focusing on customer
service and consistently monitoring performance and product
availability.
Training, management development and coaching
are given high priority, with exceptional employees given rewards
such as a volunteering break in a Namibian wildlife sanctuary.
It is at the forefront of IT and the company
ensures its website – a crucial part of its success – is accurate,
relevant and appealing.
Following its acquisition of BCP, the firm now
owns and manages some 24,500 parking spaces through the Airparks
brand at eight UK airports.
Holiday Extras looks after the arrangements
for more than five million travellers a year, with a contact centre
handling a million calls a year, all making it the clear market
leader in the sector.
Staff satisfaction was enhanced by a move into
attractive offices in landscaped surroundings.
A strong culture of promotion from within
provides clear career development opportunities and a profit
sharing scheme gives an additional incentive to drive bookings.
Salaries are in the upper quartile for the
sector and the company encourages an open, relaxed working
environment where everyone is encouraged to voice their opinions
and share ideas.
It defines its mission like this: “Holiday
Extras’ primary focus is to create a great working environment for
our people as experience suggests that happy, appreciated people
result in a high proportion of satisfied customers and even better
performance and commitment to the tasks in hand.”
Factfile
Winner
Holiday Extras
Location: Hythe
Business Sector: Leisure and tourism
Key Product/Services: Airport hotels, airport
parking, airport lounges, travel insurance, theatre and themepark
breaks.
Number of Employees: 900, with 360 in Kent
Established: March 1983
Runners-up
Denne Construction
Location: Sittingbourne
Business Sector: Construction
Key Product/Services: The construction of high
quality private and affordable units, care and extra care
facilities and regeneration projects.
Number of Employees: 170
Established: 1803
mhs homes
Location: Chatham
Business Sector: Housing Association
Key Product/Services: Housing Provider – Not
for profit
Number of Employees: 315
Established: July 1990
Thursday, June 25 2009
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