VANCOUVER, BC, October 22, 2010 – go2 is pleased to announce White Spot Hospitality is this year’s recipient of the ‘Employees First’ award. The award was presented at the annual BC Tourism Awards gala held in Vancouver as part of the 2010 BC Tourism Industry Conference.
The ‘Employees First’ Award is presented each year to a BC tourism industry employer to recognize exceptional standards of excellence in human resources and people management.
Headquartered in Vancouver, White Spot is a B.C. legend. Founded in 1928, the 82-year-old chain now sees more than 17 million guests annually at 120 White Spot and Triple O’s locations throughout B.C. and Alberta.
“We’re honoured and delighted to be recognized by go2 and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, and we’re fortunate to have a leader, Warren Erhart, who demonstrates his commitment to people every day” says Denise Buchanan, White Spot’s vice president of Human Resources. “Our employees reward our investment in them every day by taking wonderful care of our 17 million guests, one guest at a time.”
Providing innovative training and development programs, and effective channels of employee communication, are key elements of their success and business culture. Here are a few examples:
- Professional Cook training is offered for all levels and through a unique pilot project, White Spot provides in-house Professional Cook technical skills training to its culinary employees
- An accredited training program allows managers to earn college level credits through internal workshops
- Orientation for managers includes online diversity and change management workshops and an interactive game to illustrate corporate values
- An annual menu and climate survey gathers feedback from staff and managers for improving the guest and employee experience and this forms an integral part of the business plan
- New product and promotion launch parties allow employees to learn about and taste new menu items
- Many employee recognition and social events are held to recognize key milestones
- A public speaking Boot Camp and Toastmasters Club to help improve communication skills
- Supporting local communities through charities by donating food and fundraising
As a result, White Spot has very high employee retention rates. For example, corporately there are 19 employees with more than 35 years of service, 60 with over 25 years, and over a 100 with over 20 years. In one case, 8 family members have combined service of over 180 years.
Additionally, on a recent menu and climate survey, an overall rating of 8.1 out of 10 was achieved for employee pride in working for White Spot.
“White Spot does an exceptional job at providing ongoing training and development and this is reflected in their high staff retention rates and employee satisfaction,” said Arlene Keis, CEO of go2. “They even highlight their ‘Red Seal’ trained cooks in their consumer advertising which is a brilliant way to attract customers and employees at the same time. White Spot understands that satisfied employees ultimately provide better service and as a result, guests spend more, return more often and generate positive word of mouth.”
About go2
go2 is BC’s tourism and hospitality human resource association responsible for coordinating the industry’s Workforce Development Action Plan, a key component of the industry’s growth strategy. Tourism is one of the largest resource industries in BC comprising 18,000 mostly small to medium-sized businesses which directly employ over 129,000 British Columbians. For more information, visit www.go2hr.ca.
About White Spot
Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, White Spot is a B.C. legend. Founded in 1928, when Nat Bailey launched Canada’s first drive-in restaurant at Granville and 67th, the 82-year-old chain now sees more than 17 million guests annually at 120 White Spot and Triple O’s locations throughout B.C. and Alberta. Bailey’s original vision was to build a restaurant that served the highest quality, unique tasting food and White Spot remains committed to continuing this tradition in each and every meal.
Media Contact:
Joyce Lam, go2
604-633-9787 ext. 227
jlam@go2hr.ca
