National motor retailer Lookers has been heralded as one of the UK’s top employers after receiving two prestigious awards.
The franchise group has been named 20th in the 25 Best Big Companies to work for in 2019, an annual list put together by the Sunday Times, making the company the highest ranking automotive retailer in the list.
The list, which was announced at a gala ceremony at Battersea Evolution in London, forms part of the Sunday Times’ annual run down of The Best Companies to Work For in the UK, which are determined by the views of over 260,000 employees up and down the country.
This year’s top 25 Best Big Companies list sees Lookers rubbing shoulders with a host of household names, including Admiral Insurance, Trustford and EY.
Underlining its position as an employer of choice, Lookers also recently became the only motor retailer to be a named a ‘Top Employer’ by the Top Employers Institute for the third year in a row.
Both accreditations follow a year in which Lookers has focussed on celebrating diversity and inclusivity among its workforce and customer base, a theme that will form the basis of its upcoming Conference.
Fronted by CEO , the ‘Lookers is for Everyone’ campaign asked staff to complete a simple questionnaire for greater understanding of the group’s diverse working population. The information gathered has allowed the group to better cater for the needs of its people and tailor its internal communications.
Both accreditations also acknowledge Lookers’ hard work in the area of apprenticeships, with the retailer recently welcoming another 150 young trainees through its doors, bringing the total on its books to 500. Of the current intake, 17 female apprentices have been added over the last two years.
Andy Bruce said: “We are immensely proud of the relationship we have with our people and these awards and accreditations confirm that we are very much heading in the right direction. People are the life blood of this business and we have made huge strides in ensuring that their needs are met, right across the business, as well as celebrating the differences between us and how these differences result in unique contributions to our businesses.
“Of course, we will be making further changes over the coming 12 months to ensure that we reflect the changing needs and trends of the modern-day workplace. Being acknowledged by two such highly respected organisations will certainly go a long way to inspire these changes.”