SEVEN British-based automotive companies have been recognised by the Top Employers Institute for their exceptional employee offerings, ranging from Alphabet to Vauxhall Motors and including Bentley Motors,  Lookers, LeasePlan, Goodyear Dunlop Tyres and Valeo UK.

Their certification was celebrated with a gala dinner at the Guildhall in London.

For Alphabet it was an extra special accomplishment achieved in a year of upheaval with relocating 400 staff to a new HQ at Farnborough. For  Vauxhall Motors it was the seventh annual accolade year in a row, while Lookers stood out as the only company in the automotive retail sector.

While all seven won UK recognition, Goodyear Dunlop added European certification and automotive supplier Valeo UK, part of a group operating in 30 countries, added both European and global titles too. Valeo, started in France producing brakes and clutches nearly a century ago. is now recognised for its innovative technologies, particularly those that reduce CO2 emissions, and is striving to make them accessible to as many people as possible working with 30 manufacturers.

The Top Employers Institute assessed their approach in key areas including talent strategy, on-boarding, learning and development, performance management, leadership, career management, compensation and benefits, as well as cultural development.

The international research, undertaken annually by the Top Employers Institute in The Netherlands, recognises leading companies around the world that provide excellence in employee conditions, develop talent at every level of the organisation, as well as continuously strive to improve employment practices.

Crucial to achieving Top Employers Certification is the completion of a stringent research process – which is independently audited – to meet the required standard and earn a coveted spot among a select group of certified companies.

James Gooding, director of UK Operations for the Top Employers Institute, said: “Companies are all at different stages of their HR journey, but to be eligible for certification they must have all the basics. They want to be assessed against established HR best practice and get affirmation of how well they compare with other companies.

“It’s a very rigorous process which some companies can find challenging, but there are a number of positives that come with being certified.”

“Optimal employee conditions ensure that people can develop themselves personally and professionally.

“Our comprehensive research concluded that these companies provide an outstanding employment environment and offers a wide range of creative initiatives, from secondary benefits and working conditions, to performance-management programmes that are well thought out and truly aligned with the culture of their company.”

Alphabet:

The fleet leasing, business travel and mobility specialist, based in Farnborough with over 400 employees, manages over 156,000 company cars and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) for some of the UK’s largest Corporate, SME and Public Sector organisations. In 2016 Alphabet was one of the leading companies involved in the support and uptake of electric and ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) in the UK.

Adam Lupton, HR director at Alphabet, commented: “We’re really pleased to have been recognised as a Top Employer in 2017. Last year we relocated all of our 400-plus employees to our new home at Farnborough and the fact we’ve been recognised again as a Top Employer shows how well we have settled in and how smooth the transition has been to a new working environment and culture.

“We take our Top Employers certification extremely seriously as it helps us to globally benchmark our development as an organisation and enables us to speak with confidence to other HR professionals who have responsibility for ‘corporate mobility’ under their remit. Decisions around business travel and mobility at an organisational level are as much influenced by HR, sustainability, reward or motivation considerations as they are by finance and procurement these days.

“Mobility moves businesses – both physically and motivationally. We understand this and so we provide a range of products and services to help organisations meet their mobility challenges, whether that’s company car drivers or non-company car eligible employee populations.

LeasePlan:

LeasePlan UK operates a UK serviced fleet in excess of 164,900 vehicles (including over 45,000 commercial vehicles). LeasePlan UK provides dedicated services to specific market segments through its four brands – LeasePlan (corporations), LeasePlan Go (SME), Network (Franchisees) and Automotive Leasing (public sector).

Lookers:

Lookers leads the industry as the only motor retailer officially certified by the Top Employers Institute for its exceptional employee offerings.

Andrew Stephenson, Lookers Group people director, said: “The Top Employers United Kingdom 2017 Certification is a great honour.

The award comes as Lookers announced a comprehensive package of benefits for their people including one full year’s paid maternity leave, two years critical illness cover and enhanced holiday packages from year one  of employment. Andrew added: “As one of the leading motor retailers we are always looking to attract, recruit, retain and reward talented people from every business sector.”

Vauxhall Motors

Vauxhall is delighted to be officially recognised as a leading employer. Rory Harvey, Vauxhall chairman and MD, said: “Endorsement from the Top Employers Institute, as external assessors of our people and our policies, is proof of our commitment to our employees and I am proud to be part of an organisation that has this commitment.

“Our staff are dedicated to the success of Vauxhall in the UK and we want to recognise and reward them by making sure Vauxhall is a great place to work.”