12/11/2008 - Sales Promotion Magazine

As the largest foodservice organisation in the UK, Compass Group provides catering and support services at over 7,000 locations across the country, employing 66,000 people. Staff work in areas such as facilities management, corporate events and Restaurant Associates which runs its restaurants and cafes.

For five years, Michael C Fina has been providing awards to support staff retention and, after initially working with just one part of the business, now services the whole group. It rewards staff both for length of service, starting from just one year, and for “above and beyond”, such as going the extra mile, within the company’s core values.

Michael C Fina director Sheila Sheldon says: “They have decided to extend the model and orchestrate it throughout the business because it has made a large impact on retention and helped with the motivational side of things.

“They are making people feel valued from day one, and it has done tremendously well and staff turnover has dropped considerably. They have noticed a totally different attitude within the workplace. It is the fact that they are making them feel wanted and part of an organisation rather than feeling that nobody gives a damn what they are doing.”