Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Named to FORTUNE List of the "100 Best Companies to Work For"

Jan 24, 11 | 12:02 am

For the 14th year in a row, Four Seasons has been named by FORTUNE magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For", ranking 53rd. Four Seasons is one of only 13 organizations to have earned FORTUNEs recognition every year since the lists inception in 1998 and is the highest ranked hotel company on the list.

"This year were celebrating 50 years of luxury hospitality," says Kathleen Taylor, president and chief executive officer, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "Our success over the past five decades would not be possible without our talented and loyal employees, who continuously look for ways to make our guests experiences memorable. Their initiative and desire to excel consistently raises the service bar. Its truly an honour to receive this distinction from them once again."

From a single motor hotel in Toronto, Canada, Four Seasons has grown into the leading operator of luxury hotels and residences in the world, with 84 properties in 34 countries. Throughout its growth, Four Seasons has maintained an unwavering commitment to exceptional guest experiences. This commitment is made possible by the more than 35,000 Four Seasons employees worldwide who share a single focus and are inspired to offer great service.

Four Seasons ability to attract and retain the best employees in the industry can be attributed, in part, to its careful hiring process. Every time a hotel opens, thousands of resumes are reviewed to fill a few hundred positions. After the initial screening process, each candidate goes through four or five different interviews. For example, Four Seasons Hotel Denver recently reviewed 6,000 resumes and conducted 2,000 interviews to fill 300 positions prior to its opening in late 2010.

This process is partly to determine skill, but mostly to evaluate attitude. Four Seasons looks for people who genuinely like other people and are, therefore, more motivated to serve them.

"Competence we can teach," explains Nick Mutton, executive vice-president, human resources, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "Attitude is ingrained. At Four Seasons, the Golden Rule - to treat others as wed wish to be treated ourselves - is at the heart of that attitude. And we have yet to enter a destination where upholding the values in the Golden Rule hasnt resulted in a world class service team."

As Four Seasons embarks on the largest expansion in its history - with more than 50 projects in some stage of planning or development - it will maintain its unrelenting focus on attracting, developing and retaining the highest performing employees worldwide.

To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. Three hundred eleven companies participated in this years survey. Two-thirds of a companys score is based on the results of the Institutes Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about managements credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third of the scoring is based on the companys responses to the Institutes Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, internal communications, training, recognition programs and diversity efforts. Any company that is at least seven years old with more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible. The deadline for applying for next years list is June 15, 2011. For an online nomination form, go to www.greatplacetowork.com.

The FORTUNE "100 Best Companies to Work For" list is the latest honour in a year marked with accolades for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Most recently, Four Seasons was named by Gallivanters Guide as the "Best Hotel Group Worldwide" in their 2010 Awards of Excellence. Four Seasons properties also dominated Travel Leisures 2011 "500 Worlds Best Hotels" and Conde Nast Traveler "Readers Choice Awards 2010" and "Best Places to Stay Gold List 2011." Four Seasons also received distinction in Forbes Travel Guide Annual Star Awards with more five star properties included than any other hotel brand. For more information on the company and its 50 years of achievement in the hospitality industry, visit www.press.fourseasons.com/.