04 Travelodge’s activity mapped against the Purpose Goals

While Travelodge has a wide range of activities that could be mapped against the Purpose Goals, this report focuses on its work against goals 5 (open recruitment), 6 (fair career progression) and 8 (good health and well-being).

Goal 5: Open Recruitment

Equal opportunities and open recruitment are essential to allow the UK’s talent to make the most of its potential. Ensuring that all careers are open to the widest possible range of people, no matter what their background, really matters. Barriers to recruitment should be removed to ensure that people are able to achieve their full potential.

Equal opportunities

Travelodge job adverts and the careers website are tailored to ensure people understand that jobs are open to all, regardless of circumstances.

It will soon become mandatory to fill in diversity and inclusion information on application forms but with a ‘prefer not to say’ option, so that information can be captured and reported on.

The company’s recruitment process is very structured, along with available tools for head office and hotel operations to use, such as recruitment scripts. This ensures a fair and consistent recruitment approach for all.

Following work with social purpose organisation

Employment 4 All, the company has made changes to its interview process and now focuses on highlighting the benefits of the roles.

When working with recruitment agencies, Travelodge stresses the importance of an even gender mix and 20 per cent ethnic minority in the shortlists for senior roles.

Its ultimate aim is to have a 50/50 gender split at senior level and 10 per cent ethnic minority representation by the end of 2025.

Where Travelodge operates in deprived areas, it creates opportunities for employment, training and career growth to those that may not otherwise have had the chance. For example, the company worked closely with the Job Centre in Scarborough in 2021 –an area which has high levels of unemployment –to recruit more local people.

Recruitment

The Travelodge workforce is geographically split – its head office is based in Oxfordshire, with field based maintenance, sales and operations teams, as well as many colleagues based in its hotels across the UK.

As part of its talent agenda, all roles at Travelodge are advertised internally on its careers website for seven days and are available to all. Access is universal and job alerts can be set for those looking for opportunities.

If jobs go on to be advertised externally, the careers website automatically shares them on Indeed, and the team may also share them on LinkedIn, Job Today or other specialist job boards.

All salaries are benchmarked, and Travelodge pays national living wage to all ages, ensuring younger colleagues are not on lower rates of pay for doing the same roles.

Hotel managers take responsibility for their own recruitment up to supervisor level, with a team of recruiters based at the head office who focus on the recruitment of operational managers, head office and maintenance roles.

The recruitment team also take part in job fairs in high footfall towns, uses social media, works with local government and partners, and advertises jobs within the community.

Contracts

There are no zero hour contracts at Travelodge, rather contracts that work around people’s lives, giving them the certainty they need around work and pay.

It is important to Travelodge that colleague contracts reflect the hours they are working, and there are temporary increases available if more work is requested, for example during peak periods.

Each hotel operates to its own unique Blueprint which enables a manager to recruit the optimum number of colleagues on greater contractual hours. Data analysis showed that colleagues recruited on 8 hour contracts are much more likely to leave within 12 months compared to those colleagues recruited on a 24+ hours contract.

Working parents

Many roles at Travelodge fit well with working parents, such as Housekeeping Team Member roles which are part time and take place around school hours, often running from 9.30am to 2.30pm.

The company also allows parents to pick up extra shifts at different times if they choose to do so, and swap shifts with other colleagues if something unexpected arises at short notice outside of work.

Students

For students, there are options to transfer between different sites during term time and holidays, and hours are dependent on colleagues’ other commitments.

The recruitment team is working on an outreach project with local universities to develop relationships and build a network of potential new colleagues.

Hotel Employers’ Group

Travelodge is a member of the Hotel Employers’ Group – a selection of the big hotel brands whose key focus is on the image of industry.

It aims to encourage people to see the hospitality industry as somewhere where they can grow their careers rather than just a transient job opportunity.

Hybrid working

Since September 2021, Travelodge has adopted 60/40 hybrid working at their head office – three days in the office and up to two days at home.

This has enabled more people to feel confident in applying for these roles, for example those who live further afield or have other local responsibilities.

Goal 6. Fair career progression

The opportunity to continue to develop and progress in a career is vital. Organisations that provide opportunities for career progression and future opportunities, allowing individuals to flourish, will benefit greatly in the long run.

Internal progression

Colleagues at Travelodge are given the opportunity to grow their career and earning potential in a supported environment.

Much emphasis is put on encouraging colleagues to apply for roles within the company, and the job roles are kept simple and accessible. For example, many colleagues started in part-time housekeeping roles and progressed to managing a hotel. Between 70 and 80 per cent of hotel management roles are filled internally, as well as around 35 per cent of head office roles being secured by internal applicants.

Training

Much of the training that takes place is induction training. For new starters in entry level roles, the length of the training can vary from 20 to 24 hours and all training is paid.

Training is continuously updated, and includes fire safety, hotel specific lone working processes and safeguarding as well as training on performing the role well and customer interaction. Thanks to its focus on digital, all training is mobile friendly and therefore easily accessible to all colleagues, whenever needed.

Travelodge can track and measure how well trained the workforce is by assessing the number of training modules that have been completed, time taken to complete them and it can monitor any areas of the training where delegates have struggled thereby providing insight in where to focus follow-up training.

Training not only looks at developing skills inside work but also building skills that can be used outside work such as confidence, resilience and empathy.

Development

Apprenticeships

Over the past few years, Travelodge has been in the process of developing an apprenticeship programme across all departments at its Head Office and for hotel managers.

There are currently 60 people on apprenticeships, ranging from law, to people skills, to hospitality management, and this number is expected to grow over the forthcoming years.

Aspire

Travelodge’s management development programme, ‘Aspire’, helps candidates to secure externally recognised qualifications and practical management skills.

It is a structured, off the job programme led by an in-house training team where colleagues will learn technical and behavioural skills for management roles.

Aspire was launched six years ago and already 1,500 people have been through the programme. The scheme is being expanded this year, with an aim of having around 600 people on the programme each calendar year.

Everyone within the company is welcome to apply and the organisation encourages all of its colleagues to do so at the appropriate point in their career journey.

Just recently, Travelodge launched Aspire levels three and four which are aimed at hotel managers who wish to progress into bigger hotels or district manager roles.

There have already been more than 100 applications for the new programmes, with applicants from all over the UK.

In 2021, Travelodge added social mobility questions into its Aspire application forms to track movement in those areas. This is an important step in monitoring the background of all colleagues and identifying where there might be barriers to progression.

Case Studies

Jessica, Hotel Manager

Jessica joined the business as a Hotel Team Member in 2008. Through the company’s management development programme she secured her first hotel management role 2 years later.

Fast forward to today, and with three new openings under her belt, Jessica has made a huge impact at Travelodge.

She said: “The management development programme really helped me get the skills I needed to progress onto a management role. Since then, I’m really proud of the fact I have helped others to achieve their goals of progressing from Team Members to Hotel Managers”.

Scott, Property Services Director

Scott started as a Hotel Team Member and very quickly developed into an excellent Manager with a real drive for customer service.

Not content to stop there, Scott has worked his way up to his current role of Property Services Director, where he has accountability for a team of close to 300 people.

He said: “The advice I’d give a new team member might seem clichéd but it is - work hard and be committed and Travelodge will commit to you. I’m living proof of that, I’m a story of hard work and it’s served me very well from a career point of view at Travelodge.”

Emily, Hotel Manager

Emily has been part of the Travelodge team since 2013, and her adventure within the business has led her to the big city as well as meeting her partner along the way. She started off as a part-time housekeeping team member, then quickly discovered the endless opportunities available.

She has managed and supported several hotels across the country from Manchester to London and Blackpool where she currently works.

She said: “I want to continue developing as a manager and increasing my skill set, as well as continuing to work with a diverse team. What makes me smile everyday is knowing we’ve delivered exceptional service to our customers.”

Good health and well-being 8

Goal 8. Good health and wellbeing

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a stark light on the health inequalities our country has and how they impact on wider life. An important part of health and wellbeing is the support that employees receive at work and the understanding that this plays a role in the wider health of everyone.

Emotional health including stress management is a key focus during peak periods, with the company providing resources and virtual sessions to support colleagues through busy times.

Better Me Moments

Better Me Moments was launched in 2022. It encourages colleagues, as individuals or in teams, to complete an activity focused on one of the Better Me wellbeing pillars.

Some examples include the people services team walking the distance from its head office in Thame to its hotel in Barcelona, the recruitment team step challenge, mindful eating sessions, breathwork sessions, team quizzes and 15 minutes of quiet time a day.

District Manager days

Travelodge hosts development days for its 33 district managers every quarter. The focus of these days is on themselves and their wellbeing.

The days begin with helping them be at their best at work – focusing on their mental and physical wellbeing – and conclude with training on how to enable their team of hotel managers to be their very best.

Limitless

Better Me

In 2021, the hotel group launched its internal wellbeing programme called Better Me, which focuses on four pillars of colleague wellbeing – financial, physical, emotional and work.

Financial – Understanding benefits, including pensions and the recent introduction of the salary finance scheme.

Emotional – Resources to support colleagues’ mental health including the Employee Assistance programme.

Physical – Resources to support physical health including discounted gym membership.

Work – How to progress your career at Travelodge including CV and interview tips and how to join the Aspire programme.

Through Better Me, the company has introduced some productivity initiatives such as robot vacuums and offering stretching bands to improve the health and wellbeing of its colleagues.

The voluntary wellbeing programme Limitless is for middle management colleagues at the Travelodge head office and focuses on three factors – health, motivation and performance. An external company facilitates workshops, and cover aspects such as nutrition, movement and mindfulness.

Learning at Work Week

In May, Travelodge held its Learning at Work Week at head office. It included tai chi sessions, chair yoga, mood and food workshops, storytelling webinars, colour energy sessions and more. With many sessions held virtually to ensure they were accessible for all.

Employee Assistance Programme

Travelodge partners with MetLife for its employee assistance programme which is open to all colleagues and their immediate family members.

As part of the programme, they can get support with financial, emotional or physical difficulties.

Colleagues and their immediate family members are entitled to six free counselling sessions when needed, with additional sessions considered on a case by case basis if required.

Financial Health

Salary Finance

Travelodge partners with the global financial wellness platform Salary Finance.

With Salary Finance, colleagues can pay down their existing debts by replacing them with a single, low-interest employee loan repaid directly from their paycheque. The repayment is deducted automatically through payroll and is easy to implement and administer to those who need it most.

Colleagues also have access to a simple savings account where they can save straight from their salary, as well as free financial education such as budgeting tips, tools, videos and webinars.

Cycle to Work

The Cycle to Work Scheme is a government backed initiative that enables colleagues to obtain a bike and cycling accessories for riding to work, while making tax and National Insurance savings from their gross pay.

Travelodge partnered with Cycle Solutions, one of the UK’s leading Cycle to Work Scheme providers and one of the founding members of the Cycle to Work Alliance.

Cycle Solutions offer hourly paid employees the option of private purchase with a 12 per cent discount, or with zero per cent finance.

Emotional Health

Mental health awareness

May was Mental Health Awareness month and Travelodge ran a campaign to coincide with it via its internal communications platform.

It included tips for positive mental health, colleague stories, and toolkits on how to start conversations on mental health and how to spot signs of poor mental health.

The campaign highlighted the story of employee relations advisor Jon who spoke in detail of his struggles with his mental health and how he coped.

Physical Health

Private healthcare

Salaried colleagues at the level of hotel manager and above are offered Bupa private healthcare cover. They are entitled to single or family cover depending on their level.

British Heart Foundation

Travelodge partners with the British Heart Foundation charity, supporting fundraising and running awareness days throughout the year.

It also supports the charity in its RevivR online training course, which teaches people how to do CPR at home using a pillow.

The company is encouraging all colleagues to complete the training and have set a target for 1,000 people. It also has QR codes in all hotel rooms so that customers can complete the CPR training.

It recognised World Menopause Day in October, introduced a workplace menopause policy, created a set of FAQs for those that need them and a Hot Flushes group on the internal app.

The company’s new non-executive director co-founded “My Menopause Centre” and has supported the company by delivering a virtual menopause awareness session, open to all Travelodge colleagues.

Health MOT

The Travelodge Health MOT is an interactive toolkit designed to help colleagues across the business.

Topics include stress management, healthy eating, exercise and good hygiene. The site links to apps, recipe resources and top tips.

Healthy Eating Week

The hotel group recognises Healthy Eating Week by providing resources, tips, videos, guides, budget planners and hydration trackers.

Each day there is a different theme – focus on fibre, get at least five a day, stay hydrated, vary your protein, and reduce food waste.

Work Health

Menopause awareness

Around 73 per cent of the Travelodge workforce are female, and around 2,000 are at the age when they are in the menopause or may start soon.

Travelodge has been working hard on creating more menopause awareness and having open conversations on how to support its colleagues.

To support its commitment to ensuring all colleagues can be their true self and belong, Travelodge has a calendar of inclusion events. Internal campaigns for inclusion topics such as International Women’s Day, Black History Month and Interfaith Week, are hosted on their internal communications app.

Access to all Travelodge inclusion campaigns are available to colleagues under the work section of Better Me.

Colleagues can also find tips on preparing a CV, interview techniques, and how to apply for the 4 different levels of Aspire.