People Awards 2024: People Team Award – Heartwood Collection

Shortlist

• Canopy by Hilton London City
• Corinthia London
• De Vere
• Heartwood Collection
• Rapport

The winner of the People Team Award has implemented myriad initiatives that promote both the commercial needs of the business and the wellbeing and development of its employees.

The Heartwood Collection has 14 Brasserie Blanc restaurants and 22 sites under its Heartwood Inns brand. Its people team is led by a director, with two members working across human resources, three focused on learning and development and four overseeing recruitment. The team supports more than 1,600 employees, with the business aiming to double in size by 2027. 

With such ambitious plans, employee development and wellbeing is essential and is aided by half of the people team having had experience as general managers in the business’s sites.

Learning and development are key to producing the next generation of leaders for Heartwood and the people team runs workshops throughout the year in subjects including human resources, recruitment, leadership and equality diversity and inclusion.

Internal development rates are at an all-time high, with more than 160 team members working toward supervisor and management positions.

Competitive and fair pay rates are ensured by clear pay bandings at all levels, benchmarked against the industry through an external company, and Heartwood also has fortnightly remuneration committees to allow for pay increase requests to be reviewed regularly.

Surveys, suggestion boxes and conversation are all used to discover where support is required, to help channel funding and efforts in the right direction.

A comprehensive benefits package includes flexible working initiatives, wellbeing and health programmes, retailer discounts, mortgage support, early access to pay and birthday gifts. Long service is also celebrated alongside the completion of training and other successes.

The results have been impressive and are clearly paying off, as staff turnover has almost halved over the past 18 months from 112% to 60%. It’s no wonder our judges said the business had clearly understood the importance of its people functions to business development.

Judges’ comments

Hannah Swarbrick-Done, head of people, Big Fang Collective: “Driven by operational influence and know-how this team showed clear understanding of impactful HR and created solutions that suited their audience and ensured success. The impressive metrics showed a story of vast improvement and growth. This winner definitely understands how the people function contributes to business success.”

Sandra Kelly, skills director, UKHospitality: “Impressive internal progression and personal development of the HR team. Good examples of celebrating and rewarding success, excellence and commitment. Great approach to employee experience which demonstrated cohesion, contemporary and comprehensive impact on operational performance.”