Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts named to fortune list of the 100 best companies to work for

For the 15th year in a row, Four Seasons has been named by its employees to FORTUNE magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” As one of only 13 organisations to have the distinction of being recognised every year since the list launched in 1998, Four Seasons is a FORTUNE “All Star.

“Among the many accolades Four Seasons is fortunate enough to receive, those that stem from our employees are always the most meaningful,” says Kathleen Taylor, president and chief executive officer, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “There is nothing more rewarding than being recognised by our people, who themselves deserve our gratitude for constantly creating new ways to welcome and enrich the experience of our guests.”

Four Seasons employees have always shared an innovative spirit, leading to countless new services, amenities and experiences at its 86 hotels and resorts around the world. Known for breaking new ground with services that meet the needs of today’s traveller, Four Seasons has long been recognised as a pioneer in the luxury hotel business.

“Our employees have an innate understanding of the luxury hotel guest and their specific needs,” says Christopher Hunsberger, executive vice president, product and innovation. One of the most precious commodities for travellers today is time, so our people are constantly thinking of new ways to ensure that every minute spent at our hotels is rewarding, productive and memorable.”

Recently a team of employees at Four Seasons Hotel Boston initiated what is now a company-wide service. Recognising the need for quality meals in a hurry, the team set about to establish a 15-minute room service menu, offering a selection of creative and delicious dishes. Extremely well received by guests in Boston, the 15-minute menu is now available at all Four Seasons hotels around the world, each executed with local flair.

“Grassroots innovation is possible when you have a group of like-minded employees working toward the common goal of service excellence,” says Nick Mutton, executive vice president, human resources. “Our practice of hiring people based on attitude before skill enables us to find people who are genuinely interested in serving others and dedicated to finding new ways to impress.”

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. Four Seasons properties dominated Travel + Leisure’s 2011 “500 World’s Best Hotels” and Condé Nast Traveler’s World’s Best Places to Stay “Gold List” 2011, earning more spots on the lists than any other hotel company. Four Seasons also received distinction for its Spas, being recognised by the 2011 SpaFinder Reader’s Choice Award’s as the Best Brand Overall and as the Reader’s Choice for Best Resort Spa Brand by Spa Magazine. Most recently, Four Seasons was named by Gallivanter’s Guide as the “Best Hotel Group Worldwide” in their 2011 Awards of Excellence and by the Daily Telegraph 2011 Ultratravel Awards as the Best Luxury Chain. For more information on the company and its more than 50 years of achievement in the hospitality industry, visit press.fourseasons.com.

Methodology:

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; 280 firms participated in this year’s survey. More than 246,000 employees at those companies responded to a survey created by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. After evaluations are completed, if news about a company comes to light that may significantly damage employees’ faith in management, it may be excluded from the list. Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 US employees is eligible. For information on how to apply, visit greatplacetowork.com.