Scottish Thistle Awards 2001 - Skills for Success - Large Company

Winner - Peebles Hotel Hydro
Peebles Hotel Hydro has been operating since 1907, and is well aware of the competition of modern facilities and the buying power of larger chains. In order to redress this balance, the hotel makes an extra effort in the human aspect of their product, namely the staff and their development.

This entry conveyed a well-structured training and development programme, which formed a clear part of the overall business plan.

Finalist - Stobo Castle Heath Spa
In order to maintain its position as a market leader Stobo Castle invests considerably into the welfare of their staff by implementing a policy of unlimited training resources, an uncapped training budget and extensive hours set aside specifically for training.

Judges commended the overall approach to training and development, in particular the staff focus and rewarding of excellence. With excellent guest feedback, Stobo Castle aims to invest further in the training and personal development of their staff, whilst continuing to see steady increases in terms of occupancy and income.

Finalist - The Witchery Group of Restaurants
To ''Wow!'' their guests and surpass their expectations is the central aim of The Witchery Group, influencing their entire training philosophy. Aiming to increase the skills and motivation of their staff the Group focussed on individual learning plans, training partnerships, links with suppliers, short training sessions, special incentives and creating a stimulating working environment.

The judges commended this innovative and varied approach to training which has resulted in impressive customer satisfaction levels with 88% rating their experience as exceptional. The Group have seen significant improvements in terms of increased staff morale and reduced staff turnover, as well as an impressive increase in sales. Combined with realistic implementation, a generous training budget and high benchmarking, The Witchery Group is a very strong finalist in the Large Company Training category.

Award Description
Developing the skills of those who work in the tourism industry is vital if Scotland is to compete in an increasingly global market.

This Award was open to companies with more than 20 full time employees that can demonstrate success through the development of their staff, including an introduction to information technology systems.

Judges were looking for an effective, well planned and integrated staff development programme which demonstrates an improvement in business performance such as increased profitability, reduced staff turnover and increased customer satisfaction.