2003

Top-flight workplace, two years in a row

Friday, 14 March 2003

Flight Centre Limited has maintained its lofty position as the nation's premier workplace, being crowned Australia's best employer for the second year in a row. The travel retailer was last night (March 13) awarded the 2003 Best Employer to Work for in Australia at a presentation ceremony in Sydney, winning the large company category for workplaces with more than 1000 staff. Flight Centre Limited's global human resources manager Andrea Slingsby said to be recognised for the top award in 2002 and again last night was a great honour. "It makes us very proud, given that the results of this study were based on feedback from our employees," she said. The award follows similar results for the company's New Zealand operation which in January claimed the country's Best Employer title for businesses with more than 400 staff. Flight Centre UK recently finished third in a poll of leading workplaces, picking up the Best Leadership award. The company performed strongly in Canada with its Toronto-based operation being named the country's third-best company to work for and its Vancouver operation claiming fourth spot in British Columbia. In South Africa, Flight Centre Limited was named best travel company and finished 11th overall in the country's best employer voting. "Our strong results on a global scale indicate our innovation and development programs are paying dividends," Ms Slingsby said. "As a company we place strong emphasis on developing our people's abilities, fostering leadership skills and identifying future leaders. "Our philosophy of cultivating personal and career development means we give a strong degree of empowerment and trust to our people, providing them with a productive environment and an opportunity to develop and demonstrate their abilities. "We are also extremely innovative as a company and now offer a number of special extras for our people including inhouse financial planning and health and fitness services." More than 25,000 staff across a wide range of industries participated in the Australian study conducted by global management, consulting and outsourcing firm Hewitt Associates in conjunction with the Australian Graduate School of Management and Boss magazine. The study was designed to measure how effective the participants were in providing a workplace that engaged the intellectual and emotional commitment of their employees. Results were compiled by from questionnaires completed by CEOs, HR departments and employees of participating organisations. Flight Centre Limited achieved record global sales in the six months to December 31, 2002, with turnover topping $2 billion for the first time in a half year. It revealed last month that a 37% increase in sales had helped it achieve a record profit during the first half of the 2002-2003 fiscal year. The global sales increase boosted the company's total revenue for the period to $2.14 billion, a 37% increase on the corresponding half in 2001-2002 and a record sales result for any half-year. Pre tax profit for the half increased 47% to $44.94 million, while profit after tax jumped 49% to $31.11 million. The company opened 140 new stores in the six months, giving it 972 shops and almost 5000 employees at the end of the 2002 calendar year.