Four Seasons a US '100 Best Companies to Work For'

For the 14th year in a row, Four Seasons has been named by Fortune magazine as one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For,’ ranking 53rd.

Four Seasons is one of only 13 organisations to have earned the recognition every year since the list’s inception in 1998, and it is the highest ranked hotel company on the list.

“This year we’re celebrating 50 years of luxury hospitality,” says Kathleen Taylor, president and chief executive officer, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

“Our success over the past five decades would not have been possible without our talented and loyal employees, who continuously look for ways to make our guests’ experiences memorable. Their initiative and desire to excel consistently raises the service bar. It’s truly an honour to receive this distinction once again.”

The company said in a statement that throughout its growth it had maintained an “unwavering commitment to exceptional guest experiences”. It added that this commitment was made possible by the more than 35,000 Four Seasons employees worldwide “who share a single focus and are inspired to offer great service”.

“Competence we can teach,” explains Nick Mutton, executive vice-president, human resources, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “Attitude is ingrained. At Four Seasons, the Golden Rule – to treat others as we’d wish to be treated ourselves – is at the heart of that attitude. And we have yet to enter a destination where upholding the values of the Golden Rule hasn’t resulted in a world class service team.”

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. This year, 311 companies participated in the survey.

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 at each company. The survey asks questions related to management's credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie.

The other third of the company's score is based on its 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, internal communications, training, recognition programs and diversity efforts.

Any company that is at least seven years old and has more than 1000 US employees is eligible.