Hampden Park, Scotland’s National Stadium in Glasgow, has been awarded a Gold Award by Investors in People (IIP) for its excellent leadership, support and management of core and casual staff.
The award was judged on three separate criteria; Improving, Leading and Supporting staff.
The venue was praised for its emphasis on team work and engaging its more than 200 casual workers, who provide support on match-days and during large scale events. Sodexo, who manage the catering and hospitality at Hampden Park, ensure staff are kept up to date and ensure strong communication between senior management and ‘on the ground’ team members, through its implementation of regular two-way meetings and team huddles, was also described as an effective outlet for ‘honest and open’ conversations.
IIP further praised the stadium’s management for their emphasis on getting to know all staff and creating a culture of trust and transparency.
Craig Younger, General Manager for Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events at Hampden Park Stadium, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the team’s efforts to achieve this gold award.
“Its fantastic recognition for all the hard work which has gone into making Hampden a great place to work for everyone – whether a full-time or casual team member.
“Good people management has always been a core focus for Sodexo at Hampden Park.
“We have 16 permanent team members, but also rely on a huge number of temporary staff to help us deliver top customer service and hospitality on match-days and during events, including conferences and meetings, when our customer base swells.
“We have challenged ourselves to ensure all team members receive the same training, support and regular contact with managers. This has resulted in a ‘one team’ approach, which I’m delighted has been identified by IIP as a leading example.”
Judges also commended the Sodexo team on its significant developments in recognising and rewarding staff. “Man of the Match” cards, which are used to instantly reward team members on match-days, voucher based incentives for sales performance and its annual staff awards party, were all highlighted as examples of good practice.
Sodexo’s contribution to CSR activities, such as the ‘Stop Hunger’ initiative, a core company charity drive to tackle hunger and malnutrition, was cited as evidence of a socially conscience team culture, priding itself on its positive impact.
The IIP Gold Award is the latest in a string of awards received by the venue in recent months. The stadium picked up two major industry awards in recognition of its hospitality offering – Matchday Hospitality Award – Large Stadium, and Overall Matchday Hospitality Award – at the prestigious Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards 2017.
Hampden Park is recognised by UEFA as a ‘Category 4’ rated venue and will host football games as part of UEFA EURO 2020.
