Recruitment and Retention

We continue to invest in our recruitment processes to ensure we access the widest possible range of candidates. In both the UK and North America we are centralising our recruitment processes and developing our online recruitment systems.

In the UK we retain partnerships with Remploy, a specialist service for people with complex barriers to work. We also work closely with JobcentrePlus to help the long-term unemployed back to work. We are currently actively involved with them on the Get Britain Back to Work campaign.

At 6%, employee turnover figures for our rail operations are significantly lower than in our bus operations. In our UK Bus division, driver turnover has dropped by one percentage point to 15.2%.

In North America we have reduced our turnover rates across all operations except First Student; the increase is due to various factors such as targeting of our highly skilled drivers by competitors and other driving firms, lost contracts and route consolidation.

Recognition and Reward

Our reward and pension programmes are important in attracting and retaining the best people. Developed in consultation with our employees, they aim to provide benefits that support our operating divisions and engage with our entire and diverse workforce.

In the UK our employees all have the opportunity to join our Save as You Earn and Buy as You Earn share schemes. Using a programme recognised by national awards, we have focused particularly this year on encouraging younger employees to invest in these schemes. We also offer financial education and access to Credit Unions to help employees save and borrow responsibly. We provide free travel for employees in the business where they work and encourage their families and friends to use both bus and rail with discounted travel offers.