Responsible employer

Bentley Motors is celebrating a milestone achievement, recognised for the tenth consecutive year as a Top Employer by the internationally-acclaimed Top Employers Institute. Furthermore, Bentley is the only car brand to be selected within the elite list.

This success follows a comprehensive review of the business which highlighted Bentley’s innovative and compelling approach to the employee experience, and Bentley’s own progressive strategic ambitions for the future.

In a year that has arguably been one of the most challenging in history for so many organisations, Bentley’s focus on wellbeing was commended with the Institute highlighting Bentley’s Come Back Stronger campaign which transformed the way Bentley’s colleagues worked to ensure everyone’s safety.

This includes driving forward digital transformation through remote working, online networking and apps, alongside robust safety measures throughout the new working environment in Crewe. It also extended mental health and well-being initiatives to support colleagues at every level of the organisation.

The annual international research - undertaken by the Top Employers Institute - recognises leading employers around the world that provide excellent working conditions, make every effort to continuously enhance recruitment processes and nurture and develop talent throughout all levels of the business.

Bentley has a long track record of training future talent through development programmes. In 2019, 93 new apprentices, graduates and undergraduates joined the company. Fifteen of those entered the Digital Apprenticeship scheme to support Bentley’s continued focus on digital transformation, to enhance products, services and experiences for customers. Bentley’s commitment to developing future talent has been recognised through a number of awards, most notably the Top Automotive Employer for School Leavers in 2019. Many Colleagues who began their careers as an apprentice have subsequently passed down their knowledge to the next generation of craftspeople at the Bentley factory, at Cheshire College (SW) and through partner training providers. The company also supports regional and national forums such as the Automotive Trailblazer Group, Automotive Council and North West Apprenticeship Ambassador Network. Bentley trainees also participate in a range of charity and CSR activities as part of their programmes, such as work with the Prince’s Trust TEAM programme, and Young Enterprise.

Bentley is a founding member of the new Crewe University Technical College (UTC), which provides an exciting engineering and product design educational offering. Crewe Engineering and Design UTC is driven by a collaboration between Bentley and other business partners, the local Council and university. As an active partner to the school, Colleagues serve as members of the trust, governors and mentors, and provide input into the college curriculum. Following the completion of their studies, students have gone on to successfully apply for a place on the Bentley Apprenticeship scheme, which was recognised as the best in the country at the 2017 UK School Leavers awards. The UTC also achieved a ‘Good’ OFSTED rating in its first OFSTED inspection.

Bentley is a founding member of the Cheshire Community Foundation, which provides funding for community projects that often struggle to secure financial backing. The charity manages the Bentley Fund, which ensures that the company’s annual donation is effectively channelled into local projects.

To date, Bentley has donated over £140k to the Cheshire Community Foundation. Projects such as the Wishing Well Project, based in Crewe, have been given financial support by the Bentley Fund. The Wishing Well Project exists to improve participants’ health and wellbeing through activities such as one-to-one counselling and group counselling, helping socially isolated young people integrate into society.

Another initiative that Bentley has helped to support financially through the Bentley Fund is Christians against Poverty. This project aims to provide free debt counselling services to families in the area who are struggling with financial difficulties. As of May 2019, the Bentley Fund has supported 18,584 individuals.

Bentley focuses its charitable activity locally, tackling issues impacting its Colleagues and neighbours in Crewe, Cheshire and Staffordshire. The company operates a charity committee that meets monthly to support both local and Colleague funding requests.