Rest Less is more than just a job board for the over 50s. We connect our partners with top talent from the UK’s valuable pool of later-life workers, help improve each organisation’s diversity and culture, and break down stigmas surrounding over 50s in the wider world of work.
One partner we are particularly proud to work with is Travelodge, Britain’s first budget hotel chain and one of the largest hospitality employers in the UK.
For over 40 years, Travelodge has been serving customers across 630 hotels in the UK, Ireland and Spain, employing more than 13,000 colleagues. The team includes hotel colleagues and managers, maintenance teams, and support office colleagues based in Thame, Oxfordshire. Their purpose is simple: to enable customers to go and do their thing by being a brilliant base.
Behind this straightforward mission is a sophisticated understanding of what makes great hospitality. And increasingly, Travelodge has recognised that life experience is one of the most valuable assets a colleague can bring.
2,500 employees over 50 – and two in their 80s
Travelodge currently employs more than 2,500 people over the age of 50, making up 19.7% of their total workforce. This includes almost 800 colleagues in their 60s, 62 in their 70s, and even two in their 80s. Some have been with the company since it was established in 1985, whilst others are recent hires who joined this year.
“Our colleagues over 50 are a vital part of our workforce,” explains Sian Wisson, Head of Employee Value Proposition at Travelodge. “They bring a wealth of experience and a level of professional maturity that our customers value immensely.”
The data backs this up. Internal engagement surveys show that colleagues over 50 have the most positive employee sentiment and are the most likely to recommend Travelodge as a great place to work. Furthermore, hotels with age-diverse teams score a higher Employee Net Promoter Score across the entire company.
“By drawing on their learnt soft skills, such as clear decision-making, collaboration and patience, they are naturally strong in customer-facing and customer service roles,” says Sian. “This expertise also allows them to act as natural mentors to our younger team members, helping us share knowledge across generations and better serve the diverse range of customers who stay with us.”
Why Travelodge partnered with Rest Less
Recognising that their flexible work patterns and roles could be particularly attractive to older workers, Travelodge partnered with Rest Less as an important strategic step.
“We wanted the opportunity to share our culture, passion, and employment opportunities directly with the over 50s community to ensure a steady pipeline of talent joining our business at every life stage,” explains Aisleigh Traynor, Employer Brand Lead at Travelodge.
The demographic alignment was strong. Rest Less’s audience is 60% women, closely reflecting Travelodge’s own workforce, which is 68% women. Through Rest Less, Travelodge has been able to highlight their inclusive workplace and advertise their wide variety of roles directly to an engaged audience, from part-time hourly positions and maintenance roles to part-time management vacancies and support office careers in functions such as sales, revenue and finance.
86% part-time – how flexible contracts attract experienced workers
What sets Travelodge apart is their commitment to flexible working arrangements. Currently, 86% of their workforce is hourly paid, and 95% of those are on part-time contracts. Even more significantly, they launched an initiative ensuring all Hotel Manager and Assistant Hotel Manager positions are available as part-time roles.
“This offers the flexibility to balance a rewarding career with personal commitments, family, or other interests,” says Sian. “We hire based on behaviours and attitudes rather than just experience, which makes Travelodge a fantastic place to retrain and start a new career path.”
This approach resonates strongly with their over 50s workforce. The data shows that over-55 colleagues are the most positive about Travelodge’s employee benefits, such as the Stream app, a financial wellbeing tool. They also use the savings provision 13% more than any other Travelodge colleagues, demonstrating their engagement with the full range of benefits on offer.
Building a pipeline, not just filling vacancies
For Travelodge, Rest Less provides more than just a platform to advertise vacancies. “Rest Less provided us with a dedicated platform to showcase Travelodge as an ideal employment choice for those looking to apply their experience in a new direction or find a role that fits their current lifestyle,” explains Aisleigh.
The partnership has been highly collaborative and well-aligned with Travelodge’s goals, particularly from a diversity and gender representation perspective. “We chose Rest Less because they align with the qualities we value and enable us to connect with life-experienced professionals and build a more diverse, multigenerational workforce,” says Sian.
Working with Rest Less allows Travelodge to continually attract candidates from their highly valued over 50s demographic. These older colleagues bring a high level of professional commitment and consistently report some of the highest engagement scores in the business. Bringing in older colleagues helps them build the age-diverse hotel teams that generate the highest engagement and Employee Net Promoter Scores across the entire company.
Age diversity as a business advantage
At the heart of Travelodge’s approach is a commitment to inclusion. The partnership with Rest Less perfectly complements their commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can bring their true self to work and belong.
With more than 2,500 employees over 50 and rising, Travelodge demonstrates that age diversity isn’t just good ethics, it’s good business. Their engagement data proves what many employers are only beginning to understand: that life experience, professional maturity, and the soft skills developed over decades of working life are assets worth investing in.
And with Rest Less helping to ensure a steady pipeline of talented over 50s candidates, Travelodge is well-positioned to continue building the brilliant base their customers rely on.
Are you inspired by Travelodge’s story and interested in working with us to develop an age-diverse workforce? If so, you can get in touch by emailing [email protected] or submit an enquiry here.