Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited (HRPL), a Master Franchisee for West & South India operations of McDonald’s® Restaurants and a subsidiary of the BSE listed Westlife Development Limited (BSE: 505533), has been ranked at first place among food retailers in India, by the Great Place to Work® Institute. The coveted ranking is India’s largest annual study of workplace excellence andis based on confidential employee feedback and an audit of management processes by the Great Place to Work® Institutein partnership with the Retailers Association of India.

Commenting on the announcement, Ms. Seema Arora Nambiar, Senior Director – People Resources, McDonald’s® India- West & South said, "It is an honour to be recognized as a leader among India’s best places to work – in the food retail category.Our unique Employee Value Proposition of Fun, Flexibility and Future is the very foundation of business at McDonald’s®. Our ranking among the best places to work is a testament to our strong people policies. We believe that our people are our strongest brand attribute, and we strive to provide them a positive, friendly, collaborative working environment. McDonald’s® also offers them an outstanding opportunity to grow through diverse career development choices. In addition, employees have the option of working across functions with market-leading technology and innovations “

Ms. Basuri Dutta, Practice head, Great Place to Work® India added, “Retailers Association of India (RAI) and Great Place To Work® Institute came together to study various retail organizations in the country, to identify a list of India’s Best Retail Companies To Work For - 2015. In the second year of this Best Workplaces List, over 40 organizations from the Retail Industry in India reached out to Great Place To Work® Institute to be considered In order to be considered for a spot on this prestigious list, organizations undergo a detailed assessment. The assessment studies employees’ perceptions and strength of people related management practices. McDonald’s (Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited) was ranked as the 4th best organization on this list.

McDonald’s in India (Hardcastle Restaurants) has the distinction of being an organization that has scripted many a success stories. Young employees for many of whom McDonald’s was their first job, have built successful careers or learnt to aspire for one here.

At a workplace where more than 95 percent of the employees do not have personalised email address, McDonalds has been successful in creating a culture of information sharing. Their latest internal communication campaign “Let’s Ketchup” is one of their many internal communication practices that have contributed towards their success in reducing the attrition at crew level – a difficult challenge to around in the sector. In line with their focus on understanding the socio-economical context of their people and providing for their unique needs, the organization supports its people in learning while earning. They make it easy for their people to continue working and learning at the same time by partnering with educational institutes and extending up to 48 days of paid leave to those who participate in these courses. These are just some of the reasons why Hardcastle Restaurant’s (McDonald’s) is a Great Place to Work!”

McDonald’s® India is an equal opportunity employer and provides quality employment and long-term careers not only to first time job seekers but also to those who have basic training in the hospitality sector. Each employee undergoes intensive training, based on international modules, that equips them to meet and master day-to day operational and business challenges that they could face on ground.

The success of creating and maintaining an environment that brings out the best in its most important resource, its people, has allowed McDonald’s® to maintain its reputation as a great place to work not only in India but across the world. At McDonald’s,employees are presented with multiple opportunities to progress quickly through in their career. Employee engagement is key to having a loyal and confident workforce which is an imperative for providing the best possible service to the 320 million customers McDonald’s serves in India annually.