VICTORIA — Accent Inns Inc. has been named among the winners for Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures for 2024, which celebrates the importance of culture and the impact it can have on growth and performance. The hospitality group, which includes Accent Inns, Hotel Zed and ROAR restaurant, has found success driven by its crusade for happier workplaces within the hospitality and the company’s “Leading with Love” philosophy.
This is the second time the chain has been honoured by award organizers, Waterstone Human Capital, for best-in-class cultures that have helped Canadian organizations enhance performance and sustain a competitive advantage. Since first receiving the accolade in 2021, it has upheld the designation and are proud to once again be honoured among the very best.
“Our priority has always been to create a workplace where the most important metric is the happiness of our staff,” says CEO Mandy Farmer. “We’ve seen over the past few years how our Leading with Love philosophy has been essential for staff retention, community engagement and overall business.”
Farmer’s approach has not only supported a positive working culture, but has provided unique benefits, including family scholarships and a “Got Your Back Fund,” designed to help employees going through hard times, including paying for family emergencies and re-uniting overseas families.
In Canada, staff shortage continues to be a significant issue in the industry. In fact, 43 per cent of members of the Hotel Association of Canada reported experiencing a workforce shortage in 2024. Farmer and her team recognize that having an amazing culture that puts staff first isn’t just a competitive advantage, it’s critical for business.
As CEO of Accent Inns Inc., Farmer oversees a group of eight hotels spanning two brands and a restaurant. By nurturing a connected work environment, she sets her business apart in recruitment and retention, ensuring operational success and continued growth.
Farmer also has her own happiness index which she surveys regularly, with the most recent finding 90 per cent of respondents said they were happy at work. Accent Inns Inc. is dedicated to its core values ensuring people can be real, have fun, be empowered to make everything better and have each other’s backs. The effectiveness of this approach can be seen with the company’s 83 per cent retention rate, which is almost double the industry average of 42 per cent.
