John Lewis & Partners

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It’s that certain ‘something’

The John Lewis Partnership ‘Spirit’ is hard to define, but it’s a culmination of all the things that make our culture so special. Commercial success, openness, fairness, transparency and pride in what we do all contribute to the Partnership Spirit.

And John Spedan Lewis knew exactly what it would mean when he shared the responsibility of ownership to create Partners. He knew it would make everyone within the Partnership honour the privilege of ownership by contributing to its success. He knew it would help define the business and contribute to the sense of ‘spirit’ we all find so very special. He knew it would mean that no matter what our level, we would all agree to behave in a certain way. This means we:

• Take responsibility for our business success

• Build relationships powered by our principles

• Create real influence over our working lives

So by treating people as individuals, creating rewarding experiences at work and rewarding them with exceptional benefits, we’ve crafted a company that’s different. And in return, our Partners are expected to take responsibility for their performance, by looking at ‘what’ every individual has done and ‘how’ they’ve done it. This allows the business to set clear expectations and our Partners are happy to be measured against them.

That’s the certain ‘something’ you’ll find we all have. And it’s something we’re very proud of.

Our expectations are high. So are yours.

The Partnership is built on the principles of a democracy. We need leaders who have our behaviours at the core of how they manage. Those who can help determine our results by fulfilling the potential of others. Our Leadership Behaviours ask more of our leaders, knowing they’ll rise to the challenge. It’s as much about ‘how’ they’ll achieve things as it is about ‘what’ they’re striving to achieve.

And as we’re focused on the long-term (we’ve been around 150 years after all), your leadership will be a journey in itself. Commercially-minded, you’ll deliver results through our Partners by encouraging accountability. You’ll instil confidence by your decisiveness and have courage in your convictions. You’ll communicate what needs to be done and how we can achieve it. And in doing this, you’ll have the support of the Partners that work with you as they recognise you’re helping them to do better.

The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Every Partner shares the responsibility of ownership. Every Partner plays a vital role. And if we all pull together, we know we can achieve great things. It’s why we all think about ‘how’ we can deliver excellence as a matter of course. We understand it’s this ‘how’ that is the cornerstone of our behaviours – genuinely understanding the difference they make in practice.

As well as providing a common goal, our behaviours measure your performance and highlight training and development opportunities. But you need to believe in them to deliver.

So if you believe you would take pride in being a co-owner and live up to what that means; if you are someone who makes things happen and always go the extra mile for customers; if you’re a great team player who’s keen to help others so that you all perform to your best; and if you’re always open to new things, Partnership life could well be for you.

 Since 1929 we’ve been working hard to make sure our people are happy. It’s this principle that our benefits package is based on – we believe in rewarding our Partners for their time and energy. After all, they are the people that make the John Lewis Partnership special. 

So in addition to competitive rates of pay, to attract and retain the highest calibre people, paid holidays that reach 30 days pro rata, after 10 years, Partnership Pension scheme and generous discounts, we have some other exciting benefits

Bonus The most tangible advantage of being a Partnership is the annual bonus. We distribute a proportion of profits to our Partners as a percentage of their salary. The 2017/18 bonus was 5% of each Partner’s pay.

Holiday and Leisure Facilities We have five locations around the UK that Partners with three months’ service or more can visit at a discounted rate. The holiday centres are located in some of Britain’s most beautiful areas, including the Lake District in the north and Brownsea Island in the south. Each centre offers its own individual style and facilities.

Extended Leave Partners with more than 25 years’ service can take paid leave for six months. This is seen by many Partners as an opportunity to learn new or develop existing skills or talents in sports, the arts and languages and to travel extensively.

Ticket Subsidies Partners can get a 50 per cent subsidy on tickets for the theatre, opera and music performances, up to a maximum amount per year. This subsidy is also available for entry to exhibitions and museums

Education Subsidies The Partnership can give financial support to Partners who want to continue their education or learn new skills – whether these are work-related or of personal interest. Many Partners take advantage of this benefit when on extended leave, using the subsidy available to them to learn a new skill or language.

Special Events We arrange large events and tournaments which bring Partners and their families together from across the business, these have included exclusive days at Alton Towers, Legoland and Thorpe Park. Partners can also enjoy concerts and performances in our VIP suites at the O2 Arena, Wembley Arena or Hydro in Glasgow

Voluntary Benefits and Discounted Deals We have negotiated over 500 local and national benefits for Partners including discounted holidays, hotels, amusement parks, restaurants and much more.

Season Ticket Loans Loans are available to help finance purchases of travel season tickets which for most Partners are interest-free.

Partner Support Partner Support is one of the things that makes our business so unique. Always has been, always will be. Specialist Partners are available by phone six days a week to support working and retired Partners experiencing difficulties in their working or personal lives. This includes employment, working relationships, health, finance, bereavement or family. Where needed, face to face support is also provided

Sports Clubs We support a large number of subsidised sports clubs and societies at local and Partnership-wide levels. Partners are encouraged to join the clubs, choosing from everything from abseiling, climbing, football, gliding and golf, to mountain biking, netball, racquet sports, riding, skiing, sailing, surfing and swimming.

Social Societies Our subsidised non-sport clubs and societies are also open to all Partners. Get involved in drama, photography, music or art.

Creating a sustainable future 

Our company was built on the premise that our long-term future is best served by respecting the interests of all our stakeholders: Partners, customers, suppliers and the wider community.

There are far-reaching changes happening in society, the workplace and in the retail market. The UK population is getting older, and diseases associated with unhealthy lifestyles are becoming more prevalent. Technology is changing the workplace, altering the way customers shop, the choices they make and the way retail businesses work. Economic and political uncertainty is putting even greater pressures on global supply chains and the people that work in them. To remain successful, we need to adapt and be proactive in responding to trends like these.

Our business strategy

Our business strategy – It’s Your Business 2028 – positions us well for the future by recognising the speed at which the world around us is changing, the impact that could have on our business and ensuring we respond to these threats and opportunities whilst staying true to our Founder’s vision and principles for our business.

Our approach to Corporate Responsibility supports our business strategy through four aims. These aims are the priority areas that will enable our business to deliver against our Constitutional commitments and return value to our Partners, our customers, our suppliers, and the environment.

We will create a sustainable future by:

Sourcing and selling with integrity We strive to build customer confidence in the products and services we sell and the way we sell them. We want to help customers make positive choices to enhance their lives. We want to know, and be able to share, where and how products have been grown, sourced or made, who made them and have confidence in the process.

Enhancing community wellbeing Together with Partners, we will champion opportunity. We will build the skills of future generations and create better places for people to live, work in and enjoy. We will improve accessibility and inclusion – in our shops and in the day to day lives of the wider community.

Putting the health of Partners at the heart of our business We believe health is one of the foundations of happiness and integral to business sustainability. We will support Partners to improve their physical and mental health and create a culture inclusive of Partners from all backgrounds.

Delivering more with less We will reduce our reliance on natural resources, using them as efficiently as possible for as long as possible, then recovering and regenerating products and materials when reuse is no longer practical or desirable.

 It's you  we are interested in

We positively celebrate diversity. That’s what makes you, you. It’s why we find discrimination intolerable and why we embrace individual talents regardless of age, gender, sex, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, social background, religion and/or belief as we understand that it’s our personality, values, beliefs and attitudes that are at the centre of who we are.

It’s our aim to treat our Partners as individuals and to target their personal needs and not just the group within which they might sit. As a business, we also need to recognise, acknowledge and harness our diversity, as it’s this that drives our competitive advantage.

And this commitment is extended to building relationships based on fairness, honesty and respect as our culture equally embraces the differences of those who are engaged in the Partnership – whether as Partners, customers, suppliers or as part of the wider community.