Wetherspoon was the only company to be named as a finalist in two individual categories of the Hero & Icon Awards 2010.
The awards are organised by Peach Report, the pub & restaurant industry website and magazine for senior executives.
The company was a finalist in both the ‘people development’ and ‘industry leadership’ category.
The judges stated: “Wetherspoon keeps its 21,000+ staff happy with an approach to HR (human resources) which is as personal, honest and responsive as possible for a company of its size.
“There is a £1.5-million-a-year commitment to staff training on and off the job, a clear path of progression which has seen many bar staff work their way up to pub management, and beyond, and a bonus scheme which keeps everyone focused on sales.
“The firm takes particular pride in recruiting people irrespective of age. It is a core member of the Employers Forum on Age, the business network tackling ageism, and can point to plenty of workers in their 70s and 80s, while, at the other end of the spectrum, it has plans to recruit 1,000 employees fresh from school.
“Wetherspoon was also the first pub chain to sign the government-backed Skills Pledge and is a founder member of the Hire A Hero campaign, offering work to ex-service personnel.”