White Castle, a family-owned business since 1921, is proud to be Certified by Great Place To Work for the fourth year in a row. The prestigious award is based entirely on what the company’s team members say about their experience working at White Castle. White Castle’s nearly 10,000 team members work across almost 340 restaurants, multiple retail/consumer packaged goods manufacturing facilities, a network of regional offices and the company’s home office. This year, 81% of team members said White Castle is a great place to work —24 percentage points higher than the average U.S. company.
Great Place To Work® is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.
“Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience,” says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, the vice president of global recognition at Great Place To Work. She emphasizes that certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. “By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that White Castle stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees.”
According to the Great Place To Work survey, 86% of team members said that when you join the company you are made to feel welcome. Further, 85% of team members said that they are treated as a full member at White Castle regardless of their position. More information about White Castle can be found on the Great Place To Work company profile.
“Whether serving customers in Castles or through our retail frozen food business, our team members exhibit an unmatched heart for hospitality in our industry, making memorable moments in our communities every single day,” said John Kelley, chief people officer and fourth-generation family member at White Castle. “My great grandfather Billy Ingram made team member experience and well-being central to our culture since 1921, and I’m proud that it remains as true as ever 103 years later.”
White Castle’s commitment to treating all of its team members — regardless of their positions — with fairness and respect has resulted in unmatched employee loyalty.
- In 1924, it became one of the first companies in the U.S. to offer health insurance to its employees.
- Nearly all 400 of its regional directors, district supervisors and general managers started behind the counter at a White Castle restaurant.
- In restaurants, the average length of service for general managers is 20 years.
- Every year, White Castle inducts a new class to its 25 Year Club, recognizing those who have served the company for a quarter century. In 2023, 69 team members were honored in the annual ceremony.
White Castle also offers a number of programs to support team members outside of the workplace. All full- and part-time team members with six months of service are welcome to apply for an Ingram-White Castle Foundation Team Members Scholarship. To date, $1.5 million in scholarship support has been provided to team members and their dependents. The Castle Shares Team Member Relief Program, established to support those affected by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, invites any team member and their family who encounter an unexpected hardship to apply for a relief grant of up to $1,500
