People & Culture

If you think our values match who you are and the kind of place you are looking to work, then get in touch.

our family

At the heart of our business is our family – our team.

We are wildly passionate about our workplace culture and providing a GREAT place to work for our ever growing teams across all of our sites. Our Values and Behaviours run through absolutely everything we do, from how we recruit, engage and motivate, to how we develop and reward our team of GREAT people.

If our Values and Behaviours resonate with you and you are looking for a workplace that you can feel proud of, then look no further than one of our garden centres, which we like to call ‘destination centres’, where you’ll find there is so much more in store.

We have a wide variety of career opportunities, so whether it’s a career in retail, catering, warehouse operations, play or one of our head office functions, then this could be the perfect place for you.

Our values

We recognise that each of us is different in our personalities, job roles and abilities but our Values and Behaviours are what make us an incredible place to work for.

Our whole team make nominations that recognise monthly Values award winners in our six categories, Excellence, Honest, Respectful, Team, Accountable and Positive.

Take a look below at what each of these means to us on a day to day basis.

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annual awards night

Each year we celebrate our Values at an unforgettable Awards Night where our management team select six overall Values Champions from a full year of outstanding monthly winners who all demonstrate the values at the heart of our business.

Meet some of our values winners

Shannon | Positive

Shannon was the recipient of our ‘Positive’ Award after receiving 8 nominations across the year in recognition of her contribution to the business.

Kevin | Team

Our ‘Team‘ Award winner, Kevin Smith (Joinery Manager, YGC) who has worked across the business, transforming not only the shop floors but also spaces behind closed doors that only our teams see.

Steph | Respectful

Steph won our ‘Respectful’ award and is someone who has demonstrated the respectful value in many ways throughout 2022, nominated 3 times by colleagues for showing care and consideration

We Grow Great People

We invest in developing our people and harnessing their strengths so our team can reach its full potential. We are proud to promote talent from within, offering great progression opportunities that come with training to match. We create training and development opportunities for all our team, from customer service, plant knowledge and first aid training to expanding skills in an apprenticeship or through leadership training.

Here’s some recent GREAT TEAM stories…

We’ve WON a national people and culture award

Congratulations, Alfie and Brandon

Find out from some of our TEAM what’s GREAT about working here:

WE ARE BUILDING ON OUR AMBITION TO BE ONE OF THE BEST EMPLOYERS IN THE UK

In just over a year, our team of more than 200 have not only enjoyed three wage rate increases and enhanced holiday and sick pay, but we’re especially proud to say we’ve introduced the real living wage for all employees over the age of 20 and boosted pay for all those under 20 in steps towards achieving the real living wage for all in the near future.

Find Out More ⇒

Creating a great culture

What we do at Tong goes far beyond profits, we work hard to create an environment where everyone can flourish and be their full self at work. We care passionately about our people and our culture is driven by listening, support and empowerment. With daily and weekly huddles, ‘Time to Talk’ catch ups, team activity days and Mental Health first aiders, we aim to offer everyone the support they need not just at work but as their whole self too.

Meet our great team of mental health first aiders

My Whole Self Day

Reap the rewards

We believe in creating a GREAT place to work and that our team should be fairly rewarded for all the work they do. We are PROUD to employ great people who are passionate about what they do. We offer a wide range of benefits that make our working environment fulfilling, friendly and fun.

Offering GREAT benefits…

A great, fun, friendly working environment

Modern team facilities

Up to 33% staff discount in store

A strong set of Values and great Behaviours

Colleague recognition schemes

Pension contributions

Bonus* (*depending on the level of your role)

Life assurance scheme

Opportunity to work remotely* (*where your role allows it)

Opportunity for company sponsored development

Alternate working weekends

Calendar of staff events

AWARD WINNING EMPLOYER

Recognised locally, regionally and nationally, we are so proud of our award winning business. We are proud to be an employer who values employee contributions, creates a supportive environment and celebrates individual and team success.