Burger King fuels career development and culture across 6,000 employees with Thrive

Keeping learning consistent as the business grows

Burger King’s rapid expansion (from 140 sites to almost 300 today) made one thing clear: Learning and development had to evolve alongside the business to keep standards consistent at scale – all while fitting naturally into the rhythm of frontline work. The vast majority of Burger King’s employees spend their working day on their feet, something that traditional training simply can’t accommodate. 

Burger King needed a modern solution. It had to be quick to access and easy to complete. It had to slot seamlessly into a busy shift, while supporting compliance and long-term career progression. Most importantly, it had to bring learning, communication, and career development into one single employee experience that could support its people as effectively as it supported its growth plans.

A platform built for progress

Partnering with Thrive, Burger King launched its first ever LMS in just six weeks, rolling out across nearly 300 restaurants alongside a new employee intranet. 

The platform was designed around Burger King’s “People Pillars” (Whopping Support, Whopping Opportunities, and Whopping Fun), helping the learning experience feel like “Burger King” from day one. With a mobile-first design, bite-sized modules, and an intuitive user experience, employees could finally access engaging training in the flow of work. 

Central to the rollout was the Ignite Programme: structured pathways that map the journey from crew member to restaurant manager. For the first time, career growth was visible and achievable for everyone across the business. And for managers, Thrive provided real-time insight through dashboards and reporting. 

Transforming culture and performance

Since launching Thrive, Burger King has seen whopping results across people and business outcomes - including reduced employee turnover across the UK and an employee engagement score of 78% above UK hospitality benchmarks. It also delivered a 1.5x return on platform cost, through labour efficiency gains from reduced induction time and more streamlined training delivery.

Career pathways have accelerated internal mobility, with 66% of restaurant managers now promoted internally. The impact has even been recognised externally. The Burger King UK and Thrive partnership received a Gold award at the Brandon Hall Excellence in Technology Awards – proving that learning at scale can still feel personal.