Following the Investors in People standard helps you show how committed you are to developing your staff and making them feel fulfilled and valued. Here’s how to get started.
- Find your local delivery organisation through Investors In People on Tel 0300 303 3033 or www.investorsinpeople.co.uk.
- Ask your local centre for a copy of the Investors in People (IiP) Standard.
- Ask your local delivery organisation what guidance, help or financial support they provide, or for names of approved advisers.
- Review your commitment to developing employees - in strategy and plans, and by providing opportunities, encouragement and recognition.
- Confirm you have a clear business strategy and action plans, including how employee development will help achieve your objectives.
- Assess the effectiveness of your induction, training and development and whether managers provide effective support.
- Review how you evaluate the costs and benefits of development activities and their impact on company and individual performance.
- Investigate employees’ understanding of development opportunities and activities, their effectiveness and your commitment to development.
- Identify how you can continually improve development activities.
- Assess in detail how your company measures up against the ten indicators of the IiP Standard.
- Prepare an action plan to meet the IiP Standard, including appropriate training and development and performance management systems.
- Identify the costs - in employee time, advisers’ fees and assessment costs - and likely timescales for achieving the IiP Standard.
- Make a public commitment to achieving the IiP Standard, both to your delivery organisation and to your employees.
- Explain to your employees what you are doing; take the action required, and build up evidence of how you meet the IiP Standard.
- Arrange for formal assessment; consider planning a trial run.
- Once accredited, maintain the IiP Standard and keep developing your business and employees; prepare to be reviewed within three years.