We are delighted to announce we have been presented with the Investors in People Gold Award in recognition of our outstanding commitment to managing, developing and supporting our staff; one of only 1,500 organisations throughout the UK to receive the award.
A key theme of our mutual core values and principles is to provide our members with an excellent service at all times, and in order to achieve and maintain these standards, ongoing investment in our team is essential.
To secure the Gold accreditation, evidence was gathered and assessed via online surveys and employee interviews, carried out by an Investors in People (IIP) assessor. Results achieved were above both industry standards and IIP benchmarks.
In 2014, we achieved the Investors in People Silver standard, so going for the Gold award meant we had to complete additional evidence requirements from across the broader Investors in People framework.
Shepherds Friendly Society’s Chief Executive, Ann-Marie O’Dea commented:
“We are very proud of our team here at the Society. We recognise that their skills, attitude and commitment play a significant role in the Society’s performance both today and going forward into the future. For that reason, we have maintained a core strategy of investing in personal and professional ongoing support and development of every member of our team, to ensure that they not only feel happy and fulfilled working with us, but that they go on playing a significant role as Shepherds Friendly grows and goes from strength to strength. The Investors in People Gold Award is a clear affirmation that we are continuing on the right track.”
Investors in People added:
“Shepherds Friendly Society is an example of an organisation which has committed itself to embracing proven principles in high-performance management. They possess a clear route map for the future, evidenced by the development of a business plan supported by a conduct risk methodology. This, in turn, is backed up by planning and reporting processes across all departments linking Shepherds Friendly Society themes and strategies together.”
Who are Investors in People?
Formed in 1991, IIP has grown to be the UK’s leading people management business in the improvement of standards and delivering enhanced performance to thousands of organisations. The IIP framework provides organisations throughout the UK with a structure, which is used to assess and improve business performance through their employees.
Organisations that meet the world-recognised Investors in People Standard reflect the very best in people management excellence. Based on 25 years of leading practice, the latest research and workplace trends, the Investors in People Framework is organised around nine key indicators of high performance each with three underpinning themes to achieve accreditation; organisations are assessed against these themes and indicators. Assessment is carried out using surveys, interviews, meetings, showcase presentations and observation.
