Because good people make a great business

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1 Because good people make a great business A guide to Investors in People accreditation and assessment Realise your people potential A guide to Investors in People Organisations succeed by realising the potential of their people. It s a simple idea that drives everything we do. We see people as the engine of success for responsible, sustainable and profitable businesses. These are people who take the initiative, develop ideas, motivate colleagues and delight customers. The better they are, the better you do. With a truly flexible Framework that helps you to focus on your objectives and support improved performance, you can approach Investors in People in a way that best suits your needs at any time. Results can be transformational. Research shows that Investors in People accredited organisations are more profitable, sustainable and optimistic about the future. It s not about ticking boxes and form filling instead we focus on your outcomes and priorities helping you to ensure that everyone has the right knowledge, skills and attitude to deliver your organisational objectives. So if you are looking for the tools to get the best from your people and deliver improvement where it really matters, Investors in People can help. The Framework The power of three The Investors in People Standard is based on a Plan, Do and Review cycle. This breaks down into 10 indicators which include 196 criteria within the full Framework. Plan Develop strategies to improve performance. Do Take action to improve performance. Review Evaluate and improve performance.

2 The Approach Every organisation is built on great people There are three key elements that come together to make up our approach - Working with Investors in People, Accreditation and Flexibility. Working with Investors in People Investors in People can help you to gain a valuable insight into your organisation and there is a wide range of support you can tap into, whatever your circumstances. For example, employers can work with us to facilitate discussions around vision and values or explore strategies for new products. Managing change and highlighting potential for growth are other areas we can help too, as well as aligning people strategies more closely to business plans. You can also be acknowledged for this activity outside of accreditation. Working with Investors in People is where you are actively exploring Investors in People with a Specialist and have an active plan for improvement in place. This can be used to show employees and other stakeholders that you are taking positive and progressive steps to realise your people potential. Accreditation Assessment and accreditation is one of the most powerful tools Investors in People offers - helping you to gain valuable feedback around your priorities and objectives as well as highlight areas for potential. A benchmark for any well-run organisation, every workplace has to meet 39 criteria to achieve the Investors in People Standard (two of which only need to be met if you re an organisation with representative groups), but you may also explore and be assessed against more to achieve Bronze, Silver or Gold. The higher the level of accreditation, the better it reflects on your organisation to potential employees, investors and clients. We monitor your progress using interview-based assessments and give you in-depth feedback so you can keep improving performance. The whole approach is forwardthinking, flexible and personal to your organisation and objectives. Flexibility There could be times when you need to take a more flexible approach to Investors in People, as you may be experiencing significant change, restructuring internally or managing a demanding project. These are times when Investors in People is exactly what your organisation needs and where the flexibility of the Framework really comes into play. The options are varied and we are there to help your organisation move forward and improve performance in the most fitting way for you. So whether working with Investors in People or undertaking assessment for accreditation, Investors in People best practice can go deep into your organisation - giving you a more complete picture of your strengths and development areas to help improve performance.

3 Get started with Investors in People Assessment & Accreditation A typical three year accreditation cycle 1. Booking & Planning Your first step is to get in touch with us at IIP International to talk about your needs and how to book your assessment. Once booked, we will put you in touch with your IIP Specialist. Planning is the next stage and your Specialist will work with top managers to establish how to tailor your assessment to your objectives and priorities. Your Specialist will also agree the best way to present their findings at the end of the assessment. 2. Onsite Visit During your visit, your IIP Specialist will conduct interviews and discussions with a cross-section of your people. They may also examine other sources of evidence as planned and agreed with you. Your Specialist will look to identify areas of good practice as well as build an objective view on improvements. Remember your Specialist is assessing your organisation as is - you do not have to prepare any extra documentation or portfolios. They are taking a snapshot. 3. Recommendations Following your onsite visit, your Specialist will present their findings and accreditation decision. Their feedback will give you a depth of detail about your people and their impact on your organisation. It will also give you clear and stretching recommendations for further action linked to your organisational goals and priorities. This feedback could take the form of a summary report, a more formal business report, a presentation to your Board, senior managers or staff, or any other method that will best engage your organisation. 4. Continuous Improvement Within three months of a successful accreditation decision, your IIP Specialist will help you revisit the recommendations and draw up a Continuous Improvement Plan. This plan may cover further work you are undertaking to address specific recommendations from your assessment, plans to explore the wider Framework or interest in the Health & Wellbeing Award. It may also link with other organisational development work you are undertaking. 5. Development Visit Your accreditation will continue for three years before a review is due. Between these assessments, an 18 month interaction development will also take place with your Specialist to ensure that your activities continue to meet and support your priorities and objectives. The way in which you approach your development visit is flexible and can be customised to your needs. For more information, please read the Development Opportunity section in this guide. 6. Continuous Improvement Taking forward the recommendations from your assessment, your Continuous Improvement Plan and also the feedback from your development visit, you can explore further activities for continuous improvement. Working with your IIP Specialist, these activities can be explored during your next assessment and further insight generated into their effectiveness i.e. how they support your people to have a positive impact on your organisation and objectives. From here, a typical three year cycle will begin again.

4 Development Opportunity We make a difference where it matters The way you approach your development visit is flexible and can be customised to your needs and circumstances. Your Specialist will be able to advise you on the types of activity that may suit you, providing indicative costs. Development visits are a key part of your journey and take place between assessments that are following the three year accreditation cycle. However, if you are taking a more bespoke approach to assessment, such as annual or rolling reviews, you do not need to have a development visit unless it is something that you would like to incorporate. Examples of development visits you could explore with your Specialist include: A meeting or teleconference with senior managers to renew your Continuous Improvement Plan A workshop or training session to help your organisation take forward an improvement recommendation A diagnostic of your organisation s progress with the Standard or wider Framework Support in conducting an employee survey Further assessment of your progress with the Standard or achievement of Investors in People Bronze, Silver or Gold Bespoke advisory or consultancy support focusing on development areas Our IIP Specialists will give you the advice and objective viewpoint that will help you to tackle difficult issues and take on big opportunities. Having more regular contact will maximise the impact and value of Investors in People and help make a difference where it matters in your performance. Reviewing your accreditation We help organisations work better If you are working to the three year accreditation cycle and it has been that long since your last assessment, your IIP Specialist will need to reconfirm that you continue to meet the Standard or Investors in People Bronze, Silver or Gold as appropriate. As they have been working with you closely since your last assessment, they will be able to tailor the review and its approach to suit you and your objectives.

5 Working with Investors in People International We empower people. We re inspired by people. We are Investors in People As the licensed delivery partner for International, we can help you to gain maximum value from your Investors in People journey and take forward a flexible approach to assessment and accreditation. We are currently operating in over 79 different countries in the world and delivering in over 31 different languages via our network of 160 highly skilled and registered Investors in People Specialists, which means that we can provide the Investors In People Framework in a cost-effective manner to our clients. This is vitally important to our multinational clients, as the ability to benchmark operations in differing locations in a consistent manner whilst being aware of the local culture, can be a powerful driver for change. So if you are looking for the tools to get the best from your people and deliver improvement where it really matters, Investors in People can help. We look forward to working with you. Get in touch. We can help you to explore Investors in People and move forward with assessment and accreditation. Contact us for more information. Call us on us at info@investorsinpeople.com or go online at iipinternational.investorsinpeople.co.uk