Investors In People Award
Looking after your staff means more than giving them a good salary and conditions.
THE AP Group knows all about the importance of investing in people and now the organisation has been recognised officially as a company that does just that. Achieving Investors in People status is important to the group, as its managing director, Gina Le Prevost, explains: "Now we have grown into the organisation we have with 40 staff across the group it’s important to show a real commitment to them.
In order to sell our organisation to our new staff, and for our clients to be confident that we are a professional organisation, achieving the Investors in People award was a vital step for the group. "Training and staff development is not a new thing for the company, as all members of staff are encouraged to take full advantage of the training initiatives operated by AP Courses. "We have more than 3,000 courses available, and our staff have full access to them as a tool to develop their own potential." But the formal Investors in People programme was seen as keeping staff up to date with the latest staff training opportunities. Says Gina: "The initiative shows staff the importance of being kept informed of developments within the company, and how best to achieve proper inter-departmental communication, which is the lifeblood of any successful business. "It took us nine months to work through the programme, and we are very grateful to Bob Amy of Business Development Services in Jersey for his work, which enabled us to achieve accreditation. Bob Amy stresses that Investors in People UK is a massive network, and the influence of the award is gaining impetus: "By the end of the year, it is estimated that 50 per cent of the UK workforce will be working towards, or will have reached, the standard required to achieve accreditation." He adds that the work involved varies from company to company, with well-managed companies like the AP Group achieving the accreditation in a short time: "But the important thing is that it’s not just a project – it becomes part of the culture and the way successful companies work. Moreover, they benefit from improved profitability and standard of service delivery."
To become an official Investors in People award winner, the company has to put itself under an intensive corporate spotlight. Group director, Stephen Robinson, explains that members of staff are all individually assessed and company practices, like staff performance reviews, communication and training, and the induction process, are all analysed. The company is then advised what areas can be improved upon, and checks are made to ensure that they have been successfully implemented. Says Stephen: "One thing that came out of Bob’s scrutiny of our company was a need for us to develop our induction programme something we have now carried out. "Now, new staff members go through a much more comprehensive induction programme, so they are familiar with all aspects of the business, from health and safety, through to the use of all systems, before being launched into their role. I think that we as a group, as well as individually, have benefited from our experience with the programme, and I am delighted to be an Investor in People."
