"Investors in People is not just about human resources," says Susan Mathieson of Hamilton Enterprise Development Company. "It's about developing a business through investing in its employees."
That's a basic statement summing up what Investors in People (IIP) is about, but there is a lot more to it than that.
IIP is about making sure your employees have the training, motivation and knowledge to give your business the competitive edge in the marketplace. It's not just about giving your employees individual assessments and the training of their choice. It's about looking at the big picture, asking what your business and workforce need to succeed and carrying out the appropriate actions to ensure that happens.
And the benefits? They are clear to see. Investors in People can:
- enhance company performance through better trained, motivated and committed staff
- develop better ways of managing people to secure flexibility and profitability
- aligning business and human resources planning and operations practises more closely
- improving the quality of your product and customer service
- reducing costs and stock levels
- enhancing the company's image - IIP is a nationally recognised award improving communication within the company
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Most of all, participating employees will benefit from being "included". They will know what they are doing and why, something that is tremendously important if a company is to have an edge over its competitors. Arming employees with that knowledge gives them a sense of worth, of being part of a team and the benefits are reflected in productivity and quality of product. |
Susan, who co-ordinates the IIP programme for Hamilton Enterprise, said: "The benefits of IIP to business is that they become more effective and efficient. The overall objective of the programme is to try and get companies to take a more strategic overview. We want them to look at their business objectives and how they are going to achieve them through their resources, mainly the people who work for them."
Susan said the way to reach those objectives is through staff training and development and the implementation of business plans.
"It's important a business also communicates effectively with their staff. This way employees understand what the business is hoping to achieve over the coming years and the part they will play in it.
"The result will be more efficient and better informed staff which leads to more productivity and a better quality of service."
She continued: "Companies should not be afraid that IIP will completely change the way they go about their business. Investors in People is about improving current practise in a way that it becomes second nature."
South Lanarkshire Council itself is currently working towards IIP accreditation. Its Personnel Services carried out a pilot programme and received its IIP accreditation in March this year. Now the entire Council is working towards IIP, aiming to achieve the award by 2002.
Councillor Eddie McAvoy, leader of South Lanarkshire Council, said: "We recognise the importance of Investors in People not only to Council employees, but to the people we serve.
"There are several reasons why the Council is working towards IIP accreditation. We want to ensure best practise in everything we do and that includes people management. We are committed to giving the people of South Lanarkshire the best service possible and that can only be achieved by ensuring our staff receive the training and development they require to carry out their jobs effectively and efficiently."
The Roseline Group is one of 36 Lanarkshire companies who received their IIP awards at a recent function in the New Lanark Hotel.
Ross Whiteside of the Roseline Group said the company, which designs and furnishes show homes, had seen a tremendous change in the attitude of the workforce.
He said: "The biggest effect we've seen with IIP is that our employees have a heightened awareness of their role within the company and productivity has increased. Our staff have a more positive attitude towards their work and have become more involved. It's not just the productivity level we have seen increase, but the quality of the products they are turning out."
The other companies who received IIP awards this year included: the Three Bears Nursery, Cambuslang; ECO European Ltd, Finlay Scotland, Moray Training Ltd, TVRS and Procold, all of Hamilton; OPM Management Services, ECN Ltd, Gael Quality, Inca Technology, Keltech Ltd, Print Cloths Ltd and Technotots Childcare, all of East Kilbride. In addition to these, three companies were re-recognised for continuing to maintain the standards they set for themselves when they first received IIP awards. They included Rosti (Scotland) of Larkhall.
For more information on Investors in People, contact your local enterprise
trust:
East Kilbride Business Centre 01355 238456
Clydesdale Development Company 01555 665064
Rutherglen & Cambuslang Enterprise 0141 641 9891
Hamilton Enterprise Development Company 01698 429425