Kraken Business

How Investors in People can help your business

—

by

Team Kraken

in

,

This guide explains the different services that Investors in People (IIP) can provide to your business and the business benefits of using them.

Topics covered include:

  • what IIP is
  • how IIP works
  • assessment and recognition
  • reviewing your recognition
  • using the IIP Interactive tool
  • health and wellbeing support from IIP

Table of Contents

What is Investors in People?

Investors in People (IiP) is a business improvement framework that helps organisations to meet their business targets and improve their performance.

IIP encourages you to do this in a number of ways. For example, you can:

  • seek advice from IIP’s advisers
  • be assessed on how effective your people management practices currently are and how they could be improved
  • gain IIP recognition for your people management practices to improve your reputation
  • review your organisation’s people management practices

The IIP framework can be easily tailored to your business regardless of size or sector and is flexible enough to help with a range of business objectives including:

  • managing change
  • increasing efficiency
  • maximising profitability
  • increasing sales
  • improving productivity
  • improving strategic leadership

IIP can also help you to:

  • comply with employment law and follow workplace good practice by putting into place policies and procedures to protect your employees’ rights
  • improve your employees basic skills – eg language, literacy and numeracy – to improve their efficiency at work and engagement

IIP is proven to help deliver real business benefits. Find case studies showing how businesses of all sizes and sectors work with IIP on the IIP website- Opens in a new window.

Getting started with IIP

If you’re ready to start working with IIP or want more information on how you could benefit from it, you should contact your local IIP centre. IIP centres offer no-obligation advice and many have workshops you can attend to find out more. You can find contact details for your IIP Centre on the IIP website- Opens in a new window or call the Investors in People Customer Service Line on Tel 020 7881 8966.

How Investors in People works

At the heart of Investors in People (IIP) is the Standard – this is an outcome-based framework of best practice.

The IIP framework has three core principles – plan, do and review – which can be applied to any aspect of your business. Plan is about developing effective strategies. Do is about making sure your plans are translated into actions that deliver improvement. Review ensures you measure and evaluate performance to deliver further improvements.

IIP’s tailored approach means that whether you are working with the Standard or the wider framework, all of IIP’s work is now focused on your chosen business priorities. You can contact the Investors in People Customer Service Line on Tel 020 7881 8966, where one of the IIP Centres can talk you through the summary framework to explain how it can work for your organisation.

Download an overview of the IIP framework [opens in a new window].

Assessment and recognition against the Standard

To become an IIP recognised organisation, you need to be assessed against the 39 criteria of the Standard (or 37 for organisations without unions or employee representatives).

The framework is outcome focused – it outlines what you need to achieve but doesn’t prescribe how – making it flexible for companies of all sizes and sectors. Assessors collect evidence by interviewing staff from across your organisation on a range of topics. There are no forms for you to complete or paperwork requirements.

You can also select criteria from the wider framework that focus on your chosen business priorities, and there is the option to aim for Bronze, Silver or Gold status.

Find out about IIP assessments on the IIP website- Opens in a new window.

Using the IIP logo

You can use the IIP logo to demonstrate that you have gained recognition but you must adhere to the IIP brand guidelines. Find out about using the IIP logo on the IIP website- Opens in a new window.

Investors in People reviews

Once you have gained recognition from Investors in People (IIP), you will need to have a review within three years to keep your recognition. Carrying out reviews also helps you to see how IIP has benefited your business.

Reviews are similar to your first assessment – evidence for achieving outcomes is provided through interviews with you and your employees.

IIP also provides an online survey tool that you can use as part of your review. Up to 1,000 employees can answer questions based on the evidence requirements in the IIP framework.

For information about reviews and using the IIP survey tool, you should contact your local Centre – find contact details for your nearest IIP Centre on the IIP website- Opens in a new window.

The IIP Interactive business improvement tool

Investors in People (IIP) Interactive is a free online resource that allows businesses to assess their performance against five key management practices:

  • strategic planning
  • effective management
  • developing people
  • culture and communication
  • managing performance

You can use IIP Interactive to identify ways that you can work with the IIP framework in your business.

You can use IIP Interactive independently or with the help of an IIP adviser, who can bring external insight on the challenges your business might face.Find out about IIP Interactive on the IIP website- Opens in a new window.

Health and wellbeing support from Investors in People

Investors in People (IIP) provides advice, support and recognition for organisations that want to achieve the best results from investing in the health and wellbeing of their people.

It does this by:

  • running an award scheme to encourage employers to focus on the health and wellbeing of their employees
  • maintaining an online database of good practice health and wellbeing advice – including examples of ideas that have worked for other businesses

For more general information on health and wellbeing at work, see our guide on how to improve employee health and well-being.

For more information on the IIP Health and Wellbeing Good Practice Database and Award, visit the IIP website- Opens in a new window (registration required).

Could this article be better? Are details incorrect? Do you have something to contribute or a relevant article we can link to?

We’d love to hear from you and continue to keep this a free, useful resource for everyone! Get in touch.

Every effort has been made by the author(s) to ensure this article’s accuracy but it does not constitute legal advice tailored to your circumstances. If you act on it, you acknowledge that you do so at your own risk. We cannot assume responsibility and do not accept liability for any damage or loss which may arise as a result of your reliance upon it.

Related Guides

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,