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Organisations interested in becoming an Investor in People |
Can I implement the Investors in People Standard myself?
How much will it cost to become an Investor in People?
How long will it take to become an Investor in People?
Where can I go for advice?
How do I implement Investors in People into my organisation? How do I get started?
Will the Assessor understand my organisation?
What if my organisation is multi-sited across the UK?
Do I get more than one chance to meet the Standard?
When should I come forward for assessment?
What happens after I achieve the Investors in People Standard?
Is there a lot of paperwork?
Can I use my own resources to identify whether I meet the Standard?
What happens if I am not ready for assessment when I thought I would be?
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Organisations that have become an Investor in People |
What should I do if my organisation has merged?
How do I advertise my Investor in People status?
As an employee of an Investor in People organisation, what benefits can I expect?
How long does my recognition as an Investor in People last?
How can I obtain a copy of the Investors in People logo?
Once I have obtained the logo, how do I know if I am using it correctly?
Can I reproduce material from Investors in People UK?
Who develops the Standard?
What kind of organisations can achieve the Standard?
Can Investors in People help me achieve other quality standards?
Can I talk to a recognised organisation?
What is the history behind the Investors in People Standard?
What should I do if I am looking for a Standard but I am not sure if IIP is the correct Standard for me?
How do I find out if a company has achieved the Investors in People Standard?
Where can I purchase Investors in People products?
Can you give me examples of how other organisations have implemented the Investors in People Standard?
Organisations interested in becoming an Investor in People
Can I implement the Investors in People Standard myself?
The Standard is written in plain English so that you can check for yourself how your organisation measures up against the evidence requirements. Investors in People UK has recently launched a free online Business Support Tool, IIP Interactive.
Further information on other helpful products and publications are available from our Order Line by calling 0870 850 4477.
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How much will it cost to become an Investor in People?
If you work with an Investors in People Adviser they will make all costs clear to you at the start. The assessment process costs from £550 - £750 per day (depending on your region), and the number of days required will depend on the size of your organisation (as this will dictate how long the assessment process will take). You'll have a clearer picture of other potential costs once you have identified what changes— if any—your organisation needs to make. There may be funding or grants available to support your development so remember to ask your Adviser or Quality Centre if they are aware of any funding that is available in your region. There are a number of tools that you can use to support the development of you and your organisation when using the Investors in People frameworks, including the free online Business Support Tool, IIP Interactive.
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How long will it take to become an Investor in People?
This depends on what kind of changes you need to make and how quickly you can put them into practice. The flexible nature of the Standard means that it can be used by organisations of all types and sizes. This does, however, make generalising about timescales difficult. It may be realistic to expect that an organisation could achieve Investor in People status within a year to 18 months. However, this will vary depending on the changes your organisation needs to make.
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Where can I go for advice?
Should you require further advice and support when working towards the Standard, you may contact your local IIP Centre or, if you are a large organisation with over 1000 employees, Investors in People UK in the first instance. You will then be put in contact with a registered Investors in People Adviser. To find contact details of an IIP Centre in your area please click here
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How do I implement Investors in People into my organisation? How do I get started?
The first stage in becoming an Investor in People recognised organisation is to obtain a copy of the Information Pack, which details the benefits of becoming an Investor in People and provides an overview of the Standard. This can be requested through the Feedback form.
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Will the Assessor understand my organisation?
Assessors are chosen for their broad business background, and they generally work as independent business consultants. Many will specialise in working with organisations from your sector. The quality of their work is managed by an IIP Centre, which will match up your organisation with an Assessor who has appropriate experience.
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What if my organisation is multi-sited across the UK?
All large, multi-sited, multi-national organisations wanting to attain Investor in People recognition should contact the Head of Client Relations at Investors in People UK on 0207 467 1915.
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Do I get more than one chance to meet the Standard?
Yes, if the Assessor feels that there is more work to be done before you meet the Investors in People Standard, they will give detailed feedback, which will help you to plan further development and decide an appropriate timescale to continue the assessment.
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When should I come forward for assessment?
Your organisation can request an assessment at any time once it has decided to work towards the Standard. Coming forward for assessment as early as possible will provide you with an opportunity to see what progress you have made and what else you need to do to meet the Standard.
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What happens after I achieve the Investors in People Standard?
Once your organisation has been recognised as an Investor in People you will be subject to regular reviews no more than three years apart. Within this time frame, you can choose how frequently you wish to be reviewed. You may choose to be reviewed more frequently, not only to ensure that you are still achieving the Standard but also to be aware of the progress you have made since the last assessment.
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Is there a lot of paperwork?
The Standard doesn't tell you what you need to do to achieve success, and you don't have to provide any extra paperwork to achieve the Standard. Evidence for the assessment is gathered from a range of sources and is not paper based. Sources for evidence include verbal and observed evidence, such as one-to-one interviews with employees. As long as you are achieving the results and benefits that the indicators are looking for, it doesn't matter how you develop your people. For example, some organisations find staff appraisals very effective, but you may have alternative ways to develop your people. It's your results that count.
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Can I use my own resources to identify whether I meet the Standard?
Once recognised, Internal Review can help you further embed Investors in People into your organisation's culture. The Internal Review process enables you to utilise the skills and expertise of your own people to monitor your organisation’s performance. The findings from Internal Review will contribute to the external assessment, but it is the external Assessor who makes the decision as to whether you continue to meet the Standard.
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What happens if I am not ready for assessment when I thought I would be?
Even if you find you are not quite ready, the assessment will give you an opportunity to see what progress you have made and what else you need to do to meet the Standard in full, so you should still aim for assessment as early as possible. The assessment is also a useful opportunity to have some quality feedback from an independent viewpoint.
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Organisations that have become an Investor in People
What should I do if my organisation has merged?
If your organisation has merged since achieving Investor in People status, then it is likely that you will need to have an assessment again in order to maintain your status and continue to display the logo. To investigate your current position further, you should contact the IIP Centre closest to the Head Office location of your company. Alternatively, please contact your nearest IIP Centre.
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How do I advertise my Investor in People status?
Once an organisation has achieved Investors in People status, it is possible for it to promote its status in a variety of ways, such as purchasing Investor in People products available only to those organisations that have been recognised. Included in these products is the Investor in People Logo. To obtain a copy of the Investor in People Logo, contact your local IIP Centre. For other Investor in People products, please contact the Order Line on 0870 850 4477 or email iipuk@tso.co.uk. To find out which products are available, please click on the following link: Investors in People Shop.
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As an employee of an Investor in People organisation, what benefits can I expect?
A priority of all organisations working with the Investors in People Standard is to ensure that their employees are kept in touch with what is going on. Importantly, as an employee of an organisation working with the Standard, you should understand your organisation's aims and objectives and the role you will play in helping it get there. It is also vital that you understand how your work contributes to the success of the organisation as a whole. It is easier for you if you know exactly what is expected of you, so you and your manager will go through what you need to achieve and how you go about it. In working with the Investors in People Standard, your organisation will have to demonstrate that it meets all of the 10 indicators of the Standard. These are outlined in the Investors in People Standard. The way in which an organisation achieves each indicator can vary so there is no precise way of explaining exactly what practices you should be able to identify as an employee. You should realise, however, that if you are working with the Standard then you are working with an organisation that wants to do things properly. You could get ahead more quickly at work because you are managing your career better and getting the support you need to develop. It should be a good place to work, with a positive and supportive atmosphere. If you want to find out more about the benefits you can receive, please visit the following link - The Benefits of Investors in People.
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How long does my recognition as an Investor in People last?
The Investors in People Standard is awarded indefinitely, subject to regular reviews no more than three years apart. Within this time frame, organisations can choose how frequently they wish to be reviewed and informed on what progress has made since the last visit. These reviews, like the original assessment, will be conducted by an assessor from your IIP Centre.
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How can I obtain a copy of the Investors in People logo?
Only organisations that have been recognised as Investors in People can display the Investors in People logo. If you have achieved the Investors in People Standard and would like a copy of the logo, please contact your IIP Centre.
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Once I have obtained the logo, how do I know if I am using it correctly?
To ensure that you are complying with the branding guidelines and to gain instructions on how to use the logo correctly, please view the Logo Branding Guidelines. If, after reading the guidelines, you are still unsure how to use the logo, please email information@iipuk.co.uk.
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Can I reproduce material from Investors in People UK?
It may be possible for you to reproduce material from Investors in People UK, but to do this you will need to obtain permission. Please send an email to products@iipuk.co.uk, detailing the following information:
- Who will see the information
- What it is for (for example: an internal news publication / use on your company's intranet / an essay or dissertation, which you are preparing)
- Which parts of our literature you would like to reproduce
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General questions
Who develops the Standard?
At Investors in People UK, the Development and Quality Teams work together to develop and quality assure the Investors in People Standard, ensuring that organisations continue to gain value from being an Investor in People. The last time the Standard was updated was in November 2004. However, we have recently introduced an option for recognised organisations called Profile and three new models. To obtain a recent version of the Investors in People Standard, Profile or any of the models, please contact the Order Line on 0870 850 4477. For information on the development of the Standard and other models, please view the Research and Development section of the website or contact us.
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What kind of organisations can achieve the Standard?
A variety of organisations work with and benefit from the Investors in People Standard. The Standard is flexible enough to be suitable to organisations of all types and sizes. Of the 30,000 + organisations that are currently recognised, some have as little as 2 members whereas others are large corporate organisations. The highly tailored nature of the Standard means that it can be implemented by a diverse variety of organisations.
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Can Investors in People help me achieve other quality standards?
Yes. Investors in People is the only quality standard that focuses on people, so the good practices that you need to follow to become an Investor in People dovetail well with other quality standards, such as ISO 9000, and with the Business Excellence Model.
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Can I talk to a recognised organisation?
Investors in People UK has awarded Champion status to a number of exemplar Investors in People organisations that offer a programme of best-practice sharing activities. For further details, please visit www.investorsinpeoplechampions.co.uk.
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What is the history behind the Investors in People Standard?
The Standard was developed in 1990 by the National Training Task Force in partnership with leading national, business, personnel, professional and employee organisations such as The Confederation of British Industry and The Trade Union Congress. The Standard provides a national framework for improving business performance through a planned approach to setting and communicating organisational objectives.
Initially, the Standard was administered through a section in the Department for Education and Employment. It was extensively tested during 1991 by Training and Enterprise Councils, and Local Enterprise Councils. The experiences of the UK's most successful organisations—large and small—representing all sectors of the UK economy, were very positive and the Standard received the full endorsement of the wide range of interested parties.
During 1993, as a demand for and interest in the Standard grew, Investors in People UK was formed to take national ownership of the Standard, protect its integrity and ensure it's successful promotion and development.
Investors in People UK is a non departmental public body (NDPB), which means that it reports to and receives funds from the Department for Education and Skills. Being an NDPB means that Investors in People UK retains a great deal of independence and is responsible for all its own business planning, policy development and day-to-day operations.
Since 1991 tens of thousands of UK employers, employing millions of people, have become involved with the Standard and currently enjoy the benefits of being an ‘Investor in People’.
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What should I do if I am looking for a Standard but I am not sure if IIP is the correct Standard for me?
It is worth considering that employees need to have the skills required to do their job properly and organisations needs to develop these skills to keep up in an ever changing world. An organisation that wants to improve the skills of its employees, and encourage their employees to become part of their vision and success, would be the type of organisation, which would benefit from undertaking the Investors in People Standard.
It is also worth remembering that the Investors in People Standard integrates well with other quality standards, such as ISO9000 and with the Business Excellence Model.
To receive a copy of our publication, which outlines the benefits of becoming an Investor in People, please contact us.
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How do I find out if a company has achieved the Investors in People Standard?
Every kind of organisation, from small and medium business to large organisations in both the private and public sectors, can benefit from the Investors in People Standard. There are currently over 30,000 recognised organisations in the UK that have achieved Investors in People recognition.
If you wish to find out how many organisations in your sector have achieved Investors in People status, then please contact us, and detail—as specifically as possible—the parameters of the search you wish to be conducted.
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Where can I purchase Investors in People products?
Whether you are just about to start working towards the Investors in People Standard or you are already recognised, products to suit your needs are available from our Order Line. To obtain a copy of our catalogue, please contact the Order Line on 0870 850 4477 or refer to the Investors in People Shop. If you have any comments on our product range, please contact products@iipuk.co.uk.
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Can you give me examples of how other organisations have implemented the Investors in People Standard?
Over 30,000 UK organisations are recognised as Investors in People, covering a wide spectrum of UK industries. To view a selection of organisations working with Investors in People, outlining their experiences and the benefits they have seen since achieving the Standard, please visit the Case Studies section of the website.
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