Invopak has been awarded Investors in People Platinum. IIP is the internationally recognised accreditation for people management and employee wellbeing, and Platinum is the highest level awarded. Only seven per cent of IIP accredited businesses reach Platinum, making it a rare accolade.
The Path to Platinum
It takes time and investment to build a business where employees feel valued, as CEO Arjen Cooper-Rolfe explains,
“Together we’ve transformed this business over the past decade by recognising that it’s not about the product, it’s about making the people better. I believe that no matter the size or resources of your organisation you can operate at the very highest level. It’s amazing what can be achieved with effort, commitment and taking a of leap-of faith.”
Consistent actions are key when it comes to building a positive workplace culture, for us it means;
Empowering People – Employees are encouraged to take ownership and are given the freedom and flexibility to do a great job, whether that’s in the warehouse, in the office or out on the road.
Coaching that Encourages Evolution – We’ve rolled out coaching across the business, giving people the support to think, reflect, act and be the best they can be in and outside work. It means that roles can evolve allowing people to build on their strengths, and play a proactive role in setting their career path.
1% Improvement Platform - People are encouraged to seek out those small changes that make a big difference, whether that’s training, a new piece of kit or the latest technology. It means we don’t do what we’ve always done, we’re always looking to adapt and improve.
Reward and Recognition – Good work is its own reward, but beyond that external recognition builds confidence between teams and individuals. We have an employee recognition programme, “MO”, a public platform which celebrates achievements and allows spot gift-card awards.
Tangible Tools - We're now on the 12th printed edition of Our Values Handbook. All employees receive a copy and it includes useful information about our performance culture and how we work together.
Stuart Rolfe, Head of Customer Experience and Account Manager Joan Waterfall with our Values Handbook
If you’d like to discover more about how we value and empower our teams, then you’ll find lots more resources over at Involvement.
The success of our approach has been recognised by Investors in People;
“You've been brave in your business decisions, diversifying, sharing good practice and tackling tough situations head-on. Increasingly involving the right people in these decisions and encouraging honesty in challenge has been key, as has giving people ownership of their role, finding solutions and implementing change.”
Platinum People Provide a Platinum Service
As Arjen Cooper-Rolfe says, “Platinum for people means platinum for service. No matter how challenging things get this year, our thousands of customers, who are the lifeblood of British industry, know they have a partner they can rely on to deliver the goods.”
An engaged and supported workforce works better. They sweat the small stuff and work as a team. It means problems get solved, challenges are met and ultimately you, the customer feel the difference.
Awarding the Platinum status to Involvement, Investors in People said: “Platinum is about developing a culture where everyone can flourish and thrive. You have purposely created a high performance workplace culture that is impacting the lives of all the Involvement team.”
Now it's time to find out why IIP matters, the difference an empowered workforce makes and how this benefits you.
In our first episode, we join Gary and Marco from our Southam warehouse team: