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If your question is not included below,
please feel free to contact the Guernsey Training Agency.
 How
much does it cost?
The main cost will be in
staff time - seeing how you measure up to the Standard and
working out what changes you need to make and then putting
those changes into practice. You will have a more clear idea
of potential costs once your organisation has had an initial
assessment to identify what changes need to be made. The other
costs to consider include external help i.e. additional assessment
activity, training on Investors in People for staff, and the
services of an Adviser. Advisers have a set rate per day which
will be included in their portfolio and is charged through
the Guernsey Training Agency. top
How
long does it take?
This will depend on the type
and complexity of changes you need to make within your organisation
and how quickly you can put them into practice, plus the internal
resources available to you. If you adopt a project approach,
it normally takes between 12-18 months for an organisation
to become an Investor in People. top
Can
you do it yourself?
All the paperwork is clear
and concise so that organisations may check how they measure
against the Standard. If you do want advice or support, you
can contact the Guernsey Training Agency. The only time it is a requirement
to involve other people will be when you are ready for assessment,
which is carried out by an independent assessor. top
Is
there a lot of paperwork?
Investors in People is about
results - the Standard doesn't specify WHAT you need to do
to achieve success, and you don't have to provide any extra
paperwork. As long as you are achieving the results/benefits
that the indicators are looking for, it doesn't matter how
you get there. For example some organisations find staff appraisal
very effective but you may have alternative ways of developing
your people - its your results that count. The Assessor will
only ask to see existing documentation such as a business
plan and learning/development related documents.
top
What
kind of organisations want to achieve the Standard?
All kinds, from small sized
businesses (minimum number of 2 staff) to large organisations
in both private and public sectors. Over 40,000 organisations
worldwide have either achieved the Standard or are working
towards it. top
What
countries work with the Standard?
Investors in People is an
International Standard that is continually entering new markets.
Although originally from the UK, the Standard now operates
in many European countries such as Denmark, France, the Netherlands
and as far afield as New Zealand and Bermuda. A full list
of countries working with Investors in People is available
on the UK
website. top
How
can you make sure Investors in People works?
Support from senior management
is crucial to success, and ensuring that everybody in the
organisation understands the benefit of becoming an Investor
in People. It is important to treat Investors in People as
part of your organisation's culture rather than a separate
project.
What
is the best way for an organisation to implement the Standard?
This will depend on the organisation
itself, but the more emphasis and commitment at the beginning
of the process, the quicker the Standard will be achieved.
Through experience, the most time efficient and cost-effective
way is
- Ensure senior management are fully
briefed and supportive of the initiative and that someone
has been chosen to lead the project ('Internal Facilitator).
- Undergo an initial assessment against
the Standard to highlight the areas needing improvement
- this can be done by your own staff, an Investors in People
Adviser, or by having an early Assessment.
- Assemble an internal
project team who will maintain momentum - this may involve
some training in the Standard for the project team members
and key people in your organisation.
- As and when required,
employ the services of a registered Investors in People
Adviser to provide focused solutions and experience that
may not be available internally. top
Will
the assessor understand your organisation?
Assessors are chosen for
their broad business background and generally work as independent
consultants. The quality of their work is managed by a Quality
Centre that matches up the size or complexity of an organisation
with their experience. top
When
will we know we are ready to go forward for our recognition
assessment?
When you have completed all
the changes highlighted for action in the initial assessment.
You can achieve this by adopting an approach of continuous
assessment combined with good use of external advisory services
where appropriate. top
What
happens if we're not ready for assessment when we thought
we would be?
You should aim for assessment
as early as possible - even if you're not quite ready, it
will provide an opportunity to see what progress you have
made and any what else you need to do to reach the Standard
in full. You will also find it useful to have some quality
feedback from an independent viewpoint. top
Do
we get more than one chance to achieve Investors in People?
Yes. If your assessor decides
you need to improve in one or two areas before you can become
an Investor in People, you will agree how and when you can
achieve them and arrange when you should be reassessed. top
What
happens after we achieve Investors in People?
To maintain recognition as
an Investor in People, organisations must be re-assessed within
3 years. Between 12 - 15 months is the ideal period for re-assessment
and planning it at a time that will deliver maximum benefit
in terms of feedback to your organisation is important. top
Can
Investors in People help you to achieve other quality standards?
Yes. Investors in People
is the only standard in the world that focuses on people and
is assessed on the effectiveness of business processes i.e.
the outcomes rather than the processes themselves. As such,
the good practices that you follow to become an Investor in
People will dovetail well with other quality standards such
as ISO 9000 and the Business Excellence Model. top
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