Investors in People standard helps Yell boost its bottom line

Sharon Scobell, Yell's Head of Business Excellence The UK has more than 39,000 Investors in People (IiP) organizations. They employ around 27 per cent of the nation's workforce. However, a much rarer accolade is the title of IiP Champion, of which there are only 24.

In 2005, the UK operation of Yell, a leading international directories business, was named an IiP Champion, acknowledging its exceptional people management and development, and the success this has brought to the company.

Yell's UK business, which employs around 3,750 and is headquartered in Reading, Berkshire, became an IiP organization in 1997 when 39 evidence requirements had to be met. As a measure of its impeccable HR credentials, in 2005 Yell achieved the Profile version of IiP standard, meaning it successfully met 196 evidence requirements.

Sharon Scobell, Yell's Head of Business Excellence, explains how the Investors in People standard helps the company to:

Bullet-point be more productive and efficient

Bullet-point retain good employees

Bullet-point grow its revenue

Key Business Benefits

Working with the IiP standard has brought a wide range of benefits to Yell.

Sharon says:

"We ensure that our people are well informed, consulted, enabled, recognised, rewarded and cared for - which are all important factors in attracting and retaining good people. This is an approach that is supported by the IiP standard."

Being able to hang on to good people means Yell needs to spend less on recruiting and training, so working in line with the principles of IiP helps increase business efficiency. But the benefits don't end there.

Employees who are better trained and developed are likely to be more productive, while employee morale is higher when they recognise that their employer is investing in their future. Higher morale can reduce absenteeism and increase quality and output.

Sharon adds:

"Our focus on business excellence and the use of quality frameworks - such as Investors in People - has also helped Yell grow its revenue and customer base in an increasingly competitive environment."

Quote from Yell Chief Executive John Condron

Introducing Investors in People

In 1996, Yell chose the IiP standard as a means of reviewing and improving links between the company's quality culture and its leadership and people-management practices.

Sharon says:
"We saw an opportunity to more closely align people management and development with our business strategy, to ensure that training and development supported business, team and individual objectives.
"We carried out an internal review against the Investors in People standard. After identifying things we were good at and things we could improve, we set objectives to tackle them. The exercise also increased internal understanding, which made it easier to get buy-in from our people for subsequent action plans."

Passing the Test

Since 1997, Yell UK has successfully retained its IiP recognition by undergoing independent assessment every three years.

Sharon says:
"As well as confirming recognition of good practice, the assessments provide an independent perspective on our strengths and things we need to improve. We take seriously every area for improvement and take appropriate action.
"Our actions are also guided by other evaluation results, such as our annual 'Tell Yell' employee survey. Improvement actions are then agreed at a senior level and incorporated into team or individual objectives."

Improving Skills

Overview of the Investors in People standard, a framework of principles that ensures employers communicate effectively with employees

When each employee begins working at Yell, they receive induction training tailored to their role, existing skills and experience.

Sharon says:

"Employees' ongoing development is delivered by local managers through coaching and training based on observation in role and one-to-one discussions."

"Line managers have access to a wide range of online facilities and a training contact who can recommend appropriate interventions to meet individual and group needs."

Yell has numerous internal training and development schemes, including 'Developing Potential', 'Professional Development', 'Personal Development' and 'Skills Training'.

Sharon says:

"We also have a number of online learning packages available to our people via the 'Learning Zone' on our website. Coaching is also a well-established development provision within Yell."

For decades, 'developing people' has been a core Yell commitment. The company always refers to its 'people' rather than its 'staff' or 'employees' - a subtle but revealing distinction.

Yell Chief Executive John Condron says:

"Yell has been working with the Investors in People standard since 1997. Not because it's 'nice to have'; but because it delivers real benefits for our organization."

"All of us at Yell are justifiably proud of the company we have built and the results we have achieved. Continuing to work with quality frameworks and standards like Investors in People will help secure the future for us all."