Launched in 1991 Investors in People is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills

UK Commission for Employment and Skills

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills is a non-departmental public body that provides advice on skills and employment policy to the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations.-History:...

 and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government created on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform .-Ministers:The BIS...

 (BIS).

According to Cranfield School of Management

Cranfield School of Management

Cranfield School of Management is part of Cranfield University and a leading business school in the world. Cranfield University has provided management training since the late 1940s...

, in 2008 there were almost 40,000 organizations currently working with Investors in People. These organizations employ approximately 7.5 million of the UK workforce http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/dinamic-content/research/cbp/IIP_Impact_StudyReport.pdf. Though UK-based, the Standard has been licensed to a number of other countries, through Investors in People International.

The framework

The Investors in People framework (consisting of The Standard and the wider framework) has three fundamental principles:
• Plan – developing strategies to improve the performance of the organisation
• Do – implementing these strategies
• Review – evaluating and adjusting these strategies
These three principles breakdown into 10 indicators; each indicator is subdivided into a number of evidence requirements. These detail the criteria organisations are required to meet in order to achieve the Standard. There are 39 evidence requirements in total.

Assessment process

The assessment process is undertaken by licensed Investors in People Centres. Organisations apply to be assessed and if the external assessors can find sufficient evidence of policy and practices in line with each indicator, the organisation is awarded 'recognition' of its Investors in People status. Evidence is gathered via interviews with employees and is based on outcomes.

Recognised organisations are able to display the Investors in People plaque and use the logo on recruitment advertisements and stationery.

In 2009, Investors in People launched bronze, silver and gold status, which organisations can achieve by meeting additional evidence requirements from across the broader Investors in People framework.

Research

The Standard is regularly reviewed by UK Commission for Employment and Skills

UK Commission for Employment and Skills

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills is a non-departmental public body that provides advice on skills and employment policy to the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations.-History:...

 and research is conducted on the benefits of working with the Investors in People framework and the impact of achieving recognition http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/MediaResearch/Research/Pages/default.aspx . This research has indicated that Investors in People has a positive impact on performance http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/mediaresearch/research/pages/provingthebenefits.aspx .

Investors in People, Managerial Capabilities and Performance. Publication By Cranfield School of Management

Cranfield School of Management

Cranfield School of Management is part of Cranfield University and a leading business school in the world. Cranfield University has provided management training since the late 1940s...

, Authors Prof. Mike Bourne, Dr, Monica Franco-Santos, January 2010.
http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/Documents/Research/Investors%20in%20People,%20Managerial%20Capabilities%20and%20Performance%20Jan%202010.pdf
Taking Stock: CBI education and skills survey 2008. Publication By CBI, Author CBI

Confederation of British Industry

The Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works...

 April 2008.
http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/Documents%20Hidden/Research/CBI%20education%20and%20skills%20survey.pdf
Impact of Investors in People Research Findings. Publication By Cranfield School of Management

Cranfield School of Management

Cranfield School of Management is part of Cranfield University and a leading business school in the world. Cranfield University has provided management training since the late 1940s...

, authors Prof. Mike Bourne, Dr. Monica Franco-Santos, Andrey Pavlov, Dr. Lorenzo Lucianetti, Dr. Veronica Martinez, Dr. Matteo Mura. Publication Date November 2008.
http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/Documents%20Hidden/Research/Cranfield%20Impact%20of%20IIP%20on%20people%20management.pdf
Does Investors in People add value to businesses? Publication By Institute of Employment Studies http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/ (IES), author Marc Cowling, Principal Economist. Publication Date January 2008.
http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/Documents%20Hidden/Research/IES%20article%20Does%20IIP%20add%20value.pdf

External links

• Investors in People official website (http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk)
• Investors in People International official website (http://www.investorsinpeople.com)