Westbury wins Gold Investors In People Award

At Westbury, our people define who we are, and we're dedicated to developing their unique skills in a way that shows them how valued they are. We’re delighted to share that we have just achieved an Investors in People Gold Award accreditation, improving on the Silver Award we have held for the last few years…

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit,” wrote Aristotle. This is certainly true when it comes to putting our people first and making sure that every employee feels appreciated and cared for. Following our most recent assessment with Investors in People, which involved extensive staff surveys and interviews, we’re delighted to share that we have now achieved a Gold Award accreditation, improving on the Silver Award we have held for the last few years. 

This is a very proud moment for us as a company, as we believe that our people define who we are and what we do, and we can get the best from them by using and developing their unique skills in a way that shows them how valued they are. 

Ultimately, our success is owed to the way we design and build exceptional products of high quality, and we can’t do this without our teams of experts working together to make it happen. We want to attract talented people to come and work for our company, and what’s more, we want them to stay. Understanding everyone’s needs and creating an excellent working environment for them is essential to a trusting, reliable culture. 

Our history with Investors in People

Investors in People is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making work better for people all over the world. They work alongside businesses in a range of sectors, reviewing their processes and making sure that they can demonstrate modern workplace trends and performances. For the last 28 years, they have helped to make work better for 11 million people and invest their profits back into local communities. 

We are assessed by Investors in People every three years, and have been constantly reviewing and improving our workplace employee policies in line with the guidelines set out in our last review in 2016. Through working with Investors in People, we’ve rolled out a number of effective changes since our first assessment 12 years ago, using the feedback to implement new practices that establish positive working principles across our organisation. 

We’ve brought in new structures that help us keep track of our various projects and prioritise everyone’s day-to-day tasks, redirecting a team’s focus to allow for problem solving and decision making. Progress reports and information are regularly collated to track performance across the business, setting clear agendas and helping us to learn from any errors. 

A lengthy assessment process

While we’ve been very proud of holding a Silver Award, we knew that there was more we could do and have been determined to improve our processes further. Between May – June 2019, we underwent a thorough assessment, which involved anonymous online assessments completed by all our employees, and face-to-face interviews with a selection of 12 employees across the business. The investigator also observed the way our teams interacted during their time spent on-site and at our factory. 

According to this year’s assessment, it was noted that reference to individual contributions are frequently made, helping staff to see the difference they are making and the potential that they have. Employees enjoy being a part of such a forward-thinking, innovative company with business goals and new product launches clearly communicated to everyone at the company. This is usually done through meetings, monthly staff newsletters, message screens in the office showing targets and KPIs and presentations during team building days. 

The assessment also mentioned our wonderful housekeeper Pauline, saying that we have a unique set up: ‘A housekeeper is employed to look after the team, providing freshly prepared, cooked lunch each day. The person in this role is a highly valued member of the team and fits in wonderfully, paying great interest in people’s preferences and enjoying the role of nurturing through the food prepared.’ That sounds like our Pauline! 

‘Cos we are GOLD

While there is always a place for Aristotle, we ultimately want to help our staff believe in themselves and have confidence in what they can do so it’s time for another quote; this time by the legendary Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet, who wrote the lyrics: “‘Cos you are GOLD, (GOLD) – always believe in your soul, you’ve got the power to know!”. Our Gold Award proves that our employees believe in our values and are ‘invested’ in the company’s success, resulting in a team that works hard, trusts each other and takes responsibility for their own important roles.  

Our new Gold accreditation gives us recognition as a progressive, forward-thinking employer that understands the integral role our staff members have when it comes to producing the very best products. You might think that we can sit back and relax now we have finally won gold, but we will continue to work hard over the next year to either maintain our Gold Award or go to the ultimate level with a Platinum Award.

For more information about Investors in People, please visit their website here.