Assessors praised Orchid for many of its staff training and development initiatives and recognised the extent of internal promotions and apprentice provision.
Orchid was assessed on nearly 200 points and had to give clear evidence that the company met each one. The Gold level of accreditation is awarded to companies that demonstrate best practice in almost all of the set criteria.
Seal of approval
“We are absolutely delighted to have achieved Gold before the end of the year and it is a valuable seal of approval of everything we strive to achieve,” said Simon Dodd, commercial & HR director at Orchid Group.
“To make it to the top of the Investors in People accreditation rank in such a short time is simply amazing. It shows that the way we build our business around our people really works, and is valued and recognised.”
Assessment
To gain Gold status Investors in People assessors met with many Orchid employees, from those on programmes such as Steps 2 Excellence to pub managers. They attended team meetings to look at how communications between managers and front-of-house teams are handled, and spoke to employees about their thoughts on how Orchid engages with them.
“We are proud to put people first in everything we do, and the Gold accreditation is recognition of our unique ethos and long-standing service to our employees,” said Rufus Hall, chief executive of Orchid Group. “Gaining this status means a lot to everyone throughout the company as it clearly shows that we live and breathe our values.”