Large firms twice as likely to use Investors in People

Larger organisations are twice as likely to use Investors in People (IiP) than companies with less than 50 employees, research shows.

In a survey of 500 members of the Institute of Directors (IoD), about a quarter were IiP-accredited or committed to achieving the IiP standard, compared with 36% of UK businesses as a whole.

One-third of small businesses (less than 50 employees) were IiP-accredited or working towards IiP status, compared with 86% of IoD members in companies employing between 50 and 200 staff.

Just under half (45%) of organisations with more than 200 employees used IiP.

Dr Richard Wilson, head of business policy at IoD, said smaller organisations should try to align themselves more with IiP initiatives.

“Larger businesses are less likely to recognise the benefits of being IiP-accredited. It’s very easy for businesses to spend money on training without understanding the personal objectives for employees,” he said.

June Williams, director of quality at IiP, agreed: “Larger, more established organisations do take IiP more seriously because they generally have more resources and an established HR function,” she said.