A Hertfordshire-based modelling agency is celebrating becoming the first in its sector to be awarded Investors in People status.
MOT Models director Mike Illes said: “There is a cultural problem in the model agency industry, because they don’t see these things as necessary.”
Ruth Spellman, chief executive of Investors in People said: “We believe employees are central to the success of any organisation and it is vital for staff to be skilled, flexible and motivated.”
One of the improvements the agency made to win recognition was to ensure that information gets relayed to all relevant staff members.
“We were making a lot of assumptions about what we were communicating,” said Illes. “These could very well have led to errors.”
Rather than relying on verbal communication across the office, staff now make much greater use of e-mail and shared databases. Illes has also learned to be more forthcoming with staff about his business goals and the part he expects them to play in meeting them.
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Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, a lesbian model sacked as the face of high-street chain BHS has won compensation for discrimination and sexual harassment.
Sonja Walker was awarded £1,000 and costs after a tribunal found that her manager implied that her career advancement depended on sleeping with her.
