Investors in People Reaccreditation: Why We’re Proud to Hold It 

Neil Young is HR Director at Bruton Knowles, with extensive experience across professional services and a range of other sectors. Since joining Bruton Knowles in 2015, he has led the development of a people strategy focused on growth, engagement and organisational culture, overseeing talent attraction, learning and development, performance management, and reward. 

Bruton Knowles has proudly held Investors in People (IIP) accreditation since 2000. Every three years we undertake reaccreditation to maintain the standard, reflect on how we are performing as an employer, and how we can continually develop. 

The IIP framework assesses organisations against nine indicators focused on how they lead, support and develop their people. The indicators are: 

1. Leading and Inspiring People: Leaders are trusted, communicative, and motivating. 
2. Living the Organisation’s Values and Behaviours: Values are embedded in everyday work. 
3. Empowering and Involving People: A culture of trust and responsibility. 
4. Managing Performance: Clear objectives, tracking, and feedback.
5. Recognising and Rewarding High Performance: Acknowledging good work. 
6. Structuring Work: Roles designed to be efficient and engaging. 
7. Building Capability: Developing people to meet current and future needs. 
8. Delivering Continuous Improvement: Always looking for ways to improve. 
9. Creating Sustainable Success: Adapting to external changes to stay ahead. 

Participation in IIP is not mandatory, but it remains one of the most respected and widely recognised people management frameworks in the UK. For Bruton Knowles, the value lies in the insight it provides. The confidential survey and interviews allow us to take a genuine temperature check of how colleagues experience the organisation day to day. They help us understand whether our processes, expectations and opportunities are clearly communicated and consistently applied. 

The process begins several months before the formal assessment with a planning discussion between myself and the appointed assessor. We review our business priorities, current challenges and overall people strategy, and agree the scope and timeline for the survey and interviews. I then meet with the assessor to discuss our direction of travel in more depth, outlining how we support our people and how our approach aligns with the nine IIP indicators. 

All employees are invited to complete a confidential survey facilitated directly by IIP. The survey explores areas such as performance reviews, clarity around line management, career and development opportunities and understanding of our values. Around 10 per cent of the workforce is then randomly selected for individual interviews. These conversations provide colleagues with the opportunity to elaborate on their experiences and offer context beyond the survey responses. The selection process is confidential, ensuring openness and integrity. 

The assessor reviews the survey data and interview feedback before producing a detailed report outlining strengths and areas for development. Successes are recognised, but equal emphasis is placed on identifying practical steps that will strengthen our approach further. Following reaccreditation, I develop a 12-month action plan based on these recommendations. While the assessor offers guidance, responsibility for delivery sits firmly with us. Twelve months later we meet again to review progress and, if necessary, refine the plan to ensure it remains relevant. 

Where possible, we work with the same assessor across cycles, as continuity builds a deeper understanding of our structure and culture. That said, a new assessor can also bring fresh perspective and recommendations. The relationship provides valuable external benchmarking and insight into wider HR trends, helping ensure we remain forward-looking rather than operating in isolation. 

Reaccreditation reinforces something fundamental to us at Bruton Knowles, investing in our people is an ongoing commitment, and we’re constantly accountable for it. By seeking independent assessment and acting on feedback, we ensure that commitment remains real, practical and embedded in how we operate every day.