Portman Travel has gained the Investors in People Standard to mark a commitment to the improvement and development of its staff.
The award follows the travel management company introducing an annual employee engagement survey and the appointment of departmental ‘team champions’ to ensure honest employee feedback and two-way engagement at every level of the company.
Portman Travel was commended for the pride that employees felt towards the company and their clients, as well as significant changes to practices that have taken place on a wider scale throughout the company.
A commitment to corporate social responsibility was integral to the process towards achieving the quality standard, with the launch of a ‘Responsibly Portman’ scheme a year ago, encouraging employees to engage in socially responsible business practices.
A focus on learning and development was also key to the improvement strategy with more than 40 staff undertaking Institute of Leadership and Management-accredited training programmes in 2012. A further 16 people are expected to complete ILM level three courses in 2013.
This year will see the third annual Portman Professional Awards take place, as a way of rewarding those who have made an outstanding contribution to the company’s overall strategy and success.
The company’s chief people officer Dawn Murphy said: “The engagement of our employees has always been at the core of Portman’s strategy and it is very important that we provide a work environment where people feel valued, appreciated and involved in communication and decision making.
“In a competitive market, it’s great to have our culture and values recognised at such a high standard by an independent body and we look forward to continuing to develop and grow with the aim of achieving gold, accreditation in the near future.”
John Telfer, managing director of Inspiring Business Performance, the organisation that delivers Investors in People for London and the South, said: “Portman Travel should be very proud of their achievement, particularly as they have gone beyond the core requirements of the standard. I hope other organisations will look to them as an example of what can be done when staff and managers work together.”