Today we're pretty excited to share some big news; we've just earned the Gold accreditation from Investors in People. This prestigious award represents our commitment to our team and the innovative culture we've built. It's all about growth, personal development and a positive work environment. Curious about our journey? Let's dive into the story of how we transformed from a start-up with big dreams to an organisation that truly strikes gold.
What is Investors in People?
Investors in People is an internationally recognised accreditation and standard that focuses on improving people management and development within organisations. It provides a framework for enhancing employees' skills, motivation, and overall performance, showcasing an organisation's commitment to investing in its employees and creating a positive working environment. This accreditation is applicable to organisations of all sizes and industries.
Our Journey...
From our early beginnings to the present, we have experienced substantial growth, in terms of team size and the complexity of projects we undertake. This growth is a testament to our commitment to delivering exceptional solutions and exceeding expectations. As a company and as individuals we have expanded our capabilities, honed our skills, and embraced new opportunities.
We achieved IIP silver level accreditation at the first time of asking back in 2019, which as a team we were incredibly proud of. As Sally Neal, our Financial Lead, says; "receiving our silver accreditation reinforced our ongoing commitment to supporting and developing our amazing team. I absolutely loved reading our silver report! It shone a spotlight on the brilliant things we do collectively as a team and emphasised the strong leadership in place."
Our Managing Director, Sean Toru reflects on the impact on the business as a whole, saying; "when we first went for IIP accreditation we had to review and rework every aspect of the organisation. After going through this process it felt like a new business, and the foundations were set for the next phase of our growth."
Striking Gold
Four years on from achieving silver we are delighted to announce that we have now been awarded the Gold level accreditation from Investors in People!
The journey to achieving this award has been challenging, filled with obstacles that we have overcome as a team. It required us to push our limits, embrace change, and constantly strive to do better. By nurturing one anothers growth, we empower our team members to reach their full potential. We understand that their personal development not only benefits them individually but also contributes to our overall success as a company.
As Sean says; “we focus on finding the right people and giving them what they need to progress. Having a team that performs consistently well has naturally led to growth.” The IIP report reflects this dedication...
The consistency in people's level of involvement is impressive, and it's clear that everyone feels highly empowered to do what is necessary to get the job done.
Investors In People 2023
Another important contributing factor to our success is the focus on values of ingenuity, collaboration, optimism, trust, ambition, and continual learning. This is recognised in the Investors in People report;
Values feature commonly in people's anecdotes, but interestingly, almost without them realising it. In other words, the values are not only alive and well, but they're also at the very core of your success.
Investors In People 2023
Here are some more quotes from the team...
"With regular meetings about our progress, we discuss how we would like to develop our skills. I've really grown as a designer, choosing courses and subject matter that I would like to learn. With regular time allotted for self-development I have been able to progress my career within work hours." - Ellen Rutherford, Senior Designer
“Having joined as an apprentice I really love the way everyone is encouraged to keep learning and improving. We’re all given the time and freedom to develop our skills. This constant development is the heartbeat of our team. It stirs up ambition in us all, to always be at the forefront of new tech and ways of working, but we're also a chatty bunch who love to share what we've learnt - so there's plenty of collaboration and knowledge swapping going on, which only makes us stronger.” - Doru Stocia, Junior Designer
"Personal development is important here at Toru; there are regular discussions regarding areas of improvement, but you get the ultimate say in what direction you want to go in. I can confidently say that I have also learnt just as much simply by working with and shadowing others within the team. The supportive and transparent nature of the team means we get to share knowledge and new ideas, growing together." - Megan Klusey, Front End Developer
"I recently joined Toru and everyday since has been a fun and engaging experience. What struck me most when I started was just how welcoming and helpful the team is. Communication is seamless here, as everyone is always flexible and available to lend a helping hand. The creativity of the team really helps make what we work on enjoyable as we are always pushing ourselves with new ideas and concepts. There are always new things to learn, which is a great environment to be in." - David Nwachukwu, Junior Front End Developer
Our Celebration
In celebration of our Gold accreditation, we at Toru decked out our office with gold balloons, shared some cake, and enjoyed an evening of mini-golf, darts, and bowling! A tie-breaking round of rock-paper-scissors crowned Doru as the winner of our friendly competition, capping off a joyful day for the team.
Toru's Future…a World of Possibilities
Looking ahead, we are determined to continue our trajectory of growth and development. We recognise that the technology landscape is constantly evolving, and we embrace the opportunity to adapt and evolve alongside it. We are excited to continue pushing boundaries, exploring new possibilities, and delivering even more value to our clients.
The feedback from Investors in People emphasises our continuous pursuit of innovation...
It's clear that you're always looking for ways to be creative and innovative! You have a ton of ambition, and there's no doubt that your best work is still ahead of you!
Investors In People 2023
Sean is as optimistic as anyone about the future, saying "right now we're building up our team with some great hires, expanding our design and analytics services, reimagining our brand and going all in on machine learning integration across the board. At the heart of it we’re all genuinely passionate about what we do. We have a shared vision of where we want to be, and we’re going to enjoy getting there".
Receiving this recognition brings us immense joy, as it represents the culmination of our hard work and commitment. We are energised by the knowledge that this recognition is not the endpoint but a stepping stone to even greater accomplishments. We are more motivated than ever and are grateful to everyone who has been a part of our ongoing story.