Manchester, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/10/2011 -- 4imprint Direct Limited, which serves customers in the UK and Ireland as part of the Direct Marketing Division of 4imprint Group plc, has been awarded Investors in People (IIP) accreditation. Robin McCrink, General Manager, reports that accreditation comes just a few months after embarking on the assessment process.

“Our focus has always been on creating a culture where people know that they are valued because they are absolutely fundamental to our continued success,” says McCrink. “We decided to put ourselves through the stringent assessment process towards IIP to enable us to look at the organisation anew and identify opportunities for improvement that were perhaps not immediately obvious” he continues.

Having decided to put themselves forward for assessment the 4imprint team undertook an initial diagnostic check in September last year, assessment in December 2010 and received notification last month (January 2011) that accreditation had been awarded.

As part of the assessment almost half of the workforce was interviewed and asked about the company’s performance and policy in a number of key areas such as learning and development, recognition and reward, involvement and empowerment and performance measurements.

The feedback report identified several areas of particular strength for the 4imprint team including ‘an open, supportive and friendly culture’, excellent morale, longevity of service and shared incentives via a quarterly bonus plan which is available to the whole team.

According to a Cranfield School of Management Report, companies with IIP accreditation enjoy improved financial performance, increased profitability and it helps organisations to meet their strategic objectives.

“We are naturally delighted by this recognition from an independent organisation and it reflects the talented people working at 4imprint and the remarkable performance of the whole team, irrespective of job title or function,” McCrink concludes.