NOT so very long ago, callousness was regarded as the currency of good business. Ruthlessness was the creed of profits. Now we know better.

What is business if it is not about people? Profits are the fruits of human happiness and teamwork endeavour which enriches us all.

And if that is now the axiom that drives many of our corporate methods and strategies, then it is in no small part due to Investors in People (IIP)

Next week (October 28 to November 1) marks the 11th anniversary of IIP - a standard designed to help improve business performance and competitiveness through good practice in human resource development.

Across York and North Yorkshire, figures indicate that an increasing number of businesses and organisations - ranging from small owner-managed enterprises to large corporations - have come to recognise that Investors in People is a vital development tool.

Since the standard came into being in 1991, there has been a total of 400 IIP recipients in York and North Yorkshire, and of these, almost half have achieved accreditation during the past three years.

With support from Business Link York and North Yorkshire and the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire, the list of businesses and organisations gaining IIP accreditation is even now increasing at an average of five per month.

However, while these figures show a growing realisation of the need for properly-structured workforce training and development, many employees and employers are still missing out.

The York and North Yorkshire Employer Survey of 2001 showed that staff at more than two in five organisations had not received any form of training during the year, while 51 per cent of organisations were not using NVQs or other nationally-recognised qualifications in staff training and development.

Business Link York and North Yorkshire chief executive Helen West said: "Clearly, we still have some way to go in helping businesses and organisations of all sizes to harness the full potential of their workforce.

She added: "Irrespective of the training and development challenges that are faced, we can help businesses and organisations to access relevant support, whether it be help to identify skills needs, create a bespoke people-development plan, or provide assistance as they work towards Investors in People."

Those businesses and organisations in the York and North Yorkshire Employer Survey that had provided employees with on or off-the-job training listed increased productivity and efficiency; improved customer satisfaction and increased multi-skilling as the principal benefits.

Only three per cent of those employers questioned felt that there were no tangible benefits to be gained from training and developing their staff.

The eight ways towards better staff:

To help employers in the training and development of their staff, Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire and Business Link York and North Yorkshire have drawn up this list of eight helpful tips

- Think about the three or four aims you have for your business and tell everyone

- Find out from as many people as possible what training and development they need to help them do a better job and contribute more to the aims of the business

- Think - make sure you and others spend time with new staff to harness their enthusiasm and develop them into the corporate ideal

- Think - ensure that any planned staff development activity actually happens.

- Think - take time to identify improvements in your own actions that will make you better at developing your team. Ask yourself what you do well, less well and what areas you could improve

- Think - ensure managers understand, and effectively carry out their responsibilities for developing existing and new staff, and don't forget to monitor their response and participation in their own development

- Think - produce a plan (one page is all it needs to be) with clear, strategic aims and SMART business objectives and then review and update it regularly

- Think - communicate your aims. Tell people what you expect from them in terms of their own responsibility towards training goals of your whole organisation and acknowledge achievement.

For further details about Investors in People, contact the Business Link York and North Yorkshire Information Centre on 01904 686000.

Updated: 08:48 Tuesday, October 22, 2002