At A-Gas Electronic Materials, we’ve always believed our people are our greatest strength.
That’s why we’re incredibly proud to retain our Investors in People Gold accreditation, recognising our continued commitment to creating a workplace where people can develop, thrive and contribute to the success of the business.
Having first achieved Gold in 2022, retaining the accreditation reflects the progress we’ve continued to make in leadership, employee development, wellbeing and workplace culture. More importantly, it recognises the everyday experiences of the people who make A-Gas EM what it is.
The latest independent assessment described A-Gas EM as a workplace where people work together in a respectful, trusting and supportive environment. Employees consistently reported feeling valued, well supported in their development and proud of what they achieve both individually and as a team.
More than an accreditation
Investors in People is an internationally recognised framework that assesses how organisations lead, support and develop their people. Gold accreditation is awarded to organisations that go beyond best practice, demonstrating a consistent commitment to creating an environment where people can perform at their best.
The assessment evaluates every aspect of the employee experience, from leadership and communications to learning, wellbeing, engagement and continuous improvement. Retaining Gold isn’t about meeting a checklist; it’s about demonstrating these values are embedded throughout the organisation.
What’s helped us retain Gold?
Our latest assessment recognised the many ways we continue to invest in our people and create opportunities for them to succeed, including:
- Regular one-to-one meetings, objective setting and development discussions.
- Mandatory and role-specific training, supported by ongoing learning opportunities.
- A coaching-led approach to management and leadership.
- Mental Health First Aider support and workplace flexibility.
- An active wellbeing group delivering wellbeing activities, awareness events and employee engagement activities.
- Employee involvement in business improvements and major projects, including our SAP implementation.
- Peer recognition through our badge scheme and annual bonus arrangements linked to business performance.
These initiatives reflect our belief that investing in people isn’t something that happens once a year during an appraisal. It’s an ongoing commitment to helping individuals develop, feel supported and contribute to the continued success of the business.
Developing people for the future
Supporting career development is a key part of our culture.
We actively encourage employees to pursue learning opportunities, supported by a dedicated training budget, regular conversations about personal development during one-to-one meetings, and annual appraisals.
As the business has evolved, employees have successfully stepped into increased responsibilities and leadership positions, demonstrating the strength of our succession planning and our commitment to developing talent from within.
That commitment is also reflected in the experience we retain across the business. Our employees have an average length of service of nine years, with our longest-serving team member having been with A-Gas EM for 26 years. This continuity helps us retain valuable knowledge and experience while supporting the development of the next generation of our team.
Measuring our progress
Retaining Gold isn’t simply about maintaining a standard. It’s about continuing to improve. Since our previous assessment, we’ve achieved several significant milestones:
- Increased our Investors in People benchmark score from 778 to 808.
- Increased employee survey participation from 91% to 95%.
- Improved scores across most assessment areas.
- Achieved advanced ratings across all Investors in People indicators.
- Maintained a strong people-focused culture during a period of significant organisational and operational change.
These achievements are particularly rewarding because they reflect the feedback and experiences of our own people, alongside an independent assessment of how we lead, support and develop our teams.
What this means for our customers
Investing in our people isn’t separate from the service we provide our customers. The two go hand in hand.
Our customers rely on us for more than products. They depend on our technical knowledge, responsiveness and ability to solve problems. By investing in learning, development and wellbeing, we’re ensuring our teams have the knowledge, confidence, support they need to deliver expert advice, and responsive service whenever our customers need it.
Retaining Investors in People Gold is recognition of the culture we’ve built internally, but it’s also a reflection of the experience we aim to provide externally. When our people succeed, our customers benefit too.
