Live event specialists, Top Banana, have recently achieved Gold Investors In People (IIP) accreditation, recognising the company’s commitment to and investment in its staff.
Jade Ball, head of production, gave us the lowdown on the impact that working towards IIP Gold has had on the business.
Why did Top Banana go for IIP accreditation?
We have always recognised that our biggest asset is our staff and we work hard to support, develop and grow the team at all levels. The IIP standard was a great starting point to help us improve what we were already doing – it provided us with a structure to follow.
When did the process start?
We started informally working towards IIP some years ago and decided in 2013 to go for the official accreditation. The feedback from this initial assessment was so positive, it gave us the confidence to continue to work towards the gold standard.
What effect on the business did going for the accreditation have?
Working through the IIP accreditation process has helped us analyse and improve our ways of working. It makes us continually ask ourselves whether we are doing things in the best way we can. It’s hard work but the benefits are worth the effort.
How has gaining IIP accreditation helped Top Banana?
We’ve reaped the rewards in several ways, but perhaps the most obvious is in recruitment. Growing the business means finding new members to join the team, which can be a challenge. We want to attract talented, passionate people and we require a very particular set of skills. People looking to join Top Banana can see we have systems in place to help them grow and develop here, which is a big positive for anyone wanting to pursue a career in events.
Our low staff turnover also helps when trying to attract new people because applicants recognise it’s a great place to work – people stay for a reason. Eight of us have been here more than ten years, with plenty more racking up seven plus years. We have account directors who started out as production executives and others who originally joined us with no event experience whatsoever and have progressed up the ladder!
