Beard commended for our commitment to people and wellbeing

We're pleased to have retained our We Invest in People (IIP) Gold status, being commended for our commitment to leading and inspiring people, living the company values, and having a family culture of transparency and trust.

The company was awarded Gold in both the ‘We Invest in People’ and ‘We Invest in Wellbeing’ frameworks, with a score placing Beard in the top 12% of IIP accredited construction firms.

Cath Parish, Investors in People and Wellbeing Practitioner, said in the report: “The values of ‘Friendly, Efficient and Committed’ are cemented in the company ethos. The Leadership Team are trusted and respected for their decision making with the ambition of being ‘better tomorrow than today.’ 

The report found that colleagues feel confident and competent in their work - having a clear understanding of what is expected of them in their role and encouragement to use their initiative.

The low staff turnover rate of 5.9% (compared to 8.9% in 2023) demonstrates a strong loyalty, with new starters indicating the company’s reputation or personal recommendation had given them reason to apply.  New staff interviewed during the assessment agreed their expectations ‘had been surpassed’.

A strategy for wellbeing

Whilst the company has held the ‘We Invest in People’ accreditation since 2011, Beard was awarded ‘We Invest in Wellbeing’ Gold status for the first time in 2022, with a score well above the IIP wellbeing average.

The assessment highlighted employees feel health and wellbeing is important to the company, and that Beard is committed to creating an environment that supports their health and wellbeing.

Beard’s ‘Strategy for Wellbeing’ is supported by initiatives such as the company’s recent away day in their woodland at Wrington Warren which saw more than 70 colleagues from across Beard’s five regional offices come together for a team building and wellbeing day during Mental Health Awareness Week.

Encouraging colleagues to take time away from their busy schedules, teams enjoyed paintballing, archery, axe throwing, and a woodland walk with treasure hunt, as well as games and competitions.

Other colleagues marked the week with a ‘wear it green’ day in Swindon, office sports day and walking competition in Bristol and, in Southampton, colleagues completed an 18 mile sponsored walk raising funds for Naomi House & Jacksplace.

“We’ve made strong progress since the last We Invest in People assessment in 2023, particularly in our learning and development offering and our approach to wellbeing, which we’re pleased to see highlighted," Neil added. 

"There is always more we can do though and we aren’t standing still. We’ll take the report’s recommendations and feedback from our colleagues forward to continue to be better tomorrow than we are today.”