The Best in the West...!

Westaff (UK) Ltd has been honoured with One Star, ëFirst Classí, Best Companies Accreditation for 2008 ñ awarded annually to organisations that demonstrate the highest levels of ëemployee engagementí in the UK.

Voted for by a companyís own staff, Best Companies Accreditation follows the elite ëMicheliní-style star system, working on an index score which determines a rating versus a fixed standard. Businesses are measured on eight key factors and only 126 UK companies have qualified for this highly desirable and prestigious accreditation.

According to UK Managing Director, David Mogford, the rating reflects the emphasis that the company puts on ëinvestment in peopleí across individual personal development and motivational programmes, specially created for each of its 115 - strong staff

ìIt has been a priority for the business to respect, nurture and train our employeesî he says, ìboth to create the right culture of ëpartnership-workingí and demonstrate first-hand the value we place on our people. Our business strategy is about fast-track growth, through superior service and targeting emerging markets - and the team is absolutely critical to forward success. Every person adds value to our business and is appreciated for their individual skills. It is terrific that they have all voted so positively about the companyís leadership which supports this accreditation from Best Companies.î

Westaff has a unique and inspirational training programme that has been recognised across the industry in the UK as being one of the leading bespoke initiatives available to recruiters. The programme has been developed hand in hand with industry body, The Recruitment and Employment Confederation and encompasses 15 specialist training modules. With its first year programme now complete, and graduates emerging with a diploma equivalent to a first degree course at University, it is hailed as a tremendous success in preparing individuals from within the company to take up the mantel of branch manager-ship and promotion on a significant scale.

A further initiative, launched in 2007, is the Westaff Honours Club ñ where top achievers are ëhonouredí in the Companyís own New Year Lists and invited to participate at the highest level in the business ñ contributing to group strategy and broad-reaching decisions that affect their workplace and the future of the business.

As Mogford concludes:

ìThe correlation between a happy team and a team that feels respected and appreciated is undoubted. Many organisations pay ëlip-serviceí to the value they place on their people but when the article is genuine, itís recognised and rewarded from within.î