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Our people are at the forefront of our ongoing efforts to improve customers experience on Scotland's railways and this tremendous achievement is testament to their hard work and dedication.
Edinburgh, Scotland (PRWEB UK) 27 March 2014
ScotRail, run by Aberdeen-based FirstGroup, has secured the UK's most recognised award for its sustained investment in employee development and engagement.
Scotland's national train operator, which employs more than 4,700 people - has been accredited with Investors in People (IIP) Gold status which is achieved by only the top 3% of IIP organisations, and just 81 in Scotland. ScotRail is now the largest IIP Gold Accredited company in the UK, measured by the number of people employed.
Tim O'Toole, chief executive of FirstGroup, said:
"In any business, there is an obvious connection between engaging and investing in people, and better customer service and performance. At FirstGroup, we are proud of the achievements of our ScotRail team, and its sharp focus on improving services and making passengers journeys better every day.'
ScotRail was awarded IIP Silver status in 2012, and has invested further in staff training and development to achieve the Gold award.
The awarding of Gold status followed a comprehensive review by an Investors in People Specialist, which assessed ScotRail on a diverse range of measures, including leadership, reward and recognition and business strategy.
Steve Montgomery, managing director of ScotRail, said:
"We are more conscious than ever before of the important role we play in helping to connect millions of people and communities across the country. Our people are at the forefront of our ongoing efforts to improve customers experience on Scotland's railways and this tremendous achievement is testament to their hard work and dedication."
Scotland's transport minister, Keith Brown, said:
"I am delighted that ScotRail has been further recognised by Investors in People and would like to congratulate the organisation and its staff on their commitment to continuous improvement. A modern, efficient and passenger focused railway is key if we want to increase the number of people travelling by train, and the staff working in rail services are an essential part of this ambition. I am pleased that it is ScotRail customers who will benefit from this achievement."
Peter Russian, Chief Executive of Investors in People Scotland, said:
“This is a fantastic achievement for ScotRail. Investors in People offers a flexible, practical and easy to use business improvement tool designed to help organisations and their people achieve their objectives. I hope that more organisations in the area will be encouraged to sharpen their competitive edge by choosing to work with us.”
IIP Accreditation is a national Government framework designed to promote better work culture, increase employee engagement, and encourage inspirational leadership.
ScotRail was recently judged to be Rail Business of the Year and is also Scottish Public Transport Operator of the Year.
Since 2004, First Group's ScotRail has regularly recorded service punctuality of more than 90%, despite a dramatic upturn in the number of train services in the same period.
Today, 20 million more passengers use Scotland's railways than in 2004, with more than 83 million people taking the train every year. Employee numbers have increased by 35% since FirstGroup took over the franchise from National Express.