Sternfenster has won a Gold Investors in People (IIP) Award – putting it in the global top 23% of all IIP-assessed businesses – demonstrating the trade fabricator’s ongoing commitment to improving the skills within the business, and the service levels they offer its customers.

The company now rubs shoulders with other Gold winners, such as Wilmott Dixon, Sainsbury’s and the Wates Group.

“We are absolutely delighted to have won this Gold award, and it is a real reflection of the hard work and investment shown by our senior leadership, and also by each and every colleague who has stepped up to the plate and developed their role within the business,” said Mike Parczuk, Sternfenster’s MD.

“People are the most important thing in any business,” he continued. “Without them, we are just a large factory with lots of nice machines and big lorries. Our focus over the last two years has been to make sure that we have structures and processes in place so that every person – whether they’re on the shop floor, in the offices, or out in the field – understands what’s expected of them. And that has really paid off!”

Sternfenster achieved Silver IIP status in October 2020, which in itself was a recognition of a determination by the trade fabricator to embed training and development into every aspect of the business.

Sales director, Nathan Court, said that by setting personal professional development goals for all Sternfenster’s colleagues creates an environment where the ultimate winner is the customer.

“It’s all about empowering the wider team,” Nathan said. “At the core of everything we do are our family principles: a set of values that shape and underpin our actions, behaviours, and attitudes in helping us achieve our company vision.

“Our colleagues are assessed on a regular basis to make sure that their goals are being attained and that’s all within the framework of trying to achieve our wider vision. And we know when it works because we hit our key performance indicators, and you can only do that when you have everybody across the entire organisation pulling in the same direction.

“And an engaged team results in a better service for our customers.”

A training and development framework details what is expected from Sternfenster’s employees, and what they should expect from the company, and it is this two-way dialogue that allows interaction with suppliers and customers to shine, according to customer service manager, Sam Cannon.

“The teams I manage – the quoting team, the batching team, the Starglaze retail team – all communicate directly to people from outside the business,” she said. “Our IIP Silver Award helped to win and retain quality colleagues, which makes us better as a company and improves the service we offer our customers.

“Our Gold Award will only improve this further.”