Popham becomes the people's champion: Hairdressing firm benefits from high levels of employee retention

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe how hairdressing company, Popham, has become an Investor in People champion and the benefits that have flowed from this.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explains the background to the Investor in People award and the policies that Popham has adopted to achieve this, in particular in the areas of staff consultation and employee development.

Findings

To prevent any problems from developing into major issues, the 17‐employee firm holds regular meetings with employees. Annual appraisals are used for knowledge sharing with colleagues and coaching from directors, while staff are actively encouraged to contribute ideas on a day‐to‐day basis.

Practical implications

Popham has a well‐developed business plan and individual targets for all members of staff, to which people have contributed and can relate. Directors and managers share a strong commitment to training and development. Reveals that the 17‐employee company, operating in a sector that traditionally has high employee turnover, has lost only one member of staff in the last ten years.

Originality/value

The paper provides an example of successful human‐resource management policies in a UK small business.

Citation

(2012), "Popham becomes the people's champion: Hairdressing firm benefits from high levels of employee retention", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 25-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/09670731211196025