The COI path to HR success: Three key steps to award‐winning performance

Abstract

Purpose

Aims to dscribe the key factors – attracting the right people, developing them and retaining them – which have helped the UK Central Office of Information (COI) to win a place in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list three years running and to secure Investors in People status for the sixth time.

Design/methodology/approach

Gives the inside story, by the COI human‐resources director, of recruitment, training and employee retention in the organization.

Findings

Stresses the importance of: working closely with the organization's public relations department; providing secondments, specialist training and personal‐development programs; and keeping people fresh and interested.

Practical implications

Argues that low employee turnover is both a blessing and a curse: few people choose to leave the COI, but this has a drastic effect on promotion opportunities, which eventually affect retention.

Originality/value

Takes a very practical approach to strategic human resource management.

Citation

Lockhead, E. (2005), "The COI path to HR success: Three key steps to award‐winning performance", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 13 No. 7, pp. 9-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/09670730510627395