Gateway showed that working towards the Standard can also have a direct effect on the bottom line when it became the first motorway services to achieve recognition in September 1996. Since then, the business has grown by 30 per cent and trading profits have increased by 65 per cent. While managers fail to involve their workforce, employees feel undervalued as their commitment and motivation is ignored. Research found that one in four workers in Britain feel under-utilised, bored, demotivated or stressed. This happens when employees are not involved with the company's goals or when they feel that their ideas are not wanted or listened to.
Staff turnover increases as employees leave for more interesting jobs.
There is also an impact on levels of customer service and quality - both key areas of success in today's competitive environment. Despite the progress made by many companies in the UK, there is still work to be done. While 80 per cent of chief executives recognise that investment in people is key to business success, a report carried out by Coopers and Lybrand and Investors in People UK , found that only one in three has a written human resource strategy aligned to corporate objectives and 20 per cent of boards do not have a member with responsibility for people issues. The research also found that some 62 per cent of CEOs fear that their employees are ill-equipped in terms of skills. Nearly half of the chief executives questioned also said that they were concerned about the levels of training.