The Paragon Banking Group has been awarded Platinum Investors in People (IiP) status, the highest rank a company can achieve.

Paragon, which employs approximately 1,500 people across sites in Solihull, Southampton, Northampton and London, achieved the three-year accreditation following an in-depth assessment carried out by IiP through interviews, focus groups, observations of key meetings and people surveys.

IiP is the international standard for people management, defining what it takes to lead, support and manage people effectively to achieve sustainable results and enabling organisations to benchmark against the best in the business on an international scale.

Platinum is the highest accreditation available and only 3% of UK organisations have achieved this level of recognition.

The IiP report praised Paragon’s strong leadership, which it said was consistently reflected in the behaviour of managers at every level, as well as the ‘fresh approach to enhancing everyone’s understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion’. It also highlighted a strong focus on high performance and a culture of wellbeing, continuous improvement and innovation.

Nigel Terrington (pictured), Paragon Banking Group’s CEO, said: “This is an incredibly prestigious recognition, one that only 3% of UK companies achieve, so we are extremely proud.

“This outcome would not have been possible without the passion and commitment of our people towards our business, as well as the engagement they displayed at the various stages of the accreditation process.”

Anne Barnett, Paragon Banking Group’s people director, added: “Our company is nothing without the dedication, commitment and passion of our people. We are extremely proud of the Paragon culture; we are focused on helping people not only be the best they can be, but also creating an environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves at work. This recognition is testimony to the hard work and collective efforts of the team.”

Bob Morrison, Investors in People Practitioner, said: “Platinum’s the highest level of accreditation you can get from us. It means your policies and practices around supporting your people are embedded in every corner of your business. And in a platinum company, everyone – from the CEO to the newest apprentice – knows they have a part to play in the company doing well, and is always looking for ways to improve.

“A platinum employer is unique and best in class, with only 3% of Investors in People organisations being accredited. People are trusted to act intuitively and passionate about achieving exceptional outcomes for your customers. Leaders inspire and enable everyone to drive their own performance, achieve goals and develop their talents so they are always improving and quickly responding to change without being told. People are valued. They know they make a difference and that it is a great place to work.”