We entered the Investors in People 2025 Awards – Newcomer Category to mark a pivotal moment in our journey toward building a people-first culture. As a recent entrant to the Investors in People framework, we’ve embraced the opportunity to benchmark ourselves against best practices and accelerate our commitment to leading, supporting, and improving our people.
This category is especially meaningful to us because it celebrates organizations that have made a strong start—and we’re proud of the momentum we’ve built. In our first year, we’ve aligned our values with our recruitment and development strategies, improved communication and engagement, and embedded accountability across the business. The framework has helped us turn intent into action, and action into impact.
Entering the Newcomer Category is our way of recognizing the dedication of our team and sharing our story with others who are just beginning their own Investors in People journey. It’s also a chance to reflect on what we’ve achieved so far—and to stay inspired for what’s next.
Being shortlisted for the Investors in People 2025 Newcomer Award has been a deeply affirming moment for us at S&B Herba Foods Ltd. It’s a recognition that validates the commitment, energy, and belief we’ve invested in transforming how we lead, support, and develop our people.
For me personally, as Managing Director, it’s a proud milestone that reflects the courage to pursue accreditation and the determination to do it well. Our 102-point jump in score wasn’t just a number—it was the result of a collective effort to embed our values into everyday practice and to build a culture that puts people first.
For our team, the shortlisting has sparked a real sense of pride and momentum. It’s helped everyone see the bigger picture—that the changes we’ve made are not only working but are being noticed. It’s also brought us closer together, reinforcing that our shared values and goals are worth celebrating.
For the organisation, this recognition is a powerful external endorsement. It shows that even as a newcomer to the Investors in People framework, we’ve made meaningful progress. It’s also inspired us to keep going—to sustain our success and continue building a workplace where people thrive.
Winning the Investors in People 2025 Newcomer Award would be a defining moment for S&B Herba Foods Ltd. It would affirm the bold steps we’ve taken to embed a people-first culture and validate the significant progress we’ve made since becoming accredited for the first time this year.
For our organisation, this award would be more than recognition—it would be a powerful endorsement of our purpose: “To feed the nation and be a place where everyone can achieve their potential.” It would reinforce our belief that investing in our people is not just good practice, but a strategic imperative.
It would also energize our teams across our manufacturing sites, office colleagues and sales team on the road, showing that their efforts to live our values—Hungry, Can Do, Proactive, We Before I—are being seen and celebrated externally. The award would serve as a catalyst for further growth, helping us attract talent, strengthen engagement, and build on the momentum we’ve created.
The World of Business can be a lonely place at times. Suppliers just want to sell to us, customers expect us to have the answers and serve them well, and competitors can be very hostile. There are plenty of resources available online and from consultants. But what none of them offer is being part of a supportive community and engaging with like minded people of different industries to learn and support eachother.
Since joining the IiP community, we’ve seen firsthand how the framework and events foster learning, benchmarking, and connection. Participating in initiatives like the Make Work Better Conference and the Awards has given us valuable insights into how other companies are leading on wellbeing, leadership, and people development. It’s also helped us reflect on our own journey—from achieving accreditation to being shortlisted for Best Newcomer—and inspired us to keep improving.
For our team, these events are energising. They create opportunities to celebrate progress, share our story, and learn from others. They also reinforce our values—Hungry, Proactive, Can Do, We Before I—by showing that we’re part of a wider movement that values people as the heart of business success.
Ultimately, being part of the IiP community helps us stay accountable, connected, and inspired. It’s a vital part of our strategy to build a workplace where everyone can reach their potential.
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Ready to make work better? Complete the form below and one of our team will be in touch to discuss your accreditation enquiry.
