Langley is a leading roofing company specialising in providing flat roofs to the housing, education, healthcare and commercial sectors. We provide flat roof solutions alongside innovative roofing and waterproofing solutions for the built environment that have a lasting, positive impact on people, places and our planet. We pride ourselves on having an innovative, ambitious, people-focussed approach to business.
Our journey with Investors In People
We first started working with Investors In People in 2013 and it’s fair to say that, back then, we didn’t fully understand how much of a benefit it would be. We were a much smaller business ten years ago; we didn’t have a business plan; we didn’t have a mission or a vision. But that initial assessment by Investors In People was significant in directing us onto the correct path. Through the years and with the commitment and hard work of our people we were delighted to get a Silver accreditation. We focused on solidifying our goals, defining our mission and identifying our core values. Looking back on it now, it was getting those foundations right early on that was so crucial – they are what we’ve built everything else on since.
We’ve grown a lot from that first accreditation. The business is much bigger – our headcount alone has grown by more than one hundred. But we’ve also grown in other ways. We’ve done a lot of self-reflecting; focusing on our culture and sowing the seeds for future growth. It’s what got us to silver accreditation in 2020. We are, however, not a company to rest on our laurels and although we’re proud of what we’ve achieved we know we can do more, get better, think bigger – and go for gold in two years’ time. So, this year we spent time taking stock and making sure we have the right systems, procedures and policies in place. Next year, it’s going to be all about collaboration; getting the different business units working together to grow the business and achieve its goals and objectives.
How we’ve developed our people and culture
Our company’s core values are Safety, Purpose, Innovation, Responsibility and Expertise – or SPIRE as we like to call them – and they really are at the heart of everything we do. In the last few yearswe’ve created a number of committees which have grown out of these values and they help drive our strategies in sustainability, social value and health and wellbeing. They’re all factors that primarily focus on our people first culture both internally and externally.
In terms of our rewards and recognition, we have our Colleague of the Month award where everybody can vote for the person they think has gone above and beyond. We’re due to have our internal award ceremony, recognising a wider range of achievements throughout the year. And we had a family fun day at Drayton Manor theme park, where we offered spare tickets to members of the local community who might otherwise not have been able to afford that kind of day out.
Helping the wider community is something we really believe in at Langley so we’ve also introduced a Social Value Policy which allows staff two working days per year to volunteer. We’ve had colleagues transform the community gardens in the London Borough of Brent in London, others have supported dementia projects in Waltham Forest or provided first-aid training for the members of the local volunteer centre in Daventry, where our head office is based. More broadly, we also regularly support local foodbanks, women’s refuges and make charitable donations where we can. The feedback from staff who’ve used their volunteering days has been overwhelmingly positive. People have felt real pride in seeing the impact they have, not just inside Langley but outside of it too. And what we’re finding is that the more it’s happening, the more people are sharing how good it’s making them feel. It’s creating a culture of giving back which is lovely to see.
The benefit of working with Investors In People
Investors In People’s accreditation framework has supported us in setting a standard – it’s helped us create a vision for the company which we are on the path toward. It’s never been about ticking a box just so we can say we’re accredited. We are a company that likes to innovate, and so continuous improvement is really important to us and one of the biggest benefits of working with Investors In People has actually been our accreditor. He really challenges us, which, from a coaching perspective, is great. You might think you’re doing something right, but you’ve always got that assessor who will challenge and support and provide ideas for improvement. The reports themselves have also provided really valuable recommendations, which we’ve then taken away and looked at how to implement.
Our future with Investors In People
From the Board of Directors down, Langley is a people driven business, but we know there is always more we can do. So, our next big focus is learning and development – giving people career progression and development opportunities within the group so they can flourish. Similarly, with reward and recognition, we know we do well in this area, but we want to strengthen our offering.
Our next assessment is in two years’ time. We have a plan in place and feel confident getting our gold accreditation will be achievable within that timeframe. We’ll certainly be celebrating how far we’ve come when we do.
