Quality awarded
Interim Partners, has scooped three ISO quality standards this month; the environmental standard ISO 14001, the data security standard ISO 27001 and the quality standard ISO 9001.
To meet the environmental standard ISO 14001, Interim Partners had to demonstrate its contribution to recycling and minimising energy wastage. "We kept strict records of paper use, recycled documents and divided waste for recycling," says Managing Director, Doug Baird. "The protocols were very comprehensive and required us to provide references from our cleaners regarding their use of materials and confirmation that we encouraged staff to follow energy saving procedures."
"These are all good disciplines and not only do they save energy but they also demonstrate our employees' environmental awareness and cost control."
The second quality award made to Interim Partners was for data security. For this it was necessary for the company to demonstrate that it had first class data security and recovery practices in place.
The third standard ISO 9001 is less unique as many businesses have adopted this standard to show they maintain and develop high quality management systems that work across the business in everything from planning to customer service.
Although it is unique for a recruitment business to gain all three quality standards awards, especially the environmental standard used by many in the manufacturing sector or the data security standard more commonly used by software houses, Interim Partners believes that it is worthwhile for the company to work through the protocols and ensure its work practises are carried out to a high standard.
"We were already carrying out some of the activities that the standards support," adds Doug Baird. "But the ISO system ensures that these are reinforced and fully documented. We will work hard to maintain the standards as it is an ongoing measure and we will be audited each year which will keep us on our toes."
"We are pleased to demonstrate our success to our clients, many of whom are required to follow the same procedures. Clients such as the NHS are actually seeking these quality assurances from their suppliers and encourage us to complete them."
"Having been awarded three such standards is a credit to all our staff in the Harrogate and London offices who have all individually worked consistently hard to execute these procedures to a high level."