Nationwide gains a Gold from Investors in People and signs Mindful Employer charter

In order to attain the Investors in People accreditation, the firm showed learning and development and continuous improvement are at the heart of the organisation and Nationwide's senior management are aligned in how they communicate strategies and priorities and employees have opportunities to engage with the society's directors, both formally and informally

Core values are embedded and employees take pride in the public profile of the organisation and they were shown to clearly understand the society's objectives and work together to achieve them.

John Wrighthouse, HR director of Nationwide, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded Gold status from Investors in People in recognition of our commitment to our people.  

"Less than 1% of the current 35,000 organisations recognised as Investors in People have achieved Gold status, highlighting how significant this award is, particularly in the current climate. It demonstrates that, during a time of recession, Nationwide continues to invest in developing and looking after its people."

Nationwide has built up a reputation as a supportive employer working closely with its employees to improve health and wellbeing.

With 19,000 staff across the UK, Nationwide is the largest private-sector organisation to make this commitment. It has become the 500th employer to sign the Mindful Employer charter.

Darren Palmer, senior manager, employee engagement at Nationwide, added: "As a major UK employer the mental health and wellbeing of our employees is paramount to our business and therefore Nationwide is proud to be the 500th signatory of the Mindful Employer charter."