Obelisk Support, the UK’s leading legal services provider, has joined the global elite of companies who lead the way in putting people at the heart of their business.
Obelisk has been awarded the prestigious Investors in People accreditation – recognised across the world as a mark of excellence in people management.
This latest success comes just two weeks after Obelisk was named by The Times as one of the Top 50 Employers for Women in the UK.
London-based Obelisk provides professional outsourcing to in-house legal teams and major law firms. The founding principle behind the business is to re-engage highly skilled lawyers who leave the profession to raise families. Through Obelisk, lawyer parents choose the hours they want to work, giving them the flexibility they need to combine careers with family life.
Dana Denis-Smith, Obelisk’s Founder and CEO, said: “I am extremely proud of the brilliant team of people we have at Obelisk and the talents they bring to the business every day. Valuing people as human beings, not as employees with staff numbers, is at the core of Obelisk’s mission. When I started Obelisk I wanted to create a legal business with a heart, with people central to the business; from our lawyers, to our clients, to our staff.”
“Our reward for developing a great new offer for lawyers and clients can be seen in Obelisk’s continued growth, with 850 high quality ex-City lawyers now in our family and a stellar client list. Our reward for nurturing our team as best we can is this Investors in People accreditation for the central team as well as the lawyers. Having been through the stringent assessment for Investors in People, it is enormously rewarding to win the accreditation and join the global elite of companies who lead the way in putting people at the heart of their business.”
Investors in People, which was established by the UK Government to help organisations get the best from their people, is at the cutting edge of people management excellence.
Through a series of interviews with people from across the organisation and online data capture, Investors in People puts companies through a rigorous test looking for strong leadership, a compelling vision and a culture of improvement.
Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “Achieving the Investors in People standard is something that any organisation should be truly proud of. Working with Investors in People inspires and enables leaders, managers and employees at all levels to build their skills, improve their performance and achieve their potential. We’d like to congratulate Obelisk on their achievement.”
Kitty Piper, a Resourcing Coordinator at Obelisk, said: “For me being part of the Obelisk core team is inspirational because I believe 100% in the message that flexible working is the future. I believe that a happier, more loyal and ultimately more productive team is achieved when people can be honest and really achieve a proper ‘work/life balance’ and when the other demands in our lives are acknowledged and not seen as a barrier to our value or contribution to the business. It is so simple, as it makes perfect sense for individuals and for businesses and their bottom line.”
Obelisk has ambitious plans for growing the company by working with more clients and consultants, and this year Dana is launching a series of ground-breaking projects to drive change for women in the workplace, including the First 100 Years. Supported by the Law Society and the Bar Council, the project runs over the next four years, marking 100 years since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act of 1919.
The world-class accreditation is expected to help drive Obelisk’s exciting new plans for expansion. Sixty per cent of Investors in People accredited businesses predict business growth, driven by increased efficiency, improved engagement, better customer service and effective working cultures.
Two weeks ago Obelisk Support was named in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2015, which recognises the most inspiring companies leading on gender equality in the workplace in Britain.
This ‘double’ marks a real milestone for Obelisk, which set out in 2010 as a true value-based business in a sector that is known for caring far more about profit than people.
Dana Denis-Smith, a former Linklaters lawyer, said: “Obelisk is a company built on values. We have a purpose beyond just running a business and making money. Obelisk is here to help bring positive change for parents, especially women, in the workplace, so to have our work and our values recognised by The Times newspaper and Investor in People in the space of a few weeks feels very special.”
“It shows the time is right for companies like Obelisk to reshape the workplace for women – placing much more emphasis on human qualities, not just business. In fact, when you get the balance right between work and family life, when you help create much happier and valued employees, you see productivity and profit rise as a result. But change needs momentum, and visibility, and awareness. Being in The Times Top 50 and now being named as an Investor in People business will bring Obelisk all these things during 2015 and beyond.”
