How Henley apprenticeships drive revenue, retention, and fresh thinking at IRIS software group

Henley Business School apprenticeships are proving a catalyst for transformation at IRIS Software Group, supporting ‘world-class’ employee engagement scores and reinforcing retention.

More than 20 IRIS colleagues are on Henley apprenticeships covering senior leadership, management and digital technology. Most recently, two colleagues completed their journeys, joining dozens of IRIS staff at a celebratory graduation event at the company’s Heathrow Approach head office.

CEO Jason Dies set out the importance of learning in a constantly changing modern workplace:

“Life is a journey and it’s all about continuing to learn,” he said.

“If you stop learning, you get stale, so I’m really pleased that people have taken up the opportunity and am excited for colleagues to be true change agents.”

This focus on learning is translating into tangible benefits across the business.

Leaders at the 4,000-employee global business say apprenticeships are a critical part of their ambitions to grow sustainably and purposefully, as part of a wider investment in professional development.

IRIS’ Chief People Officer Stephanie Kelly is progressing on Senior Leader - Level 7 - MBA with Henley.

She explained how the company’s investment in learning supports positive employee engagement and retention. IRIS tracks employee engagement monthly using a Net Promoter Score (NPS) approach. The exercise regularly returns ‘world class’ scores, with positive feedback about learning opportunities.

“An apprenticeship is a significant time investment for all involved, across several years. The depth of learning Henley offers and the opportunities to build networks are invaluable. And we have seen how the learning helps to broaden perspective and openness to different viewpoints." Stephanie said.

“This all helps with retention, and colleagues tell us they value the investment made in their learning and their growth.”

IRIS Pre Sales Manager David Parker is already bringing what he has learned from his Level 6 Chartered Manager (Applied Management) apprenticeship back into his team of 12 to improve sales performance.

“The apprenticeship with Henley is helping me develop new skills, including advanced financial analysis, project management, and leadership,” he said.

“The knowledge I gained from the courses has enabled me to coach my team more effectively, and in turn, they have coached others in sales.”

“Every single person who’s gone on a programme with Henley would recommend it to someone else,” added IRIS’s Global Senior Business Partner for L&D Kirsty McCorkindale.“The connections made between the Henley team and our apprentices are a huge success for all involved.”

Founded in 1978, IRIS Software Group is a global provider of mission-critical software solutions and services to more than 100,000 customers across 135 countries.

Find out more about how apprenticeships can support your business here.