Published: Tuesday, 20th January, 2009 5:26pm

Oracle is celebrating early

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THE Oracle has begun the year of its tenth anniversary with another celebration.

The shopping centre which employs 109 people, has had to meet new criteria to keep its prized Investors in People (IiP) standard and has just celebrated its award.

Manager Steve Belam said its turnover of staff was already low and staff development was a top priority. It first became an IiP in 2005.

He said: "I am a firm believer in keeping everyone involved in every aspect of the way we run the business. If people understand what's going on, they are much more likely to wholeheartedly support what you're trying to achieve.

"The first time we came to Investors in People, most of what we were doing already, in terms of communication and effective line management, was already in place and I found it quite straightforward to meet the criteria.

"But Investors in People has now, quite appropriately, set new standards which are more of a challenge. It has encouraged us to look closely at better communication and to make changes to some challenging aspects of our business plan."

Oracle staff work across diverse departments including marketing, senior management, cleaning, security and maintenance. Those who work on its customer service desk can speak 17 languages between them.

The Oracle opened on September 23, 1999 and a series of ten year anniversary celebrations is planned to mark the occasion.