Dubai: Employee engagement is believed to have a positive impact on business outcomes. When workers are inspired and motivated, they do their best at their jobs and ultimately, the customers are happy — so do the bottom lines.
DHL takes this principle to heart. The logistics company has implemented human resources (HR) strategies with the end goal of making its people feel connected to their employer, so that they work with passion and go the extra mile.
The company is investing Dh100 million in a mega-facility in Dubai that will serve as the nerve centre of its operations in the country. As a testament to its desire to always put its people first, the company is involving its employees in the planning stage. Employees are asked through a questionnaire what they would like to see in their new headquarters, whether they want to have a gym, a gaming area, or what names they would like to give to their meeting rooms.
Providing a work environment that is both conducive and efficient, isn’t the only thing the company is focused on. Every month, DHL recognises the most hardworking of its staff — the best courier, the best sales representative or the best customer service agent. By the end of the year, a grand awarding ceremony puts the spotlight on those who have gone the “absolute extra mile.”
“We put people into the focus. We believe that having motivated people leads to high productivity,” said Frank-Uwe Ungerer, UAE country manager at DHL Express.
“If you have engaged, motivated people, those people will deliver outstanding service quality. And if you have great service quality, it leads to a great customer experience and that means you will have loyal customers,” he added.
DHL was ranked this year the best destination for employees by Great Places to Work Institute, a global research, training and consultancy firm. The organisation was recognised for its “employee value proposition.” It was also named the region’s Best Employer by Aon Hewitt Best Employer Middle East survey in June 2013.
DHL also strives to keep the communication lines open, so that any critical issues are addressed and the teams can work more efficiently. Within a year, Ungerer holds about 20 to 25 town hall meetings with the employees, and every second week, he meets with about 14 workers, including couriers, warehouse personnel and customer service and sales representatives.
These meetings are intended to promote idea-sharing and gather some feedback from the employees. “And very often they come up with amazing ideas,” said Ungerer. The discussions also put emphasis on building a culture of trust between the employees and their supervisors, senior managers and their brand.
“They’re meant to talk about what the big picture is, where the company stands or what needs to be done. What’s important is each individual can help share some ideas on how to achieve our goals,” Ungerer said.
“It is essential that you create an environment of trust. Trust means people can speak up, share what they like, what they don’t like or what needs to be improved.” “And if the workers say something, you have to act on it. So, whatever you do, it must be real, not just talk,” he added.
Every year, employees are asked to participate in the global Employee Opinion Survey that is aimed at improving efficiency and measuring the progress the company has made in implementing its strategy.
Employee engagement is not just about listening to employees or giving away trophies and certificates. Equally important is that the team members feel they can grow within the organisation.
The company provides promotion, development and learning opportunities to help workers advance in their career. The management is constantly on the lookout for great talent within the team, identifying each employee’s strengths and weaknesses and providing them the much-needed guidance on how to move up the ladder.
These HR initiatives, among many others, seemed to have worked well in different levels, from retaining staff to increasing productivity to cutting down on human capital costs. “We want our people to stay with us and grow with us and we’re very serious with this. As a result, our turnover rate is below 10 per cent,” said Ungerer.
The company’s business has grown significantly over the past few years. To date, its workforce has reached nearly 900 individuals, 60 per cent of them have been working with DHL for about five years.
