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Yello!

OUR COLLEAGUE MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2021

Ready for

LIFT OFF New site, new team now boarding and all set to fly PLUS

IN-FRED-IBLE!

Relieved customer hails site’s guitar man

p16

Top dog and the DH Elf

We’re putting the smile into safety Yello_10_p1-Cover-v9 SUB.indd 1

21/09/2021 16:31

I am surprised at just how much we have achieved

Neal Sunners Chief Information Officer

This year is moving at such a pace and when I find time to pause and reflect I am surprised at just how much we have achieved since its start. There have been many milestones: we’ve launched the new recipient app, we are piloting our new multi-channel shipping platform (SHIP), we continue to develop our Salesforce capability, we have new releases of MyDrive, the launch of MyDepot, we continue our migration to the DHL data centre in Prague, we are about halfway through the migration from Virgin Media to the DHL/BT network… and so much more. We are now turning our attention to ensuring that we continue the stability and scaling of our technology for the coming peak. So, we are all busy, busy, busy, thanks to your Passion to make our IT infrastructure work for us and our customers.

Hopefully you are… ready to hit the final months of this year hard and sign off in style The DHLP rollercoaster and fun continue as we embark on the final stretch of 2021. Your relentless hard work and effort so far have delivered exceptional and record-breaking numbers, whether that be new business acquired, reduced customer losses and parcels moved through our network. These results we have truly delivered As One team, raising the performance bar and standards along the way, but we can’t rest now and following your summer breaks, hopefully you are feeling recharged and ready to hit the final months of this year hard and sign off in style. Be proud of what you have achieved so far and excited for what we will deliver moving forwards.

Thomas Martin Vice President – Sales

We really want all our people to keep learning, developing their skills and growing in their roles

Sarah Maddox Vice President – HR

Wow – what a summer of learning and developing it’s been. We began with our CES Foundation pilot programme at the end of June 2021 and then, following great feedback, successfully started a roll-out to all our colleagues. The two-day Foundation Programme has gone down so well, and our colleagues now really feel they know the attributes they are working with – As One, Can Do, Right First Time and Passion. This Programme was supplemented by the eCS Division Learn and Grow week in June 2021. Hopefully you all now know what learning and career development opportunities are open to you to help you progress in your role and grow in the business. Don’t forget, our Learning and Development calendar is on our company intranet for you to keep reviewing. We hope you see something of interest as we really want all our people to keep learning, developing their skills and growing in their roles.

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21/09/2021 14:56

Contents

Welcome H

i everyone Welcome to another great edition of Yello! It is incredibly heart-warming to read so many stories of great customer service and of our people displaying our four attributes – Passion, Can Do, Right First Time and As One – to the maximum effect. The business is changing rapidly as our customers demand more and more services and products delivered in a sustainable way, and our growth demands that we scale up to meet these. Our new site at Hounslow is testament to that. By the time you read this I will have delivered the CES programme to our new team there. Having already met the people, I’m convinced they will be one of our top performing sites which will set a very high example for other new sites we will be opening over the next few years. Our London operations certainly need the extra capacity that Hounslow will provide, so I’m sure you will join me in welcoming them all to the DHL Parcel team. Good luck to all of them!

04 Jatin’s passion

Your hard work… recognised

14 Want to be better?

05 Meet Fab Fred

How doing the simple things helped a customer’s birthday hit all the right notes

06 Close to lift off

Our new site in the shadow of Heathrow Airport is almost ‘ready for boarding’

10 Driving force

If you’re looking for a change of direction, there’s a training course to get you in gear

12 Data drop

The Digital Team giving us a clearer picture of our customers, what they need and when

Peter Fuller, CEO

16 We’ve got your ear The friendly audit team on a mission to improve their profession’s reputation

17 Green heroes

Thousands of colleagues have signed up to become Go Green trailblazers. You can, too

19 Winning…

How our Product teams stay one step ahead

20 Win…

An Amazon Echo Show 8 smart speaker

QR codes

Payroll Lottery winners

Yello_10_p2-3-Exec-Contents-v6 SUB.indd 3

It’s easy when you sign up to the CES Foundation Programme or DHL Parcel UK training

Don’t forget! Whenever you see a QR code, scan it with your smartphone camera app to view additional content or videos here and online.

Please recycle this magazine responsibly

The Payroll Lottery is just £2 a month to enter, with half of your contribution going to the monthly winner and the other half to charity.

To be in with a chance to win, email Payroll_ecsuk@dhl.com with your name, location and payroll number.

Congratulations to our Payroll Lottery winners:

June: Darren Nixon – Bulk Driver Slough – £575 July: Ian Swann – Warehouse Operator – £578 August: Sue Griffiths – Senior Customer Service Administrator – £577

or scan here

Yello!

21/09/2021 17:25

STRIKING THE BALANCE HYBRID CONTRACT Office-based colleagues will soon be able to switch to a new hybrid contract, as part of an agreed scheme to mix office and remote working. They will have the opportunity to move to a new hybrid contract, with the exact split of days agreed locally with their line manager, depending on business requirements. Health and safety remains a priority, so there will also be some changes to the office space: ● A reduction in desks of around 50% for improved social distancing ● Hot-desking – book a desk on the days you’re in ● Clear desk policy ● Increased locker space ● Informal meeting spaces in an open plan environment. BALANCE Sarah Maddox Vice President – HR says: “The hybrid contract option will give greater flexibility in where you work, to offer a better work-life balance. “Details are being worked through and line managers will soon start to talk through the options, which will exist only if people want them and are based on business needs and job roles being suitable, as soon as we are ready.” We hope to launch the new contracts later this year, so watch this space.

The heat is on But our teams around the UK stayed ice cool during Appreciation and Passion Week’s heatwave… with help from Mr Whippy

! n i t a J Get in

No challenge is too great for our teams

s temperatures soared as quickly as our volumes, the heat was well and truly on around the business. But our teams stepped up to the plate in Appreciation and Passion Week to make light of absences, the start of school holidays and a string of other operational challenges. That’s why 6,000 goody boxes landed at sites in appreciation of the Passion shown every day by our frontline teams.

Fantastic sort

None more so than Jatin Kumar, who had only started at one zone at the Ryton Hub two days before he was moved to manage a new area to meet demand. “We had to get people in the right place to meet the surge and we knew Jatin had something about him and would deliver. He excelled and embraced the zone and the challenges with open arms and really showed what he could do,” says Senior Operations Manager Darren Twigger. The first day over, the new manager was determined to

get to know the zone and its departures better, so he took the departure sheets home to study after his nine-hour shift. Darren adds: “It showed his passion, commitment and determination to find the solution to be better equipped to ensure he got it Right First Time for himself, his team and the customers both internal and external.” Jatin matched the departures to his team’s strengths and abilities to deliver what Darren hailed as a “fantastic sort”. Darren adds: “He showed his Passion when we were facing a challenging time in Appreciation and Passion Week.”

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21/09/2021 14:57

Be like

FRED

… the man who proves that the little things we do mean a lot

I think he was a bit taken aback. He told me first thing on his daughter’s birthday would be fine,” he says. Fred, 23, then promised to ensure the item would be there, manually upgraded it to an early Saturday drop and contacted the Saturday team to confirm everything.

Reassure

Rock ’n’ roll Guitar man Fred even offered to drop off the instrument after his shift

hen a distressed customer got through to Operations Clerk Fred Cook panicking about his daughter’s birthday present, he found himself in the safest hands. The man had been waiting for an expensive electric guitar to arrive but when we tried to deliver, he was out. When he got home late on a Friday hours before the big day to find our note, he got straight through to Fred, who made sure the celebrations hit the right notes. “He was stressed and said it was urgent

he got the package by the next day,” says our Basildon site’s Fred: “He was agitated, so I wanted to see what I could do. “I don’t normally get calls directly as they go to our Customer Services Team, but I put myself in his shoes and knew I had to do a little bit extra.” After checking that the guitar was back at site and well packaged, he called the customer to reassure him we had it… and offered to drop it round to his home when he finished his shift. “It was only a 40-minute round trip but

CREAM OF THE CROP Callum is bakery’s top dog… and Cruffin agrees! Driver Callum Black always paws-es for a quick chat whenever he makes a delivery to one of our customers. In fact, the Carlisle-based driver is so popular with the team at The Riverside Bakehouse he even gets a cuddle. There’s no problem with social distancing as his number one fan is Cruffin – named after a croissant and muffin – the puppy mascot at the bakery in Duns in the Scottish Borders.

The following morning the customer called again and was told the guitar was out for delivery by the team, who knew all about it and were quick to reassure him. Basildon Site Manager Phil Brown says: “Fred couldn’t have done any more, really. He put the customer first, made sure the rest of the team were in the loop and really went the extra mile. It’s not a big story but his actions show that the small things we do can have a massive impact with our customers, who then tell people about the service they’ve had.”

Fab feedback The relieved dad was quick to thank Right First Time Fred

Callum, 27, keeps the bakery stocked with rich, creamy butter from the Edinburgh Butter Co. The bakery’s owner says: “He brings us our butter every week, rain or shine, and is such a wonderful happy soul, always chatty and in high spirits. Our nickname for him because of his sunny disposition and hard work is DH Elf.” Site Manager Simon Reay says: “Callum covers a huge area and is keen to ensure the customer has a good experience with us and that he helps to keep the rural economy running.”

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21/09/2021 14:57

(Left to right) PM Supervisor Corinne Alexander, Operations Manager Tim Oliver, Site Administrator Sarah Lewry, Harry and Night Supervisor Elvis Pereira. (Right) Inside the new warehouse

“It feels like the first day at big school”

Flagship site just days away from take-off

isten to Harry Monk chat about the huge new site that will revolutionise the way we operate and it’s impossible not to share his enthusiasm. The straight-talking Yorkshireman is so excited he reels off the list of benefits in a minute flat that the 50,000 sq ft site, a stone’s throw from Heathrow Airport, will bring. The former Royal Engineer will be the man at the helm of our new Hounslow site, set to ease pressure on the other London sites and the Greenford operation he’s managed for the past five years.

Innovative

The new building has been stripped of the kitchens and giant freezers, as well as the crockery and cutlery cleaning areas once used by the big airlines to prepare in-flight meals. That’s because, while Terminal 4 is in enforced shutdown due to the Covid-linked downturn in flights, we’ve been experiencing a boom in business thanks to our dedicated teams. “That and our ongoing ambitious growth plans mean we need to increase our delivery capacity, while making sure we keep providing a great service for customers,” says Site Manager Harry.

As a result, several new operational sites are now in the pipeline across our network, all strategically located and tailored to make us even more efficient. Harry says: “The new Hounslow site will be purpose-built and include machinery and design that we know works for what we want to achieve. “But it will also be a site where we’ll hand-pick our team, where we can be innovative, assess new ideas and pilot new learning and development. If we think it might work and make us better, we’ll try it.” A team of 50 will run the site, which will initially operate 60 routes and 7,000 deliveries a day mainly in the Kingston, Twickenham and West London areas. “This is a blank canvas, so we’ll be looking for local people affected by the airport’s slowdown, as well as people in the business who might have been standing still for a few years but are looking to progress and take on an exciting new challenge,” adds Harry. “We have the management team in place but we want to have a succession plan for the future and encourage people to bring their great ideas with them. It’s so exciting watching it all take shape.”

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21/09/2021 17:24

50 60 7,000

“I live nearby, so the move gives me work-life balance. I am blessed with the opportunity and looking forward to the next chapter with DHL.”

The size of the hand-picked team that will run the site.

The number of routes the site will initially operate.

Corinne Alexander, PM Supervisor

MEET THE TEAM Say hello to the rising stars and new faces we’ve chosen to run our new site

Daily deliveries in West London, Kingston and Twickenham.

Passion, Can Do attitude and acting As One will be the mainstays of the new site, which will also help to spearhead our push towards sustainability and meet our carbon neutral 2050 target. Eight of 50 new electric vehicles being added to our fleet across the business will operate from the site, to help reduce the volume taken by Greenford, Slough and Croydon. “That will be huge for reducing our mileage, carbon emissions

We are electric Eight of the new electric vehicles successfully trialled at Docklands will be based at Hounslow

and footprint, as well as giving us a far more efficient postcode coverage while supporting our sustainability goals,” says Harry. “And that’s just the beginning,” he adds, barely pausing for breath: “In time, we’ll be able to flex up to 100 routes and more than 10,000 consignments a day when needed.”

Investment

A new batch of employee drivers will be on the ground for electric vehicle and bay awareness learning at the site ahead of the anticipated 1 October launch. A Learning and Development team will prepare fire marshals and spill response teams as Harry checks that the new layout, conveyor systems and belts are ready to roll: “We want to hit the ground running to deliver the service our customers expect from us. “I’m passionate about it and even though I’m getting on a bit, the planning and investment will definitely benefit future colleagues. It feels like the first day at big school all over again. I really can’t wait.”

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21/09/2021 14:59

“Delivering ease and value for our customers is so important…” New Vice President – Customer Experience Charlotte Bunney on people, travel and Brian Cox First impressions of DHL?

How would people describe you?

We really care about people – there’s a real pride in the brand and the people who represent it. Everyone I’ve met has been really friendly and supportive… important when you’re the new kid!

Open, pragmatic and supportive – I enjoy working with people and collaborating to improve things. People are everything. If they’re happy then the job will get done well.

Your priorities? To look, listen and absorb everything that’s going on. I’m here to transform the customer experience in DHL Parcel UK and that will take the help and support of all our teams if we are to live up to ‘Excellence. Simply Delivered’. Delivering ease and value for our customers is so important in driving loyalty and preference as we want our customers to come back again and again – First Choice will give us the tools and skills to really deliver this.

Where did you work before? I was at easyJet for 11 years, in operational, commercial and customer roles. Before I left I was Customer Director, supporting customers through the pandemic, working on policies and processes to balance business needs and the customer experience.

A bit about you? I live in Hertfordshire with my fiancé and two children aged six and four. My life revolves around the kids’ logistics as they always seem to need taking somewhere! My biggest passion is travel.

Band and book? Morcheeba, the perfect desert island soundtrack! I love a horror so definitely anything by Stephen King.

Favourite place to to live? Hong Kong – I lived there in 2012 and would love to go back.

Your most marked characteristic? Openness – I don’t have a poker face.

Getting to know… Liverpool fan, cyclist, proud grandad and new Regional Operations Manager for the Midlands, Paul Keary How long have you been with DHL? Four months. I’ve had a fantastic response from some incredible people. I’ve been in this industry in senior operational and management roles for 30 years and am a student of good leadership – people are our greatest asset.

Tell us about yourself. Married with a grown-up son and daughter. Within the last year I’ve become a grandad to Hallie, who has changed my outlook on life. She’s amazing and I spend a lot of my time outside work with her. What areas does your patch cover? From Manchester and Liverpool down to Northampton and back up to Nottingham and Sheffield, so a lot of driving!

What’s your philosophy? Success is about people, teamwork, and collaboration – as Aristotle said: “The whole is stronger than the sum of its parts.”

Have you faced any challenges yet? Across the industry there has been a shortage of lorry drivers, so we’ve had to become more organised to get the job done. A good example being the way my team hold daily cluster calls to help each other cover shortfalls.

How do you relax? Five-a-side football, the gym, cycling. Football team? Liverpool all day long.

Three dinner party guests? Frankie Boyle for the dark humour, Kate Moss for her carefree attitude to life (and partying) and Brian Cox for the intellectual side as I love learning about space!

Best-ever holiday? St Lucia. Dinner party guests? Ex-Liverpool striker Kenny Dalglish, my hero Paul McCartney from the Beatles, for his storytelling and songs. And, finally, it would have to be comedian Billy Connolly. What a night that would be...

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21/09/2021 15:00

u o y k n a Th

want to hear e w w o n … in a g a it t a The Crawley crew are ers at your site m o st cu g in w o w rs a st about the

Shout out!

Jonah Marek

Grant

JUST SMASHING... ... that’s what one of the customers we have to be extremely careful with, thinks of our service. Kathy Vowles from the Bottle and Glass Co in Littlehampton, West Sussex, contacted us to sing the praises of the Drivers and Customer Services teams after five years of collecting and delivering their jam jars and bottles. She says: “We wanted to give you some feedback about the DHL staff we’ve had the pleasure of dealing with.

“John, Jesus, Gareth, Grant and Eugene – our collection guys – are always so helpful and Olivia in Customer Services is always so accommodating whenever we’ve had an issue. Thank you and keep up the good work.” Kathy Vowles from the Bottle and Glass Co

Crawley Site Manager Nigel Powell uses Yello! to salute the work of his team. Share your great stories at yello_ecsuk@dhl.com

“SUPER HAPPY, SUPER SMILEY”

BIRTHDAY BOY KEPT IN THE DARK

Driver Jonah Jonabe’s records told him he had a ‘small parcel’ to collect and drop off to our Gatwick Airport site. But when he reached the customer’s house in Brighton, he discovered it was so huge she’d had to leave it on the pavement outside her front door. So instead of leaving her at the mercy of opportunist thieves, Jonah – who had no room in his van for the giant package – promised he would return after finishing his round. “He said he’d come back after 4pm to collect the parcel and take it to Gatwick depot. And sure enough at 4.20pm he turned up and took it away,” she wrote.

When a customer opened the door to our delivery driver with her young son next to her, Marek Marzec thought on his feet. He was holding the youngster’s unwrapped birthday present and quickly hid it behind his back when he saw the two of them through the glass. The customer contacted the site that evening to say: “The delivery Driver was fantastic and realised the parcel was a present. Great service and so impressed.” But Marek, who regularly gets comments from customers on his route, plays it down: “I’m always inspired by the positive, ‘let’s get it done’ attitude at our site. We are one big family.”

“He is fabulous. I’ve had regular deliveries from this super happy, super smiley Driver for a couple of years, and this time he took customer service to a new height.”

“Everyone wants us to be the best at the site which is buzzing and a great team, so we are always friendly with our customers because of that support.”

A delighted customer, Sunny Sussex by the sea

Marek Marzec, Driver based at Crawley

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21/09/2021 15:00

Get your career in gear Hit the road, learn a skill for life and branch out as a DHL driver

n appeal for people from all areas of the business to learn to drive our lorries has already sparked an “incredible” response. More than 70 colleagues have asked to be considered for a place on the next DHL Driver Training Academy. They will follow in the tyre tracks of our first batch of 16 ‘graduates’, 10 of whom have now qualified as Class 2 drivers and six as Class 1. A further 34 people are currently working their way through the rolling programme, which they can join while they are working elsewhere in the business. “We have had warehouse, customer services and support office colleagues, men and women, signing up – anyone who wants to broaden their skills,” says Learning and Development Manager Steph Curtis. “We have been blown away by the incredible response and we will begin notifying people who have applied for the next courses very soon.” The training leads to a vocational qualification and takes 17 months, mainly in work time with an element of home learning too. It has been launched amid a nationwide shortage of large goods vehicle (LGV) drivers caused by an ageing workforce, the so-called ‘pingdemic’ and loss of EU drivers returning home.

The Driver Training Programme takes a non-driver through the theory and practical side of driving, with the first six months dedicated to gaining their licence. After that, learners develop the broader knowledge and skills to allow them to become professional drivers. Steph says: “They will learn technical information, pre-use checks, road laws and legislation and those softer skills that make our drivers the brilliant DHL ambassadors they are.” The six drivers who passed their Class 2 and then progressed to Class 1 have all been moved into permanent driver roles. Steph adds: “This is a job that brings you into contact with customers, it’s rewarding and no day is the same. And on top of that, you develop your career, gain a nationally recognised qualification and then the potential for financial rewards that go with it.”

Don’t stall Keep your career moving by finding out more about the Academy, at: apprenticeships_ecsuk@dhl.com

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21/09/2021 15:01

Working smarter Improved infrastructure will make us even more efficient

“All the ‘isations’ mean nothing without people” The Chief Information Officer who wants to ease stress and give drivers time for breakfast

eal Sunners wants to simplify the way our warehouse teams and drivers work, to make them even more effective. After more than four decades in key logistics and IT roles, he’s wary of words such as harmonisation, rationalisation, transformation and, more recently, digitalisation. He is blunt and no nonsense: “All they mean is change for the better but if you don’t have the right people it’s not going to work, so we’re fortunate there.” Neal says the business is taking its first small steps towards more succinct apps such as SHIP to support customers, slicker IT infrastructure for a fully connected fleet and artificial intelligence (AI) to read surges and flex our network.

Flexibility

He adds: “Our business is all about flow, and until two years ago we had a very project-led siloed approach. By developing IT we’ve removed some of the manual process required by the Operations teams.” The ultimate goal for all solutions being worked on by Neal’s side of the business

Making life easier That should be the hallmark of brilliant IT

is to optimise the passage of every parcel during its time in our hands. That might be achieved by sending easily digestible visual text messages providing historical and forecast data to help Supervisors and Managers plan ahead. Or examining data alongside AI to improve dynamic sorting of our linehaul fleet from the moment a parcel first enters our system. Neal says: “That would mean we’re working smarter, optimising our fleet and allowing managers more flexibility in the way their teams work.” And he insists: “It’s all about people,

process and technology. Without those working in the same direction you’re not going to digitalise your business. When someone leaves a business they never say, ‘I worked in a great process or system.’ They say, ‘I worked with some great people.’ “All the ‘isations’ mean nothing without people, so if the IT isn’t intuitive enough for people to analyse the data and send it to others to act on, it’s worthless.” In his two years at DHL, Neal and his infrastructure team have launched: ● New, easy-to-follow customer website, recipient app and Office 365 move ● Salesforce, an online dashboard giving 1,000 salespeople a 360-degree, analytics-led view of our customers ● Soon to launch Connect app, which will help share relevant, resonating and rewarding information. “The aim of technology and IT is to give people the best tools for the job and to inform them so they can do a better one,” he says. “So instead of drivers arriving at 4am, they can have breakfast and arrive later, less stressed knowing everything on their van is set up for their route.”

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21/09/2021 15:02

Let’s get

digital

The dedicated team giving us the insights to do even better that has been a catalyst for the business becoming a lot more digitally focused. Since the website launched in July 2020 we’ve gone from strength to strength.”

Personalised

Web wonder women (left to right) Amy, Gemma and Kirsty analyse our customers’ habits to stay ahead of the game

racy Hodges and her digital team spend their time constantly studying new trends from our send.dhlparcel.co.uk website, launched a year ago to keep us ahead of our competitors. “We’re always looking for new behaviours because they inform the products we offer and when and how we offer them,” our Head of Product says. “The new website is intuitive and user-friendly, with guides on how first-time customers can send a package and for how much in easy-to-follow steps.” Its friendly simplicity and competitive edge over our rivals has made it hugely successful, with sessions on the site up 82% to the end of July. They’ve been able to get a quick quote for a parcel, find out about our 3,500 DHL Parcel UK ServicePoints and access one-hour collection windows from their door. Tracy says: “The website has been a game changer and has made people far more aware of us as a better alternative to other carriers, especially during lockdown. “With people staying indoors, we’ve had to adapt and

The site, which features our friendly cartoon character icons, has educated users about our Depot Drop Off service, ServicePoints and PayPoint facilities. It also features an updated link to the independent Trustpilot page, which lists us as Great, based on more than 26,000 customer reviews. Tracy says: “In the last 18 months the demographic has changed, so people who were resistant to digital now have less choice. They’ve used us, liked the personalised experience and now wouldn’t do it any other way.” Knowing the different types of people who are using the website also means the team – eCommerce Manager Gemma Conroy, Paid Media Manager Kirsty Stuart and Digital Content Manager Amy Britton – can target advertising in specific media channels. “The data we collect is invaluable. For example, we know that 25% of consumers purchased online something that they had only previously purchased in store, we can tell their age, what they send, what size it is and even areas where the take-up is less,” says Tracy. “We have a monthly digital round-up where we share information and flex what we do accordingly, so the aim is to attract and convert people who have never used us before. So far, it’s going very well.”

“The website has been a game changer and has made people far more aware of us as a better alternative…” Tracy Hodges Head of Product

DHL Parcel UK colleagues can get 20% off UK and International orders at send.dhlparcel.co.uk. 12 Yello! Yello_10_p12-13-Digital-v4 SUB.indd 12

21/09/2021 15:03

For

uk.

20%

Customers have used it to send:

17%

10% 5% 3%

1% Jewellery

Books and magazines

Car parts

Electronics

Clothing

Non-perishable food

Toys

Beauty products

Homeware

Car parts, diving equipment and beekeeping supplies… a few of the weird and wonderful items you’ve delivered in the past year. Our easy-to-use send.dhlparcel.co.uk website has enabled our digital team to get a clearer picture than ever of what customers are doing and what they want. So while Neal and his team have been focusing on the technology and infrastructure (see p11), here are a few things Tracy and her stat-watchers have discovered in the year since its launch.

Almost a quarter of parcels sent last year (19%) were headed for London, followed closely by the South East with 15%. Google Analytics has given our digital team a deeper insight into who our customers are:

And we even know their sizes:

20% - Extra small 30% - Small 16% - Large 3% - XXLarge

The team can also see which age groups to target because of their online history:

62% of deliveries were booked by men 40% of men spend that much more on parcel delivery than women 55% of all new visitors to the site were men 25 to 35-year-olds are the biggest parcel senders

Millennials aged from 25 to 34 are the biggest group of senders. They booked more than a quarter of parcel deliveries in the past year. They’ve grown up with marketplace sites eBay and Amazon, and are used to selling items online. The next largest group are 35 to 44-year-olds (18%) and 45 to 54-year-olds (18%).

33% of consumers believe their shopping habits have changed permanently

Mobile phones are most popular for visiting our website (53%) but 69% use a computer to book deliveries so they can print paperwork, although a label-less option is now available in the UK.

We also know how they place their order with us

For September the code will be STAFF0921, for October it’s STAFF1021 and November STAFF1121 Yello! Yello_10_p12-13-Digital-v4 SUB.indd 13

21/09/2021 15:04

Be the best you can Improving yourself is the best way to get more out of work… and life

ighteen people have taken part in a pilot programme being successfully rolled out across the business. Colleagues on the very first CES (Certified eCommerce Solutions) Foundation Programme are now well on the way to becoming Certified eCommerce Specialists (CES), capable of driving our DHL eCS culture and helping us to deliver the 2025 strategic plan. The Programmes are designed to provide a bespoke learning opportunity, while complementing our CES attributes of Can Do, Right First Time, Passion and As One. The aim of being an Employer of Choice, a Provider of Choice and the Investment of Choice can only succeed with your help… so the support of colleagues like Maddy Coleman is vital.

The Ryton IT Service Desk Team Leader says: “The Programme was really informative, with lots of activities and the trainers were amazing with lots of passion. “I learned how to work as a team. No matter the job role or where it’s based, we have to work together As One to ensure the parcel goes from A to B. I also have a clearer idea about the meaning behind As One, Can Do, Right First Time and Passion.” Maddy believes the Programme is a must for everyone who wants to progress in the business: “It opens your mind up to all aspects of the company, and helps you put faces to names. “Go in with an open mind and get stuck in! You will get out of it what you put in, it’s definitely not your average training course.”

OPEN DOORS! Developing skills and growing knowledge opens doors and helps you get the best out of life – at work and at home. That’s why DHL’s learning programmes showcased in the recent Learn and Grow Week around structured career paths offer something for everyone. Here are a few of the things on offer… WORK BASED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES THROUGH OUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMMES Want to broaden your skill set? There are lots of options, from: ● Operational apprenticeships ● Warehousing ● Customer service ● Business administration ● Leadership

14 Yello!

● Accredited Supervisor and Team Leader programmes ● Specialist programmes in HR, Sales and Marketing… and many more CORPORATE INDUCTION – for all new employees, delivered either at Site or by the Learning and Development Team to give an understanding of who DHL Parcel UK are, and how we fit into the wider business of Deutsche Post DHL (DPDHL). SITE BASED INDUCTIONS – delivered by Site Managers who take new employees through everything they need to know about their site. AND FOR DRIVERS, DRIVER CERTIFICATE OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE (CPC) TRAINING – Industry-specific driver CPC training for all linehaul and

“I really benefited from attending this programme. The format was fun with lots of games and interaction. Though I know our core values, this programme uncovered the meaning behind them and showed how it fits with the wider group. It was great to interact with different colleagues, being well looked after in a nice hotel. Thank you DHL Parcel UK!” Tim Oliver Operations Manager, Hounslow

Find out more

Find out how you can get involved. Contact: Certified_ecsuk@dhl.com

bulk drivers covering professional development and knowledge of legislation and First Aid. COMPLIANCE TRAINING AND POWER TRUCK TRAINING – to keep us safe and compliant, this features workshops on Spills Kit, Fire Marshal, Drugs and Alcohol, as well as Fork Lift Operator, Electric Power Truck and Electric Hand Power Truck Training. Available for all new drivers and as refresher training.

Click here for more

If you have a specific request or would like a development conversation, please contact: learning.admin_ecsuk@dhl.com or visit ‘What’s On’ on the Learning & Development page under Resources on Biznet to access the full training calendar.

KEEP TALKING

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. There aren’t many of our families or friends who haven’t been affected by it. Covid has put campaigning, volunteering and fundraising to combat breast cancer on pause so now, more than ever,

people, communities and businesses like ours must step up and keep talking. Visit the website to find out how your team can get involved and support lifechanging care, support and world-class research. The site gives crucial advice on symptoms but also suggests some fun and colourful ideas to raise money, awareness and reassure those affected.

START THE CONVERSATION

World Mental Health Day ‘It’s okay to not be okay’ – a phrase we’ve all heard a lot over the past few years. More and more people are now finding the strength to talk about their mental health as awareness helps to smash taboos on the issue. The theme for this year’s World Mental Health

Look after

Day on 10 October set by the World Federation for Mental Health is, ‘mental health for all’ – and that means you and your colleagues too. 10 Why not set October up a Tea and Talk meeting with colleagues in your break – either virtually or on site – to talk about the subject and raise money for the World Federation for Mental Health at the same time?

YOURSELF

01-31 October

(LADS, LADS LADS)

The cat’s whiskers Come on chaps, it’s time to get those mos growing once again. Now in its 14th year in the UK, Movember has got men talking openly about mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. It’s proved so popular as a tache-tastic bit of fun that women have started getting in on the fundraising act… the more people are talking about it, the better.

£250 Dennis Tu rn er

It’s a common farewell among friends – but do we follow it through? Take a few minutes to think about what matters most… here are a few reminders of events that We want to are coming soon see drivers, warehouse teams and supervisors bin their razors for the month to raise funds and awareness for a charity that’s already raised £1 billion globally since its launch. We might even feature the best of the beards and the moustache maestros in the next edition of Yello! so go on, get growing!

01-30 November

PUT A SOCK IN IT!

school, is more important today than ever, so the smallest act of consideration can break down barriers We’re all unique so why and brighten the lives not go one step of colleagues. further and get Last year, the your odd socks on 15-19 campaign was to help the AntiNovember adopted by 80% Bullying Alliance of schools and spread the word. reached more than The charity, 7.5 million children and which will kick off the young people. Kindness week with Odd Socks Day, is and thoughtfulness can promoting the theme of One stop hurtful behaviour in its Kind Word this year. tracks so go on, give it a try. Kindness, at work and at Anti-Bullying Week

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Here to help Ryton Shunter Mark Bryance chats with Claire Webster (middle) and Esin Kernutt

CLAIRE WEBSTER

Keeping it simple Meet the team making life easier

“I

’d love it if our operational guys were delighted every time they saw someone from Compliance pull up in the car park, rather than dreading a visit,” jokes Martin Baker. The Quality and Compliance Manager knows that, in some businesses, compliance is a word feared by employees anxious that it will mean more time-consuming processes. “We’re actually going the other way,” says Martin (right): “We’re looking at our processes to see if they can be simplified so we can claw valuable time back for our people.”

Listening

Martin has recently been joined by experienced Operational Process Auditors Esin Kernutt and Claire Webster, now touring sites to ensure our operations and transport systems are legally compliant. “They have 30 years’ operational experience between them so, as well as making sure we’re doing the things we should be, they’re also listening to drivers and warehouse teams on how we could do things better,” he says. “If anyone doing the job has an idea to make us more efficient, they want to hear

it. If it’s good, it can be trialled at another site and then rolled out.” Although the compliance framework must meet agreed standards, he adds: “Audits used to be dreaded ‘black and white’, tick-box exercises. Now we visit, talk, listen, suggest an improvement plan and return to see what has worked and what hasn’t because what works at one site might not work at another.” Claire wants their site visits to start a two-way dialogue to ensure consistency: “It’s about us using our operational knowledge to make sure we sing from the same sheet. “I see my role as being a bit of both enforcement and sharing best practice.” And Martin adds: “We don’t want a 40-page document which says ‘do this and not that’. It has to be simple and flexible so people can get it Right First Time.”

How long have you been with DHL and what Operational experience do you have? I’ve been with the company 13 years in total – that’s four years as an Operations Clerk and then nine years as a Back Shift Supervisor. Why does Compliance matter? Because we need to all be singing from the same sheet with structure and procedures all being compliant and legal. How important are frontline colleagues’ views? They are crucial because there are on the front line and have so many ways of looking at things, whether it’s ideas or changes. Do you see your roles as enforcement, sharing best practice or a bit of both? Definitely a bit of both. Some is legally required and there is no room for debate, but in some other areas we will advise on best practice to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

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You can be heroes… for more than one day! Sign up to the Go Green Programme to find out how

total of 2,045 people have begun Another 50 electric vans will be in place training to be Go Green specialists, across the network soon (see p6). with more than 80% of them already Colleagues can also play their part at completing the first sustainability module home, so why not turn off lights in an in the CES Foundation Programme. empty room or cut the TV standby, as The aim of the Programme is to build well as cycling or walking to work. a Go Green Specialist culture, where all Kim adds: “They’re small things but DHLP colleagues are inspired to adopt if everyone did them, they’d have a big a Go Green mind-set in our journey effect and would save lives.” towards zero emissions by 2050. As One we can actively drive sustainability and efficiency in YET TO JOIN THE the working environment and GO GREEN REVOLUTION? beyond, as well as making Contact Kim at a difference to climate kim.ives@dhl.com change, future-proofing or 07929 735181 our business and playing Or Yashmin at our part to be the employer, yashmin.david@dhl.com investor and provider of or call 07929 713428 choice, by improving lives. “Many of our customers are committed to taking action and are looking for suppliers that share these values,” says Kim Ives, the CES (Certified eCommerce Solutions) Manager. MISSION 2050 WILL: “We have heroes at every site across our business and by becoming a certified  Increase our carbon efficiency by Go Green Specialist we can feel good 50% compared to 2007 levels. about every small action we take at  Improve people’s lives where they work… and at home.” live and work, using clean pick-up One site playing its part is Docklands, and delivery solutions for 70% of which has run electric vehicles on 13 our first and last mile services. collection and delivery routes in the City  See more than 50% of our sales of London and West End for the past six incorporate Green Solutions. months. Operations Manager Tim Oliver  Certify 80% of our employees says: “This is the first step in reaching our as Go Green Specialists involved target of becoming the first fully electric in environmental and climate site for service partners and pushes us protection activities. forward on the Go Green journey for Mission 2050.”

As part of the module there will be a series of activity ideas to become a Go Green Specialist, including Global Volunteer Week activities such as beach or park clean-ups and tree planting as part of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy initiative. Look out in October for how you can become a certified Go Green Specialist.

A CERTIFIED GO GREEN SPECIALIST WILL:  Understand the DPDHL Go Green Programme and know the milestones of Mission 2050 and the 2025 interim targets.  Adopt a Go Green mind-set and understand actions that contribute to achieving our Go Green Mission by 2050.  Be actively involved in driving sustainability and efficiency at work and home.

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Pride in our

people

Celebrating our loyal long (and not-so-long) servers

Mark’s the man for all sites Dartford, Medway, Crawley, Leicester and Milton Keynes – but the Kent site, 15 miles from his house, has always been home. “I’ve always wanted to get around the sites and see different ways of working, meet different people and learn new things and it’s definitely helped me in my career,” he says.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years and the business has never been as well run and professional as it is now. We have some great people here and we work hard, but we have fun at the same time.”

ick a site, any site… and you can bet that at some time or other in the past 20 years Mark Dowsing has been there. After starting as a Warehouse Operative for two hours a day before leaving school at 17, he took just two years to be made a Warehouse Supervisor at our Tunbridge Wells site. “I joined while I was still studying at school and basically never left because I love it here and I really can’t get enough of the place,” he says. His thirst to keep learning and progress in the business means he’s always first in the queue to volunteer to help out at other sites whenever they’ve been short. Mark has worked at Basildon, Croydon and Docklands as well as visiting Ryton,

Mark says respect is the key to a successful site and adds: “I’m not married and don’t have kids but the people I work with are like my family. We all have each other’s backs. It’s a real camaraderie and we really are all together As One.” He is a big fan of using the Learning and Development team to broaden his knowledge to keep climbing the ladder: “If there’s ever any training I sign up for it because knowledge makes the job easier and more rewarding. “The trainers are brilliant, really nice and approachable people and they sum up the business-like way DHL is run these days. I just love it here.” Site Manager Sam Blake (left) says: “Mark is a star on the back shift and is always there for everyone. Since I’ve been here, he has given me a lot of support. He’s a great member of my team.”

30 years Baljeet Nahal, Slough

25 years Isabel Dunn, Glasgow Charles Elliot, Glasgow Clifford Feasey, Croydon Andrew Taberner, Leicester Steve Loghan, Manchester Ernest Osie, Docklands

20 years Dalipkumar Rathod, Greenford Jonathan Wood, Norwich Errol Lucas, Birmingham Shumas Hussain, Birmingham Diane Harrison, Wellingborough

15 years Mark Croxford, Carlisle Peter Giddings, Leicester Tracy Milner, Slough Peter Whittaker, Medway Michelle Roncaglione, Milton Keynes James Barraclough, Sheffield Robert Williams, Cardiff Michael Brotherton, Leicester Carlos Boyce, Runcorn Harish Patel, Wellingborough Sam Breaker, Medway Gulfraz Khan, Birmingham Steve Fox, Medway Richard Osborne, Runcorn Danny Cuffe, Croydon Charles Fidler, Dartford Richard Carter, Birmingham Stacey Byrne, Birmingham Helen Orchard, Croydon Mark Lyons, Birmingham Daphne Hassey, Runcorn Marta Skinderowicz, Ryton

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What’s in a contract win?

We’ve just won a contract with the UK’s leading electrocomponent, car and industrial product-maker…

ours of painstaking work go into winning a new contract, but the ‘plate-spinners’ who make it happen admit their task would be impossible without our frontline teams. Corporate Business Development Director Stuart Exall insists the test of whether a new customer signs on the dotted line is in how successful the service is. “Without warehouse teams and drivers collecting and delivering on time and getting it Right First Time, all our efforts would be meaningless,” he says. He spent 10 years talking to the team at RS Components before their contract with one of our rivals ended two years ago. Stuart joined Catherine Mill, (left) our Director of Key Accounts, and CEO Peter Fuller at a pitch to showcase what we could offer. Catherine says: “We

got close but there was no cigar. But Stuart kept talking to people he knew at RS and when it came up again this year, we had a lot of knowledge of their business and how we complement it.” Stuart says: “After winning, we had to do a lot virtually where we’d normally do site visits to see how we can improve efficiency. But we got there in the end after our pricing, capability and flexibility impressed.” A 17-strong team will look after the prestigious £10 million a year account, which goes live on 2 October. Catherine adds: “It will be led by a weekly steering group from Customer Service, IT, Loss Prevention, Operations, Account Management and Finance.” Stuart says: “Our strong brand, understanding of their business, integrated and IT-driven approach were key. We aim for contracts like this but it would be impossible without Dave Woods’s Implementation team and Operations, so we’re grateful for their professionalism and Can Do attitude.”

£10 MILLION The annual value of the contract, which runs for an initial two years.

16,000 The number of items we’ll deliver and collect each day from RS’ main distribution centres in Nuneaton and Corby and 15 satellite trade counters.

9, 10:30 AND 12

Des

The key next day delivery times we will meet as part of the predominantly Business to Business service.

TEN TIPS TO CLINCHING THAT CONTRACT NETWORKING Stay in touch with potential customers.

KEEP TALKING Even if

the business is with another provider, it’s always good to maintain a regular dialogue.

THINGS CHANGE

When a customer puts work out to tender, we are already one step ahead.

KNOW THEIR BUSINESS Understand their needs and

how our new products might offer a better solution.

RIGHT TIME, RIGHT PLACE

All the earlier stages mean that when they are looking for a change, we’re ready.

BESPOKE IS BEST We

make sure our solution fits their needs, is flexible, matches our capability and is the right price.

WINNING BID Our strong brand, integrated approach

and pricing are all crucial.

EXPERTISE ACROSS THE BOARD A steering

group of experts from across our business makes sure every tiny detail is covered.

TESTING, TESTING We run

a series of real-time tests to make sure we can meet the new customer’s demands.

LIFT-OFF Our frontline teams put the plan into action.

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! n i W

YOU COULD BE A WINNER! It’s easy – simply text your answer to 07860 021367

An Echo Show 8

Think smart convenience of the Alexa voice assistant with rich stereo sound and an 8” HD screen, then add a 13MP camera for higher quality video calls, plus Pan & Zoom feature to keep everyone in the frame. For a chance to win an Echo Show 8, find the answer to the question below in this issue of the magazine. Send your answer, with your full name and contact details, to yello_ecsuk@dhl.com or text to 07860 021367.

Closing date: 10 November 2021

Q How many deliveries will the new Hounslow site make each day (see p6-7) Terms and conditions: Entry to our competition is free. To enter, you must be a DHL Parcel UK colleague. You can only enter the competition once and the first entry per colleague will be accepted. The winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries. Editor’s decision is final and no cash alternative will be offered. We collect your details, name, contact number and address solely for the purpose of processing and selecting a competition winner. The winner will be contacted and their name will be printed in the next edition. Your data is not shared with any third party and deleted after the competition has finished and the winner confirmed. Entries must be received by 10 November 2021.

Congratulations to Iwona Turkowska, an HR Administrator at Ryton, who won a set of Sony headphones in the last issue

POWELL POWERING HIS WAY TO THE TITLE

Night and Day The two teams together and tired

Just 36 points separate the top 10 in the first ever DHL Fantasy Football League, with the prize of a shirt up for grabs. But it’s a marathon, not a sprint!

Dennis Tu rn er

Scan here

Sixteen-goal thriller

to see how 007 and DHL work together to get the job done

ight shift might have put 10 past their rivals on days, but morale and teamwork were the only winners as sides from our Leeds site lined up against each other. The Nights fought back from two goals down at the break to win 10-6 after a second half goal-fest. Not even superb strikes from Matthew Geary and Steve Copeland from Days were enough to deprive Nights’ top scorer Joe Lawrence and Andre Carlos at the whistle, despite the efforts of keeper Kyle Fowley. Organiser Stephen Collins-Bronze says: “It was great to see everyone communicating and working together. Just doing this one thing really improved everyone’s morale as they are all talking about it. We’ll do it again soon.”

The name’s L… DHL

Check out our very special link £250 up with the new James Bond movie, No Time to Die.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MICHAEL POWELL MARTYN PALMER PAUL STEWART DANNY B MICHAEL WELLENS DON HOWIE ADAM KIELY JON PEILL ALEX CARBOTT PAUL GLEAVE

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Go green! Yello! is printed on 100% recycled paper to help ensure our forests are alive for generations to come

NOTE All photos were taken in line with Government Covid guidelines.

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