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THE RESEARCH

THE INTERVIEW

About the OrganisationDHL was founded in San Francisco more than

40 years ago by three budding entrepreneurs

Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert

Lynn. These pioneers effectively created the

express distribution and logistics industry,

clearing documents through customs while still

on the plane. Since then DHL has continued

to expand at a phenomenal rate and it now

stands tall as the market leader. DHL Express

UK is the companys biggest pro t contributor

in Europe. DHL is part of the giant Deutsche

Post DHL group, which has over 500,000

employees worldwide.

In the last year, DHL Express has grown its

UK market share during the recession, increasing

both revenue and pro tability. This is a very

strong people organisation that exhibits a can

do attitude, which means going out of the way

to nd a solution. During the volcanic ash cloud

crisis, DHL Express requisitioned thousands ofvehicles across Europe to respond as best as it

could. The organisation is very customer-centric,

a tone set by the companys leadership, with

values placed on energy, focus, drive, people

and relationships.

As Ken Allen, global CEO puts it, What Id

like every employee from the UK & Ireland to

understand is that no matter where you sit in the

business or what you do, you are a sales person

for DHL. Every time you scan a shipment, answer

the telephone, walk into a reception area or load

a container, the way you go about your work,

the care you take, and the professionalism you

show has a direct bearing on our growth and

success. In the end, it all comes down to you.

Company CultureTo enable this, the current DHL Express global

initiative is aimed at creating a virtuous circle of

success. Its four pillars are: to build a pro table

network (with nancial targets); to keep custo-

mers loyal and increase market share; to provide

world-class service quality; and to motivate its

people in order to be the employer of choice.

There is quite a family-oriented feel to DHL.

Recognition such as the Employee of the

Year awards epitomises this. Employees are

nominated by their colleagues for doing thatlittle bit extra for customers, with numerous

examples of employees going beyond the call

of duty, spontaneously, to help customers.

DHL doesnt just say that it is customer-

centric it spends a lot of time embedding skills

and attitudes into its employees as to how to

respond to customers and provide outstanding

DHL is one of the most recognisable brands in the world. DHL Express ships more international

packages than anyone else, which makes it the global market leader in the international express distribu-

tion business. The DHL network spans 220 countries and serves over 120,000 destinations. DHL Express

is one of four operating divisions of the Deutsche Post DHL Group and offers integrated services and

tailored, customer-focused solutions for managing and transporting letters , goods and information.

Facts and FiguresTotal staff: 3,000 in the UK; DHL Express worldwide, 100,000

Locations: Head of ce in Hounslow; 900 service points across the UK; hub at East Midlands airport

Sector: Express distribution

Annual turnover: 700m (Express, UK)

Scoring from the ResearchPay and Bene ts

Secondary Bene ts and Working Conditions

Training and Development

Career Development

Company Culture

Outstanding for: The genuine can do attitude of its employees

Excellent opportunities to develop an international career

Being an energised and customer-centric business.

DHL Express (UK) has been

certified as one of BritainsTop Employer s 2011.

What our research finds:

BRITAINS TOP EMPLOYERS 201178 www.britainstopemployers.co.uk 79

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People who develop successfulcareers at DHL Express areenergised, flexible, with a strongsense of can do and who lovethe buzz at the company

Innovation is fostered at DHL. Management

conferences throw out lots of challenges

to come up with new ideas but necessarily,

innovation is driven by customer demand. If

they say they want a product to ful l a need,

were led by this, says Harries-Rees.

For example, in the recession some inter-

national customers said they wanted to take a

longer period of time to ship goods. So DHL

designed a bespoke product, but still with the

same reliability, speed, consistency and time-

sensitive delivery that are hallmarks of its

express services.

Another innovation was to introduce High

Street drop-off points at WH Smith (and other

retailers) for customers to post parcels for

next-day delivery, as a convenient alternative

to going into one of DHLs service centres.

Pay and BenefitsDHL Express aims to pay a competitive basic

salary but its main focus is on incentives that

help to drive performance and give staff an

opportunity to share in success. Everyone in

DHL Express UK has an opportunity to earn ad-ditional income, whether through sales commis-

sion schemes, customer services incen tive pro-

grammes or business performance plans. For

achieving required business targets employees

can expect to earn a minimum additional income

of 5% of salary. Incentive arrangements for sen ior

management include short-term annual bonus

plans with a share-matching programme for the

most senior management.

Outstanding performance can also be re-

cog nised through the Im First Choice recog-

nition programme, which provides both peer

group and management recognition and

also the Employee of the Year awards. Every

department participates, the nominations are

distilled down to a handful whose perform-

ance is judged to be the most exceptional,

and celebrated at a lavish awards ceremony

(normally held in a European destination).

The recognition culture is designed to make

people feel appreciated and build pride in the

organisation and they love it.

Other bene ts include all those that you

would typically expect including, depending

upon level, company cars, life and medical

insurance and pension bene ts, along with

access to discounted goods and services.

Theres a strong social side to the company.

This has included taking over Center Parcs

for an annual mini World Cup event bringing

together DHL staffers from around the world.

Career DevelopmentOperations, sales and customer service are

three main job roles at DHL Express, while IT

is also a major area given the complexity of

the business and the underpinning role that

technology has behind the scenes.

There are considerable opportunities for the

service. It seems to work. Employees exhibit

considerable pride in being part of a very

strong business, while DHL enjoys very positive

feedback from customer surveys.

Senior management are closely involved

with key clients and are also expected to

engage on a weekly basis with employees at

all levels. There are regular town hall meetings

and board meetings which are held t hroughout

the organisation with many taking place in

the eld. This open approach engenders trust

among employees.

Every single DHL employee goes through an

experiential programme to become accredited

as a Certi ed International Specialist (CIS),

which aims to help employees understand

the companys strategy, where it is, where it

is heading, and what the organisation is about

culturally. Essentially, CIS is about the spirit of

DHL Express. Its not chalk and talk, says

Helen Harries-Rees, senior director training

and development. Its innovative and inter-

active to allow employees to gain a knowledge

of the business, its network, customers and

business levers. So wherever you work in DHL,

you understand your part in it.

Innovation and CreativityEntrepreneurialism is the rst-choice method

to evaluate customer feedback and improve

a business, says Harries-Rees. If we nd a

problem, someone takes responsibility to put

things right across the network. Its controlled

entrepreneurialism with hands-on involvement.

Each day is varied and youmeet different people in otherdepartmentsI currently work in marketing communications

and since I started my role, there have been

many exciting and new challenges all of which I

have thoroughly enjoyed and gained a great deal

of experience and exposure from.

What I enjoy most about my role (and DHL) is

that each day is varied and you meet different

people in other departments. This really

motivates me on a day-by-day basis.

DHL has also invested in me to gain additional

quali cations and skills, which will develop a

greater understanding across a wide range of

different skill sets. I hope this will stand me in

good stead throughout my professional career.

Paul Wareham, consumer marketing manager,

joined in 2007


DHL

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DHL Express

Orbital Park

178-188 Great South West Road

Hounslow

TW4 6JS

Tel: 020 8818 8017

www.dhl.co.uk

DHL matches funds raisedby employees through theDHL Foundation, which workswith charities such as KidsOut, a group that supportsdisadvantaged children

emission vehicles in support of DHLs carbon

reduction programme.

To save energy, lights switch off automatic-

ally, IT software powers down systems and

computers after use, and conveyor belts turn

off immediately once their job is done. The

behavioural piece is the key, says Westlake.

We try to encourage employees to treat the

workplace as they would their home. DHL is

the rst in the logistics industry to set carbon-

reduction targets, which is a challenging 30%

saving by 2020, using 2008 as the baseline.

DHL supports numerous charity pro-

grammes, many of them longstanding such

as its global partnership with UNICEF. At a

local level, employees are encouraged to take

the initiative, with DHL matching funds raised

through the DHL Foundation.

development of people internationally across

the business through secondments, placements,

assignments and projects. There are many

movements between different functions in

DHL and all vacancies are advertised internally

through a global job advertising platform.

DHL Express works closely with its sister

division, DHL Supply Chain, in recruiting and

developing graduates. Some graduates join as

delivery couriers, and the fact that a lot of DHL

board members started in precisely this waysuggests it is not a bad entry point.

The career path for couriers leads up to

senior courier, supervisor, operations manager,

service centre manager, and regional manager.

People can progress up the operational

management route, but also across functions.

Andrea Holton, human resources director for

DHL International Express UK and Ireland, says

DHL is a great place to develop and I should

know. Having recently moved across sectors

from our Supply Chain division to Express, I am

seeing even further evidence of how individuals

can grow within an organisation. Career moves

exist both in the UK and across the world and weeven give individuals the opportunity to promote

themselves through our NextMove database.

DHL Express runs a robust performance

management process, including talent manage-

ment panels at each level of management to

spot development potential and their needs.

There is a formal management development

programme for rst-line managers. All front-

line staff receive a minimum of six days training

a year. Typically, development is split 70-20-10

between on-the-job training, mentoring, and

formal delivery of training courses. There is also

on-the-job coaching and NVQs. DHL signed the

Skills Pledge 18 months ago, which has enjoyed

great success in upskiling people at all levels,

including vital numeracy and literacy skills.

People who develop successful careers at

DHL Express are energised, exible, with astrong sense of can do and who love the

buzz at the company.

Corporate Social ResponsibilityCSR at DHL is de ned by our social and

community activities, says Suzanne Westlake,

corporate responsibility manager. This in cludes

the environment, of which managing our carbon

footprint forms a large part. There is a code of

conduct for employees and suppliers globally,

which is a contractual commitment.

DHL vehicles are as clean and quiet as

possible and the company invests heavily

in electric vehicles where it is practical to doso. Double-decker trailers are widely used to

maximise load ratios, while driver ef ciency

training to avoid white-van-man driving

is successful in minimising fuel usage. This is

not tokenism there is a solid business case.

In addition, employees who have the option of

a company car are incentivised to choose low-

I have been assigned a buddyand mentor to helpThe support I have received since joining DHL

has been outstanding. I have been assigned a

buddy and mentor to help with any questions

that I may have.

In addition, my fellow graduates form an

integral part of the support I receive within DHL.

With a social networking site consisting entirely

of people from my intake year, I am encouraged

and free to discuss a whole host of topics. Whats

more is that this is just the b eginning; irrespective

of position or title, every colleague within DHL

has been only too happy to offer me support

and advice.

Connie Minty, Finance, joi ned in 2010


DHL

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