DHL HRD on the power of tech: ‘Ample opportunity to challenge norms’

Technology has played a crucial part throughout the pandemic and beyond into 2021.

As the world of work changes, HR leaders have had to reassess and rethink their initiatives for a remote workforce.

While some employers will inevitably look to revert to a pre-pandemic working schedule, others have embraced remote and flexible work for the future.

But in a hybrid working model, how can people leaders make sure engagement levels remain high?

HRD spoke to Rose Johnson, HRD at DHL Supply Chain, and speaker at HRD’s upcoming National HR Summit New Zealand, who will deliver insights on the role of tech to reengage the workforce.

The logistics giant continued to operate throughout 2020 with employees spread across 11 warehouses in NZ.

HR faced a mammoth task to keep workers safe and maintain productivity during a time of great uncertainty.

“During the pandemic the health and well-being of our employees was paramount, as was the ability to continue to deliver for our customers and provide essential products and services for all New Zealanders,” Johnson told HRD.

“We had to fundamentally re-think about how to keep our employees safe, informed and engaged while working in our warehouses, operating split shifts, and working remotely with little or no face-to-face contact.”

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At DHL, technological solutions played a pivotal role, from their frontline workers to top level management.

“We utilised WhatsApp to cascade weekly video messages from our Managing Director right through to our front line who did not have access to computers and could view them on their mobile phones, fortnightly town halls for all our leaders on Skype and weekly team engagement activities over Zoom and Google Teams,” Johnson said.

The HR team also ramped up monthly recognition awards, appointed site communication champions and digitally distributed the monthly newsletter through email and TVs installed at each warehouse.

Diversity and inclusion initiatives like Te Wiki o te Reo Maori (Maori Language Week) and the company’s Go Green sustainability programme continued digitally too.

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In July, the NZ arm of DHL was one of the first countries to roll out Connect, a digital in-house communication and social app for employees to stay connected regionally and globally.

“This year has provided ample opportunity to challenge norms,” Johnson said.

“We discovered new and effective ways of digitally engaging our employees that challenged the notion of engagement needing to be face to face.

“We also demonstrated that support functions such as human resources, IT, finance and safety can enable the business just as effectively remotely.”

To hear more from Rose Johnson and other leading HR professionals, sign up to HRD’s National HR Summit NZ.