Learning That Goes Beyond Learners

When DHL, the world’s leading mail and logistics company, sought to drive high performance in their business results, they knew the first place to look was at the engagement of their employees. Applying principles of the “service-profit chain,” a business management theory developed at Harvard University, that correlates employee engagement with customer satisfaction and business results.

When they began to look within, the proof was there. Leading the way was DHL Express, a division of Deutsche Post DHL, who discovered the power of motivating people to deliver great service, ultimately resulting in superior profits.

The writing was on the wall. DHL Express had accelerated their performance a few years earlier, having implemented a learning–based engagement initiative focused on strengthening company culture and motivating the team. The action resulted in impressive improvement – in motivation, engagement, customer satisfaction and business results each year after its implementation.

With 540,000 employees that needed to be reinvigorated, the team at Deutsche Post DHL knew this was not a small task. They set out to build a world-class program to infuse the culture with motivation, skills, cultural exposure, and leadership training all delivered with the learner experience in mind.

The team focused on a high quality, consistent experience, in their implementation of “Certified,” DP DHL’s global engagement initiative. New hires attend their first Certified session in-person, entering a room filled with music, color, games and puzzles, with a whole–brain learning session kicked off and concluded by senior executives. The sessions are consistent across the globe, except for language, ensuring that each employee recognizes that the company went the extra mile in setting them up for success as part of DHL.