Most of us would have seen a courier delivering a yellow labelled package with the name DHL Express on it.

This iconic brand has been present in global markets for decades, delivering both personal and corporate items for millions of people worldwide. It is easy to mistake DHL Express as a simple courier company, but there is much more to it than that. A misconception that people have is that they think that DHL Express is a courier company, but it is not, says A Mateen, vice president of HR, Singapore and Southeast Asia for the organisation. DHL Express is an express logistics organisation providing customers with not just delivery of packages but also other solutions for freight transportation, warehousing, distribution, and supply chain. As much as the brand is well-known, there are other issues that pose challenges for the organisation to attract talent. Logistics is not seen as a sexy industry and people want to join management institutions and pharmaceuticals companies. This is a challenge in itself, Mateen says candidly. To put the word out there, especially to engage potential graduate hires, DHL Express attends campus talks and career fairs. Moreover, recently the organisation started The International Specialist campaign, an advertisement campaign across 42 key markets giving the brand message of DHLs speed, efficiency, and strong customer service. Another challenge that the organisation faces, says Mateen, is that the younger generation of employees look for fast-track careers and start moving from the company after two years if they are not offered career progression. However, he says the business has a process in place to identify talent and it takes time. Assimilating employees Attracting talent is the first step but the assimilation part is critical, says Mateen. We need to show them that we care for them from day one of the induction onwards. Deutsche Post DHL, parent organisation of DHL Express, launched the Certified International Specialist programme (CIS) last year to train employees in maintaining a high level of excellent service. The programme also focuses on four main DHL values: Speed, a Can-do spirit, (getting it) Right First Time, and Passion; the programme underscores the importance of enhancing and ensuring customer satisfaction through every role and interaction. Employees are given a two-day induction to the CIS programme. The International Express Programme, for one and a half days, gives trainees a thorough understanding of the business, while the remaining half-day takes on a local flavour with the Welcome to my Country seminar. It gives employees the knowledge of how the business works in their countries, the challenges in their countries, and the demographics of customers, Mateen says. Functional training is also given to employees, to ensure that they know the basics and are able to succeed in their roles. Depending on the function, the training can be between one and three weeks. Customer service employees, for an example, undergo three weeks to one month of classroom training that focuses on how to handle customers and how to handle an incoming call. We dont throw them at the deep end without any training provided when they come in on the first day of work; they might go for lunch and not come back, says Mateen. Staff will be guided by supervisors in a controlled situation as part of the learning. Moreover, he adds that employee progress is carefully monitored. The trainers constantly observe the employees and make sure that they follow-up whether it is during a break for counselling or even to just say hi, and how are you doing? he explains. Leadership and career progression Mateen says DHL Express employees are looking for employee engagement and active leadership, and this is why the organisation has a range of CIS leadership programmes, which aim to develop leaders from all levels. Every leadership programme is about respect respect for employees, customers, stakeholders, and for getting results. There are different levels for leadership training Level Three is for supervisory positions, Level Two programmes are for middle managers, and Level One courses are for senior management, explains Mateen. However, he says that with all levels of training, there are some key elements to learn such as how to motivate people, what a 21st century manager should look like, and how to keep employees engaged.

Senior managers attend either the Group Executive Leadership Programme (GELP) or the Top Executive Leadership Programme (TELP). Mateen says the leadership courses are currently conducted in-house, instead of sending leaders for external training as the organisation used to. DHL Express also identifies high-potential staff and develops them through coaching and mentoring. All highpotentials are assigned to one senior management team member for coaching for about a year. As the coach can be from another function, it gives them good business exposure. Management keeps track of these employees progress through feedback from the coaches, as well as reviews from the employees themselves. Delivering rewards Giving out perks and rewards is a way of keeping employees engaged, and DHL Express ensures that it recognises all its employees, particularly its best performers. DHL Express recognises the 100 top performing individuals with outstanding contributions and who went the extra mile for that year, says Mateen. Winners are taken on a three day trip to a chosen destination. However, he says that it is not just about fun. It is also about networking and getting to know counterparts from other countries. The trip also includes the winners involving themselves in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Previously, winners visited Siem Riep in Cambodia, and donated four water pumps. Mateen says he also encourages the leaders of DHL Express country offices to give out long service awards. I am always encouraging the countries to give out long service awards at the service centre where the employee works. Mateen says that a proud moment for him was recently awarding a courier in Singapore a prize for 35 years of service at DHL Express.