A struggling delivery office has made a marked improvement in engagement after successfully implementing an action plan on the back of last year’s employee survey.
Saltash delivery office manager Charlotte Norris joined the unit in June last year when the engagement score was the lowest in the south west directorate.
Focusing on the results of last year’s survey, Charlotte has delivered on a number of issues that were highlighted by colleagues, such as securing a relief duty and an extra delivery van.
‘There were all sorts of problems with the USO and scanning and there was a huge imbalance with the size of the duties,’ said Charlotte. ‘Some of them were really heavy, and on certain days just simply weren’t doable.
‘Now we’ve set up a relief duty which has helped reduce some of the workload. We’ve also secured another van, which allows us to maximise the potential of the new duty and helps with some health management issues.’
Since joining the unit Charlotte has focused on listening to colleagues and involving them in making improvements.
‘The unit needed some stability,’ said Charlotte. ‘They’d had a run of managers and quite simply needed someone who was prepared to stay and tackle the issues they were raising - especially around heavy duties.
‘Many of them really felt like they weren’t being listened to. The most important thing was ensuring they knew they mattered.’
Charlotte has made sure workplace coaches are used where they are needed. She has filled the vacancies in the unit and ensured the training of new starters is carried out correctly with the support of the workplace coach and wider team.
The team had a successful Christmas, with positive feedback from colleagues and customers and excellent results for the business.
Workplace coach Liam Cloke, said: ‘I’ve worked at Saltash delivery office for just over 10 years and in that time, I have raised a number of issues using the employee survey. This year, Charlotte took a realistic and positive attitude to identifying and solving the majority of issues raised.
‘I’ve noticed a huge difference in the morale of the office since Charlotte has been our manager. I honestly believe the way she has engaged with, and turned around, our office has surprised many people. I certainly hope that for our team and our customers, Charlotte remains with us to continue with these successes.’