Commended - OpenLearn Impact Award for Supporting Business and Organisational Goals
Transglobal Express used its Learning at Work Week as an opportunity to bridge the gap between each of its numerous departments.
The aim was to:
• Encourage greater communication between departments
• Showcase each department with regards to their function, with the view of promoting internal vacancies so they were easier to fill
• Broaden employees’ knowledge and understanding of different parts of the business and how it contributes to organisational success, so they could go back to their own role and carry it out more effectively
• Highlight to employees that the company cares about their retention and their development, and are invested in them and their progression in the company
• The training team identified ‘hosts’ across the business in particular roles. All staff were given the opportunity to select a host with the view of spending time with them to learn about the role. Prior to the sessions, hosts completed a ‘My Role’ template which could be used as a prompt during the meeting to ensure they were discussing all aspects of their role.
To promote the week, the training team used a 28-day countdown. They identified ‘strategic players’ including mangers and heads of departments, who were tasked with creating a sense of excitement. The week was promoted with themed posters and through ‘teasers’ on in-house social media, which hinted what was being planned. More information was shared as the days progressed to build more excitement. For the final promotion, colleagues were asked to vote on a department they’d like to know more about. In the final week, before the event, a final post went live which included a link to an interactive scheduling planner with a list of all the hosts and time slots that colleagues could choose. To keep the momentum going, social media updates were included and this lead to more engagement.
The training team coordinated a successful week which provided a business-wide awareness and enabled employees through first-hand experiences to not only improve their interaction with colleagues but gain a much more in-depth understanding of each other’s roles and ultimately the aims and objectives of the business. Learning at Work Week provided a space for employees to gain insight into an area of the business, which would be ‘unobtainable’ during a normal working week.
As a company, Transglobal Express try to recruit from within, but this can be challenging when a possible future candidate doesn’t have a full understanding of the role and therefore avoids applying. Learning at Work Week gave colleagues the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ so they are much better placed when applying for a role in the future.
Recent internal vacancies have been easier to recruit for, as the applicants were much more knowledgeable about the role. As a direct result of the week, two members of staff have successfully applied and won new positions. The template used to prompt hosts is now being used successfully to assist with recruitment process both internally and externally.
The week has reinforced Transglobal Express approach as a fun, innovative and positive environment to work in where departments strive to deliver engaging and exciting ways to keep morale and motivation high. A final poll on in-high social media confirmed the week’s success with 94% of respondents stating they ‘enjoyed the activity’ and 95% stating they wanted to do it again in the future. The week will be used as evidence to support its Investors in People Platinum accreditation.