Employment Hero | PPS’s journey to a people-first culture

PPS’s story

The lowdown

PPS Essentials, established in 1999, is a family-owned supplier based in York and Keighley. They provide essential products to a variety of sectors across the North of England, aiming to make procurement simple and efficient for clients. With a commitment to sustainability, PPS Essentials focuses on green solutions, including zero-emission deliveries and sustainable products, while ensuring excellent customer service and rapid delivery times.

In recent years, PPS has undergone a cultural transformation, introducing new strategies to engage employees at every level. Although they had always been committed to their people, PPS lacked the tools to truly enhance the employee experience. That all changed when they adopted our platform. We caught up with their Head of People to find out how Employment Hero helped bring their vision to life.

How it’s going – life with Employment Hero

Bridging the gap with engagement surveys

For PPS, the key to unlocking better engagement started with one powerful tool: employee surveys. These surveys created a clear channel for feedback, revealing areas for improvement and opportunity within the company. With insights in hand, PPS reshaped their bonus structures and introduced their very first FY24 kick-off event, transparently sharing the company’s progress and future goals.

After 20 years of operation, the results spoke for themselves:

• PPS achieved a 75% submission rate, marking a significant turning point in the company’s culture.
• The implementation of a monthly employee award survey kept the momentum going, with a 45% completion rate.
• Best of all, PPS’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) jumped from 28 to 44 in just one month, showing real improvements in staff satisfaction.

The surveys also gave birth to a vibrant new Social Committee. Driven through our platform, this committee kicked off daily activities and events, with an impressive 74% participation rate.

Fun and engagement are now part of the PPS routine.

Building a culture of collaboration

Effective communication was another key to PPS’s success. With teams spread across different locations, the News Feed feature became the beating heart of their internal communication strategy. It quickly became the go-to place for company-wide announcements, cross-departmental recognition and team shout-outs.

By making the most of our Employment Hero News Feed, PPS fostered a collaborative spirit that brought the entire team closer.

What’s more, regular 1:1 sessions between team members and their managers became a valued practice. With integrated calendars ensuring visibility across two depots, communication improved dramatically.

Next on the agenda? PPS is gearing up to introduce structured quarterly reviews using our templates to further improve the employee-manager relationship.

The great payroll revolution

The impact of automated payroll for PPS was nothing short of “profound”. Three days of tedious payroll processing were reduced to a mere three hours. This efficiency freed up the HR team to focus on more strategic tasks like supporting managers and improving team performance.

Smoothing out recruitment

The changes didn’t stop at payroll. PPS also streamlined their recruitment processes, making onboarding a breeze. Using our Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and onboarding tools, they started engaging new employees even before their first day. This reduced paperwork and policy reading, allowing new starters to feel embedded in the company from day one.

A new era of employee experience

PPS’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and engaged workplace is clearly paying off. Their rising NPS scores and high survey completion rates reflect a team that feels valued and heard. The transparency and open communication fostered through Employment Hero has helped the company address long-standing challenges, promote equality, and ensure every employee feels respected.

“At PPS, Employment Hero isn’t just a tool; it’s the catalyst for change, driving culture, communication, and engagement to new heights.”

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help your business and be there for you as you scale – speak to one of our business specialists today.

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