Goplasticpallets.com is a perfect example of a company that avidly invests in its people, which in the past 18 years has proven to greatly benefit both the business and its staff. Developing a positive workplace culture can improve teamwork, raise morale, increase productivity and efficiency and enhance retention of the workforce, and Goplasticpallets.com has done just that.
From humble beginnings in 2001 with a team of just five, the company has successfully grown to become the UK’s leading independent supplier of plastic pallets and boxes, today employing 26 members of staff (plus three in senior management), who between them boast a total of 160 years’ service to the company.
Emma Hall, Office Manager, is the company’s longest standing member of staff, having joined the company in 2002 at the age of 21. Emma said: “Goplasticpallets.com was my second full-time job. When I started we had a tiny office across the road from where we are now (in Alder Close off Lottbridge Drove in Eastbourne). It was just me, our two company directors, with Adam in the warehouse and a van driver.
“Seeing our plastic pallet business grow from just the five of us into the UK’s leading supplier of plastic pallets and boxes has been extremely rewarding. Personally, for me, my role has also grown and evolved thanks to the training and support I’ve had from our directors. When I started out I was just answering the phone and processing orders on a very basic computer system, but as time went on I progressed to learning the accounts side of things, and as the team grew I was able to help train up our new staff. It was this that helped me progress into the position of Office Manager.
“In 2008 I did my AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians course), I also went on a three-day training course to learn our ordering software, which allowed me to then train up other members of the team in-house.
“My job is still changing today, which I think is a lot to do with the company’s investment in its staff and their personal development and progression. I’m enjoying new levels of responsibility as the directors are handing me higher level accounts work.
“I also like working for a relatively small company as it means I can deal direct with the decision-makers without going through the levels of management and hierarchy there are in a large business. I think this is one of the things that sets us aside from the competition as we can get important decisions made quickly.”
Defining your workplace culture
One of the big mistakes businesses can make is letting their workplace culture form naturally without first defining what they want it to be. Goplasticpallets.com has established a set of four ‘core values’ which help define the company’s culture, these are:
- Responsible – our responsible attitude to supplying and recycling long lasting, reusable plastic pallets and boxes means we can help businesses demonstrate a responsible attitude to their customers
- Passionate – our skilled, knowledgeable workforce is passionate about the products we supply
- Environmentally-conscious – we are committed to continually improving our performance and impact on the environment
- Trustworthy – our promise is our word: we supply products from Europe’s leading manufacturers and guarantee to recycle the plastic pallets and boxes we supply.
A company culture, however, is not just defined by one person alone, but the entire workforce. We asked 10 members of the team to define what the company culture meant to them and what they liked about working at Goplasticpallets.com. Here are several of the questions we asked our employees and the answers they shared:
How would you define the company culture?
In response to this question, some of the commonly occurring definitions were Ambitious, Honest, Driven, Employee-orientated, which reflects both some of the company’s core values and how the senior management team invests in its people.
What support is available for staff?
The entire team agreed unanimously that a good level of training opportunities was available both in-house and off-site. The senior management team also encourage mentoring, which is a great way to develop the sales team.
How do senior management help motivate the team?
“Their door is open, quite literally. They are always willing to listen and provide guidance when needed.”
“Their many years of experience, being approachable and willingness to reward both good performance and length of service.”
What do you see as the top 3 motivators?
When given the following 5 options – Recognition of achievement, The work itself, Responsibility, Opportunity for advancement, and Personal growth, 60% of employees selected Personal growth as the strongest motivator, with Opportunity for advancement and Responsibility coming in second and third place respectively.
What do you like about working at Goplasticpallets.com?
“The office has a real family feel. I like that everyone is offered the opportunity to learn and progress in their career.”
“It’s a modern, clean and comfortable place to work. I like that we work closely with the owners of the company, it adds a personal touch and it helps us to share their vision for the company’s growth and future.”
You can find out more about Goplasticpallets.com by visiting their website www.goplasticpallets.com or calling the team on 01323 744 057.
