Retailer Co-op has launched a Colleague Promise to build a fairer and more consistent experience for its 54,000 employees at every stage of their working lives.
The promise is based on ongoing feedback and was co-created with focus groups, engagement forums and internal surveys. It also draws on insights from external talent partners such as Indeed and Glassdoor.
It is based around three pillars: ‘A Place with Purpose’, where employees are owners with a say in how things are run and a share of the profits when they help the organisation grow; ‘A Place you’ll Belong’, where staff are welcomed and included, cared for inside and outside of work, and empowered by supportive leaders; and ‘A Place you can Thrive’, where physical, financial and mental wellbeing is supported and development and career tools are offered.
Co-op will embed the promise across its people strategy through a range of recruitment and employability tools, a measurement framework to track progress, a UK-wide programme of roadshows across depots and offices, and a workstream to act on feedback and improve delivery.
Using real life staff stories, the promise aims to bring together everything the employer offers, across wellbeing, development, inclusion, ownership and recognition, in one place, and help support engagement, internal mobility and long-term retention.
Research was part of the development process, with 82% feeling Co-op is a place where people from diverse backgrounds can succeed, and 58% saying their team are the best part of working at the retailer.
Claire Costello, chief people and inclusion officer at Co-op, said: “Our Colleague Promise is all about creating a better, fairer and more consistent experience for everyone who works at Co-op. It defines what we stand for as an employer and reflects our difference as a co-operative, one where employees are also owners and play a vital role in how we run our business.
“It’s been built with our employees, for our employees, and as we bring it to life across the organisation, it will help staff feel more connected to each other, give them a greater pride in the jobs they do, and more confident in the support they can expect.”
