What we do Inside Outside Our work Who we are Our ESG Join us News Start a conversation

Home  /  Our work  /  DHL Express

Our work · Inside & Outside DHL Express

Saving a global business by uniting an international workforce

Internal communications · Culture change · Employee engagement · Learning & development · Leadership comms · Employer brand · Brand & comms strategy · Brand identity · Digital tools & assets · Advertising & creative · Content & film

Uniting 100,000 employees across 220 countries and territories.

The Impact

The results.

92%

Average employee engagement globally in 2025, up from 70 - a 50% increase

#1

Great Place to Work in 123 countries globally in 2025, with CIS central to it

156

Active modules across the whole ecosystem, with colleagues still contributing new material

9,000

Supervisors, plus 20,000 managers, have raised their game through CIS interactions

The story

How we did it

The challenge

Unify 100,000 employees in 220 countries around a shared vision and create a sense of a common culture and purpose.

The strategy

A connected, continuous engagement programme that merged building culture around a shared set of behaviours with specific skills development customised for the different roles within the organisation.

On the Inside

An employee journey that starts the moment they join the company, with an immersive 2-day Foundation that acts as the core cultural vehicle. This is followed by a functional and cross-functional learning and development programme, that not only builds best practice in everyday behaviours, but also elevates employees’ sense of their achievements as ‘Certified international Specialists’.

On the Outside

CIS was embedded into the fabric of working life. Physically in the form of ‘passports’ given to every employee to record their achievements and POS in the workplace. Emotionally by becoming part of regular reviews with their supervisors, and then becoming an essential pre-requisite for progression through to supervisory and management positions.

Smiling DHL employee in yellow and red uniform holding a red "Passport to Success" CIS bookletDelegate named Joan giving a thumbs up in front of a yellow CIS branded backdrop

"This incredibly successful program is about more than just training, and it is undoubtedly the achievement I am most proud of in my career to date. Since its inception, employee engagement and profitability have increased in perfect tandem."

CEO, DHL Express

Reimagine your brand?

Nothing beats a conversation.

Get in touch

Or explore more stories →