new competencies and
innovations in logistics

Employee quality and motivation have been defined as one of the priorities for Hays headquarters. As a consequence, each Hays Logistics subsidiary company situated in different countries developed its own method to achieve this goal. In an increasing competitive market, Hays Logistics is constantly on the lookout for the skills necessary for dealing with complex Supply Chains: research engineers, experts in configuration, IT, logistics processes etc., specialists in particular economic sectors such as automobile, retail, high tech or related specialised fields (customs procedures, optimisation of transport, packaging etc.), operational site managers. In joining Hays Logistics they find a group that encourages the kind of international mobility enabling them to reach their potential as part of a multicultural team and to develop their ability to manage change.

Hays Logistics Hellas was created in Greece in 2001 and in July 2001, they undertook Carrefour fresh activities and later on the other goods of a supermarket. As soon as warehouses' surfaces become larger, the staff also becomes more numerous and training needs appear in order to have the best link between people and tasks. The importance of the training issues will become more and more central for the company, because the main competitive international logistics providers establish warehouses and plants in Greece.

The training policy of any Hays Logistics in any country is highly developed and it is the greatest issue in the Greek's subsidiary company, because of its recent creation and emergence and of the development of a logistics market, in terms of economic results and in terms of jobs.

Hays Logistics Hellas is very young in Greece and has settled internal trainings for its employees. These internal trainings are composed of two elements. For the theoretical part: courses and for the practical part: slide shows. Concerning the courses, some of them realised by Hays Logistics Hellas: Reception; Preparation; Palletisation; Expedition; Management. The slide shows' themes are: Supply chain; Reception 1; Reception 2; Palletisation; Preparation level 1; Preparation level 2; Expedition; Warehouse checking; Management; Management golden rules; Test 1; IT Running. These slide shows are built on mistakes and errors coming from different warehouses of Hays and for employees these slides are really easily understandable because they see their environment and so they can easily make the link between the right things to do in a warehouse and things to forget. Employees must know what to do according to goods that are in front of them: alimentary goods, fresh goods, diverse goods and how to place them in a warehouse.

The duration of courses and slide shows depends on the level of the learner. The duration is adapted to the learner, it would be more or less long according to the needs of the learner. It is a self-training curriculum which enables employees to learn by themselves and in their own pace; it is a means of autonomy for employees and helps them to decide by themselves when they wish career changes.

Hays Logistics Hellas has worked on jobs definitions and analysed activities for each logistics position in order to know precisely what the key activities are of each function and the competences needed. Hays Logistics's aim was to know precisely what the links are between jobs, competences and works' organisation in order to create a symbiosis and moreover a veritable training policy.

In order to enable employees to move in the hierarchical ladder, to achieve new and more competences in order to obtain a new function, they created their own internal trainings. These trainings are adapted to employees and at the same time based on Hays activities and in relation to their customers.

They created simple and efficient trainings and these trainings are adapted to their customers' tools. In their trainings, levels are differentiated which enable their employees to reach new levels and intermediary functions before reaching the first level as it is the case for these trainings: "Preparation level 2; Preparation level 1; Reception 2; Reception 1".

Hays Logistics Hellas is very young has never stopped becoming more important since its creation. They benefited from the corporate culture. They were helped by other subsidiary companies from other countries: creation of jobs reference frames, trainings reference frames, trainings...

Their own trainings will enable them to answer customers' needs and expectations more efficiently and they will be more ready for adaptation, anticipation, flexibility and reaction to the market's multiform expectations.

Hays Logistics Hellas was created in 2001 and since that time the number of employees has not stopped increasing. Hays Logistics Hellas is part of a great group (Hays Logistics) and so they could benefit from the experience of other subsidiary companies in the other countries to build their own trainings and then adapt them to the close Greek needs, Greek specificities and to their customers.