Guidance

Seminar 3 notes: Defence Internal Military Networks

Updated 30 March 2017

Facilitator: Mark Richards, Senior Account Manager, Defence Relationship Management Speakers: David Andrews, VP Projects, Supply Chain, DHL; David Eccles, Head of Hinkley Point C, Stakeholder Engagement, EDF Energy; Brendan Sleight, Chief Engineer, Transport For London (TFL). David Andrews, VP Project, Supply Chain, DHL.

0.1 Seminar Outline

David is Chair of DHL’s Armed Forces Covenant steering team. DHL was one of the first companies to sign the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) and although there was an awareness of a number of MOD touch points, they were not coordinated or structured. David was unaware who and where their veterans and reservists were, but knew that there was a cohort of people raising money for military charities, so he started there. DHL’s relationship with Defence Relationship Management (DRM) and Career Transition Partnership (CTP) has helped with identifying who their military employees are, however, it was still challenging reaching out to people due to the dispersity of the organisation. Signing the AFC was the easy part - delivering on their pledges is the hard bit.

A steering committee was set up to spread the responsibility. Amanda Dudley, Head of Resourcing Recruitment, manages DHL’s military recruiting programme and their relationship with CTP; Tanya Cotter, Head of UK CSR, coordinates fund raising and CSR related issues; Gary Bilsbarrow, a reservist, works to champion the reserves internally; retired Brigadier Rufus McNeil, VP, Life Professional Engagement, facilities DHL’s relationship with 159 Royal Logistics Core; Sean Reilly (WIS Veteran), DHL’s new Armed Forces Liaison officer, works as the conduit between veterans entering the business and the recruiting team. Internal communications play an important role for raising awareness and enables the recruitment of enthusiastic volunteers. Getting signoff from your HR Director is essential in building a successful network. The DRM relationship has also been key to their success in achieving their pledges and has helped to unlock doors.

Benefits of the network include: an increased comradery amongst employees; a platform from which to advocate the AFC; opportunities to collaborate with other AFC signatories and work together; mentoring opportunities for employees. A major challenge is resource constraints around running the network along-side your daily job. However, involving others makes it easier and it’s important to remember that it is not just ex-military who are interested in helping. Key advice: start slowly and build momentum – it takes time; identify internal allies and set achievable goals and build on successes.

David Eccles, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Hinkley Point C, EDF Energy.

The Hinkley Point project is the largest in Europe with 1600 employees and set to double its size twice in the next 2 years. David discussed EDF’s other businesses and the existing networks that have already been established and matured such as the Women’s network. The Forces support network is EDF’s newest network and was established 12 months ago. The support network is linked to their AFC, but is not part of it. The network helps to facilitate the pledges, such as providing information and support to reservists. There are currently 170 members, it is open to everyone and is set to grow. A key achievement is the Buddy/Buddy system for new joiners from the military. It provides a hand-holding mechanism in the early weeks and months of an individual’s induction and is proving to be successful. Individual members get a sense of belonging, and the focus is on growing the networks through local hubs rather than an ‘HQ based’ structure. Junior employers get opportunities for professional growth and are given responsibility to grow their networks locally. Events are encouraged with motivational speakers. David advised to grow networks from the bottom up, rather than the top down, but it is essential to have senior buy-in before you start. Key challenge is including balancing the network activity between one’s day job. Key opportunities include collaborating with other organisations on the Hickley project to make a ‘network of networks’ with these different stakeholders and to draw more Reservists into the business.

Brendan Sleight, Chief Engineers, TFL.

Brendan was previously Vice-Chair of TFL’s Staff Network Group for Disability. There are currently 28,000 employees and TFL aims to reflect the population of London and be as diverse as possible in its recruiting, which includes the hire of the Armed Forces community. A diverse workforce creates a better service. TFL faces a number of logistic and engineering challenges where there are a number of skill gaps and to address these, work placements for WIS veterans were created as well as the employment of service leavers through CTP. They started with running industry days and work placements to build their veteran population. Their military staff network group offers advice to Reservists and also advocates the Reserves. The network helps to retain talent.

0.2 Questions

Question 1: How would you recommend starting a network? How do I find out who the Reservists are in our organisation?

It’s a slow process. DRM can provide the details of Reservists via JPA. Holding events can be useful, during Armed Forces week last year more people came forward.

Mark Richards explained that employer notification happens once a year by each Unit contacting employers informing them of the Reservists in their organisation and laying out expectation of a Reservist that year. However, some Reservist don’t notify their Unit of their civilian employer, this data is reliant on self-declaration.

Question 2: From HS2. HS2 have set goals to sign AFC and run activity around AF and Armistice Day. When should we sign the Armed Forces Covenant. Now or later?

Signing the Armed Forces Covenant is a great starting point. Can’t present to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and HR directors and works as a plan of action starts the momentum. Having a representative from Defence to co-sign your covenant creates positive communications and builds momentum internally.

Question 3: Question from a Cyber Security organisation – We currently have a Royal Naval Reservist who is about to be mobilised, losing his skill set will be difficult to replace. How do you deal with that and what experience do you have.

DHL – As we have many drivers, this is rarely a problem for us.

TFL – yes, this can be a difficult few months to bridge the gap, however we do get plenty of advice from MOD and in most cases, our employee will return more experienced and we can utilise the skills they bring coming back. For us this is a short term loss for a long term gain.

Question 4: Question from Canaccord Genuity: What’s in it for the company? Finding senior buy-in seems to be difficult. What are the financial benefits?

Difficult to quantify the benefits financially, but it is essential to sell tangible reasons to continue in order to secure sign-off at Director/Board level. Panel agreed that the commercial benefits need to be collated and identified more efficient than what is currently being done.

EDF – The benefits of the network to its members should be used to offset the costs of setting up the network.

Question 5: Question from UK Power Networks: What do you do with your networks, what do you ask of your Armed Forces community and what makes it worth their while to join?

DHL – Run a mini ERS incentive at the depos for those who are successful in building their local networks. Use charity fundraising as motivation. Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) incentive; a vehicle for communicating company messaging; inviting motivational speakers to events; creates links with brigades/reserve units; internal networking for staff; charity fund raising. Don’t focus on getting network members to travel to big centralised events which may take up too much of their time. Meeting in a local Reserves unit for some network meetings can work well.

EDF doesn’t centralise its network and distributes responsibility across UK to empower junior staff. Our network reaches a wider group of people as they collaborate cross-sector with other organisations’ networks. Use events to invite motivational speakers such as Paralympians along to encourage engagement.

TFL – Effective way to identify and tap into expertise; HQ based network works well for TFL as they have numbers and capacity for major events where they also invite guest speakers.

Question 6: Balfour Beatty: A consideration for DRM/RFCAs to get each internal network to cluster and collaborate with other organisations networks. Like a Military Network Alumni. This would open up opportunities and ideas for best practice and knowledge sharing?

General agreement from Panel. EDF – Happy to pursue and allow DRM to facilitate a connection. EDF’s network already collaborates with other external networks.

Question 7: What support is given to Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs)?

EDF – EDF include Cadet Force Adult Volunteer. EDL encourage volunteers DHL – didn’t know of any in DHL, but policy does still apply to them.

General comments that CFAVs were hard to identify and their details were not readily available to DRM as Reservist details are. Representative from HSBC commented – HSBC offer extra paid leave for CFAVs as they do for Reservists. CFAVs shouldn’t be marginalised. TFL – don’t have policy for CFAVs yet.