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The Sainsbury’s Staff Community Programme

Content

• Introduction

• Benefits

• The Survey

• Outline of Benefits

• The Programme

• How it works

• The Format

• Teamwork

• The Meetings and the Coordinator

• Staff Obligation

• The Focus of the Meetings

• Staff Suggestions

• The Future

• Possible Schedule

• Processes

• Methods

• Guidelines

• Inspirations

• Costs

• Summary of the Programme

Introduction 

The Sainsbury’s Staff Community Programme is an initiative aiming at giving Sainsbury’s staff a more involved role within the company they work. The programme highlights the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility, Investment in People and Sustainability within the company.

The programme consists of monthly hour-long meetings between small groups of staff. Communication exercises and group methods with no hierarchy are used to encourage the groups to talk about issues surrounding their local area, their store, their company and how this fits into the world. In beginning to see their particular store as belonging to them, staff will take a more active role in the workplace and will look after it as their own.

The programme is tailored to fit the needs and concerns of the store by discussion with the staff on future topics and achievements within the programme. This tailoring reinforces the staff ownership of the programme and gives staff control over this aspect of their working lives.

Many jobs at Sainsbury’s involve teamwork, which the programme will encourage by bringing together staff of different ages from different backgrounds to foster a community spirit where staff help and encourage one other. Problems with working environment and the overlap between personal and working life will be easily monitored and solved by the raising of issues in the groups and the support network of staff.

The programme will begin with a trial at the Sainsbury’s store in South Woodford. After a year, the programme will be assessed and its future decided. The research in this booklet has been carried out on the Sainsbury’s store in South Woodford. The booklet outlines how the programme will run in the store for its first trial year.

Benefits

Sainsbury’s has a responsibility for the wellbeing of its staff and must be seen to be Investors in People in keeping with its recognition as such in 2001. Sainsbury’s have acknowledged the importance that ‘colleagues feel that they are part of our company and involved in its business’¹. Sainsbury’s can achieve its business goals most efficiently if the staff working in its stores, the ‘face’ of Sainsbury’s, are satisfied with their job.

Sainsbury’s have set a target to reduce their waste by 10% by March 2004. Part of the policy for reducing the impact of the company in the Environment Report 2002 is to ‘enhance awareness of relevant issues among customers, colleagues and others who have an interest in our business’². To fulfil this target, it is important that this awareness is promoted in every staff member in a personal and involved way. This programme will give the opportunity for all colleagues to become involved in the business and discuss matters that are important to the company, such as waste management.

The Survey

The following charts show the results of the questionnaire below amongst staff at the Sainsbury’s store in South Woodford:

1. Do you feel your store belongs to the colleagues that work there?

2. Do you feel you have a say in the running of the store?

3. Do you feel able to speak to management about issues concerning your store?

4. Do you feel suggestions made to management would be seriously considered?

5. Do you feel able to converse with senior staff on an equal level?

6. Are you interested in the running of the company?

7. Do you feel the company values your work?

8. Do you feel the other staff within the store value your work?

9. Do you feel you are trusted in your job to make decisions?

10. Do your colleagues and management appreciate your intelligence?

11. Are you satisfied with your job?

12. Do you feel happy to come to work?

13. Do you have fun at work?

14. Do you like the people you work with?

15. Do the separate community groups work well together?

16. Do you feel the quality of your work directly affects the success of the store?

17. Do you feel you always do your job to the best of your abilities?

As you can see form the chart above, the store scored only 30% for question one (Do you feel your store belongs to the colleagues that work there?), question two (Do you feel you have a say in the running of the store?) and question seven (Do you feel the company values your work?). Colleagues may work in a store for long periods of time and gain knowledge of its workings and customers. Staff are a valuable source for comments and suggestions yet they don’t feel this is appreciated. A great majority of staff also feel the company doesn’t value their work. For a happy staff body and maximum productivity, it is imperative that a situation like this doesn’t exist.  

The store scored less than 55% for questions 11 (Are you satisfied with your job?), 12 (Do you feel happy to come to work?) and 13 (Do you have fun at work?). The company relies on cheerful staff to make the store an inviting place for customers. It is also the duty of the company in line with its position as Investors in People. The programme aims to give the staff the opportunity to enjoy and experience satisfaction within their jobs. 

The above diagrams show that staff scored significantly lower than management in the majority of categories. Staff scored low mainly in the categories referring to responsibility and the running of the company. Though staff naturally have less responsibility due to their job description, a high percentage felt they have no responsibility at all. Management scored lower than staff in categories referring to community and happiness at work. This suggests that staff need the opportunity to play a more active role at work and management need their more personal requirements addressed.

As shown above, the part timers and the night shift scored lower than the full timers and the day shift. This is unsurprising due to less management contact and less involvement with other staff. Night and part time staff often will not meet with the full time day staff, with senior management, with customers or attend departmental meetings so may not play as involved a role in the store. It is vital that these colleagues see the importance of their work and the direct impact it has on the store’s profits.  

40% of answers in the questionnaire were negative, 30% of colleagues answered negative for more than half the questions yet 70% said they were interested in the running of the company. This shows that staff want an involved role within their store but don’t feel that this is being delivered. The company has a duty to create a positive working environment for it’s staff and it is to the company’s benefit to tap into the knowledge that only staff at the forefront of the company can give.

The following comments were made by staff when asked what they would like to gain from life at work apart from money. These issues would be addressed by the Sainsbury’s Staff Community Programme:

• Knowledge of work, training, qualifications, experience

• Keeping active

• Good working environment

• Balance between life and work

• Sense of fulfillment and accomplishment

• New friends, meeting people, social life, comradeship

• Satisfaction from helping others

• Career opportunities

• Job satisfaction

Outline of Benefits

The benefits to the company will be long term and will lead to increased productivity as can be seen in t0he diagram below:

Benefit to Company

Employee Involvement Increased Teamwork Happy Staff Rapid Solution of Problems Staff Gain Ownership of Store

Increased Productivity

The programme would help to eradicate a vicious cycle such as below which can often exist:

 Benefits to the staff can be shown in the diagram below:

The programme teaches staff about ecological and sustainable issues which is fundamental for Corporate Social Responsibility and Sainsbury’s position as Investors in People.

The Programme

How it works

The Format:

The programme consists of monthly meetings between groups of ten staff and a coordinator. The groups are mixed race, age, background and contain employees from all levels, including management. The groups meet at a set time and day each month and the group members stay constant, though changes of group members are possible if problems occur.

Teamwork:

Working together in a constant group helps the development of teamwork and gives the group confidence. Staff are shown that they can work together so the colour of each person’s personality can shine to make a full spectrum within the group.

The Meetings and the Coordinator:

The groups within a store discuss at the first meeting the future of the course, regulations and future discussion topics. The coordinator arrange the suggestions made by each group into regulations and plans that are followed by all the groups in the store. The coordinator arrange visitors, games, materials and data to aid meetings. The coordinator is also responsible for the running of the meetings and is on hand to sort out problems within a group.

Staff Obligation:

The staff are paid to attend the meetings as they form part of the staff contract. Lateness and absence are treated the same as absence from working hours. The time is arranged, however, to be social and stimulating to create an atmosphere where staff want to attend for the course itself as well as the contractual requirement.

The Focus of the Meetings:

The meeting hour is a time where position and the formalities of each individual’s job are left at he door. The focus is different from working time where only rules set by the group apply. Drink and, where appropriate, food is available and staff are allowed to bring items of their own to the meeting. The atmosphere is designed to be comfortable, promoting discussion and thought.

Staff Suggestions:

Each group is given the opportunity to present suggestions to management. The suggestions are thought through by the group with a consideration for practical workings. The coordinator gives the relevant manager a printed report of the suggestion which they are obliged to consider. This method ensures that managers can give each serious suggestion the attention it deserves.

The Future:

After a year’s trial this programme will undergo assessment through discussion with the groups and an independent productivity assessment. The groups will comment on the success of the programme and how they would like to see it continued. The staff comments will be given to the assessors and will make up a major part of the report.

Possible Schedule

The following topics show an example of what the staff from one store might choose for their discussion topics for the first year of the programme.

Processes

Methods:

Guidelines:

Below is a list of guidelines for the discussions that is given to all staff participating and posted on the walls of the meeting room as a reminder. Staff discuss the content of this list and are allowed to delete or add any entries, as they feel appropriate.

• Make the effort to be interested.

• Acknowledge each other as equals.

• Allow everyone to introduce their perspective.

• Slow down to think.

• Remember we need each other’s help to become better listeners.

• Stay curious about each other.

• Expect a discussion to be messy at times.

• Conversation helps end feelings of isolation.

• Remember it is the natural way to think together.

Inspirations:

• Wellbeing

• Group

• Involvement

• Community

• Personal

• People

• Friend

• Ownership

• Belonging

• Productivity

• It’s not our differences that divide us. It’s our judgements about each other that do.

• There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.

Costs

This is a breakdown of the costs involved in running the programme at Sainsbury’s in South Woodford.

Extra costs would include:

• Office equipment (e.g. paper, pens, charts, photocopying)

• Visitors

• Food and drink

• Discussion aids and games

The initial costs for this programme are expensive. However, the costs would be eventually recuperated in several ways:

• Less absence and improved punctuality

• A more positive store environment leading to loyalty amongst customers

• Higher productivity amongst staff

• A slower staff turnover rate

• The reputation of the business will be positively affected, attracting new customers, employees and shareholders.

The store’s takings have declined by 4% when compared with last year. It is imperative that we keep our remaining customers and re-attract those that have been lost. Customer service is currently an important competitive decider between supermarkets. If Sainsbury’s can win back even a portion of the customers it has lost by delivering the best service, encouraged by the programme, the cost of the programme would be more than paid for.

Summary of the programme

• The programme is run by staff.

• The content is individual to each store.

• The topics are decided by the staff and coordinated by the coordinator.

• Issues to do with the store, the community, the company and their impact globally are discussed.

• Sessions last one hour.

• It is contracted paid time and absence and lateness are treated accordingly.

• Groups are mixed race, sex, age and background.

¹ http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/csr/communications.htm

²J Sainsbury PLC Environment Report 2002, Policy and organisation, Integrating Environmental Management into our Business (Policies, organisations and management systems)

Diagram of Waste

System Explanation

Benefits Diagram

The Programme