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Penske Australia and New Zealand

 | Case study

Modernizing the employee experience

Placing vital information at the fingertips of all employees no matter where they are

How it started

Searching for connection

Living in a land Down Under, it’s not easy communicating with men and women at work who are dispersed across multiple business units and a vast geographical area. This was the challenge facing Penske Australia and New Zealand, which is part of the U.S.-based company that’s known for its yellow rental trucks.

Headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, Penske has 1,000 employees working throughout the two countries. Penske was looking for a platform that would deliver information to employees in the manner they prefer—either on their mobile devices, laptops, or both.

Adding to the communication complexity is a 60-40 split between employees in the field and in the office. Workers who typically sit at desks could be overwhelmed by ceaseless dings, pings, and emails interrupting their day. But workers in the field often were left in the dark because they lack access to laptops in workshops or at worksites. That’s why employee survey feedback indicated that workers didn’t feel engaged enough with the company or have clear visibility across the company.

Where they landed

The employee experience platform that delivers

Inside Penske, powered by the Firstup platform, helped make those connections.

After conducting a pilot program with 100 users across the company, Penske unveiled the platform throughout the organization—and it was an immediate hit. After just one year, 75% of employees were enrolled.

The Firstup platform was the solution.

“The fundamental reason we looked for help from Firstup is that we were having problems with internal communication. We needed a solution where information was pushed directly to each employee, so it was in the palm of their hand when they were ready to digest it. Firstup was a pretty easy sell internally as the way to solve this problem,” said Kim Ruddock, General Manager of Marketing.

A key reason for the success: Penske has been selective about what’s posted on the platform. The focus is on Penske staff and products—not business announcements. Inside Penske also embodies the company’s belief that playfulness and fun should be part of the employee experience.

About

Penske Australia and New Zealand

The Penske brand is proudly represented in Australia and New Zealand through leading on- and off-highway businesses including Penske Australia, Penske New Zealand, and Penske Truck Rental. Penske Australia & New Zealand aims to meet the most demanding standards of quality management and is certified to ISO 9001. Through continuous monitoring and improvement of our performance, systems and procedures, we deliver the highest quality, most reliable products and services. At Penske, we deliver powerful solutions through people, products, and partnerships to make a difference.

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