Resources > Success Stories > Port of Auckland
Across land and sea
Since its launch in 2021, Workplace from Meta has revolutionised communication at the Port of Auckland. From the challenge of delivering information to employees to achieving instant two-way communication for all, VMG Connect is thrilled to be part of the journey.
URL copied!
All Success Stories > Port of Auckland
Port of Auckland is a bustling hub that never sleeps, thanks to the dedicated team working around the clock and across the port’s landscape.
Before Workplace, the primary communication channel was the intranet, accessible only to desk workers. This left a significant portion of the team out of the information loop.
With the introduction of Workplace, the Communications team has prioritised sharing content through the platform, completely transforming how they communicate with their entire workforce.
Now, everyone has access to the same communications and can connect with each other effortlessly. It’s not uncommon for teams out on the harbour to catch up on the CEO’s latest video from their mobile phones.
In a recent staff survey, Workplace came out on top as one of the preferred communications channels. People actively use it to seek information, participate in conversations, and share updates.
At the Port of Auckland, not everyone works the same hours, and it’s unlikely you’ll ever find every employee in the same room at the same time. But that doesn’t stop them from building a collaborative, open culture. And Workplace undoubtedly plays a key role in keeping the community spirit alive – here’s how!
Easy and instant updates
The Communications team kickstarted the ‘My Port’ video series – a no-frills collection of interviews uncovering the many diverse roles at the port. Captured on a mobile and shared to Workplace.
And it wasn’t long before others joined in, sharing (unprompted!) glimpses of their roles or exciting parts of their workdays, like this video of a pod of dolphins enjoying an early morning swim.
“It’s one of my favourite things about the platform – it is so easy to upload videos and share with our people.”
– Olivia Simmonds, Communications Specialist, Port of Auckland
Authentic leadership
The port’s CEO, Roger Gray, and his leadership team value honest and transparent communication with their port whānau, and Workplace is the perfect tool to support that.
Roger shares a weekly video on Monday mornings – no slick editing, just authentic Roger updating the port people. It’s an opportunity for everyone, even those out on the harbour or those on night shift, to hear directly from their leader, ask questions, and start conversations.
Amplifying recognition
The Ka Pai Awards, celebrating outstanding performance amongst colleagues, leverages Workplace’s reach. It’s the one channel that ensures everyone hears about it, reminding people to nominate their colleagues via a QR code on Workplace. The award presentation is onsite, but there are plenty of pics and recaps on Workplace for anyone who can’t attend.
Many port team members have been there for a long time, and long service announcements are shared on Workplace. Photos from a celebratory morning tea and fun facts about the person are shared. Again, it’s all about recognising colleagues across the broader port whānau.
Welcoming team members
It used to be only desk-based workers who heard about new team members starting when they were announced on the intranet. Now new team members are welcomed on Workplace, for everyone to see.
Workplace ensures information spreads to everyone who needs it, a particularly crucial feature when the new hires often impact many roles.
Showcasing diversity
The port team comes from many different cultural backgrounds, and the company is big on recognising and celebrating traditions. Cultural events happen regularly, with desk-based and shift workers planning and executing them together.
Workplace is the hub for event planning, with post-event discussions and photo sharing for everyone to join in the celebration, even those who couldn’t be there.
If you want to learn more about how Workplace helps celebrate diversity and connect distributed teams, get in touch! We’d love to work with you to help solve your communications challenges.