ELMO + Uber for Business: Reimagining employee engagement

Finding ways to ensure the wellbeing and safety of employees is a major focus for fast-growing Australian-founded software company ELMO Software, and Uber for Business is playing an important part in the ASX-listed company’s employee value proposition.

ELMO, a human resources, payroll, expense management and rostering solution provider with hundreds of employees working in major capitals across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, is on a rapid upward trajectory.

Keeping its growing number of talented employees happy and their productivity levels high are key to ELMO’s success, says Monica Watt, Chief Human Resources Officer at ELMO.

“Uber for Business – including Uber Eats and Rides – is important for employee engagement across all states and countries.”

In 2019, ELMO began using Rides on the Uber for Business platform as a way for employees to manage their travel expenses and get home safely after hours, but the benefit of Uber Eats soon became apparent to meet the needs of people working out of hours.

“We tend to work in routine business hours, but we recognise sometimes there are pressure points,” says Watt.

Software developers quite often work around the clock and sales teams have monthly targets. Back-office teams like finance and HR also need to work longer hours during month end and performance cycles, Watt notes. 

 “So, everyone inside the business was set up with a daily Uber Eats credit to let them purchase a meal if they were working after hours. Then they had Uber to get them home safely.”

And “ELMOnians” Uber Eats’ habits grew even more with the sudden impact of the pandemic and lockdowns in 2020.

“We needed to make sure employees across disparate locations felt connected. As an agile organisation, our teams are used to being co-located, but with the move to working from home we had to shift our productivity measures. We kept up regular rituals, such as morning meditation, yoga, morning teas, monthly themed lunches and pizza nights, virtually. Anything we could do to encourage social connectivity.”

While Sydney moved back to the office as restrictions eased, Uber Eats continued to keep people engaged during further lockdowns in New Zealand and Melbourne, Watt says. “It gave them more love and they recognised we were trying to find ways to accommodate their unique individual needs.

Feedback has been resoundingly positive, insists Watt. No need for training as people were already Uber advocates. “The platform is accessible by phone or the web and easy to use,” she says. “You can track where your meals are and go by saved locations.” Plus switching between personal and business accounts is simple “if anyone accidentally posted it to the wrong one”.

Another outstanding reason for Uber Eats’ popularity is the ability for team members to order what they want, Watt believes. “It caters to cultural diversity.” Specific dietary requirements of the vast array cultures represented in the ELMO business can be met.

Better still, the morale-boosting work perk for the team has become an unexpected management tool for Watt.

Monthly spreadsheets provided by Uber for Business allow her to spot trends in travel times and behaviours. She can see how late and how long people are working, and if that is consistent.

“I can ask a manager: ‘Did you know members of your team are regularly working out of hours?’, and we can address any resourcing issues accordingly,” she says.

To learn more about Uber for Business, contact a member from the team here.