SPX, the delivery provider of SEA group with 118 hubs nationwide, celebrates two years of promoting women and closing the gender divide in a traditionally male dominated courier industry. SPX has been building robust relationships with local communities, as their work enables them to expand local sellers’ reach, create local economies, and fulfil essential orders during rainy seasons.
Since 2021, SPX has outpaced competitors by promoting inclusive initiatives at the workplace, hiring 40 times more women, in all kinds of management roles such as supervisors, hub leads, shift leads, and operational roles such as sorters, couriers, and riders. Today, a record 13% couriers and 40% sorters nationwide are women; SPX is the only e-commerce courier partner in Malaysia helmed by a female director, Cheah Lee Sun.
‘I welcome female couriers all over Malaysia, because I don’t see this industry as a male-dominated industry. No job is too heavy duty for women here whether it involves heavy lifting or driving commercial vehicles. Everyone is welcome, in the spirit of inclusion and supporting upskilling local talents in the communities where we operate,’ says Lee Sun, Head of SPX.
Company-Wide Visible Policy for Transparent Workplace
Lee Sun acknowledges that getting extra logistics capacity during peak ecommerce campaign periods can be very competitive. She makes personal visits to SPX hubs, sorting facilities, and warehouses, and rides along with her drivers, men and women equally, to ensure equal treatment of her employees and instant feedback systems to facilitate better performance. SPX has implemented a company-wide Visible Policy initiative, which means there are active channels for all employees to report any integrity or harassment issues anonymously.
Siti Sakinah Yusof, 33, started as a contract supervisor in the Kuala Terengganu Selatan hub and due to her unwavering integrity and work ethic, she has been promoted to a full-time hire with SPX; as a mother of three children, she is a role model in cultivating a trustworthy, positive workplace environment. ‘Women must know how to take care of themselves and never hesitate to speak up about those with unethical behaviour,’ she said.
Job Flexibility Drives Better Performance
Nadiah Mohd Shukor, 34, looks out for working mothers under her supervision as a trainee in the Acting Area Manager Programme for Hulu Langat, Balakong, Serdang, and Titiwangsa. “I make sure they apply for leave when their child is sick, take lunch breaks and have proper meals while at work even during peak delivery periods,” she said. Being a mother herself to seven children, Nadiah understands that some of the women are doing two jobs and need the flexibility to work on shifts.
Lee Sun endorses this mentality, empowering all women with the flexibility to manage their own delivery schedules while building their own careers. While working as SPX couriers means they can drop their children off at schools while managing to deliver parcels by the end of their shift.
Delivering With More Empathy
As a result of such inclusive hiring policies, there has been an overwhelming culture of inclusion, discipline, and community-building at SPX. ‘There is just an attention to detail in handling parcels and an ability to remember our frequent buyers, that has been infused by women in all our territories. From my ride-alongs, I observe that they are more patient, more polite, and just care a lot more about people,’ mused Lee Sun.
Ruzita Puzi, 45, has worked for 20 years in this industry, and is now in a position to bring more job opportunities to women in Kedah at her Alor Setar Hub: ‘I want women from all walks of life to believe in themselves because they can succeed in anything, whether it's in business or holding leadership roles within companies. Before this, there were no women employees in the hub. We hired two women to work as sorters and hope to hire more women to break the gender barrier.’
Meanwhile, in conjunction with Malaysia Day, SPX couriers nationwide galvanized teamwork to deliver 15,000 free ‘Unveiling Malaysian Gems’ books to regular customers, waving the national flag and taking photos. The books contain guides to women-owned businesses across all states who support women in their communities by hiring and including them in their businesses.
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