{"id":20145,"date":"2025-07-22T13:49:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T12:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/?post_type=work&#038;p=20145"},"modified":"2025-07-22T13:49:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T12:49:13","slug":"colleague-promise","status":"publish","type":"work","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/work\/co-op\/colleague-promise","title":{"rendered":"Colleague Promise"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lazyblock-video-1tOKYC wp-block-lazyblock-video\"><section class=\"fullwidth\">\r\n  <div class=\"container\">\r\n    <div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 \" data-component=\"video\">\r\n            <iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xBzmHMQAN8k?rel=0\" class=\"lazyload\" allowfullscreen title=\"\"><\/iframe>    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-two-column-text-quote-image-1eYJa1 wp-block-lazyblock-two-column-text-quote-image\"><section class=\"fullwidth fullwidth--overflow \" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\r\n  <div class=\"container container--spaced-lg\">\r\n    \r\n    <div class=\"row\">\r\n      \r\n      <div class=\"col-md-6\">\r\n        <p><strong>Co-op<\/strong>, the UK\u2019s largest consumer co-operative, is refreshing its employer brand with a <em>\u2018Colleague Promise\u2019<\/em> which brings together everything <strong>Co-op<\/strong> offers its colleagues in one place.<\/p>\n<p>Created in partnership with the <strong>VCCP<\/strong>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/capabilities\/brand-employee-engagement\">employer brand team<\/a>, the <em>Colleague Promise<\/em> articulates <strong>Co-op<\/strong>\u2019s <em>\u2018Owned by You.<\/em> <em>Right by You.\u2019<\/em> brand proposition in a colleague context, highlighting <strong>Co-op<\/strong>\u2019s membership model as its unique value.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Unlike most businesses, <strong>Co-op<\/strong> is <em>owned<\/em> by colleagues and customer members rather than shareholders. Membership gives colleagues a say in how the business is run as well as access to a range of benefits that have been designed with colleagues\u2019 needs at their heart.<\/p>\n<p>To reflect the reality of the <strong>Co-op<\/strong> colleague experience across the employee lifecycle, the <em>Colleague Promise<\/em> was created and shaped directly by the views of its 54,000 colleagues. It is designed to bring greater clarity, fairness and consistency to the everyday experience for colleagues working in its 2,400 food stores, as well as its funeral care, insurance, legal services, support centre, distribution and wholesale business functions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Co-op<\/strong> describes the <em>Colleague Promise<\/em> through three pillars:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A Place With Purpose<\/strong> &#8211; where you are an owner, with a say in how things are run, opportunities to support your community, and a share of the profits when you help the business grow<\/li>\n<li><strong>A Place You\u2019ll Belong<\/strong> &#8211; where you are welcomed and included, cared for inside and outside of work, and empowered by supportive leaders<\/li>\n<li><strong>A Place You Can Thrive<\/strong> &#8211; where <strong>Co-op<\/strong> supports your physical, financial and mental wellbeing, and gives you the tools to own your development and career<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Research played a pivotal role in the development of the <em>Colleague Promise<\/em>. It revealed that inclusion and belonging are among <strong>Co-op<\/strong>\u2019s greatest strengths as an employer. Notably, over three-quarters (82%) of colleagues felt that <strong>Co-op<\/strong> is a place where people from diverse backgrounds can succeed, and over half (58%) said that their team or the colleagues they work with are the best part of working at <strong>Co-op<\/strong>. These findings were instrumental in placing belonging at the heart of the new <em>Promise<\/em> as one of its three core pillars.<\/p>\n<p>More than simply a recruitment marketing tool, <strong>Co-op<\/strong>\u2019s <em>Colleague Promise<\/em> is designed for both current and prospective colleagues. It aims to strengthen the link between the colleague experience and <strong>Co-op<\/strong>\u2019s co-operative difference &#8211; helping colleagues connect their everyday roles to the wider purpose of the business.<\/p>        \r\n                \r\n  \t\t\t      <\/div>\r\n      \r\n      <div class=\"col-md-6\">\r\n    \t\t<p><strong>Co-op<\/strong> will now embed the <em>Promise<\/em> across its people strategy through:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A range of new recruitment and employability tools for hiring managers and internal candidates<\/li>\n<li>A measurement framework to track progress and hold the business to account<\/li>\n<li>A \u2018People Excellence\u2019 workstream to act on colleague feedback and improve delivery<\/li>\n<li>A UK-wide programme of colleague roadshows across depots and offices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Mel Matson<\/strong>, <strong>Marketing Director<\/strong> at <strong>Co-op<\/strong>, said: \u201cOur new <em>Colleague Promise<\/em> reflects what makes <strong>Co-op<\/strong> different &#8211; a cooperative business where colleagues are not only valued employees but also owners who shape how we work and grow together. It brings to life our commitment to fairness, consistency, and doing the right thing for every colleague, just as we do for our members and customers. Every day our colleagues, across the group, are shining ambassadors of <em>Owned By You. Right By You.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Built with our colleagues, for our colleagues, the promise reinforces our co-operative, purpose-driven approach and supports a workplace culture where everyone feels connected, proud of the role they play, and confident in the support they receive. It\u2019s about ensuring the colleague experience truly reflects the values we promote externally &#8211; because doing right by our people is at the heart of who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Huw Morgan<\/strong>, <strong>Head of Employer Brand<\/strong> at <strong>VCCP<\/strong>, added: &#8220;A strong employer brand needs to balance aspiration with reality so that it is admired by job seekers on the outside and endorsed by employees on the inside. The aspiration of <strong>Co-op<\/strong>&#8216;s <em>Colleague Promise<\/em> is reflected in the brand&#8217;s tone and in the three <em>Promise<\/em> pillars.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The <em>Colleague Promise<\/em> is built on reality: it has been shaped by the views of <strong>Co-op<\/strong> colleagues working in its food stores, funeral care, insurance, legal services, wholesale, distribution and support centre. Built with insight from thousands of our colleagues, it brings clarity and consistency to what people can expect throughout their <strong>Co-op<\/strong> journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;With a strong focus on purpose, belonging, and growth, the <em>Promise<\/em> reflects our co-operative difference &#8211; showing that when you work at <strong>Co-op<\/strong>, you\u2019re not just doing a job, you\u2019re helping shape a business that\u2019s truly owned by you and driven to do right by you.&#8221;<\/p>  \t\t<\/div>\r\n  \t\t\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    \r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-quote-full-width-22S69V wp-block-lazyblock-quote-full-width\">  <section class=\"fullwidth fullwidth--top-lg text-center\" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n\n      <blockquote class=\"blockquote\">\n        Our new Colleague Promise reflects what makes Co-op different &#8211; a cooperative business where colleagues are not only valued employees but also owners who shape how we work and grow together. \n        <cite>Mel Matson, Marketing Director at Co-op<\/cite>      <\/blockquote>\n\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":66,"template":"","class_list":["post-20145","work","type-work","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"capability_ids":["16355"],"client_id":"17914","hero_video":"","hero_image":{"ID":20146,"id":20146,"title":"Co-op colleague collage","filename":"Co-op-EVP.jpg","filesize":451763,"url":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/work\/co-op\/colleague-promise\/attachment\/co-op-evp","alt":"Collage of Co-op colleagues from across the UK in various roles and settings, celebrating community, diversity, and teamwork.","author":"66","description":"This image is a collage featuring dozens of Co-op colleagues in a wide variety of settings\u2014from food stores and distribution centres to offices and community events. It visually represents the diversity of roles and people that make up Co-op\u2019s 54,000-strong workforce. The collage reflects the inclusive spirit and collective ownership central to the Colleague Promise, with imagery highlighting pride celebrations, community engagement, teamwork, and day-to-day operations. Created as part of the refreshed employer brand, it brings to life the message that Co-op is a place with purpose, belonging, and opportunity for all.","caption":"A vibrant collage showcasing Co-op colleagues from across the business, reflecting the diversity, unity, and shared purpose behind the new Colleague Promise.","name":"co-op-evp","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":20145,"date":"2025-07-22 12:45:10","modified":"2025-07-22 12:47:25","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-300x113.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":113,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-768x288.jpg","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":240,"large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-1024x384.jpg","large-width":640,"large-height":240,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-1536x576.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":576,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":720,"Header":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP.jpg","Header-width":1920,"Header-height":720,"Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP.jpg","Wide-width":1920,"Wide-height":720,"Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-768x720.jpg","Square-width":768,"Square-height":720,"Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-307x615.jpg","Tall-width":307,"Tall-height":615,"Mobile":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-768x720.jpg","Mobile-width":768,"Mobile-height":720,"Facebook":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-1200x630.jpg","Facebook-width":1200,"Facebook-height":630,"Grid-Item-Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-768x720.jpg","Grid-Item-Square-width":768,"Grid-Item-Square-height":720,"Grid-Item-Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-768x384.jpg","Grid-Item-Wide-width":768,"Grid-Item-Wide-height":384,"Grid-Item-Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Co-op-EVP-307x615.jpg","Grid-Item-Tall-width":307,"Grid-Item-Tall-height":615}},"meta-title":"Co-op Launches Colleague Promise to Strengthen Employer Brand and Culture","meta-description":"Co-op unveils its new Colleague Promise, built with input from 54,000 employees, to boost talent attraction, retention, and workplace belonging. Discover how it reflects Co-op\u2019s co-operative values.","social-media-image":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/EVP-2.jpg","related_content_title":"You may also like","relateditems":false,"hide_related_items":[],"visible_on_home_page":[],"websites_to_publish":["1"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/work\/20145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/work"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/work"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}