Who We Are – Paramjit

Having started as a postman in Coventry 30 years ago, OPG Paramjit Dhanda has been working at National Distribution Centre (NDC) for the past 10 years.

Our Who We Are campaign celebrates our key workers - connecting communities, before and during the Covid-19 pandemic – and beyond as well. We’re recognising people at the heart of our business, across the pipeline, as they describe who they are in their own words.

We want to receive nominations from around the Group for deserving colleagues to be recognised in this way. Send yours to groupcommunications@royalmail.com.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, Paramjit has ensured that local care home residents and staff have been provided with the protective equipment they need. After scanning the barcodes on boxes of protective equipment, Paramjit helps to sort, label, and dispatch the essential supplies to their correct destinations.

‘I’m a quality checker on the night shift, which means I know which postcode is attached to a particular alpha-numeric code,’ he said. ‘I can do it from memory as it’s something I do on a daily basis, so even if I can’t see an alpha-numeric code, I know by looking at the postcode that it should be in a certain york, attached to a particular alpha-numeric code.

‘I do feel valued for the job I do. I like my role as it feels like I’m using the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained by working in various divisions within the business over several years. I’m using the left side of my brain – I’m doing something I enjoy and something I’m good at.

‘It’s the satisfaction of having done a job properly that I like the best. In regard to what we’re doing with the protective equipment, it’s the fact that we’re doing something that’s so vital for so many people – ensuring the right equipment gets to them. We’re doing it on a daily basis and I find it very rewarding that we’re making a difference.

‘What makes a good postman or woman? I’d like to think that attention to detail is the most important thing. Delivering through the right letterbox, or putting the right box on the right york, it’s the attention to detail that makes the customer come back, time and time again.

‘I’m just a small cog in a larger machine; a small cog that’s helping to drive the engine, if you like. I’m honoured to be recognised for what I’ve done, but most people in this building would have stepped up as well. I’m not going to shirk my responsibilities. My manager chose me to do the job, he trusted that I was capable of doing the job and I’ve done it.

‘I’m proud to work for Royal Mail. Obviously, there are going to be a lot of important changes coming along and we all need to drive forward as one. I want us to be the best postal operator in the UK, if not worldwide.’

Hear from Paramjit in this recent RMtv programme.