What it does: provides specialised freight transportation, package delivery, logistics and supply chain services.
Best known for: UPS is one of the world’s largest courier services with more than 15 million package deliveries daily in more than 220 countries.
Staff stats: Around 481,000 people worldwide.
The good bits: The company’s Future You initiatives advocates for women’s leadership development and workforce diversity.
The not so good bits: Hourly salaries in some locations are lower than the national average.
Hiring grads with top marks in: Logistics and Supply Chain; Business and Marketing: Accounting, Banking and Finance; Communications and Media; Engineering and Information Technology; Human Resources and Legal; Software Design and Development.
UPS’ 200-year history began in 1907 when Claude Ryan and Jim Casey founded the American Messenger Company. The duo used a US$100 loan to start the company in a Seattle basement, where they coordinated customer orders, from parcel deliveries on foot or bicycle to home deliveries for drugstore clients.
Casey and Ryan entered the industry with other established competitors, but having the United States Postal Service as one of their biggest clients allowed them to expand the business. In 1913, the two entrepreneurs improved their services by purchasing a Model T Ford as the company’s first delivery vehicle. They subsequently merged the business with a competitor and renamed the company as Merchants Parcel Delivery.
The group opened for business in Oakland, California, in 1919, marking their first expansion outside Seattle. They adopted United Parcel Service as the company’s name in the same year. By the 1990s, the company’s business network extended to over 11.5 million deliveries daily in more than 200 countries. UPS.com went live two years later to provide better real-time tracking services for customers.
The website then reached a record-high of 6.5 million online tracking requests in one day in 2000. In 2019, UPS introduced drones to their fleet. The Federal Aviation Administration approved the company’s request to use drones for healthcare product deliveries across the U.S.
Part-time and seasonal work will entail a different recruitment style compared to corporate roles. UPS usually has four stages for hiring part-time and temporary workers, and it starts with online applications on its website.
The other three steps consist of being contacted by a recruiter, an interview and tour of facilities, and orientation. Take note that the actual process will be different based on the job vacancy and the applicant’s location. UPS also holds recruitment fairs at colleges and universities in some countries.
Full-time, entry-level corporate roles at UPS for graduates include positions in automotive, engineering, global business services, marketing and sales departments.
The average hourly salary for UPS employees in the U.S. is US$16.94, which is lower than the national average of US$27.16 per hour as of 2018. While the rate may apply to blue-collar jobs, recent graduates should still expect to earn below the annual median salary of US$70,000.
In India, the estimated average annual salary is INR 385,000. Employees in Canada earn C$17.14 per hour on average.
Company benefits and incentives also vary based on the region. For example, the company sponsors a part-time package handlers’ college education in the U.S. through the Earn and Learn programme. The initiative provides qualified workers with up to US$25,000 in financial assistance. Performance bonuses, maternity and paternity leave, paid time-off and health insurance are among the usual company benefits for all employees.
UPS is an equal opportunity employer. The company has hired people in underserved communities for more than 60 years regardless of age, colour, disability, race, religion and sexual orientation.
A stint at the global company, though, means certain jobs require individuals to be available 24/7. Some employees may work during odd hours to have an overlap in schedules with their counterparts in other countries.
UPS competes with C.H. Robinson Worldwide, DB Schenker, DHL International and Kuehne + Nagel International AG.
The UPS Foundation handles the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts that comprise four key areas:
The foundation has partnered with different non-profit organisations including the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, World Food Programme, UNICEF, CARE and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to promote safe communities. Among its global projects include the ‘Sağlam Kobi’ (i.e. Strong Small and Medium Size Enterprises) in Turkey. The Business Disaster Resiliency Programme focuses on disaster preparedness.
The company promotes an inclusive culture through policies that support community projects such as providing access to higher education for minorities. For example, the UPS Foundation has previously sponsored the United Negro College Fund for African-American students.
Eco-friendly projects include the Global Forestry Initiative that invested in reforestation in urban and rural areas. By the end of 2020, UPS aims to plant 15 million trees as part of the global programme.
UPS Foundation also pledged 20 million hours of volunteer work worldwide by the end of 2020. The company has tallied over 18.7 million volunteer hours for community and social services between 2011 and 2018.
Workplace safety became an issue for UPS after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said that the company doesn’t uphold a safe environment for warehouse employees. An OSHA review also alleged that UPS retaliates against employees who complain about unsafe working conditions.
Illegal activity across U.S. operations also went unnoticed for ten years due to UPS’ security loopholes. The case involved 11 former UPS employees who reportedly smuggled cash, prohibited drugs and illegal vapes throughout the country.
Graduates can take pride for simply being part of a global company like UPS, but prospective employees should know that work satisfaction depends on their roles and location. Some positions require mentally and physically tough individuals because of the work-life balance. Thousands apply for jobs despite the demanding work environment. In the U.S., around 90,000 people want to work for UPS just for the holiday season alone.