Two Philippine companies top the 2021 Best Workplaces in Asia list in two different categories, while seven others join other Asian companies to complete the 2021 roster.
Canva Philippines, the online design company founded by Filipino-Australian Melanie Perkins, topped the Best 100 Small and Medium Business (SMB) category, while DHL Express ranked first among the Best 30 Multinational Companies (MNC) in Asia, according to the list released by Great Place to Work® Philippines today, 20 July 2021.
Western Union Services Philippines, Inc., on the other hand, placed 7th in the Best 70 Large category. Completing the MNC category are Ericsson Telecommunications, Inc, 7th; American Express International, 9th; Synchrony Global Service, 13th; Paypal Philippines, 16th; SAS Institute, 22nd; and S&P Global Philippines, 25th.
“The Best Workplaces in Asia 2021 List is extra special because this is the first year that Philippine-based companies are being recognized with this gold standard of recognition. With these Philippine companies performing very satisfactorily among the best workplaces in the region, Filipinos have excellent opportunities to be a part of organizations that are committed to fairness, pride, innovation and employee well-being. We hope that this also serves as an inspiration for other Filipino companies,” said Antoniette Mendoza-Talosig, Managing Partner, Great Place to Work® Philippines (GPTW PH).
Great Place to Work surveyed over 3.3 million employees from over 1,000 companies across 16 countries in Asia and the Middle East to determine the 200 companies from 18 different industries in three categories — Small and Medium (10-499 employees), Large (500+), and Multinational.
Factors such as well-being, innovation, pride, and fairness have elevated winners of the Best Workplaces in Asia above the competition. These winning employers know that thriving company cultures lead to thriving businesses.
Using the Trust Index Survey among employees and a Culture Audit among organizations, practices, policies, and programs to creating a great workplace for all were determined and validated. The survey was conducted in Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE, and Vietnam.
For businesses listed among Best Workplaces in Asia, 81 percent of employees said they experience wellbeing at work, defined by factors such as feeling cared for and believing their workplace is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work.
For employees at the Best SMB Workplaces in Asia, 93 percent reported a warm welcome when employees joined the company, while 92 percent believed management is ethical, sincere, and showed a commitment to fairness and transparency. They also believe they “receive a fair share of company profits” and “can ask management any question and get an honest answer”.
Compared to non-winners, the Best Large Workplaces in Asia had 21 percent more employees saying that “management’s actions match its words” and “managers avoid playing favorites”.
Best Places to Work Asia research revealed that businesses that nurture a culture of innovation achieve 5.5 times the revenue growth. On average, companies that have been named the Best Workplaces in Asia score 10 percent better than those that have made it to the national list level, already an incredibly high bar as such workplaces are the best of the best in their own countries.
The top five winners per category are: Best 100 Small and Medium Business – Canva Philippines; Saudi Arabia non-profit organization Charity Committee for Orphans Care (ENSAN), UAE retail company THE One, India’s Brigade Hospitality Services Limited, and South Korea’s retail company ATOMY Co. Ltd.
Best Large – Singapore’s education and training company PAP Community Foundation; Sri Lanka’s Talawakelle Tea Estates, South Korea’s KB Kookmin Card, Saudi Arabia’s Dar Al Riyadh, and Japan’s Cybozu, an IT company.
Best MNC – DHL Express in 10 participating countries, Hilton in six countries, Cisco in six countries, luxury retailer Chalhoub Group in three countries, and Landmark Group in four countries.
WELLBEING MATTERS
COVID-19 brought health and safety at the forefront for both employers and employees. But Best Workplaces recognize that wellbeing is more than just physical health, also creating employee support for many aspects from mental health to financial health.
Canva Philippines, for instance, is offering free COVID vaccinations for all employees and their household families, which extends to domestic partners, household helpers and to any person their employees frequently interact with.
“Canva takes pride in ensuring our people come first in everything we do. This has always been our north star as we develop wellbeing programs aimed to improve people’s physical, personal, professional, and mental wellbeing. Our goal is to give our employees the ability to take care of themselves so they can continue to do their life’s best work. From providing gym allowances and in-office exercises to offering nutritious meals daily. From providing access to a full-time life coach to having a 24/7 EAP support system,” says Vanson So, People Lead at Canva Philippines.
On the other hand, in a year of unexpected and unprecedented challenges, PayPal focused on its employees. The company launched ElderCare@PayPal which offers holistic wellness programs for employees’ parents and parents-in-law; as well as, employee engagement activities online with virtual fitness classes, mental wellness webinars and physical wellness consultations.
For Synchrony, programs on employee wellness in health, career, finances, and life have been prioritized. “We increased the scope of COVID-19 care, covering 100 percent of COVID-19 medical costs for employees and their eligible dependents. #SleeveUp Synchrony was also launched as a vaccination drive to have employees and their dependents inoculated,” stated Liwayway Langit, SVP, Business Leader – Philippines of Synchrony.
The platform Synchrony360 was created and designed to support the well-being of its employees, which focused on four key areas: Career360, Health360, Life360, and Money360, aimed to empower their employees to bring best to work and life every day.
Meanwhile, Western Union’s efforts were anchored on three employee goals: to feel that they belong, to be treated equitably, and to experience growth opportunities. “We provide benefits for our employees and their families, like our Employee Assistance Program, which extends short-term assistance for professional counseling and services. We also partnered with Headspace and Tutor.com to help our employees handle the stress of balancing work from home and online school,” prides Jocelyn Flordeliza, Leader, HR (PH/TH/VT) of Western Union AROC.
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