Fifteen Philippines companies have been named the Best Companies to Work for in Asia by human-resource publication, HR Asia. This year, 5,260 employees from a total of 150 companies across the Philippines responded to the HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia Survey. The survey also covers eight other markets across Asia, including China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand. Award winners include Fonterra Brands Philippines Inc, Johnson & Johnson Philippines, Manulife Philippines, Philam Group and Telstra International Philippines Inc. Survey participants were asked affirmative statements about their employers, and either agree or disagree with each of the statements. Based on these answers across the survey, the top 3 areas that employees in Philippines agree about their jobs were meeting or exceeding customer expectation (Average score of 4.55/5), employees always seeking a better way to improve their efficiency at work (Average score of 4.41/5), employees are clear on how their work and performance are contributing to the organization’s vision (Average score of 4.40/5).
On the other hand, the 3 areas that score the lowest in the survey (i.e. the ones which the employees feel their companies can improve on) were employees feel that they do not really know what is going on in the organisation (Average score of 3.53/5), employees feel that they do not receive recognition or praise for doing good work in the last month (Average score of 3.72/5) and employees feel that they do not get supported by the companies in pursuing their own professional development(Average score of 3.77/5)
With few exceptions, all the winning companies scored significantly higher in these areas compared to other participants. This indicates that employers that are more transparent, supportive of employees’ growth and lead by example, are more likely to be rated as a good workplace by their own employees.
What Employers Think
88% of the participating companies felt that safety was top priority in their respective companies. It is essential for employees to have a safe environment in which they will be comfortable to work in. For employers, they are required to provide safety necessity with regards to operations, procedures and policies. A safe workplace is conducive in creating positive productivity where employees not only perform better but also feel they matter to their organisation. 87.2% of the companies feel that theft is not a regular occurrence in their workplaces.
82.6% of the companies surveyed felt that getting a referral is a cheaper and faster way to hire, which generally recommends better candidates and lowers the turnover rate at a company.
Evolving Face of Talents and Employment in Philippines
Dato’ William Ng, group publisher and editor-in-chief for the HR Asia, says “disruptive innovation is not only changing markets and industries, it is redefining the workplace. The skillsets required are rapidly changing, while workplaces are being transformed to accommodate telecommunicating and flexi-working, among others. Companies need to adapt and do so quickly in view of these changes brought about by technology and global inter-connectivity”.
