Inspiring HR Practices from Asia-Pacific’s Top Employers

Are you ready to unlock a world of innovative HR practices and transformative ideas? Look no further! We are thrilled to present our ebook, "Inspiring HR Practices from Asia-Pacific's Top Employers," 

In this comprehensive resource, we have curated insights and best practice examples from a select group of our esteemed Top Employers in APAC. These organisations have not only raised the global standard of HR excellence but also set the benchmark for others to follow. 

Download the ebook now to uncover valuable insights. Here are some highlights from the ebook:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion – Discover how Avanade partnered with the Autism Resource Centre (ARC) Singapore to train adults on the autism spectrum with digital skills and provide them with full-time technical roles. Learn how this initiative contributes to large-scale digital transformation projects at organisations in Singapore. 
• People strategy – Explore Boehringer Ingelheim’s cultural framework called FOCUS, which defines their purpose and serves as a guide for their day-to-day work. Gain insights into how this framework supports their business objectives and is interwoven throughout the entire organisation. 
• Employer branding – Learn about PUMA’s commitment to creating a premier workplace by developing a set of Employer Values that align with the actual employee experience. Discover how these values contribute to PUMA’s mission of becoming the fastest sports brand in the world. 
• Purpose & values – Dive into DHL Express’ annual Employee Opinion Survey (EOS), which allows employees to voice their opinions, share feedback, and help shape the DHL culture. Understand how this survey helps create an inclusive and comfortable working environment while also identifying areas for improvement. 
• Talent acquisition – Explore MCC Singapore’s strategic talent acquisition approach, which focuses on attracting and developing competent leaders, executives, and specialists in alignment with their organisation’s sustainability goals. Discover how this approach ensures a strong leadership and talent pipeline. 
• Onboarding – Learn about Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s New Hire Orientation programme, designed to help new employees adapt to their roles effectively. Discover the three-phase programme that ensures new hires are ready for the company, its culture, and their specific job requirements. 
• Organisation & change – Explore Sampoerna’s adoption of a Leadership Model and the Three Hands philosophy, which empower individuals’ growth and support internal transformation. Learn how these approaches create an inclusive working environment and drive high performance. 
• Learning & Development – Delve into the TCS’s innovative continuous learning culture, designed to empower employees to drive their own career development. Explore the diverse ecosystem featuring various learning formats, democratizing skills and talent, which ensures individuals are not just ready for roles, but are future-ready for evolving careers.  
• Rewards & Recognition – Discover SAP’s internal Compensation Assistant Tool launched in April 2022, allowing employees in India to view their pay-range. This initiative has significantly boosted employee engagement and trust, clarified compensation paths, dispelled misperceptions about rewards, and reinforced the fairness and equity of decision-making processes within SAP

These are just a few examples of the invaluable insights you will find in the ebook. Download your copy today to unlock a world of innovative HR practices and transformative ideas that will help you excel in the dynamic field of human resources. 

Personalisation in 2023: How the Employee Experience Will Be Impacted by Increasing Personalisation at Work across Asia-Pacific



 “What we realised is that we can’t design a programme without involving our employees. All of our organisations’ initiatives are crafted in partnership with our employees,” said Rashmi Raghuraja, Senior HR Consultant at SAP India, during one of our Top Employers Inspire sessions.

This partnership with employees in crafting employee experiences is synonymous with achieving a more personalised approach. This particular trend of involving employee groups in the design of the organisation and work can be seen in 87.6% of Top Employers in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2023, companies of all sizes are actively competing to not only attract and retain top talent but also to cultivate a work culture that empowers employees to unleash their full potential, and this is synonymous with the emphasis on involving employees in shaping their experiences.

Recognising that employees are the heart of any successful company, businesses are embracing a collaborative approach to work. The inclusion of employees in shaping various initiatives not only boosts engagement but also results in a more compelling and meaningful work environment. While competitive salaries and benefits remain fundamental, the emphasis is now on fostering a culture of co-creation, where employees feel valued and have a sense of ownership in the organisation’s progress. This paradigm shift marks a critical evolution in the way companies view their workforce, placing employee well-being and fulfilment at the core of their strategies.

A Paradigm Shift in the Post-Pandemic Workplace

In the post-pandemic world, a period of reflection has allowed employees to identify what truly matters to them. In response, employers have been compelled to become increasingly innovative in their efforts to attract, develop, and retain their top talent. As the employee experience takes centre stage as a critical differentiator, personalisation emerges as the key to its success.

Notably, one of the most significant trends in the APAC region is the substantial growth in employee involvement in engagement action plans, rising to an impressive 84% compared to 75% in the previous year (2022). This means that employees are actively participating in the development of action plans through engagement in employee focus groups and sounding boards. Moreover, they are regularly consulted to ensure alignment on progress and ensure the plans’ effectiveness and relevance to their needs and aspirations.

This trend underlines the growing importance of involving employees insights in decision-making processes. In doing so, organisations in the APAC region are striving to create a work environment that truly resonates with and supports their valued employees.

Personalising the employee experience means understanding and catering to the unique needs, preferences, and aspirations of each employee. It involves tailoring well-being, training and development opportunities, work environment, and work-life balance to suit the individual. As observed in the World of Work Trends Report 2023, personalisation has become a necessity for organisations that want to create a productive workforce. And the role of digital and technology cannot be understated as it uses intuitive tech to personalise the experience. Our research among Top Employers worldwide shows that the Asia Pacific is leading the way in digital personalisation, with significantly wider implementation of practices, compared to the rest of the world.

What are the benefits of emphasising personalisation at work?

The personalisation of consumer needs has been a challenge for organisations for some years, and now employees expect to be treated as “internal” customers. The rise of individual employee needs will have much further to run in 2023 – what has been until now been “people-centric” will become “person-centric”. As such, organisations have been able to see a positive relationship between this personalisation and their employees ‘ experience of work.

We’ve seen a couple of examples of some of our Top Employers in Asia using personalisation to great effect in the workplace:

• Global and Regional Asia-Pacific Top Employer Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), for example, created a platform called Xcelerate – a career guidance management platform that generates a personalised learning path based on an employee’s current skill sets and desired career trajectory. The platform provides career insights, including learning paths of employees in desired roles, competency gap analysis, and engagement indexes.
• SABIC, certified as a regional APAC Top Employer, uses a platform called Percipio that uses AI to personalise the learning experience of employees, as well as improve the individuals’ efficiency and effectiveness of the learning process.

Top Employers are not personalising employee experience just for the sake of it. Personalising the employee experience offers a diverse array of benefits that span various aspects of the organisation:

• Personalisation helps organisations create a positive work culture. By prioritising the unique needs of each individual employee, organisations foster a culture of belonging and inclusivity. Organisations that personalise their employees ‘ well-being and communication efforts will be able to see a noticeable improvement in their overall company culture. That is because employees who feel seen and appreciated are more likely to stay with the organisation and refer others to join. This can help reduce turnover and recruitment costs while also improving the quality of candidates. Employee involvement plays a pivotal role in personalisation, as the more involved an employee is, the more personalisation can be tailored to certain programs. There has been a noticeable trend among Top Employers in the APAC region, who have 72% of employees involved in designing well-being initiatives, as opposed to 58% in 2022. This trend reflects the growing emphasis on personalisation in the workplace, as organisations recognise its positive impact on employee satisfaction, wellness, and retention.

• Another benefit of personalisation is increased employee engagemen This is especially important as many organisations struggle to keep engagement rates high as they find new ways of working after the upheaval of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Prioritising employee experience is relevant for all companies because when employees feel seen, heard, and valued, they are more likely to be invested in their work and the organisation. Engaged employees are also more likely to be motivated, productive, and willing to go above and beyond for the company. This can lead to higher quality work, increased attraction of new employees, and increased retention of talented employees for prolonged periods.
• However, it’s concerning that less than 50% of Top Employers in the Asia-Pacific have an employee listening strategy in place, despite its crucial role in fostering a culture of openness, trust, and employee empowerment. Implementing an effective employee listening strategy is essential for organisations to understand their employees’ needs, concerns, and aspirations, enabling them to make informed decisions, boost engagement, and drive long-term success.
• Another benefit of personalisation is improved performance management. Personalised feedback and coaching can help employees identify areas for growth and development, leading to improved job satisfaction and career growth. By personalising training and development opportunities, organisations can also help employees acquire the skills they need to succeed in their roles, leading to improved job performance. This is seen as an important factor for Top Employers in Asia, where 83% of Top Employers’ performance management approach allows for variation in philosophy, process, and timing to cater to the needs of different target audiences and/or business needs – recognising the need for personalisation of performance management.
• Lastly, another benefit of personalisation is an improved sense of autonomy for the employee. Personalising an employee’s ability to choose where they work from, whether that is fully from home, always in the office, or hybrid, allows employees to feel that their organisations trust them to do their best work. That feeling of trust is important as it allows employees to feel as though they are not only a part of a company but rather that they are a trusted member of the organisation. Additionally, allowing employees to personalise their work schedule gives employees a chance to work when they are at their best rather than the traditional 9-5.

What makes for a great personalised experience for employees?

When it comes to increasing personalisation at work, we can see that certified Top Employers are leading the pack. If we look at how Top Employers personalise the employee experience, the answer is clear. They embrace conversations with employees and allow them to choose and shape their experiences. Personalisation is used most prominently in the evolution of flexible working practices, including remote and hybrid working, in Top Employers’ offerings in well-being, compensation & benefits initiatives. And in the development processes, especially careers, onboarding, and leadership development.

The growing availability of a highly digital employee experience creates the opportunity for a far greater degree of personalisation. This personalisation does not need to start from when the employee is hired, but for many organisations, it can incorporate personalisation from the talent attraction stage.

Winning the Battles for Talent

How technology and digital tools can assist in personalising the employee experience

The widespread use of technology is being put at the service of employees, with the data it provides used to act and improve each employee’s experience. IT systems used by organisations must be designed around the needs of employees if it is to contribute positively to their experience. In 2023, 89% of Top Employers in Asia Pacific conduct regular assessments of HR technology (compared to 83% globally), and 83% of Top Employers in APAC are personalising their HR technology (compared to 78% globally). There should be regular assessments of HR technology to make sure that any features that remain unused or do not contribute to the user experience are removed, with employees given the power to self-manage, control, and edit their environment based on their preferences.

Technology is being leveraged to collect and analyse data, enabling organisations to act and enhance each employee’s journey. Top Employer SABIC exemplifies this by utilising AI to create personalised HR technology experiences. To learn more about how SABIC uses AI to optimise employee experiences, check out the dedicated article on this topic.

While technology and digital HR are key drivers of personalisation, neither of them provides a guarantee of a great personalised employee experience. Organisations and their leaders, along with individual employees, will still need to define a clear vision for the role of digital HR for the whole organisation. We can already see this for certified Top Employers as 78% of them have a vision of the role of digital HR in the overall employee experience.

When the vision and direction are clear, the hard work on the employee experience begins. Organisations will need to go through the employee’s entire journey map, from the latter’s perspective. In 2023, we will see a commitment to detailed employee journey mapping in order to leverage the employee experience.

Employee journey mapping is a valuable tool for continuous improvement. It highlights all the touchpoints and experiences an employee will go through, designed from their subjective experience, alongside the information the organisation collects from various channels. The aim is to trigger a process of continuous improvement at every stage and across an employee’s digital and non-digital experience.

How Top Employers around the world are prioritising digital personalisation

Our research among certified Top Employers worldwide shows that the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions are leading the way in digital personalisation, with significantly wider implementation of practices, compared to the rest of the world. This fits with other more widely available data showing an accelerated investment in digitalisation when compared globally.

There have been two factors at work here. Firstly, in the drive to mitigate the adverse impacts of the pandemic, many businesses adopted digital technologies rapidly, effectively creating a digital “Big Bang”. Secondly, for a young and tech-savvy workforce, the expectation of a flexible and personalised digital experience has become a priority for their everyday employee experience.

Final Thoughts

Personalising the employee experience will be crucial for organisations worldwide in 2023. It helps create a happy and engaged workforce, a positive work culture, and improved performance management. Organisations that invest in personalisation will have a better chance of attracting and retaining top talent, driving innovation, and achieving long-term success. In 2023, the Asia-Pacific region will witness a surge in personalising the employee experience, with certified Top Employers leading the way in embracing collaborative approaches and involving employees in shaping initiatives. Leveraging digital technologies, such as AI-driven solutions, companies like Tata Consultancy Services and SABIC are tailoring learning paths and optimising HR technology to cater to individual needs.

This employee-centric approach yields benefits like a positive work culture, increased engagement, improved performance management, and a sense of autonomy. To succeed in this transformative era, organisations must define a clear vision for digital HR’s role and focus on detailed employee journey mapping for continuous improvement.

Find out today what it means to become an employer of choice!

Prioritising Skilling and Upskilling Young People on World Youth Skills Day

By: Sinakho Dhlamini, HR Content Specialist, Top Employers Institute 

Our current work landscape is changing more than ever with technological advancements, labour market shifts and more – the world of work has never been a more complex place to enter. A recent study by McKinsey showed that 90% of employers will require significantly different skill sets in 2030 than before. And while young people are more able to access information from across the internet and the world, the skills gap has never been wider. 

World Youth Skills Day was initiated by the United Nations in 2014 when they saw a growing need to support young people to be prepared for a world of work as they grow into a changing employment landscape. By doing this work, enlightened organisations will be able to positively impact the youth of today and the youth that are still to come. 

In this article, we will explore what organisations can do to support young people as they prepare to enter the world of work? And how can they show their commitment to skilling the youth of the future, and what are Top Employers doing? 

World Youth Skills Day and Positive Impact  

One of the trends we identified in the World of Work Trends Report 2023 was that organisations were finally making a clear commitment to ‘positive impact’ as it became the -new North Star for everything that enlightened businesses to do in 2023. In the report, which is available for download now, we broke down this trend into three parts: 

1. A “a ‘lived” purpose works best when it comes straight from the heart of all those who work there – and remains a constant in their everyday decisions. 
2. Secondly, the purpose of any organisation can only ever be as good as the views it allows itself to hear. So enlightened attitudes to diversity and inclusion are not only imperative for the positive impact and momentum they create in all organisations. 
3. Finally, sustainability is critical in how an organisation ensures its continuity through a positive broader impact and in how it behaves as a good employer. 

On World Youth Skills Day, we can see how this trend aligns with the importance of businesses in skilling today’s youth, especially as the barrier to entry for work only gets more difficult for young people. 

The UN encourages us to unite in recognising the potential of young people as catalysts for change by committing to providing them with the skills needed to build a sustainable and prosperous future for all as we celebrate this World Youth Skills Day and for organisations, it is vital to understand the role that they can play in creating this future. 

How Organisations Can Work to Skill Young People 

While many organisations have begun committing themselves to creating a better world, many still need to learn precisely what they can do to have the positive impact they would like. Still, large and small businesses have the unique opportunity to contribute to improving the workspace for young people. Some of the ways that they can do that include: 

• Establishing training programmes, like boot camps or in-school programmes. 
• Partnering with charities and other organisations that are committed to educating young people. 
• Forming Coaching, training and mentor programmes aimed at young people who have yet to enter the workforce. 
• Establishing apprenticeship programmes. 
• Funding scholarships at universities and schools. 
• Create project-based learning opportunities and programmes for young people. 

UST’s Partnership with Tech She Can 

During Top Employers Inspire 2023, UST recently shared details of their partnership with Tech She Can. Tech She Can is a charity committed to changing the ratio of women in technology; they do this by providing free resources to help inspire young women to study technology subjects and inevitably choose a career in a technology field. While they focus on young women, they also work with all kinds of young people to feel inspired to choose a tech career. They do this by connecting them to relatable role models working in the jobs they may consider for themselves. 

Certified Top Employer, UST, has partnered with Tech She Can as they want to play a role in having more representation for young women in tech. During UST’s session in Top Employers Inspire, Seena Mohan noted that ‘It is important to inspire women and girls to get into tech careers so they can become equals in creating and developing new technology businesses to shape our future.’ 

Final Thoughts 

On this year’s World Youth Skills Day, we encourage businesses to commit proactively to skilling the youth of today and the young who will follow them. They need to do this by addressing their challenges and supporting or creating programmes and initiatives that seek to upskill young people for the changing world of work. Whether through their own initiative or if organisations need to leave a positive impact on the world beyond their offices’ walls. 

Businesses prioritising improving the world will see wins for themselves and their community. We can shape a better future together and create a future that doesn’t leave anyone behind. Find out to day what it means to be an employer of choice! 

Best Practice | How NTT DATA Colombia are Reassessing the Employee Value Proposition

By: Top Employers Institute 

NTT DATA Colombia has created a human-centric value proposition explaining what working at the organisation is like. Advocated by a clear Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that employees and potential candidates can understand the working experience and company brand. The EVP includes their corporate values and the company’s purpose and reflects professional benefits from the development model and personal benefits for the employees and their primary team. 

Read More: Purpose and Employee Experience Take Center Stage at the APAC Top Employers 2023 Certification Celebration in Singapore 

This is just a snapshot of NTT Colombia’s innovative best practice; you can find the entire practice on our HR Best Practices database, which is exclusively available to Top Employers. Get inspiration and insight into the approach, challenges and learnings experienced by certified Top Employers. Access it now or learn more about it here!  

Why was the practice needed?  

NTT DATA Colombia carried out an exercise to redefine its value proposition during the Covid-19 pandemic as it understood that employees deserved personalised and agile solutions. The organisation realised the market, habits, expectations, and lives of their current and prospective employees had changed. The company needed to better reflect their value to everyone encountering their organisation.  

For NTT DATA Colombia, this EVP helped define and communicate their framework of action, corporate culture, and values, plus delivered on their company purpose and leadership principles. They wanted to guarantee consistency between what they did and what they said.  

How the practice was implemented  

Through exercises such as focus groups, surveys, workshops and social listening, NTT DATA Colombia redefined their value proposition by finding convergent points based on their employees’ needs and personal purposes. The company then generated offers personalised according to the multiple archetypes they found.  

Some highlights of the new EVP:  

• One of the challenges was maintaining their employees’ closeness, contact and trust during the pandemic.  
• Perception studies, surveys, focus groups and social listening were used.  

Results  

• A new EVP adjusted to the needs of the employee and the market, which is flexible, personalised and diverse.  
• There has been a 23% increase in their staff, and the EVP has also helped develop both new talent and existing employees.  

Read More: Winning the Battle for Talent  

In 2023 we published the World of Work Trends Report 2023, which identified how the employee experience would become more personalised. In the post-pandemic world, employees have had a chance to reflect on what truly matters to them. And their employers have had to become increasingly inventive to get, grow and keep their very best people. 

Only businesses that work hard to provide a genuine and heartfelt commitment to a personalised experience will generate the emotional reaction necessary to create a high-performance culture, align purpose, vision and values and develop new leadership capabilities. 

Learn more about the impact of this personalisation by downloading the World of Work Trends 2021 Report now for free.  

Becoming LGBTQ+ Allies: Going Beyond DEI Initiatives for Pride Month

By Sinakho Dhlamini, HR Content Specialist, Top Employers Institute 

Over the past several years, organisations have used Pride month to begin, reinvent or sharpen up their DEI efforts for members of the LGBTQ+. But it only happens once a year; for many people, more is needed beyond this concentration of action once a year. Instead, organisations will need to become active allies for the LGBTIQ+ community throughout the year by creating an inclusive environment at work. The work of becoming an active ally to support co-workers of the LGBTQ community involves more than just celebration, and this article will examine some of the ways businesses can show their commitment to not only raising awareness for the rights of the community but also to prioritise equal rights. 

What is an ally? 

In a few words, we can understand that being an LGBTQ+ ally means actively supporting and advocating for the rights, dignity, and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. In the workplace, being an ally involves creating an inclusive and accepting environment where LGBTQ+ colleagues can feel safe, valued, and respected. 

Read More: Best Practice | Count Me In: Diversity & Inclusion at Mitie 

5 Ways organisations empower their employees to be allies for the LGBTQ+ Community. 

1. Develop and Enforce Inclusive Policies and Practices: Policies protecting LGBTQ+ employees from discrimination and harassment are essential for organisations, including and supporting community employees. That can be done by ensuring inclusive language in company communications and having policies that ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals have equal opportunities for career advancement, promotion, and leadership roles. Organisations must set the tone for their employees, which requires action and intention. 
2. Provide Education and Training: Organisations must provide comprehensive education and training on LGBTQ+ issues, terminology, and experiences. That can be done by offering workshops, seminars, or online resources to increase employee awareness and understanding. The education should cover topics such as LGBTQ+ history, intersectionality, and the challenges faced by the community. Educating employees on issues like this will teach them to listen, respect and look at their prejudices – helping them become better allies to their co-workers. 
3. Create Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Establishing LGBTQ+ employee resource groups or affinity networks within the organisation to help create a safe space for discussion. These groups provide a safe and supportive space for LGBTQ+ employees and their allies to connect, share experiences, and collaborate on initiatives that promote inclusion. Organisations can support these groups by allocating resources, budget, and executive sponsorship. 
4. Leadership Support: Leaders and managers should openly support LGBTQ+ employees and allyship efforts. They should set the tone by demonstrating inclusive behaviours, including using inclusive language and addressing any discrimination or bias in the organisation. Leadership support helps create a culture of acceptance and sets expectations for the entire organisation. 
5. Establish Feedback and Listening Channels: Establish feedback mechanisms where employees can provide suggestions, voice concerns, or share their experiences related to LGBTQ+ inclusion. Actively listen to employee feedback and make necessary improvements based on their input; this demonstrates that the organisation values employee perspectives and is dedicated to continuous improvement. 

Read More: Key Takeaways: Embedding Systemic Inclusion with Tata Consultancy Services 

Why is it important for Organisations to Support the LGBTQ+ Community? 

Supporting the LGBTQ+ community promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the organisation. Embracing and celebrating differences, including sexual orientation and gender identity, fosters a sense of belonging among all employees. In addition, when employees feel valued for who they are, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, it increases employee morale, engagement, and productivity. 

It also has additional benefits, including: 

• Attracting and Retaining Talent: Creating a supportive environment for the LGBTQ+ community helps attract and retain diverse talent, especially in the current competitive job market, where many candidates actively seek organisations prioritising inclusivity and equality. 
• Employee Wellbeing and Mental Health: Supporting the LGBTQ+ community directly contributes to the wellbeing and mental health of LGBTQ+ employees. Employees who feel supported, accepted, and respected experience reduced stress and anxiety levels. 
• Brand Image and Reputation: Organisations that champion LGBTQ+ rights and inclusivity contribute to building a positive brand image and reputation. Consumers, clients, and stakeholders increasingly expect businesses to prioritise diversity and social responsibility. 
• Social Impact and Corporate Social Responsibility: Organisations can make a positive social impact by supporting the LGBTQ+ community. By actively engaging in initiatives, sponsorships, and partnerships that promote LGBTQ+ rights and equality, companies can contribute to broader social progress.  

Final Thoughts

June is a time for celebration, but, more importantly, it is a time to raise awareness for LGBTQ+ people and educate people to become effective allies in the community. It is only one month, but the issues are significant throughout the year. Organisations should use June to be more active in communicating their policies and initiatives, but it should have already been a part of their people practices strategy. It is also critical to allow LGBTQ+ people the space to become powerful voices while their friends and coworkers support them by taking action to become an ally. 

Make inclusion a part of your organization, get in touch for free to become an employer of choice!

Balancing AI and Human Expertise in HR: Insights from SABIC India and Top Employers Institute



Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly growing in various industries, including HR. While AI technology offers numerous benefits, such as increased efficiency and reduced bias, it raises concerns about the lack of personal touch. In a recent LinkedIn Live event, Preet Boparai, Head of HR for India, at SABIC and Billy Elliott, Regional Director for APAC at Top Employers Institute, discussed the emerging use of AI in HR and the importance of maintaining a balance between AI and human expertise.  The webinar explored examples of how AI has proven beneficial and the potential downsides of relying solely on technology. The session also provided insights into how SABIC India leverages AI while retaining the human element in HR operations. Here are some key learnings from the session: 

Read ahead to get a snapshot of some of the session’s highlights; fill in the form to get the recording of the webinar to watch whenever you have a moment.  

Balancing the Benefits and Concerns of AI in Human Resources: The Need for Human Oversight and Intervention 

Using AI tools in HR has proven successful in saving time and effort. For example, AI tools have proven successful in recruitment by saving time and effort for recruiters and offering personalised feedback to candidates. These tools employ natural language processing and facial analysis technology to evaluate the fit of candidates for job positions. However, a critical issue with AI tools in recruitment is the potential for bias and discrimination. In a notable case, a recruitment tool demonstrated a preference for male candidates over female candidates. Therefore, it is necessary to have human oversight and intervention to ensure that algorithms are not giving biased results. 

SABIC Shows How AI Tools Can Help HR in Employee Engagement and Retention 

SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals, has harnessed the power of AI to enhance employee engagement and retention. Here are some ways they’ve implemented it: 

• Development of a chatbot for employee experience: SABIC developed an advanced chatbot called Amber, which has proved invaluable during the pandemic. It acted as a seamless two-way communication tool, promoting connection and dialogue by regularly seeking feedback from SABIC employees about their experiences working in an evolving, flexible environment. The chatbot is used to identify disengaged employees and those who are at risk of leaving. By proactively identifying these employees, SABIC has been able to retain them, thereby reducing its attrition rate. However, SABIC also emphasised the importance of informing employees about the tool and ensuring that conversations between employees and HR are confidential. 
• Gathering feedback from employees: SABIC has also used AI tools to gather employee feedback during the COVID-19 pandemic. This feedback was used to launch SABIC Care, a flexible employee health benefits plan.  

• Personalised learning journeys: SABIC also uses Percipio, a platform that offers a range of courses and content for employees to upskill and reskill themselves. This platform uses AI to personalise the learning experience and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the learning process. 

Balancing AI and Human Intelligence 

While AI tools can provide valuable insights and baseline information, SABIC emphasised the importance of involving human intelligence in decision-making. The solutions SABIC created were well thought through and catered to the entire organisation. SABIC also recognised that AI tools are not infallible and that there may be instances where the predictions made by these tools need to be corrected. Therefore, the company has created a feedback loop where human intelligence can correct and improve the accuracy of AI tools. 

Fostering Collaboration Between AI and Humans in the Workplace: HR’s Vital Role 

In today’s fast-paced, technologically driven world, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that machines and algorithms can do everything better than humans. However, as we rely increasingly on artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, it’s essential to remember the value of the human touch. Recent studies have shown that many employees negatively perceive their HR departments. Some don’t even know who their HR representative is, while others don’t trust that any action will be taken if they report a concern, such as harassment or discrimination. With the increasing use of digital tools, this gap between HR and employees could widen further. 

However, the solution isn’t to eliminate AI and go back to the days of paper forms and in-person meetings. Instead, HR departments need to remember that technology should be used to enhance and support human interaction, not replace it entirely. The key is to maintain honest and meaningful conversations with employees. This means closing the loop and letting employees know what actions are being taken in response to their concerns, even if the news isn’t always positive. No amount of technological advancement or process improvement can replace regular communication and connection between HR and employees. 

Ultimately, the best approach is to view AI and humans as a united team working together to empower the future of the workplace. It’s up to us to take responsibility for making positive changes and not depend solely on technology to solve all our problems. 

Best Practice | Count Me In: Diversity & Inclusion at Mitie



Mitie’s Count Me In learning and development programme is aimed at challenging the way colleagues think about diversity and inclusion, while stimulating healthy conversation. The programme was developed based on feedback from Mitie colleagues regarding their experiences with inclusion.

This is just a snapshot of Mitie’s innovative best practice; you can find the full practice on our HR Best Practices database that is exclusively available to Top Employers. Get inspiration and insight into the approach, challenges and learnings experienced by certified Top Employers. Access it now or learn more about it here!

Why was the practice needed?    

When certified Top Employer, Mitie Group, created a new Head of Diversity and Inclusion they saw an opportunity to step beyond traditional unconscious bias training for a more mindful approach to issues around D&I. After receiving employee feedback that showed a need for the organisation to focus more on the needs of women in the workplace, race and ethnicity, disability, sexuality, and age-diversity. These were all issues that fall under the umbrella term of diversity and inclusion.

In 2021, against the backdrop of the company’s recent merger with Interserve, the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, Mitie’s Count Me In programme was able to deeply connect their people to each other. The aim of the programme was to not only understand their own company culture but also the culture of their employees and the challenges that are brought with different cultures. The programme also wanted to try and represent all these different cultures and people in their company story.

How was the practice implemented?

Mitie wanted to challenge the way that their people think with their Count Me In programme by encouraging them to have authentic and open conversations. Most importantly, Mitie wanted to create an environment where every employee felt able to bring their authentic and whole self to work. To meet these goals, they designed the programme as a journey of growth that would happen over four phases:

1. Count on Me: starting point in which employees look at their own strengths and biases.
2. Count on Us: this phase focuses on team culture and provides the opportunity for teams to create an environment of trust and empathy in which colleagues feel safe to speak up.
3. Count on Mitie: as part of an inclusive organisation all employees feel a sense of belonging.
4. Count on the Future: the Count Me In initiative continues to support and encourage an inclusive culture as well as to ensure that ED&I strategies remain in focus going forward.

Across the programme, Count Me In covered the following topics:

• Assumptions and bias
• Strengths and superpowers
• What is and isn’t ok to say
• Banter
• Inclusive conversations
• Conscious Inclusion
• Building relationships
• Allyship
• D&I basics
• Speaking up
• Inclusive leadership behaviours

The first two phases of the programme encouraged employees to reflect on their own understanding of diversity and inclusion while developing new awareness around it. While doing this they also worked on creating an environment that was safe for everyone to speak up in. The programme was not designed to be stagnant. Instead Mitie carefully constructed the training to be continuously developed over time with new training developed on further feedback from employees at the organisation.

When the programme progressed the focus shifted from internal reflection to ensuring that the organisation had a culture of psychological safety that allowed them to speak up and speak out.

The programme was not only limited to non-executive employees, but rather it extended into leadership levels with reverse mentoring and training to help manage escalations. Throughout the programme employees were helped to identify people that they could reach out to for various types of help. Management needed to be prepared for conversations that required the highest level of care and consideration.

While this was happening, the Executive Leadership and Group Leadership teams pledged their commitment to the overarching objective of the programme, which was to create an environment of inclusion throughout the organisation where each person feels comfortable in being themselves at work. In all of the leadership meetings at Mitie D&I is a standing topic with quantifiable metrics for follow-up and measurement across the company.

To learn more about how they implemented the programme you can find this practice on our HR Best Practice database. Access it now or learn more about how to become part of a global network of employers of choice!

Results of implementing Count Me In.

The programme’s first activity was an online self-assessment was completed by over 6 000 people at Mitie. It was followed by ‘Let me tell you a story…’ during which over 4 000 participants listened to a story being told before they were asked to answer questions designed to illuminate biased assumptions about the characters.

After the programme was implemented across Mitie they found:

• Over 24 000 employees have engaged with some or all the learning activity.
• Average NPS across all activities is 99%.
• Over 17 000 inclusivity commitments have been made by employees at all levels.

There were also several strategic benefits revealed by the programme:

• The number of colleagues registered in Mitie’s diversity networks grew fivefold. 
• Mitie continued to report their Gender Pay Gap and they voluntarily published their Ethnicity Pay Gap report.
• This initiative helped Mitie to become number 10 in the top 50 Inclusive Employers in the UK.
• Mitie has improved gender and racially diverse representation in senior leadership roles, 21% of Women and 8% of Racially Diverse.

To get more details about how Mitie made their Count Me In programme work find this practice on our HR Best Practice database. Access it now or learn more about it here!

Recruit, Retain and Return – ‘3Rs’ for International Women’s Day



International Women’s day, celebrated on 8^th March, shows us how far organisations have come in advancing the cause of women in the workplace, but it also demonstrates how far there is to go. This year’s campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity – and for good reason. Equality at work is no longer enough: different women are starting from different places, so true inclusion and belonging requires equitable action.

With this in mind, it’s encouraging that the UK’s Top Employers have made great strides over the last year. Over four in five (81%) of certified UK Top Employers now have dedicated programmes to empower women, an increase of 12% on the previous year.

The key for these businesses has not only been to advance opportunities for women facing their many different barriers to progress, but to do so in a way that spans the employee life cycle. This means from the moment they are recruited, to the actions taken to retain them and in ways to enable their return at key moments in their careers.

Recruit

Empowerment of women begins with the hiring process. Numerous studies identify unconscious bias at specific touch points throughout the recruitment and candidate journey, starting with technology. This bias doesn’t only affect women, but when it comes to gender it has been recognised and acted upon. Many changes are being implemented to ensure female top talent isn’t being missed in the recruitment process. For example, certified UK Top Employer East Midlands Railway, amongst others, is using “anonymous” recruitment techniques within the recruitment process to remove any possibility of unconscious bias among hiring managers.

Retain

Women can thrive through sponsorship networks. UK Top Employer Group M recently introduced its first Sponsorship programme which brought senior leaders together with underrepresented high performing talent from minority ethnic backgrounds. These leaders acted as sponsors, helping the participants to move through to promotion and Senior Leadership. The first cohort completed their 18-month programme in 2022. Women made up half those being sponsored, with 57% winning promotion. A further 10% moved into a new role or gained greater responsibility whilst also building contacts, skills, confidence, and a career path towards promotion.

Later this year, the business will launch its second Sponsorship programme, focussing on a wider group of underrepresented talent, specifically targeting areas of improvement identified from its gender pay gap analysis. Complementing this will be a Women in Leadership programme and a Mentorship programme, creating equitable ways forward for women at every level of their career.

Return

The challenges for helping women return to work are particularly acute in businesses relying on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills. UK Top Employer Virtusa has implemented its Disha programme; a successful initiative that welcomes women back to business after career breaks.

Disha is a training capsule that includes a blend of technical and soft skills, in the form of workshops led by leadership and industry leaders. After a week-long training period, participants are invited to present their solutions to a hypothetical business problem, to assess their knowledge and cultural fit. Participants of the workshop are then given the opportunity to interview for open roles at Virtusa. In January 2023, Virtusa completed its fourth edition of this programme, held for the first time at Virtusa UK, and the organisation is looking to extend the initiative to other regions.

These 3Rs from these and many other UK Top Employers give business organisations a strategic way forward in the drive to #EmbraceEquity for women at every stage of the employee lifecycle.

If you would like to find out more about how your organisation can become a Top Employer click here. 

Purpose and Employee Experience Take Center Stage at the APAC Top Employers 2023 Certification Celebration in Singapore



Top Employers from 22 Asia Pacific countries gathered at the ST Regis in Singapore on February 9 to celebrate their Top Employer 2023 Certification. This annual event recognises the commitment of these companies’ HR teams to create a world-class HR environment.  

In his keynote talk, Billy Elliott, Regional Director for Asia-Pacific Top Employers Institute, shared that 22 Asia Pacific countries were honoured as Top Employers. These countries, including China, India, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Philippines, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar, have companies that have created and implemented best in class HR strategies and practices. This has resulted in a positive impact on the lives of approximately 2,574,089 employees. 

The companies recognised as Regional APAC Top Employers (for having been certified in a minimum of five countries in region) were UST, Sanofi, SABIC, Novartis, Airbus, Worldline, and Ingredion. The companies recognised as Global and Regional Top Employers were Alstom, BAT, Boehringer Ingelheim, CHEP, DHL Express, HCLTech, DHL Global Forwarding, Infosys, JTI, Pepsico, Phillip Morris International, Puma, Saint-Gobain, Takeda, and TCS. 

With both regional and global companies recognised as Top Employers, it is evident that creating a positive employee experience is a top priority for many organizations, which was the focus of the first panel discussion held:  

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Employee Experience becomes Super-Personalised 

The importance of personalising employee experience has become a critical focus area for organizations. To better understand this topic, a panel discussion was held with three leading HR executives – Sanjiv Agarwal, Head of Human Resources at Swiss Re, Satish Kannan, Vice President & Head HR of Global Markets, Europe & MEA at Infosys, and Patricia Lam, HR Director and APAC HR Performance & Integration at Alstom and moderated by Ammara Naeem, Head of Client Success at Top Employers Institute. Here are some key takeaways from the discussion.  

• Employee experience covers the entire employee journey – During the panel discussion on employee experience, Sanjiv of Swiss RE emphasised that the concept of employee experience and morale is not new, but rather something that has always existed in the workplace. Employee experience encompasses all aspects of the employee’s journey, from the moment they apply to the company to their experience during the interview process and throughout their time with the organization. Employee experience should not be solely driven by HR but should be considered a part of the organization’s culture.  
• Three drivers for an employee experience framework – Satish of Infosys discussed three key drivers for their employee experience framework, which include adapting to a hybrid work model, leveraging technology for a unified experience, and creating an inclusive culture. To measure digital maturity of talent, they introduced the “Digital Quotient,” which involves building competency, gaining exposure, and delivering value, with scores for each component. This approach allows employees to customize their digital career journey by identifying learning and product opportunities to improve their scores. 
• The importance of consistency in employee experience – In the discussion, Patricia of Alstom emphasized the importance of consistency in employee experience and how to achieve it through digitalization. They have established a global learning organization and a digital platform that provides various learning opportunities for employees to drive their career development. Patricia also highlights a digital career path portal that allows employees to assess their competencies and match them with available jobs in the organization.  

Purpose, Straight from the Heart 

The second panel, “Purpose, Straight from the Heart,” brought together three HR leaders from major multinational corporations to discuss the importance of purpose-driven organizations in today’s business landscape. Kelly Tay, Head of Talent Leadership Organization for Southeast Asia and South Korea at Boehringer Ingelheim, Meng Hwee Teoh, Asia Talent Head at Sanofi, and Fred Barou, Senior Vice President of Customer Success Management at Amadeus. Here are the key takeaways. 

During the opening statement of the Purpose, Straight from the Heart panel, the audience was presented with a provocative statement – “Purpose is fluff not much action” – and asked to agree or disagree. The results were unexpected, with 37% of the audience agreeing and the rest disagreeing. The panellists went on to discuss the implications of this divide and how organizations can move beyond seeing purpose as a mere buzzword and translate it into concrete actions. Here are key takeaways of that panel discussion:  

• Connecting Individual and Organizational Purpose for Employee Engagement – Meng Hwee Teoh from Sanofi discussed how the company’s purpose statement, “to chase the miracles of science, to improve the lives of our people, the communities and our own employees,” is not just a plaque on the wall, but a rally call for employees to live out in their everyday lives. Before launching the purpose statement, the company identified behaviours that are important to gear towards the purpose and set up a set of “play to win” behaviours. Additionally, the company redefined performance to help employees focus on areas where they could create an impact and linked it closely to the employee’s everyday life.  
• Communicating Purpose to Customers and Employees – Fred, a commercial leader from Amadeus, a B2B travel and tourism company, spoke about the challenge of effectively communicating the company’s purpose to customers and ensuring that employees can connect with it daily. The company’s original purpose was to “shape the future of travel,” which has since been updated to “create better journeys for everyone,” reflecting the company’s commitment to opening travel to everyone and improving the travel experience. The purpose serves as a guiding principle for employees and creates a sense of connection to the company’s mission, particularly during the pandemic when the travel industry was severely impacted.  
• Purpose is not just a one-time event or training – Kelly from Boehringer Ingelheim believes that purpose is about actions from the past, present, and future, and that it’s important to create events and opportunities for reflection in order to connect employees with the company’s purpose. As an example, during their “Valued Through Innovation Day,” they invited an artist to speak about how she uses her purpose to create art, and employees were given the opportunity to reflect on their own purpose and create artwork representing it as a team. This exercise helped employees connect emotionally with the company’s purpose and led to meaningful stories being shared. 

The Top Employer Certification is an important recognition for companies that care about their employees and are dedicated to and are dedicated to creating a better world of work for their people. The celebration of this achievement is a time to reflect on the hard work and dedication that went into achieving the certification, as well as a time to recognise the accomplishments of the HR teams. If you are interested in becoming a Top Employer and and participating in this year’s Certification Programme, get in touch with the APAC Top Employers Institute team at apac@top-employers.com. 

Boosting Morale by Giving Back with CPFL Energy

CPFL Energy Fosters Goodwill by Creating a Sustainability Plan 

Giving back is an important part of a company’s presence in a local community and, for larger companies, the world at-large. Charity work improves a company’s image, creates a better place to live and work for employees and local residents alike, and fosters a sense of goodwill. With so many worthy causes, companies often focus their philanthropic efforts on an issue that resonates with their services, mission, and values. For CPFL Energy, a Certified Top Employer, that cause is climate change.

CPFL Energy is the largest energy company in South America. Headquartered in Campinas, Brazil the company was founded in 1912 and operations are supported by 13 000 employees. Their focus is on the distribution, generation, and commercialization of energy services to over 10 million addresses, which represents more than 22 million people.

The company recently implemented a Strategic Sustainability Plan with 15 commitments and an investment of R$1.8 billion from 2020 – 2024. CPFL’s plan is fully aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainability Goals. Some of their goals include maintaining at least 95% renewable energy sources in their generation portfolio, reducing greenhouse gas emissions – which they did by 24% in 2020, and generating carbon credits by assisting consumers’ energy transition with decarbonization and energy efficient solutions.

Three value pillars are the basis for CPFL’s sustainability plan: sustainable energies, smart solutions, and shared value. These values succinctly summarise how the company will focus its efforts on creating a smaller environmental footprint. It’s a clear way to share with both the global business community and the local community they serve how they are taking action.

In addition to the obvious benefits of combating climate change, this initiative contributes to greater employee cohesion and job satisfaction. Working for a company that gives back improves employee regard for company leadership and fosters a positive sense of connection.  Good morale is an important ingredient for successful operations and a giving back initiative is a great way to bolster it.

Rodolfo Nardez Sirol, CPFL’s Environmental and Sustainability Director, offers more detail about the company’s sustainability plan and what motivated them to devote so many company resources to it in this video. He describes how employees collaboratively developed the plan and what they are doing to keep up momentum. Check out the video to hear more about how CPFL finds fulfilment in giving back.