Meet the 2025 Top Employers: See what excellence looks like in 2025
Meet the 2025 Top Employers: See what excellence looks like in 2025
The world of work is ever-changing, but one constant remains, exceptional organisations lead with their people. We are thrilled to unveil the 2025 Top Employers and introduce you to the organisations setting the standard for excellent HR practices in 2025.
We are proud to announce that over 2,400 Top Employers have been Certified in 2025 across 125 countries and regions with over 13 million lives impacted. This recognition underscores these organisations’ commitment to fostering outstanding HR strategies and people practices globally.
As the global authority in recognising excellence in people practices, Top Employers Programme certifies organisations based on the results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers six HR domains and 20 topics, including People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Diversity and Inclusion, Wellbeing, and more.
The journey to become a Top Employer is no small feat. It requires a steadfast commitment to continuous improvement and a holistic approach to HR practices. The Certification Programme requires organisations to undergo a rigorous process that ensures that the most exceptional organisations’ commitment to excellence is reflected in their achievement of attaining their Top Employers Certification.
As we celebrate our 2025 Top Employers, David Plink our CEO has some words that expand on what this year’s Certified organisations embody: “Consistency in a not-so-consistent world? In a time of constant change—where technological, economic, and social shifts are ever-present—exceptional times bring out the best in people and organisations. This year’s Top Employers have showcased this strength, by demonstrating outstanding dedication to their employees. We are proud to celebrate these companies and their achievements in 2025.”
There are several approaches and recognition options available to potential Top Employers to ensure there’s a path to Certification for organisations of different structures, sizes, and geographic footprints. Those different paths are distinguished by different globally recognised Certification Seals that Top Employers can receive. The different Certification Seals include the Country/region Seal, Regional Seal, Global Seal and Enterprise Seal.
Global Top Employers are organisations that participate in a minimum number of countries (20 to 25 depending on several regional certifications) and regions (certified in three or four regions) including the global headquarters. Becoming a Global Top Employer signifies an organisation’s commitment to globally aligned excellent people practices.
These are the organisations that are globally Certified as leaders in HR for their outstanding HR strategies and people practices:
This is your chance to meet the organisations setting the new benchmark for 2025.
Discover the Top Employers Certification Programme and explore how we can enable your organisation with our data-led insights to stand out as an employer of choice.
Ready to start your Top Employers journey? Learn more about the benefits of becoming a Top Employer. Contact us now.
Employee-Centric Edge: Top Employers Institute’s Put-People-First Winning Strategy
Human Resource departments frequently consider how to attract and retain top talent. Top Employers Institute is no different. Paola Bottaro, People Director at Top Employers Institute, has found the most success by putting people first. Notably, the organisation is not alone in this endeavour. Taking a employee-centric approach to the workplace is a practice steadily gaining traction.
So, what does this move to a employee-centric model entail? During the 2023 Top Employers Inspire event, Paola and I discussed exactly that. I’ll share highlights of our discussion for companies interested in joining Top Employers Institute as a employee-centric organisation.
Employee-Centric approach: what does it mean?
Essentially, an employee-centric culture recognises and accepts that people are people. Organisations acknowledge that their employees are multifaceted individuals with lives beyond the office.
An employee-centric approach enables people to work in the best way that suits their needs and preferences, rather than requiring them to adhere to standard hours or procedures.
How Does a Employee-Centric Approach Work?
Employees at different phases of life, a new parent versus a recently hired university graduate, for example, will likely have very different preferences for the rhythm of their workday.
Allowing employees to determine their workday and workflow does not impact organisational results overall, yet it has a profound impact on each individual’s work experience.
If you give people trust, productivity and profits will follow
Trust is a critical component of making a employee-centric approach successful. Granting employees the ability to set their work dynamics, whether that involves unconventional hours or regular breaks, requires a high level of trust that employees will continue fulfilling their responsibilities to the best of their ability, even without constant supervision.
Employee-centricity: 5 best practice you need to follow
Although, trust is not everything. To make employee centricity the foundation of your people strategy, you need to equip your workforce with more than that.
Here are five best practice you need to follow to make your organizational culture employee-centric:
1. Tuning In: Listening to Employee Needs
To enhance engagement, consult employees directly through surveys and pulse checks. Regular feedback helps capture employee insights and identify areas for improvement. Stays interviews and exit interviews are also vital for understanding satisfaction and retention.
2. Flexibility as a Necessity in Today’s Workplace
Flexibility is no longer just an incentive; it’s a necessity. Companies should leverage HR analytics to explore hybrid work models, even if full autonomy isn’t feasible.
3. Embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Creating an inclusive culture is essential for success. Companies that support diverse employee groups often outperform their competitors and see stock market gains, especially during downturns. Engaged employees drive profitability through increased productivity.
4. Investing in Employee Well-Being
Promoting a workplace culture that prioritizes employee wellness results in more satisfied and efficient teams. A dedication to holistic well-being is shown through extensive health perks, indicating that employees are appreciated beyond their job functions. By providing benefits such as fitness allowances and adaptable schedules for medical appointments, companies can boost health and foster fairness.
Furthermore, encouraging a balanced work-life dynamic allows employees to handle personal responsibilities efficiently, thereby enhancing their contentment and productivity at work.
5. Creating the best Digital Employee Experience
The right technology is crucial for hybrid work success. Many employees report frustration with current digital tools, making it essential for facility managers to collaborate with IT. Creating the right digital employee experience is nowadays a must for organizational success.
Employee-Centric Approach: Inside Top Employers Institute Winning Strategy
For Paola’s team, realising that there was no one-size-fits-all solution for creating a great workplace was a turning point.
Reflecting on this moment, she shared, “We had a lot of conversations about what way of working would be best and we came to the conclusion that everyone is different, and we all need different things.
Who are we to decide what each individual needs?” They concluded that in an ideal workplace, everyone gets to define the best way to work for themselves.
Another turning point was adapting to a primarily remote workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. This transition was smoother than anticipated, and productivity remained very high. Paola elaborated on their observations, “Everyone was very responsible and wanted to perform well. Actually, I had to make sure people took care of themselves much more than making sure that they were doing their jobs.”
Seeing how well the company ran while employees worked remotely was a valuable lesson that built trust. Going forward, the company had complete confidence in allowing employees to decide how they want to work.
Top Employers Institute’s company culture fully embraces a human-centric approach with its three core values:
We are all professionals.
All professionals want to be successful.
We succeed when we achieve great things while taking care of our own wellbeing and each other.
That teams communicate about everyone’s needs and preferences is critical. As our conversation progressed, Paola gave a simple example that Top Employers Institute does not want employees to pretend to be available during traditional working hours if they are not.
She explained that this freedom also benefits managers, “They don’t have to think about motivating their teams anymore. The core belief is that all professionals are intrinsically motivated to be successful.” Transparency about who is doing what and trust in employees to fulfil their responsibilities improves operations.
Although trust and open communication are generally recognised as positive values, translating them into practical action can be a challenge because doing so requires a shift in mindset. Top Employers Institute, like many organisations, was forced to try a new way of working during the pandemic.
The success of this experiment gave management the confidence to use a employee-centric approach even after pandemic-related safety restrictions were lifted.
Organisations that have not had the opportunity to test drive a new working model may struggle with transitioning from employees coming into the office every day during the same hours to people working from home at hours of their choosing. Embracing the values of trust and open communication in new ways needs to happen at all levels of the organisation for a human-centric approach to truly succeed.
If an employee is not performing well, the first step is to have a conversation. “Success is defined not only by great results but also by people’s wellbeing, which is a responsibility and not something that can be left to chance,” said Paola.
Considering the complete picture of an employee’s life while navigating challenges is a central tenet of a human-centric approach.
What are the Benefits of a Employee- Centric Approach?
An employee-centric approach gives your workforce the best possible work life, which fosters loyalty and productivity.
It also creates great returns.
Through this approach, organisations can:
Attract talent
Improve retention, and
Foster a culture of growth and internal mobility.
These benefits contribute to a positive atmosphere and help a company’s bottom line by attracting and keeping top-tier talent.
Top Employers Institute is in the process of hosting workshops with employees to discuss both the company’s and individual employee’s values.
“The most important thing is that we left one open space in our company values for employees to fill. There are three company-wide values and the fourth is for each employee to fill with their personal value. It’s an opportunity for them to connect their personal values and sense of purpose to the company,” Paola said of the process.
Ultimately, a human-centric approach forges meaningful connections between a company and its workforce.
By giving people the autonomy to work in a way that suits their needs best, organisations reap great returns. This approach truly benefits both the company and its employees.
To learn more about Top Employers Institute’s journey to becoming a human-centric organisation and other best practice in human resources, get in touch with us today!
Sustainability is one of the primary issues on everyone’s minds, as we look to the future and try to avoid the consequences of what the world may look like if we do not make significant changes. While the topic of sustainability has been discussed in various circles, we are now at a time where we need to make actionable changes. And the importance of moving these conversations into reality has not escaped the world of work. Instead, they have fuelled HR leaders to become a significant partner in creating and implementing sustainability strategies within their organisations.
The Three Pillars of Sustainability
Sustainability is a multi-layered concept. It is focused on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. There are three pillars of sustainability that are most interesting to us these are: economic, environmental, and social. More informally these pillars are profit, planet, and people.
The weight of sustainability issues has been focused on the environment, for good reason, as we try to maintain nature around us but that is not the full picture of sustainability. We are realising the need to focus on the other pillars of profit and people. While focus on the sustainability of people is more obvious, as people are one of our greatest resources, we also need to consider how we create sustainable profit. Without a sustainable profit there is no future for a company.
The Impact of Sustainability on Businesses
In 2012 the United Nations published their 17 sustainability goals for the world to reach by 2030. These sustainability goals have impacted all levels – from large governments, to corporations, and the everyday citizen. In many companies they have translated those 17 goals into session level goals for their business activities. This comes at a time when it is also now mandatory for listed corporations to publish information about their environmental, social and governance (ESG) behaviours. Meaning that they are now being held accountable for the impact of their actions in terms of sustainability. Bringing the importance of enacting these practices higher than before.
The emphasis on sustainability in the world has impacted many aspects of business that were previously taken for granted as we see the emergence of a new kind of business. These businesses are public benefit corporations (PBC) where their primary focus is geared towards having a positive impact on society, their workers, the community and/or the environment. These aspects of their business are legally defined in addition to their other, more traditional, goal of maximising profit for their shareholders. These companies are embedding sustainability into all their businesses practices and while they have been set up to work in this way, we can still make changes in our existing businesses structures to achieve similar goals. HR teams will become a big part of more traditional businesses making this shift.
Corporate Social Responsibility versus Sustainability
As companies begin to embrace sustainability practices it is important to note what they have done previously and why their move to sustainable procedures will help them to secure their futures. Many businesses have been engaged in corporate responsibility practices, which has been focused on reporting what a business has done to contribute to the wider society. While this has created some good initiatives it has caused people to look backwards – rather than looking at future possibilities open to the company. It is also driven by the need to protect the reputations of the business in developed markets as the projects of the CSR are managed by communications teams.
This contrasts sustainability practices that are focused on looking towards what will happen next as they make plans that secure the future of their company. Some of the practices they may adopt as they lean into sustainability are centred around reducing waste, assuring supply chains, developing new markets, and building their brand. The driving force of sustainability is the need to create opportunities in emerging markets, and this work is managed by various players in the operations and marketing departments.
In simpler terms we can understand CSR as giving a man a fish, whereas sustainability is teaching a man to fish. One makes someone, or for businesses purposes something, reliant on you to be maintain the system while the other builds a system that can maintain itself.
HR’s Role in Sustainability
In our recent study around the practices of our Top Employers we saw that 92% of companies are making social responsibility an important building block of their business. For this many rely on engagement from their employees to make these goals actionable. This is one of the important places that HR will contribute to the overall goal of facilitating sustainable business practices. HR teams have always been focused on people and without their involvement in engaging the employees in the sustainability project, it would be nearly impossible to achieve the businesses’ sustainability goals.
When we talk about integrating sustainability practices into a business, we need to realise that it is a multi-layered process that is inclusive of other social responsibility components including CSR and ESG. The process also involves asking questions about whether the company is committed to enacting these changes, how will they involve employees in this process and how will it be communicated to them. Approaching it from this angle we can clearly see where HR plays a fundamental part in the sustainability goals of their organisations.
HR will be involved several pieces of the puzzle needed to help the sustainability goal. It will differ for each individual organisation, but some aspects that HR will be involved in are around facilitating conversations with employees and the board; defining a code of conduct; launching equity initiatives; and engaging with employees through training, competency models and leadership development. HR is crucial in aiding in the technological and cultural changes needed to help in the sustainability goals of their organisation.
While we have discussed some ways that HR will facilitate current employees to be involved in the greater sustainability project. It is key to acknowledge the role they will play in redefining their employer brand strategically. They will also have a hand in identifying and attracting new talent to the company.
HR and Sustainability: Final Thoughts
The need to make and meet sustainability goals is an issue that we are all juggling with as we look to building the future. It is a complex matter that concerns everyone. While we have taken a big picture approach to introducing the topic, it is one that we, and the Top Employers we work with, are making a concerted effort to expanding as we get closer to 2022 and beyond. Sustainability is not something that we can push to the next year, it is necessary to engage with it now.
HR analytics: what are and how to benefit from them
HR analytics is the practice of using data to inform HR decision-making.
Beyond the trends, prioritising employee experience is important to improve productivity, reduce turnover, and enhance satisfaction.
However, with so many factors contributing to employee experience, knowing where to focus your efforts can be challenging. This is where HR analytics can be helpful.
In this article, we will explore what are HR analytics and how your organization can benefit from them.
What are HR analytics?
HR analytics is the practice of using data to inform HR decision-making.
It involves gathering, analysing, and interpreting data related to HR metrics, such as employee engagement benefits, turnover rates, and compensation, to help organisations make more informed decisions.
Organisations can use HR analytics to identify trends and patterns and make data-driven decisions that can significantly impact employee experience.
What is the link between HR analytics and the employee experience?
HR analytics is pivotal in enhancing the employee experience by offering data-driven employee insights into every lifecycle stage. The employee experience encompasses all employee interactions with an organisation, from recruitment and onboarding to development, digital employee experience, performance management, and retention.
What are the benefits of HR Analytics
Some of the key benefits of implementing HR analytics are empowering businesses to make informed decisions, optimising operations, and enhancing employee experiences.
Let’s dive into each of them:
Provides objective data:
objective data can help HR leaders identify areas of the organisation where improving the employee experience is needed. For example, if data shows high employee turnover rates in a particular department, HR leaders can investigate the cause and take action to improve the situation.
Improved data-driven decision-making:
move from intuition-based decisions to evidence-based strategies. By analysing patterns in employee performance, engagement, and turnover, you can make more accurate decisions regarding hiring, promotions, and team management.
Improved talent acquisition:
Analytics can identify the most effective recruitment channels and strategies, helping you target suitable candidates faster. To optimise your recruitment process, you can assess candidate quality, time-to-hire, and cost-per-hire factors.
Employee retention and engagement:
By analysing trends in employee satisfaction surveys, turnover rates, and performance data, you can identify at-risk employees and take proactive steps to boost engagement and reduce turnover, saving costs associated with rehiring and retraining.
Enhanced workforce planning:
You can anticipate skill shortages and succession plans and align workforce capabilities with long-term business strategies.
Optimised learning and development programmes:
with analytics, you can evaluate the effectiveness of training programs and identify skills gaps across your workforce. This enables the design of tailored learning programs that align with individual and organisational goals.
Cost reduction:
Track and optimise labour costs, identify inefficiencies, and allocate resources effectively. This includes better management of overtime, absenteeism, and benefits costs.
Better performance management:
Implementing HR analytics can give you deeper insights into employee performance metrics and feedback. This can lead to more transparent performance appraisals, helping to motivate employees and improve productivity.
Informed compensation and benefits decisions:
Analytics provides insights into compensation trends within your industry and workforce, allowing for more equitable and competitive pay structures.
It also helps optimise benefits offerings based on employee preferences and organisational goals.
Key HR analytics metrics you can use (with examples)
Your organisation can measure several HR analytics to understand your company better, but the right ones will depend on the needs and goals you want to accomplish. Here is a short overview of some of the most critical metrics to use for starting this journey:
Voluntary and involuntary turnover rates: this metric gives insight into the percentage of employees who leave the organisation. The voluntary rate calculates the percentage of employees who decide to leave the company, while the involuntary rate calculates the percentage of employees who get let go.
Absence rate: the absence rate measures the total number of days an employee is absent from work; it does not include holiday periods. The absence is calculated by dividing the number of days worked by the total number of days the employee could have worked over a specific time.
Retention rate: the retention rate offers insights into how well your organisation keeps its employees working. It is calculated by dividing the total number of employees who decided to stay employed over a given period by the total number of employees over that same period.
Revenue per employee: this metric measures how much money the business brings in for every employee it has on staff and pays expenses, such as salary and benefits. It is calculated by dividing an organisation’s revenue by the total number of employees in the company
HR analytics best practices
When implementing your people strategy not one strategy suits every organisation. It will take time to find the right tools and metrics to support your overall goals and the needs of your people, but here are some HR analytics best practices that can help guide you in the right direction:
Promote a Data-Driven Culture
For HR analytics to be effective, everyone in the organisation must embrace data-driven decision-making. Resistance to change can be a significant barrier. You can do this by educating and training your people and leadership on the value of analytics.
Ensure they understand how data can enhance their decision-making processes. Encourage the use of data in meetings and performance discussions to reinforce its importance.
Start Small and Scale Gradually
Starting with a focused pilot project allows testing, refinement, and quick wins. You can start with a small, manageable area (e.g., recruitment data, employee turnover) and focus on generating insights there first.
Invest in the Right Tools and Technology
The success of an HR analytics strategy depends on the tools used to collect, analyse, and visualise data. Without the right technology, extracting insights can be labour-intensive and inaccurate. Evaluate analytics platforms that fit your organisation’s needs. Integrate with existing HR systems and provide robust reporting and visualisation features.
Build a Cross-Functional Team
A diverse team ensures that technical, analytical, and business perspectives are considered. You can succeed in your organisation by forming a cross-functional team where HR experts define the business questions, data scientists manage the analytics models, and IT ensures smooth data infrastructure and system integration.
Monitor and Adjust Regularly
As the last HR analytics best practice you should continuosly monitor the effectiveness of your project and must collect feedback from stakeholders, measure the impact of initiatives, and adjust your models, data sources, and strategies accordingly.
The bottom line of using HR analytics to improve the employee experience
While HR analytics can be a powerful tool for businesses to prioritise employee experience and improve overall organisational performance, it is also not the be-all and end-all of how organisations should approach the needs of their employees.
Data can be used to identify areas where employee experience may be lacking and to make informed decisions about where to focus their efforts.
There is still a human aspect to understanding employees through traditional methods like listening and reaching out to them to understand strategies to improve their organisation.
As an HR leader, incorporating HR analytics into your decision-making process can help you stay ahead and ensure your organisation remains competitive in the marketplace.
Another way to gain insights that help you stay ahead of the competition can be found in employees who are leaving the business.
This can be done by conducting stay interviews. Learn more about this from one of our Top Employers now, clicking on the link.
Insights from the People Summit 2024
Today, 84% of the organisations are defining a vision for how technology contributes to the overall employee experience. That was the focus of the People Summit 2024, hosted by SAP and the Top Employers Institute, which took place on June 12, 2024, at the SAP Labs Campus in Bengaluru, Whitfield in India.
And we’re delighted to share some of the resources shared during the People Summit:
World of Work Trends 2024
Top Employers Institute’s World of Work Trends 2024 analyses the latest trends in people strategies and practices from leading organisations globally. In the report, our analysis showed five significant trends affecting workplaces in 2024. Those trends are:
Empower through AI
The Future Defined with Purpose
Dialogue for Transformation
Evolution of Wellbeing Effectiveness
Broaden the Horizon of DEI
These trends were unpacked by Adrian Seligman, Executive Board Member at the Top Employers Institue. You can download the report here, and watch Adrian’s Keynote here:
Throughout the People Summit, insights were shared by SAP which also featured many insights from the research they’re doing into the future of work. SAP have identified future of work trends three strategic dimensions. You can access an array of resources shared by SAP during the conference here:
Future-Proofing HR: Trends and Transformations in India
The People Summit also featured a wonderful panel discussion on future-proofing HR and discussing trends and transformations in the Indian Landscape. On the panel was Kavita Kurup, Global Head HR and Corporate Communications at UST, Shilpy Sharma, Regional HR Head at Empower, Kiran Sn, Vice President – HR, HCLTech, Shweta Mohanty, Head of Human Resources: India at SAP and Billy Elliott, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Top Employers Institute.
They addressed the integration of technology, the distinction and enhancement of employee experience vs. engagement, the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DE&I), and strategies for skills development and talent management.
Key points included:
Technological Integration: Shilpy Sharma highlighted the evolving role of technology in HR, emphasizing advancements that boost organizational efficiency while considering potential drawbacks like job displacement and privacy concerns.
Employee Experience vs. Engagement: Kavita Kurup differentiated between the two concepts, sharing successful UST initiatives to enhance both through personalized approaches and flexible work arrangements.
Skills Development and Talent Management: Kiran SN discussed HCLTech’s approach to upskilling and reskilling, aligning talent initiatives with strategic goals, and addressing challenges like budget and time constraints.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity: Shweta Mohanty shared effective strategies and impactful programs at SAP to promote DE&I, acknowledging challenges like unconscious bias and tokenism.
HR Practices to Elevate Your Workforce: Insights from Asia-Pacific’s Top Employers 2024
This year, we’ve certified 369 organisations in Asia-Pacific as Top Employers, and we have curated a selection of best practices from these esteemed organisations to inspire you.
In this comprehensive resource, you’ll find insights and exemplary practices that 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 invaluable insights. Here are some highlights you’ll find inside:
Learning and Development – Discover how AstraZeneca fosters a culture of lifelong learning to support its 2030 Bold Ambition. Learn how their 3Es Learning Framework (Experience, Exposure, and Education) empowers employees to embrace a ‘learning mindset,’ focusing on real-time application and long-term development through coaching and feedforward. Explore how initiatives like Degreed, P100, LEAP 50, and the Accelerate program enhance skills, broaden perspectives, and accelerate leadership development. Discover how AstraZeneca’s commitment to everyday development experiences drives innovation and delivers life-changing medicines to patients, reflected in high employee engagement scores and strong business performance.
Onboarding – Discover how NN Life Insurance Japan has transformed its onboarding process by integrating digital tools with personal communication. Learn how new hires benefit from instant access to essential information and e-learning resources, coupled with personal interactions such as welcome sessions with senior management. Explore how these efforts enhance digital employee experience talent retention and engagement by fostering strong connections within the organization.
Performance – Discover how Lyreco Thailand’s Performance Development Review (PDR) promotes ongoing learning and development. Learn how this holistic employee centric procedure integrates self-assessments, open communication, constructive feedback, and personalized development plans to align individual goals with company objectives. Explore how Lyreco’s PDR process, implemented through the Workday platform, has enhanced employee growth, reduced turnover, and increased engagement and satisfaction.
Sustainability – Discover how CHEP Australia fosters a culture of sustainability throughout the employee lifecycle. Learn how their sustainable HR practices are embedded from recruitment to onboarding and beyond, promoting a nature-positive economy through their pooling model. Explore initiatives like their annual Sustainability Week and Helping Hands program, which support employee engagement and community involvement, contributing to their ambitious sustainability goals.
Leadership – Discover how Servier Philippines anchors its leadership on the company value of CARE, fostering a highly inclusive and psychologically safe working environment. Learn how their transformation journey prioritizes acting on employee insights and feedback, with initiatives like “You spoke, we listened” promoting open communication and continuous improvement. Explore how their psych safety training programs and workshops have built trust and collaboration, leading to high engagement and recognition as a Top Employer.
Talent Acquisition – Discover how GSK Indonesia’s Talent Pipeline strategy shifts from reactive to proactive recruiting, building relationships with passive external talent for future opportunities. Learn how this approach has streamlined the hiring process, reduced costs, and improved their strategic employer branding and therefore their quality of hires. Explore the steps of identifying, assessing, and engaging potential candidates, ensuring a ready pool of talent for critical roles.
Career Development – Discover how DLMI Malaysia supports employee career development through initiatives like Personal Development Plans, continuous dialogue, and career coaching programs. Learn how their internal digital career marketplace facilitates mobility and advancement, enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction. Explore how their annual Talent Reviews and Succession Planning process ensure the development of talents for critical leadership roles.
Offboarding – Discover how GEP India’s Alumni Network on LinkedIn keeps ex-employees connected to the organization. Learn how this professional network facilitates brand advocacy, rehiring of boomerang employees, and networking opportunities. Explore how GEP maintains relationships with former employees through engaging content and periodic alumni events.
Meet the New Top Employers
Earlier this year, Top Employers Institute proudly announced that over 2 300 Top Employers had received the Top Employers Certification in 2024. Those Top Employers were recognised across 121 countries and regions.
In June, we are excited to share that 58 new Regional Top Employers and one European Top Employer joined our global community of organisations committed to excellence in people practices. This recognition underscores these organisations’ commitment to fostering outstanding HR strategies and people practices globally.
As the global authority in recognising excellence in people practices, the Top Employers Institute Certification Programme is an extensive process involving an independently audited and fact-based HR Best Practices Survey and validation to ensure truthful answers. The survey covers six domains and 20 subtopics:
In 2023 and 2024, organisations and leaders had much to consider, with many things in flux. David Plink, CEO of Top Employers Institute, observed: “In a world where geopolitical, societal, and macro-economic developments follow each other in rapid succession, the Top Employers 2024 are showing once again that they are a beacon of stability and reliability. Top Employers have shown that despite turbulent times, their focus remains on creating the best workplace possible for their people to thrive.”
When asked what makes a Top Employer, David Plink shared: “In my 16 years with the company, there are two characteristics that I have observed consistently within the members of the Top Employers community. First, certified Top Employers go above and beyond for their people. They are the embodiment of people focus. Secondly, not a single Top Employer got certified without always striving for more. To learn, to become better and to stay curious at all times. People-focused and a growth mindset. It sounds so simple in summary, but it takes a lot to consistently live up to these principles.”
See the full list of the newly Certified Top Employers, below:
We caught up with Gabi Sanchez, Managing Director at certified Top Employer Verisure UK who reveals how they retain talent in a competitive market, the fantastic wellbeing initiatives in place, and how the organisation utilises AI to enhance DEI within its recruitment processes and to boost efficiency and productivity across the board.
Introduce yourself and tell us about your organisation
My name is Gabi Sanchez, I am the Managing Director of Verisure UK. We are the leading European provider of professionally monitored security systems. We are proud to protect over 5 million customers in 17 countries in Europe and Latin America. Our mission is to bring peace of mind to families and small business owners by providing them with the best security solutions and services.
What makes Verisure UK a Top Employer?
We recognise the importance of continuous career development and wellbeing. Our initiatives are constantly evolving to allow our colleagues to grow both professionally and personally. We are delighted to offer a range of training and development courses, weekly check-ins, and annual career discussions to empower colleagues to reach their full potential.
We believe that personal wellbeing is critical to the overall growth of our colleagues, we offer a comprehensive employee benefits package to improve our colleague’s well-being, including private medical insurance, pension, flexible working, health and wellbeing programmes, away days, financial advisors, a day off for birthdays and many more.
Additionally, we have created spaces that foster a collaborative and innovative work environment. Our offices are designed to enhance productivity and satisfaction, with amenities such as subsidised canteen, games room and break out spaces in our Newcastle Centre of Excellence.
What is the biggest people challenge your business faces in 2024? And what will you do to meet this challenge?
One of our challenges revolves around talent retention and development in a competitive market. As one of the UK’s leading monitored alarm companies, we recognise the critical role our employees play in delivering exceptional service and driving innovation. As a result, we are continuously investing in tailored training, competitive benefits packages, providing clear career paths, and addressing feedback to retain top talent and remain competitive.
Tell us about a recent HR initiative you have instigated within your organisation that you are most proud of?
We are immensely proud of the initiatives we have implemented. One standout initiative is our Mental Health First Aiders program, a vital support system for colleagues navigating mental health challenges. This program cultivates an environment where individuals feel supported and empowered to seek assistance, resulting in improved mental health and overall wellbeing throughout our workplace. Furthermore, we extend a 24-hour counselling service through Aviva, ensuring that our team members have access to professional support whenever they need it.
How is AI affecting your business?
AI has become a transformative force in our business, impacting our people practices in different ways. One notable aspect is our utilisation of AI tools to enhance diversity and inclusion within our recruitment processes. We employ an AI tool to ensure gender-neutral language in our job ads, mitigating unconscious biases and promoting equal opportunities for all candidates. In addition, we’ve implemented an AI tool called Co-Pilot, which streamlines our work processes and workflows, allowing our teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than repetitive administrative tasks. By automating routine processes, we’ve been able to boost efficiency and productivity across the board.
Which wellbeing offerings in your business are proving the most popular with employees? And which are proving the most effective in terms of their impact?
Our flexible working opportunities and private healthcare are two of the most popular and impactful wellbeing offerings among our employees.
Our colleagues are given the flexibility to work remotely from home or abroad or simply adjust their hours to suit their schedule depending on their role. This plays a huge role improving work-life balance and maintaining high satisfaction levels. Additionally, our private healthcare offering has been incredibly popular. It has had a significant positive effect on our employees’ well-being. Our private healthcare option contributes to better overall health and morale within the team, and we continue to receive positive feedback on both fronts.
Have you any new DEI initiatives you can tell us about that help you tap into fresh sources of talent?
We have several DEI initiatives that help us tap into fresh sources of talent both internally and externally. This year, one of the exciting outcomes from our DEI roundtable is the launch of an internal job fair. This allows us to tap into fresh sources of talent within our existing workforce and promote internal mobility. It also provides an opportunity for our colleagues to meet colleagues from different departments and discover different opportunities that they didn’t know is available to them.
What’s next? Tell us about a new initiative/project for 2024 that you’re most excited about?
This year brings a wave of exciting new initiatives and roles. We are on the lookout for talented individuals, who would like to grow with our company. The roles currently available include customer service representatives, sales executives to Alarm Receiving Centre Ambassadors and many more. We offer extensive on the job training and a supportive work environment that empowers individuals to thrive and advance their careers. We’re also launching thrilling new initiatives, such as new television campaigns, so people can expect to see a lot more of our branding throughout the year!
Best Practice | Conscious Leadership Builds an Inclusive and Effective Culture at Boehringer Ingelheim
At Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico, leaders are crucial for shaping a culture where all employees can feel a sense of belonging within the organisation. As role models, they help to set the scene and show that diversity and inclusion are priorities. For the organisation, the meaning of diversity refers to diversity of thought, while inclusion is how they bring different perspectives and ideas together for innovation.
This best practice focuses on developing a new generation of inclusive leaders through a series of targeted training modules to enable them to foster psychological safety at all organisational levels and identify issues arising from micro-aggressions, harassment, discrimination, and unconscious biases. The basis for this transformation was a “Conscious Business Leadership Programme,” an Unconscious Bias e-learning course, and Psychological Safety & Speak Up workshops.
This is just a snapshot of Boehringer Ingelheim’s innovative best practice. You can find the entire practice in 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 via the Top Employers Programme if you are certified or learn more about it here!
Why the practice was needed
Culture and leadership are inextricably linked: consciously or unconsciously, leaders foster the values and beliefs that underpin an organisation’s culture and imprint values and assumptions that persist for decades. An organisation’s leaders can also shape culture over time through their conscious and unconscious behaviours.
Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico recognises that being able to promote their organisation as one where different genders, identities, races, ages, and backgrounds are celebrated is directly linked to increased employee engagement, innovation, and productivity. Prioritising diversity and inclusion training at all levels, but especially for the role models who lead organisational culture, is key to facilitating true inclusivity. Without engaged leadership, such activities can become nothing more than corporate speak.
How the practice was implemented
Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico has implemented a Leadership Journey that includes comprehensive D&I training. Traditionally, in business, leaders are often selected based on their individual success. At Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico, developing leadership skills goes beyond technical skills; the ethical aspect of leadership has become imperative. Leaders are asked to grow in their roles in a human sense.
These programmes aim to evoke the internal commitment of the team members to accomplish the organisation’s mission with effectiveness and integrity. It means doing so with the understanding that their team members are human beings who will only do their best if they are inspired, feel safe, and believe they are truly included and have a sense of belonging in the organisation.
All leaders in the company are required to participate in training programmes to ensure that they all operate from the same basis for managing talent within the organisation. For D&I, their Leadership Journey includes four programmes:
Unconscious Bias e-Learning accessible through an online D&I channel
Psychological Safety & Speak Up leadership workshops
People Growth + Diversity & Inclusion + Belonging: D&I topics as part of management are addressed during the mandatory training for Boehringer Ingelheim leaders. The training includes skills and tools for communication, feedback, and feedforward.
Conscious Business Leadership Programme: developed and presented in conjunction with Fred Kofman, a renowned Executive Coach and Advisor on leadership and culture and Founder of the Conscious Business Center. Over the course of 32 weeks, leaders engage in learning about the following topics: leadership, culture, communication, responsibility, humility, collaboration, resolution (honesty), coordination (commitments), essentialism, co-evaluation (feedback), emotions, meditation, perspectives (empathy), stoicism (flourishing), teamwork, coaching, capitalism (ethics), anti-capitalism (justice), and the West (economy and citizenship).
The web platform, for leaders and direct reports, was created on the company’s intranet. This space is available to ensure that employees are able to find all the information they need and more to reinforce an open, just and equitable culture. In this way, leaders have access to information from anywhere, at any time, to be able to effectively address issues such as micro-aggressions, bullying, discrimination, etc.
The Conscious Business Leadership Programme was designed and aligned with the company’s corporate competencies, behaviours and code of ethics, allowing Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico’s leaders (Directors, Senior Management and Middle Management) to put the organisation’s philosophy and values into practice on a daily basis within their teams. Their leaders learn to manage by improving effectiveness, caring for collaborative relationships with their team and peers, as well as promoting the welfare of all involved.
Leadership is divided into three cohorts, and the programme is tailored accordingly. Thereafter, the training is cascaded throughout the organisation. Those three cohorts are:
Cohort 1: Senior Leadership
Cohort 2 and 3: Leaders across the business functions
The results of the practice:
To measure the effectiveness of this best practice, a global survey is undertaken annually across Boehringer Ingelheim countries, totalling 54 000 employees. Each country has its own results and a comparison with the global results. Below are a selection of the results Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico has obtained that are directly related to the leadership development trainings and coaching discussed in this best practice:
86% agree that leaders work effectively with people who are different from themselves.
93% agree that people are treated with respect in Boehringer Ingelheim, regardless of their job, level, etc.
98% agree that the values of Boehringer Ingelheim and the principles of the Code of Conduct support employees in their work on a day-to-day basis.
Notable Quotes:
“No matter what position you hold in the company, you can make a huge impact with what you say and how you say it.” Luis Carlos Pérez, Director of Communication
“Regardless of position or rank, lets demand that we work with the principles of Conscious Business. It is the most efficient and fastest way to establish a conscious business culture.” Augusto Muench, CEO
How to Build a Strong Company Culture in a Global Organisation with NTT Data
Every organisation has a culture, whether it was intentionally or passively created. A healthy workplace culture is one of the fundamental elements of a successful company. In today’s global landscape, businesses extend their operations across borders and cultivate diverse workforces. Developing and maintaining a strong culture in this context presents some unique challenges. A positive work environment benefits your people strategy in numerous ways, which is why it is essential to build that culture rather than leave it to chance.
During our insightful conversation filled with personal anecdotes at the 2023 Top Employers Inspire event, Kim Curley, VP of People & Organisation at NTT DATA, shared valuable perspectives and actionable strategies on the art of crafting and nurturing a strong corporate culture. Kim’s role is unique in that she’s responsible for NTT DATA’s internal change management process and for the organisation’s consultancy services in that space, which she called “the personal side of business where all the wonderful messy, human things happen.”
Experiencing change from the inside and managing it as a third party for other organisations has given her great insight into how to successfully build a strong culture.
Crafting a Culture
Like many companies, NTT DATA re-evaluated its priorities and values during the massive societal and workplace changes brought on by the pandemic. Kim explained, “We had been through a tremendous amount of change in the past three years and we wanted to assess what aspects of our culture had weakened that we needed to strengthen.” Trust, community, and success were the three values identified through their discussions.
The next step was deciding how to strengthen those values in their workplace culture. Kim shared that the discussion began with a guiding question: “How do we define these values that make us special and make us a place where people want to come work and a place that clients want to hire?” Three strategies emerged as important aspects of crafting their culture.
Engage employees in developing initiatives around the three core values. If culture is not built from the ground up, it will be very difficult to enforce it from the top down.
Create a social accountability contract. Foster a sense of responsibility among employees to embody and uphold the core values.
Anchor to a career coach model. Resources extend beyond hierarchical, mentor-like relationships to help employees develop across the different roles they hold as consultants and over the arc of their careers.
Changing people’s mindsets is one of organisations’ most significant challenges when implementing new initiatives. “It takes a tremendous amount of energy not only from the people trying to encourage the change but also from the brave souls trying to make the change. That’s always the hardest part, to be a supporter and to step into that new space,” said Kim. This process was an excellent opportunity to lean on the social accountability contract and encourage employees to support one another as they adapted.
Silos
Silos are another familiar challenge companies face, and this challenge becomes even more pronounced when a company operates on a global scale. One of the significant problems posed by silos is their potential to impede the growth of a company-wide culture. To confront this issue head-on, Kim’s team developed a proactive strategy. She described their process, “We look at what our company values mean for each team. What can be done to make these values come to life in our individual geographies, business units, and ways of working?” For example, the community looks very different for a team co-located in the same geographic area with an office space than for a remote team working from different countries. Community is equally essential in both scenarios, though initiatives to cultivate a sense of community will look very different.
Organisational Hurdles
Aligning policies and procedures with company culture is essential to NTT DATA’s success. “When you’re trying to change culture, one of the things that will trip you up the fastest is if the organisational elements of your business do not support the cultural change,” Kim said to elaborate on this point. Changes to a company’s infrastructure have far-reaching effects and can either support or hinder how the culture evolves. Therefore, it is critical to be intentional about company policies and structure them in a way that supports the culture.
Kim compared their approach to caring for a garden to summarise how her team fosters a strong company culture. “You have to constantly nurture it to help it grow and be very aware of what you add to it,” she explained. Ultimately, a positive company culture is a constant work in progress. Although building it requires time and effort, the long-lasting benefits are immense. Low turnover rates, boosted productivity, and high morale are all results that help a company achieve success.
One of the things I enjoyed most about our discussion was hearing about Kim’s personal experience with NTT DATA’s cultural changes and how those changes impacted her daily workflow and her relationships with colleagues.
I encourage readers to check out our full conversation for even more insights and a personal perspective on what a strong culture can improve the employee experience.
