“What has become clear is that the pandemic did not stop our corporate trailblazers from progressing in their aspiration to create high-trust workplace cultures that are agile and predisposed towards adaptation, despite having to deal with extenuating situations caused by Covid-19. Their quest has not only borne fruit for their own organizations and people, but has also inspired many other companies to develop workplaces that are anchored in Trust, Pride and Camaraderie. ”
The improved performance in 2021 was driven by bold acts of leadership founded in respect and genuine care for employee wellbeing. Best Workplaces™ further developed newfound camaraderie amongst colleagues by adopting engaging and thoughtful virtual team activities and imbued their employees with a sense of pride in what was being collectively accomplished and given back to the community.
The need for a complete upheaval of office culture and working practices forced employers to put more thought into the needs and wellbeing of their workforce – and employees responded positively. More so, from knowing that such appreciation is coupled by the awareness and understanding of their unique individual and family situations. Truly, the essence and one of the driving forces behind such extraordinary workplace experiences is that general sense of acceptance, having people feel that they are recognized as a person, not just an employee.
No Data Found
In this year’s study, our Philippines Best Workplaces™ notched an impressive 95% score, representing a notable 6% increase from last year. Not to be outdone, the rest of our non-list makers also strived to provide a better overall workplace experience for their employees and recorded an even bigger 11% increment with a score of 85% this year.
This narrows the gap between Philippines Best and Philippines Rest from 15% in 2020 to 10% in 2021 and suggests the increasing awareness and stronger drive for organizations to create a better workplace experience for their employees. It would seem that the pandemic may have served as an ’alarm clock’ of sorts that made organizations wake up to the importance of putting their people first.
Filipino employers went out of their way to ensure the safety of their people – evident from the highest scoring statements “This is a physically safe place to work” and “I am given the resources and equipment to do my job”.
This is a physical safe place to work.
People here are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation.
People here are treated fairly regardless of their sex.
I am proud to tell others I work here.
I am given the resources and equipment to do my job.
When you join the company you are made to feel welcome.
People celebrate special events around here.
People here are treated fairly regardless of their race/ethnicity.
No Data Found
What sets apart this sense of community at Philippines Best Workplaces™ as compared to the Rest is the consistent experience of strong camaraderie across all levels in the organization.
Recognizing the difficulties that some parents may face when working from home with children around, Synchrony launched special activities aimed at keeping kids entertained. Within their ‘Summer Camp’ initiative that was called ‘Kamp Kaalaman’, a total of 454 campers (employees’ children) took part in 107 live sessions that covered a range of educational topics, while their Synchrony After School program provided further tutoring programs and activities to support the needs of parents.
It’s an honor to be recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in the Philippines. Caring for one another, especially amidst the challenges we faced in 2020, demonstrates the big heart that we have for our people and for our company. This is a tribute to Synchrony’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and employee development, and it reaffirms that when we work together, we can make our culture even stronger.
– Liwayway Langit,
SVP & Business Leader,
Synchrony Global Services Philippines, Inc.
What becomes clear is that the actions of leaders play a significant role in creating the most fulfilling workplace experiences.
These bold acts of leadership span across three major themes and showcase the caring, trustworthy, and honest natures of those that spearhead the most contented workforces.
The value of a For All™ culture is further demonstrated when average results across all five fundamental dimensions are compared across employee categories. Workforces at Philippines Best Workplaces™ have a more uniform experience regardless of their job classification while amongst the Rest, the observed gap continues to be more pronounced.
A true sense of pride in their job, and in the actions of their leaders, continues to be a defining factor amongst Philippines Best Workplaces™. This year, employees of Philippines Best also feel even better about the ways that their organizations are contributing towards the community. This is no doubt a result of these organizations going out of their way to support front liners and medical staff during the pandemic, as well as lending support to victims of natural disasters and other underprivileged communities throughout the year.
Great Place to Work® global research shows that when organizations put their people first, there is a natural effect whereby these employees feel more driven and enabled to be of excellent service for their customers and to do whatever it takes for the continuity of the business. This is evident with employees of Philippines Best expressing a greater desire to come to work (or to log into work from home) and to continue working with their respective organizations for a long time to come.
I am proud to tell others I work here.
I feel good about the ways we contributed to the community.
I want to work here for a long time.
People look forward to coming to work here.
No Data Found
As we look to the future, many uncertainties still lie ahead. The deployment of vaccines looks to be an extended process, and in the meantime, we face yet another resurgence of the virus in Manila in early 2021. The key, therefore, is for organizations to create a permanent state of adaptability.
If organizations wish to enhance their agility and adaptability, especially during challenging circumstances, they need to start developing a high-trust workplace culture. Within such an organization, employees are encouraged to collaborate, leaders consistently share knowledge, people are rewarded impartially, there exists a team mindset in working towards a common goal and, most importantly, there is a strong sense of camaraderie with people genuinely caring for one another’s wellbeing.
As we look to the future, many uncertainties still lie ahead. The deployment of vaccines looks to be an extended process, and in the meantime, we face yet another resurgence of the virus in Manila in early 2021. The key, therefore, is for organizations to create a permanent state of adaptability.
If organizations wish to enhance their agility and adaptability, especially during challenging circumstances, they need to start developing a high-trust workplace culture. Within such an organization, employees are encouraged to collaborate, leaders consistently share knowledge, people are rewarded impartially, there exists a team mindset in working towards a common goal and, most importantly, there is a strong sense of camaraderie with people genuinely caring for one another’s wellbeing.
© Great Place To Work® Institute. All Rights Reserved.
ABOUT OUR METHOLOGY
To be eligible for the World’s Best Workplaces list, a company must apply and be named to a minimum of 5 national Best Workplaces lists within our current 58 countries, have 5,000 employees or more worldwide, and at least 40% of the company’s workforce (or 5,000 employees) must be based outside of the home country. Extra points are given based on the number of countries where a company surveys employees with the Great Place to Work Trust Index©, and the percentage of a company’s workforce represented by all Great Place to Work surveys globally. Candidates for the 2017 Worlds Best Workplaces list will have appeared on national workplaces lists published in September 2016 through August 2017.
ABOUT OUR METHOLOGY
The Best Workplaces in Asia List
Great Place to Work® identifies the top organizations that create great workplaces in the Asian and Middle Eastern regions with the publication of the annual Best Workplaces in Asia list. The list recognizes companies in three size categories:
To be considered for inclusion, companies must appear on one or more of our national lists in the region, which includes Greater China (covering China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau), India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka and UAE. For the 2021 Asia List, companies ranked on the national list in the Philippines will also be included. Multinational organizations must meet the following requirements:
Multinationals also receive additional credit for their efforts to successfully create an excellent workplace culture in multiple countries in the region. The data used in the calculation of the regional list comes from national lists published in 2019 and early 2020.
