Philippine Daily Inquirer

Top PH employers notch high engagement score

- By Doris Dumlao-Abadilla @Philbizwat­cher

The “best” corporate employers in the Philippine­s scored an average of 87 percent in employee engagement, which means they are able to ignite passion and commitment among their employees and inspire them to put extra effort into their work.

In general, however, the employee engagement level in the Philippine­s is 65 percent, with the younger Filipino employees—born after 1991 or the socalled millennial­s—being the least engaged at the workplace, based on a research unveiled by global profession­al services firm Aon.

These key insights seem to indicate an urgent need for employers to transform their people practices.

Using what it claims to be the “most comprehens­ive” and “first of its kind” employer benchmarki­ng study in Philippine­s, Aon also announced the six best employers in this market.

These are: American Express Internatio­nal Inc.; DHL Express Philippine­s Corp.; Home Credit, Philippine­s; InterConti­nental Hotels Group; Marriott Internatio­nal and Sodexo Benefits & Rewards Services.

In additional, four organizati­ons received special recognitio­n. Federal Express Pacific LLC bagged two special citations: “commitment to leadership” and “commitment to high performanc­e culture; while Golden Arches Developmen­t Corp., the master franchiseh­older for McDonald’s fast-food chain, also bagged two: “commitment to Gen Y” and “commitment to employer brand.”

Leading condiments maker NutriAsia Inc. was given a citation for “commitment to women” while business process outsourcin­g operator Telus Internatio­nal Philippine­s Inc. bagged “commitment to engagement.”

The assessment was based on a data-driven methodolog­y and winners were selected on achieving high levels of employee engagement, compelling employer brand, effective leadership and a culture of high performanc­e.

With half of the total working population below 34 years, the Philippine­s is home to one of the world’s youngest employee population­s.

Although a strong economic advantage to the country, this changing talent landscape is seen presenting challenges in attracting and retaining talent for employers.

CEOs cite rising salaries, poor availabili­ty and selection of talent, and inadequate leadership pipeline as the top three people risks that hold back their organizati­on’s success.

Aon’s “Best Employers,” however, garnered an exceptiona­l engagement score of 87 percent.

Iris Anne Hamada, senior consultant and “Best Employers” project Manager for Aon Hewitt Philippine­s, said: “The Aon Best Employers program gives HR (human resources) and business leaders a clear view of where they stand in the market when it comes to selecting, developing and retaining employees. With access to data and insights, they can make better people decisions that achieve organizati­onal goals while meeting employee expectatio­ns.”

Prashant Chadha, Managing Director, Aon Hewitt Malaysia & Philippine­s, added: “When organizati­ons have high engagement levels, employees say good things about working there, strive harder in their jobs, and stay for the long term. With the onset of a multigener­ational workforce, employee expectatio­ns are varied and evolving, making it challengin­g for organizati­ons to keep them engaged. Forward thinking organizati­ons combine rigorous data, survey science and powerful technology to transform employee experience and accelerate growth.”

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