Marking its fifth anniversary on a high note, the Best Companies to Work For in Greater China 2016 awards ceremony recognised and honoured a record number of companies who are engaging and taking care of their employees – and in doing so, creating workplace environments where staff can thrive and enjoy building careers.
The awards were hosted by Great Place to Work in Greater China (GPTW), part of a global research, consulting and training organisation that helps organisations identify, create and sustain great workplaces through the development of high-trust workplace cultures. Held on December 8 at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, the event was attended by around 180 senior company representatives and HR professionals, and followed an all-day conference covering topics across a range of talent attraction, development and engagement issues.
Opening the ceremony, Alex Ho, general manager of the education, recruitment, circulation and syndication businesses at South China Morning Post Publishers, said that, as the landscape of business rapidly changes, the need to attract and retain talent is an important priority for all organisations. “Today’s highly competitive battle for talent across the Greater China region requires companies to distinguish themselves to attract and retain talent, and one of the ways of doing this is by being recognised as a Great Place to Work,” he said. “An increasingly discerning and mobile workforce is creating new layers of challenges.”
Following Ho’s opening remarks, José Bezanilla, CEO of Great Place to Work in Greater China, took to the stage and began by highlighting the increasing influence of the Best Company to Work For awards in the region. “The pool of participating companies keeps on growing,” he noted. “A total of 137 companies located in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland – employing more than 210,000 staff – were surveyed, 25 more than in 2015. They also came from a wider variety of industries and had more diverse origins, including more local Chinese companies.”
In all, 30 companies from nine industry sectors made it on to the Best Companies to Work For in Greater China 2016 list. Survey data measuring employee feedback indicated that 84 per cent of employees working for those companies trust their management, enjoy working with their colleagues and take pride in their jobs.
Congratulating those companies appearing on the list for the first time, Bezanilla said they had shown a strong commitment to engaging their employees and had crafted policies and programmes that suit today’s workforce. “We are very happy about companies that have been trying and trying and this year they’ve made it. You’re going to know [who they are] because they’re going to shout a lot. They’re super happy.”
Bezanilla explained how the Best Companies to Work For in Greater China list is put together using results gleaned from employee surveys in each participating organisation. The employees evaluate their companies using criteria related to the quality of their workplace cultures, experiences, and management processes and policies. To be considered for a place on the list, participating companies need to reach a defined score on GPTW’s “Trust Index Survey” and “Culture Audit”.
“It is about how employees view their company, their experiences at work, the camaraderie they share with colleagues, and their feelings towards management and company leadership that decide the outcomes,” Bezanilla stressed.
Across companies from China and Taiwan participating in this year’s awards, the study results increased by 3 per cent and 2 per cent respectively, following drops in 2015, Bezanilla explained. In companies from Hong Kong, however, there was a decline of 3 per cent – an indication, he said, of anxiety about job security and business sustainability during a period of global economic and business uncertainty.
With another roller-coaster year anticipated for businesses in Greater China, Bezanilla said he believes companies considered by their employees as “Great Places to Work” hold a strategic advantage over their competitors. For example, he suggested, they are more resilient to challenges thrown up by business and economic concerns. They also have the advantage of lower levels of attrition and benefit from their employees acting as ambassadors to attract new talent.
“These companies are role models contributing to a better society,” he said, adding that Great Place to Work as an organisation is proud to be able to support them.
Following dinner and an impromptu group rendition of the Cliff Richard song Congratulations and Celebrations, Denzel Xin, research analyst at GPTW, highlighted some of the key findings from the Best Companies to Work For in Greater China 2016 survey (for detailed results, see page 3).
Xin noted that while employees always like to receive higher salaries and more benefits, it is in the area of professional development and training where employers could be missing an opportunity to build stronger relationships with their staff.
He added that companies often declare that their employees are their most important asset, but evidence from the Trust Index Survey and Culture Audit suggest that a lack of professional development and training opportunities leads employees – especially those among the 26-34 year old management and supervisor demographic group – to feel unappreciated or undervalued.
“Evidence suggests a large number of employees are as sensitive to training as they are to salary and this has a significant effect on emotional attachment, job satisfaction and, ultimately, their intention to stay with an employer,” he explained.
Xin also pointed out that during activities such as M&As, cost-cutting, the implementation of technology, and new market initiatives and strategies – often referred to by organisations as periods of “transformation” – it is essential for companies to be transparent and have clear communications with employees to mitigate negative perceptions.
“Not being kept informed can lead to rumours causing anxiety among employees, which can translate into uncertainty and instability.”
With the main awards presentation just moments away, Mirley Perez, business development manager at GPTW, took to the stage to first pay tribute to four companies which had featured on the list for five years running. These companies – Autodesk, Hitachi Data Systems, National Instruments and NetApp – had demonstrated a sustained and persistent commitment to employee engagement and development, she said.
Perez added that with millennials now the predominant group in many workplaces, it is important for employers to be aware of their needs and aspirations. Without over-generalising, she said, millennials are highly connected with the world around them, but they tend not to have the same ties to their jobs that previous generations had.
“They want to feel they are valued and engaged while making a positive difference,” she said. “They also want to know that the companies they work for are committed to corporate social responsibility activities.”
South China Morning Post and Classified Post are co-organisers of the Best Companies to Work for in Greater China 2016 conference and awards ceremony.
Best Companies to Work For in China 2016 – Winners List
Autodesk Software (China)
Cadence Design Systems
CI&T China
Cisco China
DHL Express Hong Kong & DHL-Sinotrans International Air Courier1
EY
H&M China
Harman International (China)
HDS China
Herbalife (China) Health Products
Hilton
Hyatt Hotels and Resorts
Infineon China
Kantar Worldpanel
Kiabi Asia
Mars2
Meltwater
National Instruments (China Hongkong Taiwan)
NetApp Greater China
PayPal
Pirelli Tyre
Plantronics Trading (Suzhou)
Roche Diagnostics (Shanghai)
SAP Labs China
Shanghai Johnson
Smith & Nephew Greater China
Splunk
STS Gems
Third Bridge
W. L. Gore & Associates
1DHL Express’s official name in Hong Kong is “DHL Express Hong Kong” and in mainland China is “DHL-Sinotrans International Air Courier”.
2Mars includes all segments and brands, which are Mars Chocolate, Wrigley, Petcare, Royal Canin, M&Ms World, Drinks, and Mars Information Service.
This article appeared in the Classified Post print edition as Making a difference.
