Two companies based in the Philippines topped the Best Workplaces in Asia list in two different categories, while seven more joined other Asian companies to complete the 2021 roster.
Canva Philippines, the online design company founded by Filipino-Australian Melanie Perkins, topped the Best 100 Small and Medium Business category, while DHL Express ranked first among the Best 30 Multinational Companies in Asia, according to the list released by Great Place to Work Philippines.
Western Union Services Philippines Inc. placed 7th in the Best 70 Large category. Completing the MNC category were Ericsson Telecommunications Inc., 7th; American Express International, 9th; Synchrony Global Service, 13th; Paypal Philippines, 16th; SAS Institute, 22nd; and S&P Global Philippines, 25th.
“The Best Workplaces in Asia 2021 List is extra special because this is the first year that Philippines-based companies are being recognized with this gold standard of recognition. With these Philippine companies performing very satisfactorily among the best workplaces in the region, Filipinos have excellent opportunities to be a part of organizations that are committed to fairness, pride, innovation and employee well-being. We hope that this also serves as an inspiration for other Filipino companies,” said Great Place to Work Philippines managing partner Antoniette Mendoza-Talosig.
Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make strategic people decisions.
Great Place to Work surveyed over 3.3 million employees from over 1,000 companies across 16 countries in Asia and the Middle East to determine the 200 companies from 18 different industries in three categories—small and medium, with 10-499 employees; large (500+), and multinational.
Factors such as well-being, innovation, pride, and fairness have elevated winners of the Best Workplaces in Asia above the competition. These winning employers know that thriving company cultures lead to thriving businesses.
Using the Trust Index Survey among employees and a culture audit among organizations, practices, policies, and programs to creating a great workplace for all were determined and validated. The survey was conducted in Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the UAE, and Vietnam.
For businesses listed among Best Workplaces in Asia, 81 percent of employees said they experience wellbeing at work, defined by factors such as feeling cared for and believing their workplace is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work.
For employees at the Best SMB Workplaces in Asia, 93 percent reported a warm welcome when employees joined the company, while 92 percent believed management is ethical, sincere, and showed a commitment to fairness and transparency. They also believe they “receive a fair share of company profits” and “can ask management any question and get an honest answer”.
Best Places to Work Asia research revealed that businesses that nurture a culture of innovation achieve 5.5 times the revenue growth. On average, companies that have been named the Best Workplaces in Asia score 10 percent better than those that have made it to the national list level, already an incredibly high bar as such workplaces are the best of the best in their own countries.
The top five winners per category are: Best 100 Small and Medium Business—Canva Philippines; Saudi Arabia non-profit organization Charity Committee for Orphans Care, UAE retail company The One, India’s Brigade Hospitality Services Limited and South Korea’s retail company ATOMY Co. Ltd.
For Best Large category, the list was led by Singapore’s education and training company PAP Community Foundation, Sri Lanka’s Talawakelle Tea Estates, South Korea’s KB Kookmin Card, Saudi Arabia’s Dar Al Riyadh and Japan’s Cybozu, an IT company.
Best MNCs were DHL Express in 10 participating countries, Hilton in six countries, Cisco in six countries, luxury retailer Chalhoub Group in three countries, and Landmark Group in four countries.
Best Workplaces recognize that wellbeing is more than just physical health, thus creating employee support for many aspects from mental health to financial health.
Canva Philippines, for instance, is offering free COVID vaccinations for all employees and their household families, which extends to domestic partners, household helpers, and to any person their employees frequently interact with.
“Canva takes pride in ensuring our people come first in everything we do. This has always been our north star as we develop wellbeing programs aimed to improve people’s physical, personal, professional, and mental wellbeing. Our goal is to give our employees the ability to take care of themselves so they can continue to do their life’s best work. From providing gym allowances and in-office exercises to offering nutritious meals daily. From providing access to a full-time life coach to having a 24/7 EAP support system,” said Vanson So, people lead at Canva.