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By LEE U-WEN
BEING named one of Singapore's top employers can do wonders for staff morale. Just ask the employees at Diageo Asia-Pacific, which is taking home a Best Employers Award for the second time in a row this year.
Back in 2007, 80 per cent of the company's employees said they were proud to work for it. Fast forward a couple of years later and the figure is up to 92 per cent, according to its latest internal Global Values Survey, which monitors employee opinion around the world.
What's more, 94 per cent said they were prepared to work beyond what is required in the job to help Diageo succeed.
Diageo is the world's leading premium alcohol company and owns many of the most well-known beverage brands such as Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness. It trades in some 180 countries and is listed on the stock exchanges of both London and New York.
According to the company's president John Pollaers, Diageo's success to date is due largely to two factors: its brands and its people. 'We work in a dynamic and vibrant environment. We are the number one player in our industry globally and are outperforming our competition in business growth. Most importantly, we employ amazing people,' he said.
Diageo's employees are 'at the heart' of the company's business and recruitment efforts have largely centred on attracting and retaining the best talent in every market in which it operates in, said Mr Pollaers.
'We offer a challenging working environment where good results are recognised and well-rewarded. The work culture at Diageo is one of openness, reflection and celebration. We believe strongly in acknowledging achievement, recognising talent and rewarding success,' he said.
The pull factor to make employees stay, he added, is the 'strong personal partnership' that they have with their frontline manager. 'We believe this is a result of our well-defined and multi-faceted employee engagement programme, which spans throughout every aspect of the business, keeping each employee connected, motivated and engaged,' said Mr Pollaers.
On the strong employee engagement survey results, he attributed it to Diageo's continued focus on creating a conducive environment in which everyone, in partnership with their line managers, 'can achieve things that they never thought possible, and push themselves to their limits'.
He added that the healthy and happy work environment made it possible for employees to 'work very hard, knowing that they contribute directly to the success of the company and that, in turn, inspires them to grow and develop with the company'.
This article was first published in The Business Times.
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