More Pinoys emotionally committed to their companies, study shows

A yardstick of employee engagement in the Philippines rebounded last year from the slump seen prior as more corporations invested more to improve the well-being of their people.

According to a new report from leading global professional services firm Aon, employee engagement levels in the Philippines rose by six points to 71 percent in 2017, a turnaround from the 9-point drop experienced in the previous year.

Overall employee engagement score for the Philippines was higher than key Asia-Pacific economies including China (69 percent), Thailand (64 percent), Malaysia (63 percent), Australia (60 percent) and Singapore (59 percent).

“The jump in engagement level is a result of the continuing efforts of leading organizations in creating a holistic employee experience across generations. This includes investments in health and well-being programs,” said Prashant Chadha, managing director for Malaysia and Philippines at Aon’s Talent, Rewards & Performance.

He warned companies, however, of the effect of rapid digitization and the increasing number of millennials in the workplace.

“Filipino companies must invest in ‘continuous listening’ and act on feedback quickly. At the same time, they must select top talents who are ‘wired for engagement’ by using sophisticated assessment tools,” Chadha said.

In the 2018 Trends in Global Employee Engagement study, Aon analyzed more than eight million employees from over 1,000 organizations around the world.

The Aon study also found that “talent and staffing” and “empowerment and autonomy” topped the list of engagement drivers in the Philippines.

Talent and staffing refers to talent attraction and retention practices of an organization. This is the ability to allocate appropriate and adequate resources to get the job done. This is seen important as it may impact the quality of work produced and directly affect employees’ experience of work-life balance and their sense of achievement.

In addition, Filipino employees seek organizations that provide flexibility for them to plan and take decisions in completing their work.

Based on the Aon study, other top engagement opportunities in the Philippines were: rewards and recognition; career and development; and senior leadership.

The Philippines is home to one of the world’s youngest employee populations, with half below 34 years of age.

While 75 percent of millennials feel their organization actively supports the learning and development of its employees, only 53 percent report being fairly paid compared to other employees in the same roles. Moreover, only 58 percent feel they get recognized (beyond pay) for their contributions in the organization.

Based on the Aon research, improving engagement pays dividends. A five-point increase in employee engagement is linked to a three-point increase in revenue growth.