The private sector is paying more attention to human resource development, which is considered a key element in the long-term growth and sustainability of organisations.
A good HR policy can create a real competitive advantage for companies, regardless of their size.
Adisak Chandprapalert, managing director of Aon Hewitt Thailand, says it is a clear trend that Thai companies are increasingly aware of the importance of their employees. Many are trying to differentiate themselves by building a strong image as the best employers.
"These companies are making an effort to enhance the leadership skills of senior staff, so that managers can give advice to help junior staff increase their talent and build their career path," he says.
Companies should inspire strong commitment among their people and deliver what they promise to staff. The best employers clearly achieve better results.
According to a survey by Aon Hewitt, many Thai listed companies with a good HR policy and implementation have posted good returns in the past five years. Their stock prices also reflect their strong performances. In addition, more investors are interested in these companies than in firms with only short-term growth.
The Bangkok Post talked to three companies that recently won the Best Employers Thailand Awards 2015 to explore how they look after their people and their keys to success.
Vilasinee: 'Find U' culture at ACC
Advanced Contact Center (ACC)
The company looks for people to support its business target right from the recruitment process. It hires staff who have talent and ability to complement its "Find U" culture, says Vilasinee Puddhikarant, ACC's chief customer officer.
F stands for fighting spirit, I means innovation, N new ability, D live digital life and U a sense of urgency, she says.
"We are a flat organisation and staff are encouraged to consult their team leaders. When they have a serious problem, they can come and talk to me directly for a solution," she says.
The company also provides opportunities for staff to have a varied working environment and improvement, such as work rotation to other companies under Advanced Info Service Plc's umbrella.
ACC is a wholly-owned call centre subsidiary of AIS, the country's No.1 mobile operator. It recently won the Best of the Best at the Best Employers Thailand Awards 2015 hosted by Aon Hewitt.
Mrs Vilasinee says that ACC looks after its staff well under the "4L" policy — Live, Learn, Love and Legacy Service. The company is trying to build a corporate culture for good and smart people, she adds.
All employees have a clear career path and benefits. They are trained well to know the business of AIS. Their salaries are based on competency.
ACC has nearly 3,000 employees and gets 11-12 million calls a month. It looks after 45 million subscribers for AIS with three call centres, two in Bangkok and one in Nakhon Ratchasima.
"As a call centre, every call must be engaged and our staff must give feedback to customers as soon as possible. If they can't answer their questions, they will try to help by asking someone who knows the answer and call back," she says.
ACC realises that the call centre business puts a lot of pressure on staff who field many calls each day. To reduce their stress, it provides a massage room, a screaming room and a karaoke room.
Chananyarak: DHL motivates people
DHL Express Thailand
DHL Express International (Thailand) has built a strong HR platform to help it achieve its three-pronged goal. It aims to become the provider of choice, the employer of choice and the investment of choice.
To this end, the international logistics company needs to have motivated people, deliver quality service, maintain customer loyalty and offer a profitable network, says Chananyarak Phetcharat, managing director of DHL Express Thailand and Indochina.
"Our success relies on engaging people. We believe engaged customers deliver 23% more than average customers. So, we try hard to drive our staff to engage more too," she says.
DHL Express Thailand, which won the Best Employers Awards 2015 for Commitment to Engagement, believes in its people and is building a value-based culture, which means heart, engagement, respect and connection.
The company began implementing this global HR platform in 2010. The employee engagement platform was initiated by its parent company after suffering a huge loss from the economic downturn in the US.
The HR platform comprises the certified international specialist and certified international manager programmes, which are used to enhance staff ability. All DHL Express offices around the world implement the same HR platform.
"We create 21st-century managers who will motivate staff, encourage engagement, unlock management, respect employees' opinions and help them solve problems," says Mrs Chananyarak.
With this HR platform, DHL Express Thailand has turned profitable and its revenue and profit have risen every year since the innovative policy was launched.
Patamawali: Goal for staff at The Pizza Co
The Pizza Company
Continual focus on human resource development allows The Pizza Company, a subsidiary of Minor Food Group, to maintain young employees.
The Pizza Company was recently named the Best Employer for Generation Y by Aon Hewitt.
Chief executive John Heinecke says HR is the key to its success. While the HR department helps facilitate the process, it is up to the leadership to facilitate the talent management process.
"People say we are in the food business but actually we are in people business. People create brands; brands don't create people," he said.
Patamawali Ratanapol, Minor Food Group's chief people and operating officer, says that since it is in the service business, its most important resource is people.
Central to the company's success is its goal to become a high-performance company. To realise this, it needs high-performance employees.
Mrs Patamawali says each employee has a clear, tangible goal. For the operation level, the goal is measured in terms of food and service quality. For supervisors, it is about setting and realising goals in terms of sales targets.
The Pizza Company is considered the workplace for the young generation.
"Coincidentally, our employee development programme fits with what Gen Y is looking for and the management is not too strict with them," she says.
The restaurant industry is dynamic and flexible for Gen Y, so The Pizza Company gives them the freedom to manage their lives on their own. "We give them the tools, training and opportunities and empower them to make a difference within their work," says Mr Heinecke.
The main draw for Gen Y is the company's internal promotion policy. It encourages staff to take the development courses it provides so they can rise up the career ladder.