The Jollibee Group was once again the recipient of the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Awards (GEWA) this 2023, a recognition given to only 57 organizations worldwide whose cultures drive high engagement among its employees. In 2020, the Jollibee Group was the first ever Philippine-based company to be recognized.
According to global analytics and advice firm Gallup, the winners of this award put their people’s engagement at the heart of their business strategy and create a workplace culture to match. Awardees like the Jollibee Group have at least 72 percent of their employees engaged with their organization, that is, committed to their work and connected to their workplace. This figure is far greater than the worldwide average of engaged employees at only 21 percent.
High engagement culture at Jollibee Group
“We are truly honored to be given this award for the second time now. Not only does this affirm our commitment to our people as a company, but also celebrates all the men and women that make up the Jollibee Group and their dedication to our values and our mission of serving great-tasting food, bringing the joy of eating to everyone. This recognition is for all of them!” said Arsenio Sabado, Chief Human Resources Officer, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC).
To continuously support the business as the company repositions itself for growth post-pandemic, Jollibee Group’s Human Resources team strengthened its People Agenda, characterized by aligning leaders with the strategy, empowering employees to deliver on the strategy, monitoring progress and performance, and celebrating wins.
“We focused on providing clarity, strengthening capability, and building confidence of employees during this unprecedented time,” Sabado said.
Example of engagement activities include the JFC Leadership Series, where top executives including the Board of Directors learned about leading through crisis and digital transformation, among others. JFC President and CEO also regularly holds the Global CEO Hour, where he directly provides business updates and engages with employees on various topics.
Employees have also been upskilled and reskilled in new focus areas in digital, talent management, and marketing in the new normal, among other topics. An On-the-Spot Recognition Program was also established, where people managers are empowered to give rewards to team members who are exemplars of company values.
“The 2023 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winners proved that even during some of the most challenging times, strong cultures are resilient—they find new ways to get work done and meet customer needs. These organizations continued to make employee engagement a cultural priority in their business strategy, and they maintained record levels of employee engagement while achieving or exceeding their business goals,” said Jim Harter, Gallup’s chief scientist of workplace management and wellbeing.
Among the World’s Best Employers
Jollibee Group’s People Agenda programs continue to reap global recognition. For the third straight year, the company was also named among the World’s Best Employers by Forbes in 2022. Jollibee Group was the highest-ranking restaurant company in the said global listing, as well as the highest-ranking Philippine-based company. It was also cited by Forbes as among the World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies.