Kuala Lumpur, Thursday 19 March 2015 – – Aon Hewitt, the global talent, retirement and health solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON), announced today its list of the Best Employers - Malaysia 2015 in partnership with TalentCorp Malaysia, in an Awards Ceremony & Learning Conference. The conference broadly captured key market insights, benchmarks and case studies and a CEO panel that explored what Best Employers do better.

The Aon Hewitt Best Employers program is the most comprehensive study of its kind in Asia Pacific. It is run in 12 markets: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. The study’s research methodology involves a rigorous process, conducted over a nine-month period that culminates in a solid, credible list of Best Employers.

Being recognised as an Aon Hewitt Best Employer means that:

- The organisation inspires strong commitment and superior performance from its people
- It drives business results through effective people practices; and,
- It manages its business in ways that build long-term success and sustainability.

“Best Employers clearly achieve better business results compared to market. We found that Best Employers in Malaysia achieve significant higher growth in their income profits when compared to market average, said Prashant Chadha, Managing Director for Aon Hewitt in Malaysia.“This makes becoming a Best Employer a business agenda for Malaysia companies and not just an HR agenda.”

Johan Mahmood Merican, CEO of TalentCorp added, "It is imperative for employers to conduct innovative and competitive practices that drive people and business performance to increase the HR standards and expectations in the country for the benefit of both employees and employers. The Aon Hewitt Best Employers award acknowledges the importance of these practices for Malaysia to move towards a high productivity and high income nation status.”

The following organisations were recognised as Best Employers in Malaysia (alphabetically):

Aon Hewitt Best Employer – Malaysia 2015 Awards	Company Name
Best of the Best	Starbucks Coffee Malaysia
Best Employer Malaysia 2015	American Express (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Best Employer Malaysia 2015	DHL Express Malaysia
Best Employer Malaysia 2015	Eco World Development Group Berhad
Best Employer Malaysia 2015	FedEx Express
Best Employer Malaysia 2015	Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie
Best Employer Malaysia 2015	Marriott International, Malaysia
Best Employer Malaysia 2015	S P Setia Berhad
Best Employer Malaysia 2015	Sime Darby Property Berhad
Special Recognition Awards	Company Name
Best Employer – Commitment to Engagement	Marriott International, Malaysia
Best Employer for Generation Y	American Express (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Best Employer  for Women	McDonald’s Malaysia

Sydney Quays, Managing Director of Starbucks Coffee Malaysia & Brunei, which has been recognised as the Best of the Best commented, “The Aon Hewitt Best Employers award is one of the most significant recognitions that a company could get in validation to its human resources practices and talent management initiatives. Getting this award means a lot to all of us in the company. It brings pride at all levels of the organisation, not only to our partners (employees) but their families as well.”

FedEx Express, having received three Aon Hewitt Best Employers awards in the region this year, was also recognised as a Regional Best Employer in Asia Pacific 2015.

The most noticeable trends that emerged in this year’s Best Employers – Malaysia 2015 research were:

Business and People Challenges

- Best Employers achieve 38% higher income than market average.
- Best Employers attain 50% higher growth in profits than market average.
- Best Employers filled 38% more openings internally compared to market level. 

Employee Engagement

- Best Employers engagement score at 83% is significantly higher than market average (60%).
- Gen Y engagement score is the lowest age category at 57% although for Best Employers, their engagement scores are distinctly higher at 82%.
- Overall, only 48% of Gen Y employees said that their future career opportunities in their organisation look good.

“Employee engagement scores in Malaysia increased by 4 points to 60% in 2015 compared to the previous year study.  While the market as a whole is making in-roads towards a higher employee engagement score, Best Employers clearly lead the way with 20+ points ahead of the rest”, added Prashant Chadha.

Compelling Employer Brand

- Overall 62% of organisations have a clearly defined employer brand. Yet, only 21% of CEOs and HR are aligned on its nature.
- 85% of employees at Best Employers would recommend their company, vs 64% at participating organisations.
- 80% of employees at Best Employers believe their organisation delivers on promises, compared to only 51% of employees at participating organisations.

Chadha also highlighted: “There is a significant gap between 83% employees at Best Employers believing their organisation delivers on promises compared to only 60% of employees at participating organisations. Best Employers clearly walk the talk and fulfill their commitments. This goes to reinforce the value of their employer brand when it comes to attracting and engaging the best performing talent.”

Effective Leadership

- 67% of Best Employers have structured career development processes on succession planning, vs 32% participant average.
- 80% of employees at Best Employers believe that senior leaders treat them as a ‘most valued asset’, vs only 54% of employees at participating organisations.
- 78% Best Employers have mentoring programs for developing their leaders, vs 47% participant average.

High Performance Culture

- 67% Best Employers include the engagement scores of teams in their people manager performance ratings, compared to 49% participants.
- Only 49% of employees feel they receive appropriate recognition (beyond pay and benefits) for their contribution, compared to 75% at Best Employers.
- 83% of employees at Best Employers believe their organisation offers excellent career opportunities to strong performers, compared to only 58% of employees at participating organisations.

While the Best Employers study recognises organisations that display standards of excellence, the journey to get there is one that Aon Hewitt recommends for every organisation to embark upon.

“For organisations that don’t make it to the Best Employers list, but are aspiring to become Best Employers, we want to reinforce that this is a journey. Becoming a Best Employer doesn’t happen overnight,” said Ji-Hao Lee, Best Employers Project Manager for Aon Hewitt in Malaysia. “It is possible for everyone to become a Best Employer, if you’ve articulated the destination and have planned your journey wisely.”

Participation in the program brings a wide range of benefits for organisations, such as finding out how employees perceive and rate their employer, the reasons why they are attracted to certain employer brands, and the type of organisational culture they value sufficiently to “stay and strive”. The study also provides a benchmark against company competitors in the market. Participating organisations gain access to Aon Hewitt’s latest market research insights, along with the best and most innovative people practices of Best Employers.

Aon Hewitt’s Best Employers study was first conducted in Asia in 2001. The purpose of the program is to gain insights into companies that are creating real competitive advantage through their people, to explore what makes a workplace of choice and to identify the Best Employers in the region.

To find out more about the Aon Hewitt Best Employers-Asia 2015 Study, please visit http://www.bestemployersasia.com  

To find out more about the Aon Hewitt Best Employers – Malaysia 2015 or to inquire the 2016 program, please contact Ji-Hao Lee, Best Employers Malaysia Project Manager at ji-hao.lee@aonhewitt.com .

 

About Aon Hewitt
Aon Hewitt empowers organisations and individuals to secure a better future through innovative talent, retirement and health solutions. We advise, design and execute a wide range of solutions that enable clients to cultivate talent to drive organisational and personal performance and growth, navigate retirement risk while providing new levels of financial security, and redefine health solutions for greater choice, affordability and wellness.  Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions, with over 30,000 professionals in 90 countries serving more than 20,000 clients worldwide.  For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.

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About TalentCorp
Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) was established on 1 January 2011 under the Prime Minister’s Department to formulate and facilitate initiatives to address the availability of talent in line with the needs of the country’s economic transformation. Collaborating closely with relevant Government agencies and employers in priority economic sectors, TalentCorp develops demand-driven initiative to enhance graduate employability, optimise Malaysian professionals, engage Malaysians abroad, and facilitate foreign talent.

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is a leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 65,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative and effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world’s best broker, best insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit www.aon.com for more information on Aon and www.aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon’s global partnership and shirt sponsorship with Manchester United.

 

Media Contacts

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