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Its health & wellbeing programmes aim to engage employees in a more casual and relaxed way through non-work-related activities, shares Jasmin Md Jaffar, HR Director Malaysia & Singapore.
Danone Specialized Nutrition, a leading multi-local food and beverage company, builds on health-focused and fast-growing categories in three businesses: Essential dairy & plant-based products, waters, and specialised nutrition. With its ‘One Planet. One Health’ frame of action, which considers the health of people and the planet as intimately interconnected, Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices.
Its employees play a role in co-building the company's strategy. Through the Danone people survey and pulse programmes started more than two decades ago, all Danone employees worldwide – regardless of seniority, position, or location – have the opportunity to express themselves, share their convictions, and put their opinions into action to build the 'Danone of tomorrow.' Its four core ‘hope’ values: humanism, openness, proximity and enthusiasm are its 'moral compass'.
The HR Excellence Awards 2023, Malaysia, saw the team at Danone Specialized Nutrition (Malaysia) take home the silver award for 'Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing', which Jasmin Md Jaffar, HR Director Malaysia & Singapore attributes to a series of initiatives that build fun, engagement, and strong togetherness among employees (Danoners).
Read what she has to say in the interview below.
Q How has your HR and people strategy contributed to your success this year?
At Danone, people are at the centre of what we do. Related to this, our People strategy focuses on talent management, rewards, safety, engagement and wellbeing, training & development, and culture. We focus on upskilling and developing our talents to bring our Danoners to the level we require them to be and prepare the team for future skills needed. We believe that continuous improvement, evaluation, and enhancement in our people strategy will enable our business performance. Most importantly a high level of commitment from leaders is essential in ensuring the achievement of our HR strategy.
Q Looking back at your achievements, what aspect of your HR initiatives are you most proud of, and why?
Some of the proud initiatives we designed and implemented included programmes centered around health & wellbeing in the organisation. Our programmes often aim to engage our employees in a more casual and relaxed setting, allowing them to take part in non-work-related activities to build fun, engagement, and strong togetherness among Danoners.
The sessions focus on different topics and activities each time, which not only keeps it fresh but also covers a diverse set of interests among our employees.
To continuously enhance our employees' knowledge of nutrition, we also arrange for healthcare professionals to give talks on topics related to nutrition and mental health. We diligently run health and fitness challenges throughout the year to encourage and promote living an active lifestyle. Some of these programmes are also led by our employees themselves. This enables them to promote leadership skills as they take on responsibilities related to planning, organising, and leading/facilitating the sessions.
Q During your HR journey, what were some significant obstacles you faced, and how did you overcome them to achieve excellence?
One of the obstacles is developing and implementing effective succession planning strategies. To overcome this challenge, a strong talent management strategy is key. We have our annual talent review sessions held, covering all levels and succession planning for key roles and talents.
We also customise learning and development plans to address the various gaps in talent development and we provide coaching and mentoring programmes to ensure top talents are given the right exposure to grow with the company.
Another obstacle is holding the team together during difficult times and driving towards a high-performance team culture especially when the organisation is undergoing challenges due to economic conditions. Clear direction, an agile mindset, frequent clear communications, and transparent, engaged leadership connection with the team can ensure the team is glued during difficult times. Though some employees may decide to drop off during these times, retaining talents is crucial to stay ahead in the competitive industry.
Q How does your organisation measure the success and impact of your HR initiatives?
In the HR function, we have multiple methods to measure the initiatives led by HR. These include yearly employee engagement surveys to gauge employees' satisfaction, commitment, health and wellness feedback and participation, and overall engagement levels. These surveys can cut across different functions, by levels, age, and gender, using various metrics to measure satisfaction scores, willingness to recommend the company as a place to work, and collating feedback for improvement. We measured turnover rates and implemented a framework called WAVE to measure training effectiveness and to ensure there is a follow-through on any training & development programmes.
We also track the percentage of employees who have completed training given all of us strive to complete at least 24 hours per person for our learning hours. We utilise a combination of metrics, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness and impact of our HR initiatives.
Q In what direction do you see the HR/people function evolving in the future, considering the emerging trends?
As technology advances, flexible work arrangements are becoming more common. HR departments must develop policies that support employees while maintaining productivity and a positive culture. Data analysis is crucial for informed decision-making, and HR professionals must integrate strong business acumen with data skills.
Solid automation processes or effective shared services for routine HR tasks should then allow HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives. As a result, HR professionals need to have a strong understanding of business and commercial aspects to drive the company's goals.
Finally, HR plays a vital role in promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. All policies, procedures, and programmes should be gradually modified in small ways to ensure that we promote DEI. This approach allows for representation and participation across all levels, creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive work cultures.
The best part about fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive work cultures is that they are mutually beneficial to both employees and employers.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets section!
Photos: Provided by Danone Specialized Nutrition (Malaysia)
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