Family and Well-being
With numerous never-before-seen changes happening one after another at an accelerated rate, the capability and readiness of a company's organizational structure and personnel to adapt to such changes is what propels it forward efficiently and sustainably. In the Family Pillar, we are committed to enhancing all aspects of our employees’ quality of life — from health and well-being, to workplace and environment, and to welfare, benefits, and respect for human rights and gender equality. This is so that they feel safe and secure at work, which in turn results in their professional advancement and our progress towards sustainability. We also promote a creativity-based learning environment where all employees are encouraged to develop and realize their potential while also continuously learning with one another in an effort to forge bonds among all employees and make them feel proud of being a part of Thai Wah.
Engagement has been a priority for us, and this is especially true in light of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our business operations have consistently been disrupted. We now operate in a way that is influenced by the emergence of new business models, exponential technological advancements, innovative working practices, and regulations. The pandemic has merely accelerated this transformation, which is grounded in human experience and has the potential to bring about sustainable change at the behavioral, cultural, and organizational levels. However, there are some crucial lessons that this new way of working has taught us about how to boost employee engagement. With our three-year plan, we have implemented a number of enhancements to deal with our employees' behavioral changes under these three “Right” cores:
- Right People: To draw in and keep the appropriate individuals who respond to our corporate direction;
- Right Quality: To enhance capabilities that lead to our outstanding performance and competitive advantage in order to secure our future;
- Right Place: To create a supportive environment and culture that encourages our employees to give it their all to cooperate, perform better, and stay motivated.
Diversity and Inclusion
Thai Wah is firmly rooted in a culture of diversity and inclusivity. We take pride in being an organization that is active in upholding the fundamental rights that every individual is entitled to and valuing the unique diversity that each associate brings to its organization. We make sure that fairness, equality, and non-discrimination are embedded into our employment practices and by extension all aspects of our operations, as evidenced by our Code of Conduct. As a result, we are proud to have achieved and maintained a balanced and diverse workforce throughout the years, having added 54 women and 66 men in 2022, bringing the total number to 1,789 women and 1,653 men. As we look ahead, we remain dedicated to creating a working environment with equal opportunity where everyone can thrive professionally.
Memorable ‘Best Start at Thai Wah’
Sustainable Knowledge for Internship Students
Thai Wah views its commitment in equipping its associates with the knowledge and capabilities they need to thrive in the ever-changing workplace of the future. The Company offers apprenticeship and training opportunities for interested students in a variety of fields. In 2022, we welcomed 29 students from Thai and international educational institutions to our internship program. Through this program, we strive to prepare them for the workforce of the future, cultivating the creativity and innovation-driven attitude and enhancing corporate governance, work ethics, and social responsibility, so that they can reach their full potential and contribute to sustainable development.
Innovative Recruitment Channel
Thai Wah has risen to meet the challenge of finding the ideal personnel to join its ranks. In 2022, we established a strong corporate image that is consistent with the core values, giving ourselves an edge when it comes to attracting new talents to our team. To further our reach, we have added to the mix a number of new channels to raise public awareness of our products, our associates’ livelihood and well-being, and our activities, both inside and outside the organization. Of particular note are online channels like "Thai Wah Careers" Facebook page and Metaverse Job Fair, which allowed us to cast a wider net.
Thai Wah Leadership Academy (TLA)
Thai Wah recognizes the necessity of staying ahead of the curve to stay successful in the face of global challenges and fierce competition. To this end, we are passionate about fostering growth and development of our most valued asset: our associates. Each of our associates has distinct skills, knowledge, and abilities, associate development is therefore based as much on their needs as on what they should have — and this has led to the establishment of the “Thai Wah Leadership Academy” or “TLA” project.
To support our associates’ individual development plans, TLA offers a range of transformative, associate-centered leadership programs that are developed to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to work together to confront global challenges and succeed in a competitive market. The programs are based on our Core and Leadership competencies and are categorized into three layers: Leading Self, Leading Team, and Leading Business. Through a combination of virtual and face-to-face instruction, they are able to grow and thrive alongside us, both personally and professionally, and to forge a clear path forward in their careers for them to take charge of their futures and confidently face whatever comes their ways. In 2022, the TLA conducted more than 30 classes and had 500 associates enrolled.
Talent Management and Succession Planning
Thai Wah understands that in order to remain competitive and continue to provide the highest quality of services to its consumers, it needs to maintain a strong leadership team at all times. To ensure a smooth transition of key roles within the organization, we have established “Talent Management and Succession Planning,” a planning and development program that seeks to identify, develop, and retain associates who are capable of taking on leadership roles in the future. The processes are as follows:
1. Talent Management — the management of high potential associates includes the following processes:
- 1.1 Talent Identification — we identify high potential associates using the following two primary criteria:
- Sustained Performance
- Learning Agility
- 1.2 Talent Development — we develop a group of high potential associates so that they can take on key positions for the organization as successors. We establish an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for each of them using a 70:20:10 learning and development methodology:
- 70% Learning Through Practice;
- 20% Learning Through Mentoring and Coaching; and
- 10% Learning Through Training and Lecturing.
2. Succession Planning — to ensure that the talent management process aligns with the continuation of our business operations, we establish the succession planning process as follows:
- 2.1 Critical Position and Successor Review
- 2.2 Retention Risk
- 2.3 Successor Follow-Up and Development During Transition
Development Center
“Development Center,” an innovative approach to assessing and developing successors using a sophisticated series of diagnostic tools to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and insights. It is engineered to provide a comprehensive assessment, combining tools like Behavior-Based Interview, One-Day Work-Life Simulation, Personality Assessment, and Result Calibration, all centering around the Thai Wah Leadership Competencies.
Non-Discrimination and Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)
The fair and equitable treatment of all associates in alignment with international human rights standards is among top priorities for Thai Wah. We are steadfast in having a transparent and non-discriminatory policy in place for our recruitment, employment, compensation and benefit, training, assignment, and promotion processes and beyond. It is urged for us to cultivate an all-inclusive culture in order to raise our associates’ life quality and value. To this end, we are actively working towards advancing the promotion and development of female leadership, through standardized assessments and the provision of necessary facilities and resources to create a safe and healthy working environment. By doing so, we are striving to empower our female associates and help them reach their full potential and gain the deserved self-esteem. In 2022, 46% of our managers and above are female and 45% of our top management are female.
Associates with Disabilities
Thai Wah’s dedication to embracing an inclusive and diverse culture goes far beyond its treatment of female associates. We stand proudly in solidarity with the government in its mission to improve the lives of those living with disabilities in Thailand. We take our responsibility as a private entity seriously and are unwavering in providing employment opportunities and stable incomes to those with disabilities. In 2022, we had 18 differently abled associates, and donated THB1,485,185 to disability funds. We continue to be at the forefront of supporting people living with disabilities in achieving a career, earning a steady income, and becoming self-reliant. By doing so, we are able to do our part in bridging the social divide and initiating a more equitable society for those with disabilities.
Flexible Work Arrangement
As the new way of working had been steadily taking shape, Thai Wah made it its mission to ensure a healthier and happier work-life balance for its associates. We introduced our “Flexible Work Arrangement” in 2022. The arrangement grants our associates the option to work from home once a week and our work hours have now become flexible.
Associate Recognition Award (ARA)
Thai Wah attaches great importance to creating an environment of success and recognition for its people. To double down on our promise to be the right place for our people, we have established “Associate Recognition Award,” a program designed to recognize and celebrate those associates who go above and beyond to make a lasting impact on our organization. Through this program, we strive to give our associates the recognition they deserve for doing so to help our company succeed. The program emphasizes the expected behaviors we would like to encourage, such as Teamwork, Commitment, and Leadership, and Core Values, such as Pride, Integrity, and Consistency. Associates who demonstrate these qualities will be celebrated across all Thai Wah locations. In 2022, we gave ARA awards to 69 associates. Through the program, we are able to show our appreciation for those who have been instrumental in inspiring others and leading the Thai Wah Way, thereby creating an atmosphere of motivation and accomplishment for all.
Associate Engagement Survey (AES)
Thai Wah is determined to reach its ambitious goal of Thai Wah 2025 and is devoted to the professional growth and development of all of its associates. To ensure that our associates can express their opinions about their workplace and how to create a better workplace for them in a safe and worry-free environment, we recently announced a partnership with Willis Towers Watson (WTW), a prestigious global research and consulting firm, to conduct an “Associate Engagement Survey (AES).” The survey aimed to assess and measure the quality of the work environment at Thai Wah, so that we could further enhance the atmosphere and create an even more inspiring, fulfilling, and open workplace for our associates.
The survey was conducted from October 31 to November 11, 2022, with 3,271 associates in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and Cambodia participating in the survey, representing 96% of the total workforce. Our 2022 sustainable engagement score is 95%, and all drivers are above the Thailand Norm, Global High Performance Norm, and Asia Pacific Manufacturing Norm.
The Company has placed importance on human rights management in compliance with the business code of conduct and international human rights standards. The Board of Directors and/or senior management are expected to monitor and ensure that human rights are not violated in any of the Company’s activity, nor human rights violation due to any act or decision made by the Company.
The Company has formulated a policy on corporate responsibility to respect human rights. The aim is to undertake comprehensive measures related to human rights by adhering to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) as a framework for human rights management. The policy includes analyzing and gauging human rights risks, risk management, and constant monitoring of and reporting on related progress. Thai Wah’s key human rights issues are forced labor, human trafficking, and illegal child labor.
In demonstrating consistent commitment to addressing the above issue, the Company has formulated a plan to uplift responsibility and transparency in the supply chain, disseminated policy, and practices on sustainable procurement to business partners. By providing the training and enhance knowledge of key business partners for them to conduct self-assessment on sustainability, assessed key business partners, on sustainability, and supplied main raw materials from responsible agricultural sources. Those who wish to become future partners will have to sign an acknowledgment of human rights and good labor practices and to comply with the principles set by the Company strictly. With our commitment and care, Thai Wah has also implemented workplace safety, health, and environmental policy in accordance with related laws and standards for all employees and business partners to work in a safe and happy environment.
The Company has placed priority on fair treatment to the employees on the basis of international human rights standards, with the clear policy on nondiscrimination in the process related to recruitment, employment, compensation and benefit payment, trainings, job assignment, and promotion. The Company commits to provide facilities necessary for their work, and promote safe and healthy work environment. Participatory culture is also encouraged for the development of their quality of life and value, and public mind, thus, enabling our people to have a sense of their worth and reach their full potential.
We have continued to implement our policy on human rights and have yet to witness any case that business operation is held accountable for human rights violation. Nevertheless, the Company has provided various channels to receive opinions and suggestions from the employees, such as the Intranet and Suggestion Box.