26 MEMBERS ’ CORNER PHILIPPINE RETAILING
SM SUPERMALLS REAPS INTERNATIONAL AWARDS FOR EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
SM Supermalls recently scored global recognitions in prestigious award-giving bodies that include the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards , International Business Awards , and the Asia CEO Awards Circle of Excellence for its employee engagement programs and immediate response to help employees amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) pandemic .
“ We started our journey in the beginning of 2020 , amidst the pandemic , with hope . Despite the challenges , we took quick actions to protect employee welfare through a series of learning and engagement initiatives . SM Supermalls remains committed to continue the momentum of learning and to embrace innovation and technology , redesigning new experiences for our mall customers and our employees ,” said Steven Tan , SM Supermalls president .
Anchored on a three-part framework on purpose , passion , and performance , the SM Supermalls Human Resources Team accelerated its digital plans to equip employees with new skills to adapt to the evolving needs of the business and become innovative , agile , and resilient individuals .
To build learning agility , online programs such as the SM LIFE Mobile App , HRTV , SM Supermalls Training Site , learning digests , “ DIGI-U ” ( LinkedIn Learning ), virtual mentoring , and functional in-house webinars were provided to fuel employees ’ passion for learning despite challenging times . Through these initiatives , SM Supermalls was able to train 95 % of its employees during and after the lockdown .
With employee welfare at the heart of its operations , SM Supermalls removed barriers that may hinder employee performance . It gained competency in virus management , ensured uninterrupted delivery of HR ’ s essential services , and implemented Workplace Health and Safety Measures , in compliance with the IATF , DOLE , and DTI guidelines . Furthermore , SM employees were offered a 1-on-1 counseling program with licensed psychologists to ensure that they are performing at their best , both physically and mentally .
Premium lifestyle delivery app PICK . A . ROO was launched last August to provide urban consumers a way to go about their lives — whether in times of a pandemic or not — stress-free and conveniently .
This proudly Filipino brand is co-founded by CEO of Alliance Global Kevin Tan and Crystal Gonzalez , former country head of Singapore-based delivery app Honestbee , both of whom are not unfamiliar with providing quality experiences of all forms .
The app puts emphasis on empowering Filipino retailers of all sizes — especially the micro , small , and medium-sized enterprises ( MSMEs ).
NEW PREMIUM DELIVERY APP PICK . A . ROO TO HELP EMPOWER RETAILERS
Tan emphasizes the drive to pursue a venture such as this one by saying , “ The idea was that we wanted to help retailers first and foremost . A year or so ago , we approached the idea of introducing digital transformation to various retailers , but we thought it was going to take a while . That was the simple idea at the time . Then COVID hit and the world turned upside down . We were giving ourselves until the end of the year to put this up , but we had to move everything earlier . It ’ s a very disorienting time with lots of uncertainty and anxiety . We ’ ve made it our mission to help retailers transition to digital without any problems , while providing users an easy shopping experience .”
PICK . A . ROO provides online consumers highly curated options for food , groceries , gadgets , home essentials , and mom and baby needs — a lot of which were requested by PICK . A . ROO users : Beyond the Box , Digital Walker , Shangri-La , Hilton , Michelin establishments ( Tim Ho Wan , Hawker Chan , Kam ’ s Roast ), The Grid , S & R , Landers , and Robinsons , among others . The app is currently available all over Metro Manila , Antipolo , Bacoor , and Cainta . Partner brands can deliver to places as far as 10km .