Ninja Van Philippines gears up for the post-pandemic workplace
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – With the pandemic affecting many sectors of the Philippine economy, employers and employees alike are seeking adjustments to established norms of working to respond to workers’ evolving needs and lifestyles. Tech-enabled express logistics company Ninja Van Philippines is at the forefront of shaping the post-pandemic workplace through the balance among employee safety, productivity, and empowerment.
“Our mission to make hassle-free deliveries possible rests on the hard work, skills, and passion of our people – and we continuously hustle to ensure that our employees grow and maximize their full potential,” noted Ninja Van Philippines Chief Commercial Officer Sabina Lopez-Vergara in a media webinar called “Hybrid Hustle: Redefining the New Normal.”
Organized by Ninja Van Philippines, the event brought together leaders from the region’s leading job search and networking platforms, the government, and local human resources industry to discuss trends, opportunities, and challenges in the evolving post-pandemic work landscape in the Philippines.
Vergara shared that in response to employee needs, Ninja Van Philippines has implemented a full hybrid setup for its corporate office. Those in the support and commercial groups, such as sales, marketing, finance, and administration, only report to work physically on an as-needed basis, aligned with their respective teams’ schedules and priorities.
Furthermore, Vergara also revealed that Ninja Van Philippines has begun renovations of its Makati headquarters to make it more conducive for employees reporting onsite. Among the expected upgrades include fitness equipment and game nooks for better work-play integration, rest and shower areas, and individual call booths for focused work.
The company has already made the office fully pet-friendly, so employees can now bring their pets to work on certain days. Beer on tap is also available after 5 pm at the office pantry, for after-hours activities and socialization.
Complementing the physical improvements in the office is an array of people programs aimed at fostering collaboration, openness, and trust among employees. Aside from brown bag sessions and townhalls, Ninja Van Philippines has recently launched Ninja Clubs, encouraging employees to form interest groups within the company and secure funding for their programs and activities.
Echoing industry trends, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Executive Director for the Institute of Labor Studies (ILS) Charisma Satumba shared that the government has issued policies on flexible work arrangements and telecommuting, underscoring that agile work arrangements are crucial to navigating the post-pandemic landscape. She added that the department continues to work with companies across the country to help them adopt alternative arrangements if there is interest from both employers and employees.
Citing an independent study, Jobstreet by Seek Philippine Country Manager Philip Gioca highlighted that some 4.6 million Filipinos quit their jobs in the last two years of the pandemic, underscoring the urgency for employers to respond to jobseekers’ demands, particularly with respect to diversity and inclusion. Gioca noted that employees are now asking if their jobs are worth it, and that employers must continue to reevaluate their structures and ensure support for flexible work arrangements.
LinkedIn Emerging Markets Regional Sales Head Atul Harkisanka, on the other hand, shared best practices on how companies in the region can attract and retain top talent in a time of great flux in the workplace. Harkisanka stressed that reimagining the future of work consists of focusing on skills to attract talent, encouraging learning to create a great work culture, and enabling and empowering managers to make flexibility decisions.
As more and more employers shift to a fully work-from-home or hybrid set-up, Robert Walters Senior Manager Mae Mendoza identified key symptoms of dysfunctions in hybrid working. She stressed that employers should be on the lookout for these signs, such as hiring hurdles, challenges in retaining social capital, and innovation and productivity gaps, and assess how they can adapt to meet these challenges.
Offering employers insights on how to move forward, People Management Association of the Philippines President Ellen Fullido presented trends in human resources and people management that are designed to be more responsive to future disruptions. She emphasized that a healthy work environment allows employees to strive for work-life balance and encourages collaboration, flexibility, inclusion, and accountability.
Ninja Van Philippines, which has long attracted the country’s top talent due to its dynamic and growth-oriented culture, seeks to further build its workforce in support of its goals amid the pandemic. The company continues to hustle across all levels of its organizations – from operations and its thousands of riders across the country, to its various support teams at its corporate office – to provide hassle-free deliveries for shoppers and shippers.
Liked this post? Follow SwirlingOverCoffee on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
