of everyday activities are routinely highlighted, and various control measures are put in place to
minimise such risks and to avoid the occurrence of workplace injuries. All Ascott Reit properties also
renew their pledge towards zero incidents, injuries and fatalities annually.
Building a strong employer brand
As we continue to pursue growth, we recognise the importance of developing a strong employer
brand, through engaging our human capital. We believe that engaged staff will make great brand
ambassadors.
We invest in what matters to our staff – their personal development – so that they are poised to drive
our business growth and maintain our competitive edge. To develop our staff across 13 countries and
37 cities, we leverage Ascott’s programmes that are tailored to staff of varying backgrounds and work
experiences. For instance, Ascott’s Global Exchange Programme offered by its global training
institute, Ascott Centre for Excellence, provides job rotational opportunities even for entry-level staff
whereby they get to experience working overseas and pick up best practices. Through the Serviced
Residence Management Programme, second liners are groomed to take on key management roles,
and our senior management would conduct classes to share their industry knowledge with staff.
Business results are driven by our people. We ensure that they are engaged and recognised for their
hard work. Our senior management regularly connects with staff via global town halls and informal
gatherings. These serve as platforms for staff to interact with senior management and share
feedback on how the company can further improve. Awards are given out to staff who have delivered
exceptional service. For instance, winners of the global Heartware award receive incentive trips with
the option of bringing along a partner.
To identify top talents, we leverage industry events and partnerships with top institutes of higher
learning such as Switzerland’s Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne
1
, the world’s top hotel management
school in 2013, and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University
2
, one of the top 10 universities in
Asia in 2014. Furthermore, as we continue to innovate our human capital strategies to attract
exceptional talent, we are moving towards social media to build our strong employer branding. We
believe that social media offers an interactive platform for the public to be better acquainted with our
people and business as well as have their career-related queries addressed.
2014 Highlights
• Committed 3% of payroll towards staff training and development
• Staff from Ascott Reit properties each underwent about 40 hours of learning and
development
• Close to 20% of our key positions have been filled through recruitment via social media
platforms
1
Ecole Hôtelière de Lausane: rated the world’s top hotel management school in 2013 as per TNS Sofres
2
Nanyang Technological University: rated one of the top 10 universities in Asia in 2014 as per World University Rankings
Pursuing Growth | 51
