KBTG’s people programmes lauded at Asian Experience Awards 2022

The company acknowledges the need to inculcate a positive experience for employees amidst the uncertain working environment.

Being in the fintech sector, KASIKORN Business-Technology Group (KBTG) is always facing  fierce competition when it comes to attracting prospective candidates and retaining talents. This comes as the company aspires to become a top tech organisation in Southeast Asia.

Firmly believing that great technologies are created by the hands of humans, the company acknowledges that this aspiration can only be driven by having a positive experience for its people, making sure that they feel heard, and making the necessary changes to achieve this goal, especially amidst the impact of the pandemic.

This forces KBTG to find a more innovative way to attract talent, as well as to strengthen its brand image and employee well-being as the nation's leading tech organisation.

Towards the end of 2020, the company began conceptualising something special to offer to its target audience, ranging from fresh grads to experienced individuals. KBTG Inspire was initiated a few months later.

KBTG Inspire is a bi-annual event that KBTG has created especially for talents in the tech field who are looking to grow in certain areas. Each round of KBTG Inspire features three to four different sessions, designed to accommodate various interests.

Amongst the notable sessions are its Upskill Workshop, a virtual workshop designed by KBTG experts in different fields; 1:1 Career Mentorship, a 30-minute private consultation with KBTG employees in respective fields, where participants can discuss and seek advice; and Agile Playground, a fun simulation designed by KBTG’s agile coaches, where participants must collaborate to accomplish the assigned task.

The third wave of COVID-19 disrupted the company’s plans, prompting them to redesign the event into a full online experience. Since its first launch in April 2021, KBTG has organised the event for a total of four rounds. The event generated over 1,700 applications in the last year.

KBTG discovered that many of those who had previously joined KBTG Inspire with the “event-only” package also chose to apply to the company afterwards and became full-time employees.

Meanwhile, to combat the challenges and struggles of adapting to the sudden shift to a work-from-home setup, KBTG created a well-being initiative called Thank God It’s FriYAY! The event reserves Friday afternoons for employees to do the things that they want, try something new, or have a relaxing moment to relieve the stress from a week’s work.

KBTG came up with various activities to accommodate the needs employees are seeking during the period, which include: virtual concerts; virtual workshops; virtual exercise classes; town halls; and face-to-face activities.

These initiatives have received good feedback from employees, with a satisfaction score of 80%, as well as a 10% increase in engagement score and a 16% increase in well-being score.

KBTG’s pro-people projects have received recognition from the Asian Experience Awards 2022, as the company bags the Thailand Employee Experience of the Year - Financial Technology win. 

The prestigious awards programme aims to highlight the ingenious initiatives of creative companies delivering meaningful brand experiences to their stakeholders.

The Asian Experience Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2023 awards programme and be acclaimed for providing meaningful brand experiences to stakeholders, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].