Hayleys Plantations’ TTEL first RPC to earn Great Place to Work certification

Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTEL), a leading member of the Hayleys Plantations sector, set yet another benchmark in the industry as the first regional plantations company (RPC) to earn the Great Place to Work (GPTW) certification in recognition of its dedication to creating positive workplace experiences for its employees.

Based on a comprehensive evaluation of employee experiences, the GPTW certification is a global benchmark to identify and recognise workplaces that create a progressive culture that enables employees to reach their full potential. Notably, the anonymous survey revealed that 96% of the 6,135-strong TTEL workforce found the company to be a great place of work.

“The GPTW certification is unique in that it is based so strongly on the actual experiences that our employees have with our organisation, its culture and values, and its processes and operations. The fact that we scored so strongly across all metrics, showcases the hard work that has gone into each of these areas over the generations. This is a true milestone for our organisation, and the broader plantations industry,” Hayleys Plantations Managing Director, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai stated.

Each company is evaluated based on what the employees say about their daily experiences within the organisation, and their thoughts on the company’s innovation, values, and the effectiveness of their leaders. The assessment includes the Trust Index Survey, which is based on the five principles of credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie, and takes into account the existing people practices through a Culture Audit Management Questionnaire.

“A great deal of focused effort has been channelled towards ensuring everyone at TTEL has a great working experience, and we are humbled to see the results of it first-hand. I take this opportunity to thank our employees for their hard work and dedication, and seek their support to continue building on the positive, progressive and performance based culture that makes TTEL a Great Place to Work,” Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC Director/CEO, Senaka Alawattegama said.

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviours proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation. The Great Place to Work Certification helps companies attract and retain top talent, receive important feedback from their employees, and benchmark their culture against the world’s most successful companies.

“We applaud Talawakelle Tea Estates for seeking employee feedback and the opportunity to certify itself. These ratings measure the company’s capacity to earn the trust of its employees and create a great workplace- critical metrics that anyone considering working for or doing business with TTEL should take into account as an indicator of high performance,” Great Place to Work Sri Lanka CEO, Kshanika Ratnayake said.

“According to the Great Place to Work study, 966 out of 6135 employees completed surveys, and 96% say it is a great workplace”, Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC Senior Manager – HR, Sangeetha Dharmasekara mentioned.

A subsidiary of Hayleys Plantations, a member of the Hayleys Group, Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC has been producing the greatest Ceylon teas in 16 tea gardens across the island since 1992. The company is the number one Regional Plantation Company in Sri Lanka, with an admirable corporate reputation, dedicated leadership, commitment to quality and productivity, and an undying passion towards serving the communities and environment as a whole. Talawakelle Tea Estates is driven by the vision to be the Most Admired Plantations Company in Sri Lanka, and aspires to delight its customers with the best quality teas. The company was recognised for the sixth consecutive year at the Presidential Environmental Awards 2019. This winning strategy was further highlighted at the Social Dialogue and Workplace Corporation Awards 2019, organised by the Ministry of Labour, where TTEL won Gold, Silver and Merit Awards. TTEL was also the first plantations company to achieve the Overall Gold Award at the National Business Excellence Awards 2018.