next Sourcing felicitates key employees at “Long Service Awards 2019”

next Sourcing, a fully-owned subsidiary of the retail clothing and accessory giant next Plc – UK, recognised and rewarded 34 key employees for their extended service to the company at the “Long Service Awards 2019” held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo recently. The top management of next Sourcing, and a large number of the next Sourcing team attended the event, held for the eighth consecutive year.

The 34 employees included 15, 10, 5 and 4 employees who had completed 5 years, 10 years, 15 years and 20 years respectively. This was a remarkable growth from the 21 employees who received the awards during 2018. The significant percentage of long serving employees underscores next Sourcing’s ability to retain employees and offer them a work environment that has become a benchmark in the industry. During the event, emphasis was placed on the continued passion, dedication and drive demonstrated by these 34 individuals during their long careers at next Sourcing and highlighted the achievements and personal growth they have been able achieve both within and outside the boundaries of the office.

Wilhelm Elias – Associate Director of next Sourcing stated, whilst we celebrate 25yrs in Sri Lanka we also celebrate our staff who have made it all possible. We are a business with a performance driven culture and I am proud to have a team that steps up all of the time. If you have the want and the need to learn and grow, we will make it happen for you is the thought process across the business and a trait we inculcate consistently across all teams. We celebrate 34 team members reaching milestones of 5Yrs, 10Yrs , 15Yrs and 20Yrs and wish them great success with us. In this industry, experience matters, it gives you the confidence to make decisions and move forward quickly and this is why our suppliers love working with us. This is what make us next Sourcing…….

Anuradha Wickramasinghe – Manager Human Resources stated, “next is a very people-oriented company where the company enjoys a positive workplace culture. We understand that the Apparel industry is dynamic and is inherently a very demanding, high-pressure industry that is changing rapidly. To counter this, not only do we invest a lot on training and development, but we also facilitate regular engagement activities to improve teamwork and uplift the morale of our employees. A large majority of the team is fairly young, which is very advantageous when it comes to generating fresh ideas to face the challenges of tomorrow. The management understands the mindset of these younger team members and very open to new ideas that are coming from them. Our commitment is to create an environment where the new Gen employee can grow and prosper whilst it helps build a strong second layer to our leadership team.

Our culture is amazing there are no corporate politics, everyone knows that they’re appreciated and encouraged to do better. This is why our attrition rate is better than the industry standard.”

One of the recipients of the award, Vidusha Senani – Merchandising Manager, stated, “I have been in the business for 10 years. I joined next Sourcing as a Development Merchandiser and got promoted rapidly due to my performance levels. The management is friendly and ready to help any employee deliver their best. We are given lots of training and development so that we can constantly improve in all areas. The teams within the company are energetic and understanding so that creates an exciting work environment where we look forward to coming to work. I feel privileged to be a part of next family”

next Sourcing Sri Lanka produces next-branded children’s and women’s garments, as well as women’s lingerie and menswear. Over twenty years of experience gives the company an edge over the global competition and an opportunity to create greater value for their stakeholders. Exclusive, coordinated collections of stylish, cost-effective garments are distributed through the next retail network, which consists of more than 500 stores in the UK alone and almost 200 stores serving customers in over 70 countries. next Sourcing offices are located worldwide, including in Leicester, London, Turkey, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, North India, South India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Shanghai.