Unconventional wisdom

WHY MELTWATER IS EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES TO PURSUE THEIR PASSIONS OUTSIDE OF WORK

“Employees today are not just seeking a good environment, but also want to feel a sense of purpose at the workplace,” Susan Tang, HR Director for APAC, Meltwater says.

It’s not every day you see employers encouraging their employees to pursue further interests outside of work, but at online media monitoring company Meltwater’s Singapore office (also known as the APAC headquarters), you’ll see just that.

Employees based out of this office have been actively encouraged to take time outside of work to pursue non work-related hobbies and interests, as the company aims to help them lead more meaningful and well-rounded lives.

The results? Higher engagement, better enablement and social connections, and a clearer work-life blend.

In this interview, Priya Sunil speaks to Susan Tang, HR Director for APAC, Meltwater, to go back to how it all began – what gave her and her team the idea to introduce this concept, how it’s being driven, as well as plans to roll out the initiative in Meltwater’s other markets.

Employees in the APAC HQ are actively encouraged to pursue meaningful opportunities outside of work. Tell us about this. What has the employee response been like?

Meltwater believes in providing an inclusive, equitable, and meaningful environment for our team. Employees today are not just seeking a good environment, but also want to feel a sense of purpose at the workplace. This is what drove us to encourage teams to explore projects outside of work that spark joy and inspiration for them. Our employees are now actively pursuing their passions in philanthropy, community services, fitness, music, and arts. We believe these enriching experiences not only improve the overall employee wellbeing and performance of our team, but also help them gain a unique perspective on situations at work.

One of our top considerations in implementing this was to make sure that productivity didn’t get impacted. To that end, we encourage our managers and functional heads to stay connected with what employees in their team are pursuing outside of work, and factor that into their planning. Beyond this, our flexible working schedule also allows employees to manage their time better and make space for our team to pursue their passions.

What has the employee response been like?

Organic participation is always heartfelt, better, and more meaningful. A recent employee survey we conducted across APAC saw us score 75% on employee engagement, 83% on enablement, 80% on social connection, 80% on work-life blend, and 82% on opportunity and inclusion – all of which are higher than the industry standard.

How does this initiative convey what Meltwater stands for as an employer and a brand?

At Meltwater, we don’t just want to focus on the ‘job’ that someone has to do, but on how we can make the lives of our employees more meaningful and fulfilling. We don’t just want to stop at being a leader in the SaaS space – we aspire to become an industry leader in people practices and social responsibility, and we act accordingly.

In conjunction with volunteer leave, we have also launched a ‘Work with Balance’ programme in APAC which enables our people to follow a hybrid work model to get the best of both worlds, and gives different groups (such as parents, caregivers, disability groups, people who need medical care, etc) more flexibility.

Continue the conversation here as Tang advises employers to consider such initiatives, shares her own pursuit of a work-life blend, and more.