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For both Tsu-Shien, President of Henkel Malaysia, and Elaine Kunkle, President of Henkel Philippines, equity requires transparency, whether it be about pay or sharing milestones and targets.
Across the region, one fact remains — Henkel is supporting its teams by ensuring that everyone, regardless of gender, has the resources they need to achieve success and grow within the the organisation.
For Tsu-Shien, President of Henkel Malaysia, this means open conversations about the organisation's progress in creating a conducive work environment. Similarly, Elaine Kunkle, President of Henkel Philippines, prioritises pay transparency and focuses on employees’ performance, development, and career progression.
Both leaders understand the importance of being attuned to employee's individual circumstances. Whether it be operational trainings or conducting pulse checks, here's how these two leaders are addressing the needs of each of their employees, in a story told by HRO's Arina Sofiah.
Leading with empathy: Tsu-Shien, President of Henkel Malaysia
Q What impression did you have of equity before taking on your current role, and how has that evolved?
Historically, the focus has been on equality, where everyone is treated similarly. Today, societal needs are ever-changing, and as a senior leader, I believe it is important to be sensitive to individual needs and circumstances. At Henkel, we are taking active steps to better understand and respond to the needs of our employees. With a greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion, we are advancing from equality to equity.
Q How can we eliminate internal biases that prevent us from progressing equity at the workplace?
To advance equity, we need continued and open conversations about our organisation's progress in creating a conducive work environment where everyone has the resources to achieve success. This includes being transparent and accountable in sharing milestones, targets, dashboards, and conducting pulse checks to understand employees' experiences.
Q Could you share some steps you're taking as a C-suite leader to ensure you are #EmbracingEquity?
For me, inclusiveness and a sense of belonging are building blocks for an equitable workplace. This is why I actively champion an open-door policy to minimise physical and psychological barriers. At the same time, it helps to create a strong connection and facilitates communication within my team. By remaining approachable, I can better understand my team's challenges and identify the resources and opportunities that they need.
Q Do you have any tips or recommendations for those of us who want to ensure greater support for women, regardless of their in-office or at-home work environment?
As a supervisor, it is important to take the time to understand our employees' lives outside the workplace. For example, female employees may be juggling heavier responsibilities in caring for children or elders. That is why leading with empathy is always a sure winner.
Empowering employees to make the best use of all resources: Elaine Kunkle, President of Henkel Philippines
Equity in the workplace is about levelling the playing field and ensuring that everyone, regardless of gender, has the resources they need to achieve success and grow within the company.
At Henkel, we do this by prioritising pay transparency and focusing on employees’ performance, development, and career progression. We support our employees in their professional growth by offering a wide variety of in-person and virtual trainings. These include both operational trainings for continual improvement, as well as non-operational initiatives focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition, we hire and promote based on employees’ skills and offer equitable benefits to encourage a more diverse workforce. Most importantly, we empower our employees to make the best use of all the resources available to them to develop themselves and their careers.
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Lead image / Provided (featuring the interviewees, L-R Tsu-Shien and Elaine Kunkle)
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