Jean Henri Lhuillier Says Employee Empowerment Holds Key to Company Success

POSTED BY: Lionell Go Macahilig
2024-03-18 09:22:33 PHT

From a one-branch pawnshop with a single-minded goal to empower disadvantaged Filipinos across the country through financial inclusion and mobility, Cebuana Lhuillier has transformed itself throughout the years into one of the leading and largest financial services companies in the Philippines today.

According to Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier, the value they give their employees holds the key to the company’s grit and success.

Jean Henri Lhuillier acclaims that Cebuana Lhuillier has been able to build and propagate a company culture based on the core values of Innovation, Respect, Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence and Social Responsibility. By having these values introduced and instilled into the workplace, Cebuana Lhuillier has been able to create a team that works harmoniously towards accomplishing a common goal. This workplace culture enables Cebuana Lhuillier to create and offer the best products in the market, provide clients with the excellent service they deserve, cultivate productive relationships with stakeholders and build goodwill with the community.

Jean Henri also gives particular mention to Cebuana Lhuillier employees and says he considers them to be the company’s greatest asset and a big reason for its success. Jean Henri Lhuillier adds that Cebuana Lhuillier understands the importance of holding on to such a valuable resource and has instituted several policies to ensure that employees are well cared for. Beyond the paycheck and benefits, Cebuana Lhuillier regularly engages with employees through cultural campaign programs designed to improve their overall health and well-being.Moreover, it has established a good rapport with employees by instituting programs that empower employees to share feedback and make suggestions through programs like Hackathon, Eurekathon, and  Innovation in Systems, Innovation in Processes (ISIP), among others. Through these initiatives, officials can take note of the suggested company processes and systems and have the winning entries implemented across the entire company.

Cebuana Lhuillier also supports employees who want to improve on their career path by investing in employees’ further education, training and development. By making sure that every Ka-Cebuana’sknowledge and understanding of the business is complete and continuously improved, Cebuana Lhuillier has opted for two main ways to support how employees can obtain a sense of fulfillment while working.

One of these is the launching of the Cebuana Lhuillier Academy Online (CLAO) where employees can access not just orientation courses but also other valuable online courses that they can use to expound their knowledge for free. Another is the Cebuana Lhuillier Academy facility in Antipolo City where leadership and sales trainings as well as workshops are held among employees and even ManComm members. Aside from those, the company also supports and funds any external training that will contribute to the employee’s personal and professional development. That way, they can promote a culture that stimulates happiness and imparts a sense of fulfilment.

Rewarding outstanding employees is also important in the CebuanaLhuillier culture as it hosts several awarding ceremonies that aim to recognize its employees every now and then. But the most anticipated one among all is the annually held “Brillo” which recognizes the best Ka-Cebuanas for their remarkable performances and for going above and beyond their duty through the Loyalty Awards, Business Unit Awards, Innovation in Systems, Innovation in Processes (ISIP) and CX Excellence Awards, Individual Awards and Group Awards.

CebuanaLhuillier truly believes that celebrating employees who are committed to the company’s mission, vision, values, and purpose is imperative not only for the success of the company but more so, for their own individual progress.

Jo-Ann Tacorda, First Vice President and Group Head of Corporate Services, says, “Here at Cebuana Lhuillier, we always make sure to implement systems and programs that will positively impact the employee’s performance and well being. With that we stay committed in providing them with an inclusive working environment where they can get a personal sense of accomplishment while doing their respective tasks.”

Jean Henri Lhuillier enthused: “I am very proud of the 10-thousand strong Cebuana Lhuillier workforce. Cebuana Lhuillier would never have attained this kind of growth and longevity were it not for the immense contributions of Cebuana Lhuillier employees who have been empowered to maximize their abilities to the hilt. As Cebuana Lhuillier continues its mission to empower as many Filipinos as possible, so shall we continue to strive to make every employee feel how much they’re valued, not just as members of our organization but as citizens who envision a better future for themselves and the whole nation”.