Winning Secrets: Check Point Software Technologies' journey to becoming the employer of choice within the market and beyond

Clear articulation of company objectives is important so employees know how they contribute towards achieving broader company goals, says Cindy Chua, Head of HR - APAC, Check Point Software Technologies.

Check Point Software Technologies is a provider of cyber security solutions to corporate enterprises and governments globally. Check Point Infinity’s portfolio of solutions enterprises and public organisations from fifth-generation cyber-attacks with an impressive catch rate of malware, ransomware, and other threats. 

At the third annual edition of Employee Experience Awards - Singapore in 2023, Check Point Software Technologies was nominated as a finalist in two coveted categories by the jury members - 'Best Onboarding Experience' and 'Best Diversity & Inclusion Strategy'. 

To celebrate this milestone, we catch up with Cindy Chua, Head of HR - APAC, Check Point Software Technologies on the alignment of employee experience initiatives to drive employee performance and a high performance culture that attracts, retains, and empowers talent.

Q How do you ensure your employee experience initiatives are aligned with your business objectives?

Our HR vision for the organisation is to be the employer of choice within the market and beyond, and the alignment of our employee experience initiatives is imperative to drive employee performance and a high performance culture that attracts, retains, and empowers our talents.

To achieve this, we look at the following:

• Clear articulation of company objectives so that employees understand their role and how they contribute towards achieving broader company goals, thereby enhancing their sense of purpose.
• Seeking leadership buy-in to focus on employee development and programmes initiated through active involvement by championing people initiatives to demonstrate commitment to employee wellbeing and a positive work culture.
• Open communication through regular feedback mechanisms such as employee surveys, skip level meetings, etc. for us to make any adjustments to the initiatives where need be and alignment post feedback.
• Analysing the touchpoints in the employee journey and identifying any pain points and opportunities to enhance employee engagement and satisfaction.

Q Can you provide examples of how the organisation has invested in the employee experience?

To ensure the employees have a positive onboarding experience, we have a robust new-hire pre- and onboarding programme. For example, a 50-hour training that new hires have to complete within their first three months. There are mandatory certifications for the technical roles where new hires would need undergo trainings and examinations to be certified within their first three months as well.

In addition, we have events and activities to promote DEI and corporate social responsibility. For example during 'Diversity Day', we have various ethnicities in the company bring their own cuisines for a potluck session and to share their culture with others. Another example is during International Women’s Day, where male employees prepare a performance for the female employees as an appreciation to them. Employees are given these platforms to showcase their talents as well as they celebrate these festivals and causes.  

Q What are some of the key challenges that you faced in implementing your EX initiatives, and how did you overcome them?

One of the key challenges faced is the rise of hybrid work arrangements in a post COVID world, which has made it difficult to ensure a consistent and positive employee experience. We tried to address this through clear communication on expectations, flexible work policies, and regular check-ins to ensure constant alignment. With consistent feedback from our employees, we could reassess and then make any adjustments where need be.

Another challenge faced is the resistance to change, and a lot of efforts have gone into put into influencing and educating managers to be open to the initiatives and how it will benefit them and their employees in the long run. Training on change management was also conducted to better support the managers through this change management journey.

The last challenge faced was resource limitations; we have to think out of the box and work together with other departments to pull budgets and efforts together to achieve the goals set out. 

Q Do you have processes to measure the effectiveness of your EX initiatives, and what metrics do you use to evaluate success?

We have feedback channels in place (i.e., HR surveys, regular sensing calls and skip level meetings) and a robust internal system to consolidate and review our workforce data to predict effectiveness before implementation and evaluate success after execution. 

An annual engagement survey is also conducted to feel the pulse on the ground and allow us to review the feedback gathered, and fine-tune and adapt our initiatives to meet the employees’ needs as much as possible. 

Q Finally, what role do leaders and managers play in driving a beautiful employee experience, and how are they held accountable for the success of these initiatives?

Leaders and managers have a profound influence on the employee experience and are held accountable through various measures such as performance metrics, feedback mechanisms, and employee retention, to reflect their ability to foster engagement, wellbeing, and success within the workforce.

Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets' section!

All photos / Provided by Check Point Software Technologies