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By putting people at the heart of every interaction, Central Retail is growing talent from within and fostering a culture of listening, recognition and trust.
Central Retail Corporation, a leading retail group with over 60,000 employees across multiple countries, believes that employee experience (EX) is more than a concept. It is the lived reality of every interaction between people and the organisation. Its EX strategy centres on building ‘A Winning Team’ by creating a workplace that empowers, energises and inspires employees through trust, communication and a genuine sense of belonging.
Central Retail’s most high-impact EX initiative is its shift from a “buy over build” talent model to one focused on growing talent from within. Through the GROWTH framework, which includes guidance from managers, rewarding career opportunities, development programmes, work-life integration and empowerment, nearly 70% of roles are now filled internally.
This focus on career pathing and internal mobility has strengthened employee engagement and retention, we learn in this interview.
This people-centered approach has earned Central Retail multiple accolades at the Employee Experience Awards 2025, Thailand:
- Overall Leadership Award
- Gold for Best Rewards and Recognition Programme
- Gold for Best Employer Branding
- Gold for Best HR Communication Strategy
- Gold for Best Succession Planning Strategy
- Gold for Best Executive Coaching Programme
- Gold for Best ESG Programme
- Gold for Best Graduate Training Programme
- Gold for Best In-House Career Website
- Gold for Best Holistic Leadership Development Strategy
- Gold for Most Innovative Leadership Development Programme
- Gold for Most Inspiring Leader (Panchalee Weeratammawat)
- Silver for Best Employee Advocacy Programme
- Silver for Best Work-life Harmony Strategy
- Bronze for Best HR Digital Transformation Strategy
- Bronze for Best Employee Wellness Strategy
- Bronze for Best Campus Recruitment Strategy
- Bronze for Best Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
- Bronze for Best Organisational Change Leadership
- Bronze for Best Recruitment Marketing Campaign
These culminated in the team achieving the title of Employee Experience Champion of the Year.
In this interview, Panchalee Weeratammawat, Chief People Officer, shares how prioritising listening, recognition and pragmatic employee experiences has helped build a motivated, future-ready workforce aligned with business goals.
Q How does your team define "employee experience", and what aspects do you prioritise most?
At Central Retail, we see employee experience as more than a concept. It’s the lived reality of every interaction our people have with the company. Just as we aim to deliver exceptional customer experiences in retail, we believe in building a workplace that empowers, energises, and inspires. Our strategy revolves around one clear goal: to build ‘a winning team’ and make Central Retail “a great place to work”. Employee experience must be felt, not just stated, so we focus on day-to-day moments that cultivate trust, communication, and a sense of belonging. When our people thrive, performance follows.
Q Can you walk us through your most high-impact EX initiative that led to your success at the awards this year? What business need did it solve, and how was success measured?
Our most impactful initiative has been shifting from a “buy over build” talent model to one focused on growing from within. We invested heavily in career pathing, internal mobility, and job rotation, both domestically and regionally, under our GROWTH framework;
- Guidance and support from managers,
- Rewarding career opportunities,
- Outstanding development programmes,
- Work-Life integration and flexibility,
- Trust and empowerment, and
- High-performing team
resulting in nearly 70% of roles now being filled internally—up from 40% in the past. This effort not only addressed talent retention challenges but also strengthened employee satisfaction and engagement.
Our people now see clearer career opportunities, feel more supported, and are more motivated to stay.
As a result, we’ve seen a marked drop in turnover and multiple recognitions, including being named Employee Experience Champion of the Year at EXA TH 2025.
Q How do you balance personalised employee needs with scalable EX programmes?
Listening is our fundamental philosophy. Through consistent two-way communication, we stay attuned to what truly matters to our people. We preserve what employees value most, and for areas that may not meet everyone’s preferences, we communicate the rationale to ensure mutual understanding. This balance allows us to develop pragmatic initiatives that are rooted in empathy and practicality.
By understanding diverse needs of employees from various generations across multiple business units while remaining aligned to business goals, we’ve been able to deliver experience-led solutions that are both personal and pragmatic.
Q What are some underappreciated drivers of employee engagement that you think deserve more attention?
Recognition. At Central Retail, with over 60,000 employees across multiple business units and countries, our scale and pace can make it easy to overlook everyday contributions. But in reality, consistent and meaningful recognition is one of the most powerful drivers of engagement. It doesn’t need to be elaborate but just timely, genuine, and intentional.
When people feel seen and valued, especially in such a dynamic and dispersed workforce, it reinforces purpose and motivation. We are placing more focus on embedding recognition into our daily culture because when it’s done well, it strengthens connection, boosts morale, and creates a ripple effect across the organisation.
Q Finally, what is the most important message that you'd like to share with your team as you plan ahead?
Keep listening to our people and to the business and keep thriving. The most effective HR strategies are those grounded in empathy and insight. As we navigate an increasingly volatile global economy and a world full of disruptions, we must be deliberate in creating employee experiences that are meaningful, cost-effective, and sustainable.
Not every initiative needs to be grand, but it must be purposeful. Our role is to bridge our people’s needs with business priorities, and when we get that right, we not only build resilience—we build a future-ready workforce.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets section!
Photo: Provided
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