PRIME GROUP

Q: How has your workplace changed in the wake of the pandemic?
A: COVID-19 was a blessing in disguise as it pushed companies to transform themselves to keep going forward.

Our aim during the pandemic was to ensure that our staff was safe and well taken care of. We regularly checked on their wellbeing and also conducted online programmes to keep them motivated. We later reached our targets that were unachievable during the lockdowns.

Prime Group is thankful to the staff who supported each other and the business by being cooperative, flexible and committed during this difficult period.

In turn, we took care of them by providing vaccination initiatives, in-house COVID-19 testing facilities and quarantine facilities in hotels free of charge. Employees who got ill were provided the essentials and we stayed in regular contact with them over the phone to ensure that they didn’t feel isolated.

Prime Group didn’t cut salaries or employee benefits and instead powered through the pandemic using simple and effective initiatives. For instance, we created all-staff WhatsApp groups, which are very lively, responsive and have brought us closer.

Q: What are the lessons learned from participating in the Great Place to Work^® Sri Lanka (GPTW) survey?
A: We have been participating in the survey since 2015 and this time we learned how to shape our HR practices in line with the GPTW framework. The survey provided us inputs on all our internal practices, governance frameworks, policies and procedures from the employees’ perspectives. We learnt from these insights and adapted ourselves to the GPTW framework while driving a people oriented culture.

Q: How does Prime Group instil a culture of innovation?
A: We encourage our people to think differently. Our top management always requests employees to meet and talk directly with them, and share their ideas and opinions about products and process development.

We also have an Executive Committee that comprises up-and-coming senior managers who lead operational teams. This group frequently connects to brainstorm and also meets with junior teams and sales teams to gather their inputs regarding various areas.

Prime Group is keen on developing business processes and our ICT team is continuously researching new technology that can be implemented. Our most recent innovation was digital visiting cards. This is a sustainable solution that helps curb printing costs and shares important details with business associates and customers, as well as social media profiles and digital contact details.

Q: What processes can organisations initiate to create a great workplace for all?
A: The philosophy behind a great workplace culture is made of unique practices, values and lessons learnt. Our culture stems from our founder’s thoughts and values, and it has evolved over a considerable period of time to become a rich and sustainable one.

Companies can’t borrow practices from other organisation and hope that they will work the same way. Every firm is different – its people, values, beliefs and even how they consume their meals. For instance, though we don’t have separate dining rooms or car parks for directors and employees, this practice may not be replicated in another company.

When onboarding new employees, ensuring a cultural fit is essential because you can’t force people to fit in. Therefore, we recruit people who share similar patterns of thinking and values.

 

Another aspect to creating a great workplace is to give employees a sense of pride. At Prime Group, we strive to ensure that our business performs in such a manner that employees are proud to be a part of the organisation.

Prime Lands Residencies, which is the condominium property arm of Prime Group, successfully conducted its initial public offering and became a public quoted company in 2021. It is also Sri Lanka’s first and highest credit rated real estate group to achieve a [SL]A (Stable) rating from ICRA Lanka.

In addition, we were recognised by Brand Finance as the Most Valuable Real Estate Brand, the Most Respected Real Estate Brand and the Most Awarded Real Estate Brand this year. These recent milestones, which have enabled Prime Group to reach commendable heights in the corporate world, attest to this sense of pride.

Q: Are there any activities that you began to help your workforce overcome today’s economic challenges?
A: We have put in place several initiatives, some company driven and others driven purely by employees.

In addition to annual salary increases for all employees, we introduced a special travelling allowance and several food programmes to help them combat the fuel and gas shortages. The company conducts weekly team breakfasts to support employees with difficulties without discriminating against anyone.

Although our janitorial and security services are outsourced, we provide those workers with free meals. Even the crops from our lands are distributed to our employees at concessionary rates.

The charitable philosophy of Prime Group has cascaded to our employees and we are happy to see them raising funds to help people who are outside the company.

– Compiled by Ruwandi Perera

Telephone 2699822  |  Email info@primelands.lk  |  Website www.primelands.lk