Q: What are the main challenges your sector has faced in ensuring worker safety and welfare during the pandemic?
A: Our employees are vulnerable to the coronavirus especially when their family members are exposed to risky working environments since most work in organisations around the Biyagama free trade zone.

However, we have fared quite well despite the pandemic. Of our workforce of 600, only three employees have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last three months as a result of many PCR tests carried out in the company on an ongoing basis. We’re taking all possible precautions and measures to contain the spread of the virus.

On the business front, we have been able to negate many obstacles forced on us by the pandemic and recorded the highest sales volumes in recent months.

However, we’re facing price hikes from our raw material sources, logistics difficulties and higher freight charges, and the consequent effects pose a great challenge to the sector.

Q: Could you shed light on the main lessons UniDil Packaging has learnt from participating in the Great Place to Work Sri Lanka survey?
A: This is an opportunity to compare the practices of our organisation with the best practices of others and find out employees’ genuine opinions of our initiatives.

In the last two decades, we’ve been working closely with employees and also conducted internal surveys in this regard, which has yielded many positive results.

However, this external survey enabled us to assess worker commitment and satisfaction, in comparison to the best Sri Lankan and international organisations, while understanding their intentions and desires. This is the basis on which we gauge the effectiveness of the approaches we’ve adopted so far in relation to our people.

Q: What is your assessment of the role of senior management in promoting an open and engaging culture in a business?
A: It is the senior managers’ responsibility to inculcate a culture where employees may openly express their opinions and share ideas. From the outset, UniDil has been operating as a people centric organisation where we have engaged closely with employees.

Meanwhile, our lean manufacturing systems enriched with 5S, Kaizen, total quality management (TQM), total productive maintenance (TPM), quality circle concepts and so on, created the ideal setting for employees to bring out their novel and innovative ideas.

We encourage open dialogue and offer the freedom to express their concerns through an open door policy, and ensured that the management team is easily approachable. This goes beyond building trust between the management and employees; it relates to creating a stronger bond where employees love their managers, the CEO and the organisation.

Q: And what would you identify as the main components of a ‘great workplace’?
A: Firstly, good basic pay is vital. Next is the equity theory – i.e. treating all the people in the company equally regardless of their designations.

Thirdly, the freedom to express – because without a chance to display their creative ability, even the most creative minds will not be able to reveal their talents. To facilitate this, we have a suggestion box where employees are encouraged to share their thoughts.

They’re trained and promoted to discuss improvements with their managers, which leads to a flow of ideas and innovations. A physically comfortable work environment and friendly atmosphere are important too – i.e. a workplace in which people interact well with each other and smile together.

Meanwhile, trust is a crucial element that seals all these factors together.

And finally, a learning culture where we create a knowledge-based organisation is important.

Q: How have workplaces and their cultures changed since early last year?
A: It’s no longer possible to physically work closely with our workforce; and this affects the frequency of our discussions, consequent to the physical distancing protocols imposed on us by the pandemic.

However, we’ve adjusted to the ‘new norm,’ and the engagement with employees has been strengthened by ensuring their safety and welfare in this pandemic era.

As a responsible organisation, we have been able to support them in their personal and official affairs, and this initiative is likely to enhance their bond with the organisation further.

Q: In what way can a great workplace culture contribute to your organisation’s performance?
A: A competitive advantage enables us to thrive in a competitive business environment in spite of the pandemic.

There are over 30 corrugated carton packaging companies in Sri Lanka and therefore, a quality product and timely delivery are imperatives – especially since our main customers represent the country’s export sector.

For example, tea companies and garment factories need to ship their products no sooner than when the final product is ready. And to be competitive, our products need to be cost-effective.

To make all these happen, employee involvement is vital. For instance, productivity gains translate into lower production costs while efficiency leads to on time delivery.

Without the support of our employees who react swiftly and innovatively, it’s not at all possible to optimise customer satisfaction. We need great people in the workplace to accomplish the objectives of the organisation.

 

INTERVIEWEE DETAILS
Bannet Gamalath
Director
Chief Executive Officer
COMPANY DETAILS
Telephone:5400000
Email:unidil@unidil.com
Website:unidil.com