Aside from working hard in expanding its network coverage in the Philippines, Smart has recently received an accolade from LinkedIn, where it was cited as among the top companies in the Philippines for 2021. For a quick overview, the top 15 companies in the Philippines according to LinkedIn are as follows:

1. Philippine National Bank
2. Smart Communications
3. Manila Water
4. Philip Morris International
5. EY
6. LandBank of the Philippines
7. Manulife Philippines
8. Metrobank
9. Accenture
10. Nestle
11. Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines
12. Macquarie Group
13. NCR Corporation
14. BDO Unibank
15. IQVIA

In its report, LinkedIn explains that many of these companies are currently hiring, with more than 70,000 roles open in the Philippines. In addition, companies dominating in LinkedIn’s Top 15 list have products and services that helped made people’s lives better during the ongoing pandemic. These include financial services, food and beverage, and telecommunications sectors.

“We found the best companies that have put their employees first by implementing various policies around well-being and mental health and helped them get back on their feet through training and development programs,” LinkedIn APAC Senior News Editor Chris Anderson said.

When it comes to key trends for the top companies in the Philippines for 2021, which includes Smart, involves the following:

• Prioritizing skills development, where companies launch programs in developing the skills of their employees to meet current and future job requirements and to prepare them for the future economy;
• Resilience in essential services, where companies provide support for their customers, employees, local communities, and businesses while still engaging with their businesses; and
• Strong support for their workforce during these challenging times, where companies provide for all the support they can give to its employees–ranging from flexible work arrangements to a strong focus on the overall well-being of its employees.

For Smart, LinkedIn explains that the telco company deployed more than 600 community stores in Metro Manila as part of its efforts to reach out to customers and retailers affected by lockdown restrictions, on top of its “Paint-it-Forward” initiative where it engaged local artists for the said project.