According to LinkedIn, the Best Employer Brand award recognizes companies that are “focused on building a strong employer brand to engage with their audience in a meaningful way.”

The labor force participation rate in the Philippines—which represents the percentage of the population that is either working or actively looking for work—is at 64.7% in 2022 and 65.5% in 2023. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is at 5.4% in 2022 and 4.8% as of February 2023, while the underemployment rate is at 14.2% and 13.5%, respectively.

While 2023’s numbers may seem smaller compared to 2022, it is important to note that they are preliminary numbers that only cover the first two months of the year. This just goes to show that job hunting is definitely on the rise.

That being said, companies can and should anticipate an influx of applicants. But even then, jobseekers are discerning about which companies they would like to work for. After all, in the sea of opportunities, there are a select few that stand out as good employers, which deserve to be highlighted.

LinkedIn’s Best Employer Brand Award for 2022

The world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn, highlights the best of the best by giving the winning company the Best Employer Brand award in its annual LinkedIn Talent Awards. According to LinkedIn, the Best Employer Brand award recognizes companies that are “focused on building a strong employer brand to engage with their audience in a meaningful way.”

For the year 2022, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has received the award for Best Employer Brand from LinkedIn Philippines. This specific award is for companies that have more than 10,000 employees who follow and engage in their LinkedIn accounts.

Moreover, the 171-year-old bank was chosen as a finalist for the Diversity Champion Award for initiating and inspiring meaningful conversations involving diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity.

“We really make sure that we take care of our employees and set them up for success because they are the heart of BPI,” BPI Chief Human Resources Officer Maria Virginia Eala says in a statement. “The 171-year history of the Bank would not have been possible if not for them.”

“It is our mission to cultivate in them our core values of excellence, integrity, and customer obsession to develop happier, engaged, motivated, and customer-focused professionals,” she adds. “We are grateful to LinkedIn Philippines for recognizing our efforts and inspiring us to do more.”

Other Best Employer Brand Awardees 

Aside from BPI, three other companies won the Best Employer Brand award in their respective categories. For companies with less than 1,000 employees on LinkedIn, AIA Philippines took home the award—beating AllValue Holdings Corp. and GCash (Mynt-Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.). 

For companies with 1,000 to 5,000 employees on LinkedIn, Cebu Pacific Air bested Solaire Resort and Casino, as well as UnionBank of the Philippines to win the award. On the other hand, for companies with 5,000 to 10,000 employees on LinkedIn, Globe Group won the award while Smart Communications, Inc. and Universal Robina Corporation (URC) joined the roster as the finalists. 

As for BPI, it won the award over the likes of PLDT and Jollibee Group of Companies. 

Importance of Building a Strong Employer Brand

But what exactly is employer brand or employer branding? LinkedIn defines it as “simply how you market your company to desired job seekers.” 

In fact, employee branding has a lot to do with a company’s identity and how it is communicated—not just to potential employees, but even to current employees. This can be communicated via internal memos, employee handbooks, and even job postings for potential employees. 

Building a strong employer brand is important in order for employees to understand what the brand is all about, including its mission, vision, and even its company culture. It is likewise as important to be able to communicate the employer brand effectively so that employees—both current and potential ones—can have a clear grasp of the company’s goals and how they, as employees, fit into the picture.