KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 26): Not only are shareholders of Eco World Development Group Bhd happy with the market value’s stratospheric rise, the property developer is also recognised as the country’s “best of the best” employer, among other distinctions.

Eco World took home the AON Hewitt “Best of the Best Employer in Malaysia 2016 Award” yesterday (Aug 25). This further cemented its organisation’s calibre, after winning the “Workplace Gender Equality — Work Life Balance Award” by Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) & the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development last week.

The EcoWorld Toastmasters Club was also recently recognised as a President’s Distinguished Club, according to a statement by Eco World today.

“The AON Hewitt Best Employers Award rates employers based on four criteria; high employee engagement, effective leadership, a compelling brand and high performance culture.

“EcoWorld first made it to the list in 2015 as one of the top employers in Malaysia, and this year, the group clinched the top overall spot as ‘Best of the Best Employer in Malaysia’,” said president and chief executive officer Datuk Chang Khim Wah.

Only three years removed from Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin’s family and associates taking over the former Focal Aims Holdings Bhd, shareholders must have been laughing all the way to the bank, as Eco World has grown its market value by more than triple.

This month, it also won The Edge Billion Ringgit Club’s highest return to shareholders over a three-year period award for the property sector, with a three-year average growth of 106.3% between end-March 2013 and end-March 2016.

“Over the past three years, we have worked hard to expand Eco World’s presence in Malaysia and with Eco World International Bhd — we’ve made it to the United Kingdom and Australia. We may be in our growth stage, but we’ve always put our staff, Team EcoWorld, as a priority, believing that a winning team is the single most important asset for a company,” Chang said.

He added that Eco World takes great emphasis on gender equality at the workplace, as it broke away from the perception that the property industry is one that is male-dominated.

“Times have changed and in Eco World, 50% of management positions are held by women, especially in fields of sales, marketing, customer care, finance, talent management, audit and IT.”

Amongst the many efforts rolled out are its Professional Women’s Network — a series of structured learning events to empower women on the professional front, childcare leave, and flexible work arrangement.

ASLI recently organised the recent Women in Leadership Summit & Exhibition 2016, where Eco World received the “Workplace Gender Equality — Work Life Balance Award”.

Meanwhile, The EcoWorld Toastmasters Club was launched in April 2014. Within two years, the employees-only club achieved the President’s Distinguished Club, the highest club recognition by Toastmasters International, a global non-profit educational organisation that teaches public speaking and leadership skills.

“The group pays close attention on developing new talent and actively embraces succession planning. Approximately 64% of Team EcoWorld is made up of Gen Y; and a good variety of development programmes to improve core, functional, technical and leadership skills are readily available,” said Chang.