Hayleys Plantations emerge as Asia Pacific’s most innovative HR practitioner

Hayleys Plantations HR and Corporate Sustainability Deputy General Manager Anuruddha Thiththagalla Gamage accepting the award

Hayleys Plantations Sector continues to receive international recognition for its pioneering HR practices, having recently been awarded with ‘The Most Innovative HR Practices’ at the Asia Pacific HRM Congress Awards 2017 for the second year in a row.

Taking place in Bangalore, India, the Asia Pacific HRM Congress is one of the most prestigious regional events for HR professionals–serving both as a platform for sharing for discussing pressing industry issues as well as an opportunity for showcasing the best and brightest organisations and individuals and their many notable achievements.

“It is a true honour for us at Hayleys Plantations to receive this award at such an internationally renowned forum as the Asia Pacific HRM Congress. This award builds on the outstanding recognition we received in 2016, and stands as a testament to the tireless efforts of our team of employees, working hand-in-hand with regional communities to establish a culture that empowers all stakeholders,” Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Roshan Rajadurai stated.

Previously, Hayleys Plantations brought home the award for ‘Leading HR practices in quality work-life’ at the World HRM Congress Awards 2017 while Hayleys Kelani Valley Plantations’ HR and Corporate Sustainability Deputy General Manager Anuruddha Thiththagalla Gamage was ranked among the ‘100 Most Influential Global HR Professionals’ in recognition of his efforts to extend comprehensive human resource management initiatives in keeping with the direct strategic vision and guidance of Rajadurai. Additionally, the company was also adjudged Gold Award winner at the National HR Excellence Awards 2016 and bagged the largest ever number of awards in its history, both in local and international competitions.

The Plantations sector employs nearly 24,000 people, and supports a further extended community of 140,000 people. Hayleys owns and manages three plantation companies, Kelani Valley Plantations (KVPL), Talawakelle Tea Estates (TTEL) and Horana Plantations PLC (HPL) and manages 60 Tea and Rubber estates, spanning over 26,750 hectares of land and account for 3.8 percent and 3.4 percent of Sri Lanka’s tea and rubber production respectively. 

Through concerted efforts to improve the social and economic standards of its 24,000 direct workforce and its 140,000 strong extended plantation community, Hayleys Plantations has worked to ensure that these communities are given a meaningful stake in the profitability of its plantation sector. The company has made HR initiatives the lynchpin of its strategy for raising productivity and quality of what it considers to its most valuable resource, the Hayleys Plantations team of employees.