FOR the third time, the Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai has been named China's best employer, on the Best Employers in China 2005 list, compiled by global human resources services firm Hewitt Associates in conjunction with the 21st Century Business Herald.

"For us, our culture, our philosophy, our environment is really the key. We have a work environment in which people have freedom to do their job, which is very important to all of us," said Mark DeCocinis, area vice-president and general manager of the Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai at a forum hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai last week.

The Best Employers study reveals that good employers demonstrate three common characteristics: they consistently inspire great performance from their people; they go out of their way to ensure employees feel valued; and they manage their business in ways that build long-term success and sustainability.

It also reveals that in China, employees are most effectively motivated by pay, processes - the work processes the organization has in place - and career opportunities.

In her speech addressing the forum, Jessica Zhang, Greater China talent and organization consulting practice leader with Hewitt Associates, pinpointed the finding that "Best Employers" have seen a clear return on their investment in their employees, demonstrating much stronger business results than other companies in a wide range of financial performance measures, such as revenue growth, growth in the number of employees and value added by employees.

A total of 78 companies and more than 24,000 employees participated in the Best Employers in China 2005 study. Eleven major industrial sectors were represented, with the greatest number of companies coming from the manufacturing, pharmaceutical/chemical and consumer goods sectors.

Li Xiaowei