Philip Morris Korea Inc. has been certified as the ‘Top Employer Asia Pacific 2021’ for its ‘people-centric’ HR philosophy and management amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said Tuesday.

The South Korean unit of the global cigarette and tobacco manufacturing firm also bagged the ‘Top Employer South Korea 2021’ prize from Top Employers Institute, while winning the honor for the Asia Pacific region for two years in a row.

Praveen Upadhyay, Philip Morris Korea’s human resources director, said the honor is a meaningful recognition of the company’s success in creating a ’people-centric‘ corporate culture as the company evolves into a more ‘consumer-centric’ organization. It also recognizes the company’s efforts to create flexible working arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic for business continuity in an emergency situation.

The company’s managing director Young-jay Paik said the company’s corporate culture and talent-based business strategy is the greatest asset for its growth and vision, as well as its non-combustible products which emit on average “95 percent lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.”

The Top Employers Institute gives the certification to companies demonstrating a continuous commitment to creating a better workplace for employees after examining criteria including talent strategy, workforce planning, compensation & benefits and culture.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)