The Number 1 Best Workplace and Best in Technology

Cisco Named #1 in 2022 Singapore Best Workplaces and Best in Technology by Great Place to Work Singapore  

Worldwide technology leader Cisco has been ranked  number one in Singapore’s Best Workplaces™ 2022 Medium Category. The award was  given at a Gala Dinner, which concluded the two-day ASEAN Greater Summit by Great  Place To Work® ASEAN & ANZ. The event was graced by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy  Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, and was attended by  close to 450 guests including key representatives from various Great Place To Work  Certified companies across ASEAN. 

96% of employees at Cisco say it is a great place to work, compared to 53% of employees  at a typical global company, according to this year’s 2022 Singapore Best Workplaces  list. This recognition follows Cisco’s #1 ranking on the 2022 Singapore Best Workplaces  in Technology list for the second consecutive year. The list was unveiled last month at an  event held at the Cisco Singapore office, which also saw the launch of a new mentorship  program for women by Great Place to Work, Growing In Tech (GRIT), in the presence of Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Mrs  Josephine Teo. 

Andy Lee, Managing Director, Cisco Singapore and Brunei said, “We are proud to be  recognized as Singapore’s Best Workplaces in both the nationwide and technology lists.  These achievements are a testament to our Conscious Culture, where we hold each other accountable and feel empowered to speak up and help each other when we are in need,  even in a hybrid work world where we work from everywhere.” 

“It is imperative for organizations to have a hybrid work strategy in today’s environment. At Cisco, we put our employees’ experience at the center by creating a consistent  employee engagement experience, embedding trust, empathy, and flexibility in our  culture, and delivering the right technology building blocks through close collaboration  with IT, Human Resources and Facilities. As the future of work evolves, we remain committed to listening to our employees and cultivating a culture that enables them to  unleash their full potential and innovation while balancing multiple roles in life. Our  purpose-led culture is a critical enabler that allows us to show up in the right ways to our  customers, partners, and the wider tech ecosystem and drive growth for Singapore’s  digital economy,” he added. 

Powering inclusivity is key for the year ahead  

The flexibility to work from anywhere will continue to be highly valued by both  employees and employers in 2023 as businesses increasingly recognize that neither a  fully in-person nor fully remote style of working can serve the needs of today’s  workforce. At Cisco, hybrid work has been in the company’s DNA for decades long  before the pandemic, and its success has been anchored in an inclusive culture supported by the highest level of trust and leadership. 

Cisco prioritizes an empathetic leadership style whereby leaders listen actively and create an environment where everyone is empowered to speak up. Cisco puts this into 

practice through Quarterly Engagement Pulses and check-ins with its people to find out  their top-of-mind issues, concerns, and other feedback. The company has also  introduced a monthly global check-in for over 80,000 of its global employees with the  Executive Leadership Team since the start of the pandemic. 

Anupam Trehan, Vice President, People & Communities for Asia Pacific, Japan and  Greater China, Cisco, said, “Cisco’s continued recognition as a Best Workplace reflects  our unwavering dedication to engaging with the workforce and placing the well-being  of our employees at the front and center of our people strategy. Our people are the most valuable asset in our organization and we are confident that our employee-centric  culture will pave the way forward for them to succeed in a hybrid work environment.”  

Cultivating a diverse workforce, empowering women in tech  

On the back of Cisco’s #1 ranking in the Singapore Best Workplaces in Technology list,  the company will be taking on the Chairmanship for the first year of GRIT, a mentorship  program for women in Technology that aims to promote knowledge sharing in this space  and cultivate culture ambassadors. It offers women in the Technology sector an  opportunity to be mentored by senior women executives from the Best Workplaces in  Singapore.  

The Chairmanship of GRIT will rotate amongst participating Best Workplaces on an annual  basis. It entails co-hosting with Great Place To Work in-person meetings for mentors and  mentees and sharing thought leadership content amongst other activities to support  active engagement within the community. 

Cisco is also pioneering various initiatives to bridge the talent gap and promote retraining  and reskilling. As one of the world’s largest and longest-running education programs to  empower people with career possibilities, Cisco Networking Academy has supported a  total of 17.5 million students over the past 25 years globally. It has trained over 90,000 

students in Singapore since its inception, where 1 in 5 (20%) of total students are females.