share on
For Kaysawee Hearanyakit, Director and Head of People Group, EX and engagement aren't about challenges or KPIs – they serve as ongoing reminders to evolve how employees are cared for and supported.
At Thai Samsung Electronics, employee experience is a commitment to support every stage of an employee’s journey, from recruitment and onboarding to everyday work and long-term growth. By nurturing a positive, inclusive, and empowering environment, the company aims to ensure its people feel valued, supported, and motivated to reach their full potential.
This holistic approach was recognised at the Employee Experience Awards 2025, Thailand, where Thai Samsung Electronics took home silver awards for the following categories:
- Best Learning Culture Journey, and
- Best Employee Engagement Initiative
With thoughtful initiatives like ‘SAMMY’, a symbolic figure introduced during onboarding to spark a sense of belonging, the company continues to build meaningful connections between employees and the organisation – making each person proud to be part of something bigger.
Kaysawee Hearanyakit, Director, Head of People Group, Thai Samsung Electronics sits down with HRO to discuss how the company powers a purpose-driven employee experience – starting with 'SAMMY' and extending through every stage of the learning and leadership journey.
Q How does your team define "employee experience", and what aspects do you prioritise most?
Thai Samsung Electronics believes “employee experience" refers to all-inclusive journey of employees throughout their tenure within the company, from recruitment and onboarding, daily work and career development.
For us, employee experience means creating a positive, inclusive, and empowering environment where people feel valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.
It is undeniable that each moment within an employee’s journey at Thai Samsung Electronics presents a valuable opportunity to contribute meaningfully and achieve success. Accordingly, the company is committed to investing in every stage of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment and development to retention and growth, ensuring a supportive and empowering work environment.
Therefore, it is about fostering a meaningful connection between employees and the organisation where they feel proud to be a part of something greater.
Q Can you walk us through your most high-impact EX initiative that led to your success at the awards this year? What business need did it solve, and how was success measured?
We are committed to continuously improving people management by aligning with business direction and employee feedback. This approach has led to key achievements, including the 2025 silver awards for ‘Best Learning Culture Journey’ and ‘Best Employee Engagement Initiative’.
For learning culture journey, we revamped the onboarding journey; by creating a symbolic represent that being a Samsung employee, which is named 'SAMMY' to create a strong sense of belonging from day one. Recognising leadership as a core competency in all levels, we developed a learning journey alongside functional competencies, using diverse and modern tools with a learner-centric approach.
Our employee engagement efforts are thoughtfully designed through a structured framework and unified theme that reflect every aspect of the employee experience to foster a genuine sense of connection and belonging. Our engagement initiatives are not top-down or bottom-up, but a shared effort between the company and all employees.
Q How do you balance personalised employee needs with scalable EX programmes?
Grounded in our core value of “People First,” we place utmost importance on our employees, ensuring that their needs are aligned with our organisational policies, while also considering the overall impact on both the business and the broader employee base.
Balancing employee needs with organisational programmes goes beyond collecting feedback or conducting surveys. Our engagement initiatives are co-created with employees to foster shared ownership and drive collective goals.
For example, in career development, we offer individual development plans (IDPs) tailored to each employee’s career interests, developed in collaboration with their managers and HR. These plans open doors to broader opportunities beyond formal training or promotions.
In terms of employee benefits, there is one of our best practices: The company annually revises its flexible benefits plan to accommodate the diverse and evolving needs of our workforce, ensuring it remains responsive to both individual and organisational priorities.
Q What are some underappreciated drivers of employee engagement that you think deserve more attention?
Given the constant and rapid changes in the business landscape, working at Thai Samsung Electronics requires agility in both responding to and seizing opportunities from such changes. These fast-paced work cycles can, at times, impact employee engagement particularly in areas such as wellbeing, work-life balance, and stress management.
For instance, during new product launches, employees may be required to work extended hours or face increased workloads. While the eventual success of these projects often brings pride to both the company and its employees, the organisation recognises the strain such periods may cause. In response, compensatory measures such as additional leave or other forms of support have been introduced.
Nevertheless, this remains an ongoing challenge, and the company continues to explore more effective strategies to mitigate negative impacts and enhance the overall employee experience.
Q Finally, what is the most important message that you'd like to share with your team as you plan ahead?
The most important message for sharing with our team is ‘Our journey in enhancing the employee experience is far from over these awards are not the destination, but a meaningful milestone.’
Receiving silver awards for both ‘Best Learning Culture Journey’ and ‘Best Employee Engagement Initiative’ reaffirms that we’re on the right path, but it also challenges us to push further. Moving forward, we remain committed to listening deeply, acting thoughtfully, and continuously co-creating an environment where every employee feels empowered, valued, and inspired to grow.
Employee experience and employee engagement are not challenges to overcome or mere indicators of organisational success. Rather, they serve as constant reminders of the importance of evolving how we care for and support our people, ensuring they grow alongside the company through every moment of change.
Together, let’s build not just a great place to work, but a place where people truly thrive.
Photos / Provided
share on
