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"Engagement isn’t about one-size-fits-all programmes; it’s about creating experiences that make people feel connected, cared for, and empowered to thrive," says Michael Chin, Learning & People Experience Lead.
For Michael Chin, Learning & People Experience Lead, Prudential Assurance Malaysia (PAMB), building a workplace where people genuinely thrive starts with listening. He shares that one of the organisation’s most inspiring initiatives, PRULive, was born from employee feedback calling for deeper connection, meaningful interactions, and support beyond day-to-day tasks.
Designed as a comprehensive people experience and wellbeing framework, PRULive aims to strengthen connection, personal growth, and wellbeing across the organisation. Chin notes that the data painted a clear picture: engagement thrives when people feel connected and appreciated.
Guided by this insight, PAMB introduced a series of PRULive initiatives — LiveWELL, LiveLIFE, and LiveUP — each bringing the PRULive experience to life through wellness activities, community-building moments, and continuous learning opportunities.
The strength of this programme shone through, leading the team to win gold awards in two categories at the HR Excellence Awards 2025, Malaysia:
- Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing, and
- Excellence in Employee Engagement.
In this interview, Chin shares the inspiration, purpose, and outcomes of PRULive — and why it remains central to Prudential Assurance Malaysia’s people strategy.
Q Tell us about your inspiring HR initiative – what sparked the idea, and how did you know it was the right path to take?
One of our most inspiring HR initiatives at PAMB is “PRULive” our comprehensive people experience and wellbeing framework. It’s designed to strengthen connection, personal growth, and well-being across the organisation. We believe in proactive, holistic care for our people, where success is measured not just by business outcomes, but by how meaningfully we support our employees to grow, connect, and thrive. The idea was sparked by feedback from our engagement surveys and listening sessions, where employees expressed a desire for more meaningful interactions and opportunities to feel valued beyond day-to-day work.
We knew this was the right path because the data was clear: engagement thrives when people feel connected and appreciated. To address this, we launched a series of PRULive initiatives, including:
- #LiveWELL – Wellness & wellbeing: Wellness Carnival, PRULympics sports and fitness challenges, mental health and mindfulness sessions to support holistic wellness.
- #LiveLIFE – Social connection & community: Cultural celebrations, company-wide townhall and employee appreciation dinner, coffee chat sessions by senior leaders with NextGen (Gen Z & Millennials employees), PRUMini-me “Bring your kids to work” day to foster belonging.
- #LiveUP - Learning & growth: People leadership programmes, professional development, technical and functional training, bite-sized learning sessions, online learning via Udemy and career conversations to empower development.
Q Every journey has its ups and downs – can you share a challenge your team faced and how you worked through it together?
One key challenge we faced was driving consistent engagement across diverse teams in different locations around the country. To overcome this, we initiated HR Connect, an annual exercise where the HR team goes on nationwide roadshow, to communicate the people’s initiatives for the year; what they can benefits from and more importantly listen to each and every staff of their feedback and needs.
We also listened actively through pulse surveys and feedback sessions, then adapted our approach by introducing flexible formats such as virtual and on-site options, and aligning activities with employee interests. We also leveraged team champions to promote initiatives locally. This collaborative effort resulted in higher participation and a stronger sense of inclusion, proving that agility and listening are critical to engagement success.
Q What impact has this initiative had on your organisation so far, and what do you hope it inspires in the wider HR community?
Our People Experience Engagement initiatives have significantly strengthened employee connection and wellbeing at PAMB. We’ve seen higher participation in engagement activities and improved employee engagement and wellbeing scores. These initiatives have fostered a culture where employees feel valued and included. We hope this inspires the wider HR community to prioritise listening and agility, using employee insights to design initiatives that truly resonate. Engagement isn’t about one-size-fits-all programmes; it’s about creating experiences that make people feel connected, cared for, and empowered to thrive.
Q Looking back, is there a moment, person, or value that kept you and your team motivated throughout the journey?
Throughout the journey, the value of “We respect and care for one another” truly anchored our team. It reminded us that every initiative was about creating a better experience for our people. A defining moment was during the launch of our wellbeing initiatives, when employees shared heartfelt feedback about how the sessions helped them feel supported and connected.
"That genuine appreciation reinforced our purpose and kept us motivated to push through challenges together. It wasn’t just about activities — it was about making a real difference in people’s lives, and that belief drove us forward as a team."
Q If you could offer one golden nugget of wisdom to HR professionals aiming for excellence, what would it be?
Listen first, act second. The most effective HR initiatives start with understanding what employees truly need, not what we assume they want. Always connect with the people, be on the ground. Use data, feedback, and empathy to design experiences that resonate. When people feel heard and valued, engagement and culture naturally thrive.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets section!
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