Award-winning BPO company SYKESholds a year-end celebration party like no other, but last year was nothing like they have experienced before. The event that thousands of SYKESers anticipate the most took a different route in 2020 but kept the heart of what makes it memorable —lots of fun and games that pay homage to the triumphs they achieved together.

Aptly themed “In This Together, Win This Together,” SYKES’ Year-End Celebration underscored the importance of unity in facing obstacles and taking huge strides. Instead of the usual event, the company had to shift the celebration to online festivities to connect SYKESers at the most wonderful time of the year despite the circumstances.SYKES prepared a series of digital merriment and cheer, packed with dozens of prizes and surprises to amp up the yuletide spirit.

“We had so much to celebrate and be grateful for in the past year. While our year-end party is different this time, we nonetheless dedicate the festivities to all SYKESers to celebrate the big and small wins that we, as an organization and as individuals, achieved this year.Despite the circumstances, our workforce exerted all efforts necessary to overcome the challenges of the year — they well deserved to close out 2020 with a grand month-long celebration,” said Cecile Venancio, Senior Director, Branding & Communications, APAC.

To herald the year-end celebrations, select SYKESers shared stories on video that focused on the high points of their year amid the sudden and drastic changes brought by the pandemic. Aimed at inspiring fellow SYKESers to celebrate their wins, the online videos showcased heartwarming stories of reconnecting with loved ones, helping others in need, pursuing passions, and starting a dream business, to name a few.

As its way of showing appreciation to employees, SYKES loaded the celebration with promos and contests that SYKESers can join to win exciting prizes. Some games were as easy as tagging fellow SYKESers or commenting last on a Facebook post. The most remarkable game of all, however, was its Drop-a-Line contest where employees were asked to share their triumphs to help complete the lyrics to SYKES'”Win This Together” anthem. All held via social media and the SYKES mobile app, these festivities ran throughout the whole of December, kicking off on December 4 and closing on December 28. Despite the shift to the digital sphere, SYKES sure still knew how to party and close the year with a bang.Employees were truly united and engaged with the entire virtual celebration. Moreover, a total of 2,020 lucky employees got to take home a piece of the over Php1.5 million prize pool!

In addition to the contests, senior leaders heightened up the holiday cheer with a surprise cash incentive credited to employees.They also surprised those who were working on-site at the Manila offices on Dec. 11 with a sumptuous feast.

“At SYKES, our workforce has always been one of the top priorities. 2020 was tough, and we’re proud that we were able to maintain 100% business continuity throughout. We also achieved a lot of wins last year, having bagged trophies and being recognized by international award-giving bodies. We certainly couldn’t have accomplished all these without the collaboration and cooperation of the entire workforce. Our year-end celebration was about their dedication and hard work,” said Venancio.

“Win This Together”

Amid the hardships that they’ve faced this 2020, SYKEScontinued to uphold its promise of always working as one.Pandemic or not, the organization believes that they can achieve great things by approaching the situation and finding solutions together.

As they close the year, SYKES opted to focus on the positives that came out of 2020. In its Drop-a-Line contest, employees were asked to shareone-sentence answers to the question: What small wins did you achieve this year?

Through their year-end celebration, SYKES reminded its people that wins, whether big or small, deserve to be celebrated. Hundreds of employees sent in their answers and were judged based on creativity and relevance to the theme. The best entries were not only given a cash prize but were also incorporated in the SYKES2020 anthem.

Entitled “Win This Together,” the anthem offers hope to SYKESers and encourages unity within the SYKES family despite being physically apart.More than anything, it reflects how the BPO industry pioneer is proud to have conquered 2020 with a strong workforce that stood united against all challenges.

In the face of the pandemic, SYKES ensured that they prioritize their employees’ safety and well-being. This was evident in its work-from-home model where they provided employees with equipment and even a WFH course to aid them in adjusting to a new work environment. Meanwhile, employees who had to report on-site were provided with free nearby accommodations, complete with free shuttle services and food provisions. They also made sure to implement heightened sanitary and disinfection protocols, keeping their workplace safe.

Apart from ensuring job security of their current employees, SYKES was also able to provide employment opportunities to thousands of jobseekers in Manila and Cebu. They also lent a hand when the country was hit by several consecutive typhoons, setting up a calamity fund. SYKESers did not hesitate to share what they have and still provided help to those who are in need.

Despite the distance, the team persisted to still hold employee engagement activities and outreach programs. Annual events such as Customer Service Week, interest club activities, and pride month celebration were organized online to provide employees with a much-needed breather. Additionally, its notable EDGE program (scholarship grant for employee dependents) and several community outreach programs were also accomplished through the collaborative effort of the workforce.

“We are seeing nothing but positive opportunities for the company as we welcome the new year. We plan to strengthen and further nurture our programs to answer our employees’ evolving needs,allowing them to continuously work, learn, and grow better at SYKES,” said Venancio.

Committed to its purpose of helping people one caring interaction at a time, SYKES always finds ways to create meaningful connections with its workforce, customers, and communities. More information about SYKES’ employee programs and events is available at <sykes.com/philippines> and its official Facebook page at <fb.com/SYKESPHofficial>.