Momentum Metropolitan certified as a Top Employer for third consecutive year

The international Top Employer Institute has confirmed Momentum Metropolitan Holdings' certification as a Top Employer for the third consecutive year. 

Based in the Netherlands, the institute is the global HR authority on certifying excellence in people management practices and employee and workplace conditions. 

Certification is determined by a rigorous HR Best Practices Survey that uses six domains — Steer, Shape, Attract, Develop, Engage and Unite — to evaluate the strengths and shortfalls of companies, benchmarked against their peers and global standards of excellence. Shortfalls can result in non-certification.

Momentum Metropolitan is one of 2,052 companies around the globe (including 129 in SA) to be awarded certification this year. 

We have witnessed “exceptional performance” from the certified Top Employers for 2023, says David Plink, CEO of the Top Employers Institute. “These employers have shown that they care for the development and wellbeing of their people. By doing so, they collectively enrich the world of work.”

A #ThinkHumanFirst strategy that delivers

Besides being a meaningful earned accolade, Momentum Metropolitan's Top Employers certification is evidence that its human capital strategy — #ThinkHumanFirst — successfully delivers.

The financial services group has steadily and significantly improved its overall Top Employers rating year on year — from 66.15% in 2021 to 75.98% in 2022, and 82.44% in 2023. This highlights annual improvement in particular areas of the company, as well as the evolution of best practices.

“Our #ThinkHumanFirst mantra is our steadfast reminder of the importance of great people management practices and the need to constantly improve and evolve,” says Lettie-Basani Phume, group human capital executive at Momentum Metropolitan.

“An energised and engaged workforce that feels valued and respected will be best motivated to serve the strategic goals of the company and success of the business.”

A closer look at Momentum Metropolitan's 2023 certification scores

Momentum Metropolitan showed improved performance in five of the six domains compared with last year. It rated particularly highly in the Engage and Unite domains, with scores of 84.25% and 92.9% respectively, pegging it above the global benchmark.

“Our scores in almost all the categories have improved, but I'm particularly proud of the domains in which we have excelled — Engage and Unite — as these speak to positive shared experiences and mutual respect from and for all our employees,” says Phume.

Extensive refurbishments of many of the company’s office spaces during the pandemic lockdowns may have contributed to a positive uptick in the Shape domain, which includes a focus on work environments. 

Embracing a hybrid “work from home/back to the office” approach in the wake of Covid-19 may have also contributed to employee ‘workplace’ wellbeing.  

“The experience of the past few years have shown us that businesses are increasingly measured on how they treat their people. It has also shown us the benefits of acknowledging the whole human being — both as [an employee] but also as a mom or daughter, wife or partner, and friend or colleague” says Phume.

“The significant shift to working from home or a hybrid model has allowed us to see into the homes and individual personas of colleagues, making for a richer understanding of who our people are and their priorities. I believe this strengthens us.”

The only category that did not show an improvement was the Steer domain, which deals with business and people strategy and leadership. But with a score of 82.37% in 2022, it was Momentum Metropolitan's strongest area of performance last year, and it remained almost the same in 2023, with a strong rating of 82.08%.

This article was paid for by Momentum Metropolitan Holdings.