By BW Hotelier
LEMON TREE Hotels, became the proud winner of the 2015 Asian Human Capital Award. Lemon Tree Hotels is the only Indian company to win this award from amongst 40 multi-industry contenders across Asia.
The Asian Human Capital Award, instituted by Singapore Ministry of Manpower and the Human Capital Leadership Institute, honours innovative and impactful people practices adopted by Asia-based organizations.
At the award ceremony held in Singapore last week, Lemon Tree Hotels Inclusivity and Diversity Initiatives were felicitated by the business community across Asia. The awards committee appreciated Lemon Tree for building effective strategies to mainstream Persons with Disability. The award also establishes Lemon Tree Hotels as one of the leading companies in Asia to follow innovative and cutting-edge diversity practices.
Speaking on the occasion, Patu Keswani, Chairman & Managing Director, The Lemon Tree Hotel Company (see photo right) said ’The inclusivity/diversity philosophy of Lemon Tree Hotels is central to our business model and we have built a culture of mainstreaming the disadvantaged. We are happy to have been recognized by the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Government and the Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI) through the Asian Human Capital Award (AHCA) 2015’
Lemon Tree Hotels is an equal opportunity employer and hires differently abled staff across its 27 hotels in 16 cities of India. It currently has a strength of 3000 employees of which ~15% are Employees with Disabilities (EWDs) and an additional ~4% are from socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds (EcoSoc).
The company has won manly laurels in India as well as internationally, for its people practices. This award is only next to the National Award bestowed upon the Group in 2010 and 2011 by the President of India.
Held over seven months, since February 2015, Lemon Tree Hotels was selected a winner through a rigorous process including site visits. Award Entries were assessed based on the following qualities: alignment of people practice to business strategy, innovation in developing and contextualising people practices to address needs, high quality in execution and the significant impact on business outcomes.