MANILA - Two hotel operators, 2 credit companies, a logistics firm and a gift certificate company were selected as among the best employers in the Philippines this year by consulting firm AON Hewitt.

The winners were selected for their average employee retention, reputation, leadership and performance, AON Hewitt said, citing an employee survey.

This year's best employers according to AON are American Express International Inc, DHL Express Philippine Corp, Home Credit, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriot International and Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services.

Companies need to "go the extra mile" to attract and retain employees, including focusing on a high performance culture, said Prashant Chadha, AON Hewiit managing director for Malaysia and the Philippines.

Average employee engagement, or the ability of companies to retain employees is at 69 percent in the Philippines, ahead of Malaysia and Singapore with 60 percent each, said Chadha.

Credibility, among others, helps companies keep employees, he said.

The top companies value the growth of its own employees, having twice the capacity in terms of filling leadership jobs internally.

“It’s not just leaders from today, it is what do we do to ensure health of organization, how we minimize risks for the leadership of the future,” Chadha said.

Special awards were given to Federal Express Pacific LLC for "commitment to leadership," Golden Arches Development Corp (McDonald’s) for "commitment to Gen Y," NutriAsia for "commitment to women" and Telus International Philippines for "commitment to engagement."