MANILA, Philippines — The Jollibee Group has once again solidified its reputation as a global leader in human resources and employee management, earning the 2026 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award (GEWA). This marks the fifth consecutive year that the homegrown Filipino multinational has received this prestigious honor, a feat achieved by only a select few organizations worldwide.
The award, announced on Friday, April 24, 2026, recognizes companies that place employee engagement at the core of their business strategy and demonstrate a culture of high performance and care.
The Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award is not based on popularity but on rigorous data and employee feedback. To qualify, organizations must meet stringent criteria:
- Engagement Levels: Winners must demonstrate world-class levels of employee engagement, often doubling or tripling the global average.
- Business Outcomes: Organizations must prove a direct link between their highly engaged workforce and key performance indicators (KPIs) such as profitability, safety, and customer retention.
- Leadership Commitment: Gallup evaluates how effectively a company’s leadership integrates employee well-being into the daily operational fabric of the business.
Jollibee Group’s fifth consecutive win highlights its consistency in fostering a “Joy at Work” culture across its diverse global portfolio, which includes brands like Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, and international acquisitions like The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
- People-Centric Strategy: The company’s “People Agenda” focuses on inclusivity, professional growth, and holistic well-being, ensuring that employees feel valued as individuals.
- Global Integration: Despite having over 6,000 stores across 33 countries, the group has successfully scaled its core values (F.I.T.S. – Focus, Integrity, Trust, and Spirit of Family) to maintain a unified culture.
- Resilience through Engagement: Gallup noted that the company’s high engagement levels remained stable even amidst global economic shifts and the challenges of the food service industry.
Research by Gallup consistently shows that “exceptional workplaces” outperform their competitors in several critical areas:
- Customer Loyalty: Engaged employees provide better service, leading to a 10% increase in customer loyalty.
- Productivity: Highly engaged teams are, on average, 14% more productive than their peers.
- Retention: Organizations with high engagement see significantly lower turnover rates, a crucial factor in the labor-intensive quick-service restaurant (QSR) sector.
In response to the recognition, Jollibee Group leadership emphasized that the award belongs to the thousands of “Jollibee family” members worldwide.
“Winning this award for five straight years is a testament to our enduring commitment to our people. At the Jollibee Group, we believe that when our employees are happy and engaged, that joy naturally overflows to the service we provide our customers.”
As Jollibee Group continues its aggressive global expansion—aiming to become one of the top five restaurant companies in the world—maintaining this cultural standard is seen as its primary competitive advantage. The GEWA 2026 award serves as a benchmark for other Filipino corporations looking to compete on the global stage by prioritizing human capital.
