What it does: Operates a group of telecommunication companies in Asia.
Best known for: Being one of the largest wireless mobile network carriers in Malaysia.
Staff stats: Over 25,000 employees in its main operations in Kuala Lumpur, to its several subsidiary holdings in Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, and Pakistan.
The good bits: Health and dental plans are given to employees. The company also offers mobile phones, internet packages, and car allowances. Employees are also entitled to annual, maternal and paternal leave.
The not so good bits: The company is suffering from bad office practices that long-time employees became accustomed to—undefined responsibilities, instances of negligence, and miscommunication between departments.
Incorporated in 1992 under its former name TM International Bhd, the company was the mobile and international operations arm of Telekom Malaysia Bhd. The company then split from Telekom Malaysia to be its own company in 2008. The following year, TM International rebranded with a new logo and a new name, Axiata. The brand even came out with a new tagline, Advancing Asia.
Currently, the company has business outlets in Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Pakistan, India and Singapore. Today, Axiata is one of the largest telecommunications conglomerates in Asia and is looking to evolve into a fully digital company, breaking away from its focus on providing mobile network services.
Axiata is going through a culture transformation phase as it transitions into a fully digital company. Currently, the company is looking through its existing office culture and doing away with counterproductive ways and coming up with more progressive methods to promote a more flexible work culture. There is great emphasis on the importance of communication, collaboration, and openness.
Axiata's social responsibility efforts are focused on disaster response and risk management. The company has helped provide efficient communication systems to three disasters in Indonesia. Axiata has also developed an app with Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre to help citizens receive early warnings in case of disasters.
Back in its hometown in Malaysia, Axiata has worked with the country's National Disaster Management Agency on several projects to help citizens cope with disasters and reduce risk. Axiata also has also collaborated with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in Nepal to help the country's government identify risks faster and save lives.
Inside its offices, Axiata has a professional and multicultural vibe to it. Axiata is a conglomerate that has expanded itself into most of the Asian region and to get to this height in the industry, the company hired some of the best talents, not just in Malaysia but in its neighbouring countries as well. To keep departments running smoothly, every employee should maintain a certain amount of respect towards coworkers that are not from the same ethnic background as themselves
There are four stages in Axiata's recruitment process. After submitting their CV on the company's website or online job boards, shortlisted candidates will proceed to the first of four stages of the recruitment process, which is the phone interview.
During the call, applicants will be asked general questions. After the phone interview, candidates will be asked to answer an online test.
The test is the second stage of the recruitment process. It is a simple IQ test that is not very elaborate. After the test, candidates will be asked to head over to the assessment centre for a group session.
The group session is the third stage of the recruitment process. During this session, candidates will be sitting with an HR officer who will conduct a simple conversation with the candidates. For the candidates, the goal of this interview is to outshine fellow applicants. Those that are seen to be less than active will not be called in for the final interview.
The final interview is with an HR officer who will assess candidates' intentions on applying for a position in Axiata and will explain the nature of the work and the culture within the company. When the candidates and the HR officer agree on particular terms of work, chosen candidates will be given a job offer on-site. The recruitment process can be as long as three weeks on average.
The Axiata Group is currently going through digital transformation—the company is expanding from the line of business that brought it growth through the years, to lines of business that will project more growth into the future.
What that means for young professionals and fresh graduates is the abundance of opportunity for individuals with varying expertise in the digital industry. The company's transformation also means that it is catching up to more contemporary forms of employee training, career path, and internal practices.
The company recently implemented a dress-down code and flexible working hours to give contemporary employees the freedom to work at their own pace and deliver better output. In the coming years, Axiata is likely to let go of the internal politics that hindered productivity and adopt a more dynamic approach towards their business and workforce.
Entry-level employees in Axiata earn at least MYR 1,000 per month. As they gain a support position in a particular department, their salary can increase up to MYR 3,000 every month.