SINGAPORE – Leading digital solutions firm User Experience Researchers Pte. Ltd. (USER) named their top-performing and exemplary employees for 2021 in their recently-held year’s end party. Dubbed the U Awards, the annual recognition program distinguishes USER associates who best personify the company’s core principles. A total of 12 employees received the honours last December 17, 2021.

“I could see a huge improvement over the past year and this is all possible thanks to everyone’s hard work, and those who really strived to make things happen. In light of the company’s four core values – Unity, Service, Excellence, and Responsibility, I truly appreciate how we grew and helped each other, even if we’re across different countries,” said Frank Qiu, USER president and founder.

A Tradition of Recognition

Just as writer and philosopher G.K. Chesterton said, “Thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder,” so does the USER top brass appreciate its workforce with generous praise and recognition.

With 2021 being a highly successful year for the company, USER management chose to name 12 winners for the awards instead of the usual one per category. The unprecedented move was a surprising delight for the USER employees. As the number of roles in the USER workforce grows, so do the areas they specialise in – from agile software development to CMS solutions, UI/UX design and more.

As mentioned by Mr. Qiu, each award represents one of the company’s core values through the acronym USER. Those who received the U (Unity) award are those who carried the flag of camaraderie, community, and inspiration for their team. Recipients of the S (Service) award are honoured for their exemplary performance and dedication to clients.

On the other hand, associates who received the E (Excellence) award proved their mettle through an outstanding track record, serving as a role model for others. Winners for the R (Responsible/Responsibility) award were given the citation for their integrity, accountability, and commitment to their role.

Uniting Teams through Dedication

Receiving the Unity (U) awards for 2021 were Operations Head Ma. Cristina Orge-Macatangay (SG), HR Recruitment Lead Jimuel Palgan (PH), and Account Manager Tang Hao (CN). To them, receiving the award meant a huge honour to be recognised for their efforts.

“It was an enthralling moment to hear my name announced as one of the U award recipients. Making sure everyone is on board and happy with the company’s goals as they do their tasks is a great responsibility and joy for me,” says Ms. Orge-Macatangay. To Mr. Tang, it was a challenge and learning experience: “I feel honoured that the biggest challenge I overcame this year is leading my team, where I have also learned how to bring people together truly and well.”

For Mr. Palgan, it was an unexpected recognition and a fulfilling calling. “I didn’t expect to receive this award but I am very happy to feel recognised and appreciated for my efforts in meeting the company’s business needs. My duties pushed me to be resourceful and improve my critical thinking skills to adapt and to diverse demands and challenges,” he said.

Empowerment through Service

Receiving the Service (S) awards were UX Lead/Project Manager Zhang Yu Man “Debbie” (SG), QA Lead Bianca Lyn Monroy (PH) and Senior Back-end Developer Prince Jefferson Ho (PH).

Ms. “Debbie” as she is known to her colleagues says, “I’m proud of my team and truly joyful for this recognition for the work we do as project managers and UX researchers. We may have faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic but we found solutions with great success.” Indeed, the UX research and software quality assurance teams saw some of the best performance growths.

“It is one of the most important scenes of my professional career yet,” says Ms. Monroy. “Facing challenges in QA for multiple projects helped me improve my prioritisation and management skills, enabling me to deliver great results,” she added.

For Mr. Ho, the award was a recognition not just for himself, “I think everyone deserves to be recognised for their hard work, and I am happy the company gave me this distinction for my work and dedication to satisfying our clients,” he said.

Exemplars of Excellence

The winners of the Excellence (E) award were Project Manager Bryan James Garcia, DevOps Engineer Raymond Saga (both PH), and Senior Back-end Developer Tran The Bao “Steve” (VN).

“It is exciting to receive this citation for my efforts. I would like to thank the company for giving me an environment in which I can contribute and develop myself. It was a long, arduous journey struggling with team and individual problems which I learned to overcome and solve, giving my team more value and satisfaction for our client,” says Mr. Tran, who is more fondly known as “Steve” by his teammates.

For Mr. Saga and Garcia, it was all about appreciation and learning resilience. “I am surprised and grateful for this distinction. I overcame communication hurdles thanks to Tom and Tina’s help, it was wonderful to have people concerned with you, and with that, I delivered my best,” said Mr. Saga. “Receiving this award was a surprise for me as I only joined USER last July

2021, but I am grateful for everyone and the company that saw my potential and providing an avenue where we can deliver best-in-class services to our partners and clients,” said Mr. Garcia.

Taking Responsibility One Notch Higher

The recipients of the Responsible/Responsibility (R) awards were Account Supervisor Desiree Dineros, SEO Executive Marjorie Romero, and Video Analyst Team Lead/HR Assistant Martine Joshua Caraan, all from the PH.

Winning the award was a journey for Ms. Dineros. “I am grateful to receive this award, as it is also a reflection of my team’s hard work and efforts. It was quite a journey, interacting with all kinds of people, adapting to new environments, and going the extra mile to build relationships. I always believed that focusing on building relationships is important, and everything else follows – and now that journey has paid off,” she said.

For Ms. Romero, she felt it was a cherished moment that motivated her further. “I find it unbelievable but I am extremely grateful to receive this recognition. I could have not done this without the help of our team and contributors, and despite facing challenges in receiving quality inquiries. It motivated me further into working better, seeing how it gives me a sense of fulfilment,” she said.

To Mr. Caraan, he was caught speechless yet grateful. “A Responsibility award for me is very unanticipated. I am truly happy to serve U! My time at USER empowered my skillsets, enabling me to do different roles – difficult, yes, but those don’t matter when you put your heart into it. When you have a heart of commitment, everything will follow.” he said.

Many clients expressed their satisfaction with USER’s IT outsourcing services and its digital marketing. It is a vital capability for companies looking for SEO agency services and digital transformation strategy consulting.

Conclusion

As USER moves to its second decade of operations, both management and workforce are highly optimistic about the company’s future. With the pandemic in its waning phase and businesses springing back into action, USER is poised to lead the industry in delivering highly efficient digital solutions.

Mr. Qiu closed the USER YEP 2021 with an enthusiastic message: “A lot of exciting things are happening. Together, there are a lot of things we can overcome if we share and put our efforts together. Feel free to contribute ideas with me and your manager – I want us to have this kind of culture. We should look forward happily to 2022, and I want you to know how confident I am in our workforce as well as our clients are with our work”, he said.