Case study · Technology · 2018 to 2022
Grab Case Study: An Employee Well-being Programme Across 10 Markets and 3 Languages
How Grab measured resilience in 7 markets, then kept its people energised through fast growth and a pandemic
Resilience workshops, virtual webinars and self-leadership training for Grabbers across Asia and the US
Grab used our employee well-being programme to help Grabbers sustain their energy as the business grew fast across Southeast Asia. We started by measuring resilience for 194 Grabbers in 7 markets, then built workshops and webinars around what the data showed. When the pandemic moved work online, every session went virtual, in English, Bahasa Indonesia and Vietnamese. 93% of workshop participants were extremely or very likely to recommend it.
- Employee well-being
- Virtual delivery
- Multilingual
- Train the Trainer
Grab Case Study: An Employee Well-being Programme Across 10 Markets and 3 Languages
How Grab measured resilience in 7 markets, then kept its people energised through fast growth and a pandemic
Resilience workshops, virtual webinars and self-leadership training for Grabbers across Asia and the US
Grab used our employee well-being programme to help Grabbers sustain their energy as the business grew fast across Southeast Asia. We started by measuring resilience for 194 Grabbers in 7 markets, then built workshops and webinars around what the data showed. When the pandemic moved work online, every session went virtual, in English, Bahasa Indonesia and Vietnamese. 93% of workshop participants were extremely or very likely to recommend it.
- Client
- Grab
- Industry
- Technology: ride-hailing, delivery and digital payments
- Where
- Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, China, Cambodia, United States
- Who
- Grabbers across functions, emerging managers, Grab Support teams, Grab’s internal trainers and leaders
- Period
- 2018 to 2022
All Grabbers need this workshop.Workshop participant, Grab Philippines, 2019
Sustaining energy at Grab’s pace
In 2019, Grab was growing fast across Southeast Asia. In 2020, it adapted its business through the COVID-19 pandemic, and in December 2021 it listed on Nasdaq. Behind that pace, Grab’s People and Organisational Development team wanted to help its people sustain their energy.
A fast-moving business
Rapid growth meant many priorities and a high pace of work.
Energy and recovery
Grabbers wanted practical habits for sleep, exercise and nutrition that fit a busy schedule.
Teams across Asia
Staff worked across many countries, time zones and languages.
A shift to remote work
From 2020, support had to reach people at home, online, and fast.
Measure every market, then design
When the pandemic arrived, we moved every format online and into shorter sessions.
Measure
A Resilience Assessment before every 2019 workshop, and one report across 7 markets.
Design
Workshops and webinars built around the themes the data found.
Sustain
Peer pods, Train the Trainer and coaching so the skills stayed inside Grab.
| When | Where | Who | What we delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2018 | Singapore | Grabbers | Building Resilience workshop (pilot) |
| Apr to Oct 2019 | Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Thailand, US | 194 Grabbers assessed | 12 one-day #Self-Hack Enhancing Resilience workshops, each with a pre-programme Resilience Assessment and debrief |
| Jan 2020 | Regional | People and Organisational Development | Consolidated resilience report across all 7 markets |
| Jun 2020 | Virtual | Open to all Grabbers | 14 one-hour Resilience Boosters in English, Bahasa Indonesia and Vietnamese |
| Jul to Dec 2020 | Virtual | Open to all Grabbers | Webinar series: sleep and recovery, handling pressure, managing judgement and criticism, flow |
| Oct to Nov 2020 | Virtual | 120 Grabbers in 3 cohorts, 8 markets | Leading Self with Resilience: 3 two-hour modules, with peer pods |
| 2021 | Virtual | Grabbers and emerging managers | 12 well-being webinars in English and Bahasa Indonesia. 5 more Leading Self cohorts, including Philippines, India and Indonesia. |
| 2021 | Virtual | Grab Support teams | ACT in Crisis: 3 cohorts in English and Bahasa Indonesia, plus Train the Trainer for Grab’s own trainers |
| 2022 | Singapore | Grab leader | Six-month 1-to-1 leadership coaching with 360 feedback |
One report, seven markets, a clear focus
The 2019 assessment gave Grab a clear picture. Grabbers were strong on situational awareness, decisiveness and presence. The biggest opportunity was energy and recovery.
- Measure: the data pointed to sleep, energy, recovery and calm focus as the areas where small habits would help most.
- Design around the data: the 2020 webinar series took these areas one by one, from sleep and recovery to calming a busy mind.
- Reach people where they are: sessions ran in English, Bahasa Indonesia and Vietnamese, led by local facilitators, at times set for each time zone.
How Grab used Measure, Build, Sustain
Grab used all three steps. Pick the one that matches your own challenge.
Measure
A profile for each workshop group, plus one report across 7 markets.
Build
A year-round series on sleep, energy, recovery, focus, habits and purpose.
Helping staff stay steady through the pandemic, and handle live incidents with calm.
Leading Self with Resilience: bounce, emotional agility and a performance mindset.
Listening, empathy and calm conversations with customers and colleagues.
Sustain
Train the Trainer so Grab’s own trainers can deliver ACT in Crisis inside the business.
A clear picture, and a programme that grew
194 Grabbers completed the Resilience Assessment across 7 markets in 2019, giving Grab one consistent picture.
Clear strengths
Grabbers scored well on situational awareness, decisiveness, presence and vitality.
Energy and recovery
Sleep, fitness, nutrition and relaxation were where small daily habits would add most.
Calm focus
Managing a busy mind at a fast pace of work became a core theme for the 2020 programme.
Business outcomes
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Partnership | 5 years, 2018 to 2022 |
| Growth | From one Singapore pilot to 10 markets, and an ongoing well-being partnership from 2021 |
| Pandemic response | Grab added more virtual sessions twice during 2020 |
| Reach | 194 Grabbers assessed. 120 in Leading Self in 2020 alone. Webinars open to all staff. |
| Internal capability | Grab’s own trainers certified to deliver ACT in Crisis |
| Participant rating | 2019 workshops, 91 responses: 92% rated the content extremely or very effective. 93% were extremely or very likely to recommend it. |
What Grabbers said
Tools, concepts, and examples were very relevant to real life both in personal and professional life.Workshop participant, Grab Singapore, 2019
It was very hands-on with relevant examples which were easy to relate to day to day life. Training was a “pause”, “think” and reset session for me which made me introspect my behaviour.Workshop participant, Grab India, 2019
Provided a structured approach to dealing with several of the challenges that we face in our personal and professional lives.Workshop participant, Grab Singapore, 2019
Three design choices
We measured every market first
A single report across 7 markets showed where to focus: energy, sleep and recovery. Grab could plan with data, not guesswork.
We turned findings into topics people wanted
Every webinar title matched a theme the data had found, so busy Grabbers could see why an hour was worth it.
We built capability that stays inside Grab
Local-language facilitators, peer pods and Train the Trainer meant the skills stayed when we left.
Growing fast, with teams in many countries?
Your people are committed and capable. They need support that fits a fast pace and reaches them wherever they work. Grab’s experience shows three things you can expect.
A clear read by market
See where to focus before you spend your budget.
Support that reaches everyone
Short virtual sessions in local languages work across time zones and through change.
Skills you keep
Train the Trainer and coaching let your own people carry the work forward.
Measure before you plan your well-being programme
Grab’s programme was built on data from every market. Run a free Resilience Assessment for up to 5 people in your team. You get a profile across 50 evidence-based factors and a debrief on strengths and where small habits will help most.
Request your free team assessmentPlanning support across several countries or languages? Contact [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
What does the Resilience Assessment measure?
Can you run a well-being programme across many countries and languages?
Does resilience training work virtually?
How do you make the skills last after the programme?
Programme details and scores are drawn from The Resilience Institute’s programme records, the Grab 2019 Resilience Assessment report and participant feedback, 2018 to 2022. Individual results are confidential and not disclosed. Company context is drawn from public reporting by CNN (December 2021).