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A Journey of Purpose, People and Performance
Founded in 1999, Sanz Pte Ltd began as a supplier of party and barbecue accessories, bringing convenience and joy to every celebration. Over the years, the company has grown into one of Singapore’s most trusted names in disposable items and eco-friendly packaging.Guided by its mission to provide a greener, more sustainable home for future generations, Sanz has remained steadfast in reducing pollution, protecting the planet, and promoting sustainable living. Its products, now found in major supermarkets and retail outlets across Singapore, reflect a long-term commitment to making eco-conscious choices part of everyday life.
As the company deepened its sustainability efforts, Sanz acknowledged that lasting impact goes beyond developing environmentally friendly products. It also means nurturing people who share the same purpose. This insight marked the second workplace learning journey with the National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning at IAL, (NACE@IAL) in 2024, extending its sustainability mission into how it grows and empowers its workforce.
Aligning People with Purpose
Every transformation begins with purpose. Sanz partnered with NACE@IAL to strengthen its employee onboarding experience so that every new hire not only understood its mission and values but could also live them in their daily work.This initiative strengthened the HR onboarding framework, improved communication between leaders and employees, and established a unified approach that fosters teamwork, accountability, and alignment with Sanz’s green culture.
Through the workplace learning (WpL) project, Sanz created a structured, engaging, and purpose-driven onboarding system that connects employees to the company’s sustainability goals from day one, empowering them to grow together with the organisation.
Nurturing People, Strengthening Purpose
Aligned with Singapore’s Green Plan 2030, Sanz recognises that sustainability must extend beyond its products to include people, processes, and culture. The company believes that nurturing its workforce is just as vital as innovating greener solutions.To reinforce this connection, Sanz worked closely with the IAL WpL consultant to review its onboarding materials and strengthen engagement between team leaders and new hires. The goal was clear: to help employees see how their roles contribute directly to the company’s environmental mission.
Through this renewed approach, Sanz built stronger connections between teams, fostering a workplace where employees feel motivated, aligned, and inspired to advance the company’s green vision together.
Building the Foundation Together
The collaboration began with a diagnosis session involving Sanz’s leadership and HR team. Through discussions and document reviews, areas of improvement in onboarding were identified, leading to recommendations for a more engaging and structured approach. The management’s endorsement and active participation laid out the groundwork for a successful co-creation journey.Working hand in hand with Sanz’s project team, the IAL WpL consultant helped redesign the onboarding process to make it more interactive and value-driven. Together, they developed the Core Values Alignment through Problem-Solving (CIP) workshop, a key component of the new system.
The workshop brought Sanz’s mission and values to life through practical tools like the 5 Whys method, visual aids, and simple checklists. HR and department managers were also trained to facilitate future sessions, ensuring the system remains sustainable and self-driven.
This collaborative effort embodied Sanz’s belief that meaningful change begins with people, empowering leaders to lead with purpose and enabling new employees to learn through experience.
“Kris (IAL WpL Consultant) brings a dynamic and engaging presence to the workshop, making it both lively and impactful. The tools she provided have empowered our team to identify root causes and develop effective, targeted solutions. Her contribution has significantly enhanced our problem-solving capabilities and added value to our team’s development.” Joseph Goh, CEO
Embedding New Practices
Once implemented, the enhanced onboarding system transformed how Sanz welcomed and developed new employees. Surveys conducted among project team members and department managers showed clear improvements in engagement and alignment.Participants highlighted that the updated onboarding process and the CIP workshop made learning interactive and relevant. The IAL WpL consultant was praised for her approachable facilitation style and practical methods that encouraged active participation. Employees shared that the problem-solving tools introduced during the workshop helped them apply key concepts in their work, improving communication, collaboration, and focus.
All respondents expressed high satisfaction with the updated system, commending its clarity and structure. Managers observed that onboarding is now more consistent and meaningful, while new employees felt better connected to the company’s sustainability goals from the very start.
“The updated onboarding workshop system has brought significant improvements to how we integrate new team members. From a leadership standpoint, the structured approach provides clarity, consistency, and alignment with Sanz’s core values. The workshop format not only accelerates the learning curve for new hires but also fosters a culture of accountability and problem-solving from day one. Managers now have clear tools and templates that are easy to deploy and able to focus more on mentoring and engagement.
Overall, this system supports long-term retention and performance by ensuring new employees understand expectations, feel connected to the company mission, and are equipped to thrive in their roles.” Penny Ho, Chief Administrative Officer
“By introducing this new onboarding system to new hires, it is a positive impact on new hire experience. The structured and intuitive tools help Team Leaders to engage new hires better and boosts teamwork, collaboration, morale and retention.” Schani Wong, HR Manager
Measurable Results and Sustainable Transformation
The success of the NACE@IAL Workplace Learning Project reaffirmed Sanz’s belief that sustainability starts from within, by coaching, empowering, and connecting people to purpose. Through this journey, Sanz has strengthened the bridge between environmental responsibility and workplace learning, building a workforce that is both eco-minded and future-ready.- 75% positive feedback from department managers and project team on the new onboarding system
- 23 employees impacted by the transformation
- Improved engagement, collaboration, and retention
- Faster integration and clearer alignment with company values
These measurable results demonstrate how embedding workplace learning into daily operations not only enhances employee experience but also drives the company’s green mission forward. Sanz’s story shows that when people are empowered and aligned with purpose, sustainability and business performance go hand in hand.