How Agoda benefits help Khairul Admi grow personally and professionally

Khairul Admi is a Team Manager in our Customer Experience Group based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He shared his experience with using Agoda benefits and won an internal campaign. As a manager, Khairul has used the benefits not only for his personal matters, but also to support his team’s growth.

Agoda Careers sat down with him to learn about his journey at the company, and to hear how Agoda’s benefits have helped him along the way.

Work and play, the best way

Khairul explained that Agoda’s programs have helped him in his work life and downtime.

“Currently, we are still working from home under the hybrid model, so the Work From Home allowance that Agoda provides has been a big help. I live with my family, so it’s important to me that I have a comfortable space to work productively without worrying about being disturbed. Using the allowance, I’ve been able to set up a small office space in my house, adding a keyboard setup, decorations, and a comfortable office chair, all of which help me to focus and do my best work.

“We also have the Work From Anywhere program, which is also very helpful. It allows me to spend more time with my family and take care of my sister who’s not well.”

Agoda’s benefits also come in handy during his off hours. “The staff discount on Agoda bookings is a great perk. Because I can get such good prices for my accommodation, I’m able to go for longer stays during my time off. I’ve been using the discount for all my trips — recently, I took a trip to rest and reconnect with nature, and I came back feeling refreshed.”

Looking ahead, Khairul is excited to start using his Agoda Choice flexible benefits. “I plan to use my Agoda Choice benefits to keep up with my health and protect me from getting sick. A lot of my team have been using their benefits already, such as for personal grooming, getting glasses, or joining a gym. I encourage everyone to take good care of their health, and Agoda Choice really helps with that.”

Coming to the office with ease

Since we embraced a hybrid work model at Agoda, heading into the office and connecting with colleagues in person has become a steady part of our weekly routines. With this return to the office, Khairul shared a simple benefit that has made a big difference for him.

“For me, it’s much easier to drive to work than to use public transportation but trying to find parking is one of the most frustrating things for a commuting employee, and it can get really expensive. In my office, Agoda allows us to claim 50% of our parking fees as a work expense, which eliminates a lot of the stress. Parking in Kuala Lumpur is very expensive, so this has been a huge help, especially as we are returning to the office more these days.”

Building team spirit

When it comes to leading his team, Khairul utilizes team-building budgets to foster a sense of community and inspire his team to do their best work. “I have 14 people reporting to me and I do believe in the importance of team bonding.

“Starting in Q3, we’ve been doing monthly Agoda-funded team activities, and I encourage everyone to join in and get to know one another. Each month, we appoint a committee to plan the activities, so there’s always something new. One time, we did an escape room, and another, we enjoyed a delicious dinner with Arabic food. We even had a game night with prizes like Grab vouchers. As the team grows, these monthly events help our newbies to feel like part of the team, and they’re a lot of fun. I also find that they’re the perfect time for rewards and recognition, so I’ll announce the top performers for each month and celebrate the team’s accomplishments. From a team manager perspective, it’s great for morale. I encourage the team to have a healthy sense of competition and for each member to live up to their own potential, so we can see different names being announced and celebrated for high performance from month to month.”

This quarter, Khairul’s team has something even more exciting planned, with the help of their Agoda benefits. “Instead of the monthly events, we’re planning to do a team staycation for Q4, using our staff discounts to get a good rate. Agoda has also given us a budget for dinners and rewards for our top performers, so we can make the trip special. People are already volunteering to organize our trip and help with the itinerary, so we’re excited.”

“I feel very lucky, because my team members are all so supportive. Everyone really looks forward to these activities. Since we’ve started spending more time on team building, I’ve noticed that team performance has increased, and our core KPI  is on the upward trend. We get along well, and this allows us to work better as a team. When we’re in the office, we always come in early to enjoy breakfast and start the day together.”

Interested in joining Khairul and his team at Agoda? We’re hiring for our Customer Experience Group in Kuala Lumpur!