5 August · Makati
Alphaland Corporate Tower
The first of the new quarterly tradition. Two breakfast sittings so people could pick the morning that suited them, then games and updates from 2pm.
The Loop
Issue 03 · August 2026 · Capability & Engagement
Inside the team behind your team
How a team is looked after shows up in the work they do for you. This is our record of it: what our people are learning, how we recognise them, and what they get up to together.
330
People at Mid-Year
81
Courses built and certified-ready
30
Role profiles mapped
3
Hubs, one calendar
Lead story
Mid-Year Celebration 2026: Sunrise Sailing
Two days at Pico de Loro, Batangas, on 11 and 12 July. 330 people travelled in from Makati, Pampanga and from home offices all over the country. For many of them it was the first time meeting, in person, the colleagues they work with every day.
The theme was Sunrise Sailing. The idea behind it was simple: give people a chance to meet the community they are part of.
- When
- 11–12 July 2026
- Where
- Pico de Loro, Batangas
- Who
- 330 attendees, company-wide
Quarterly
Remote Rally Day, Makati and Pampanga
A quarterly event to reconnect with our full remote team members. Buffet breakfast in the morning, then team games, company updates and face-to-face time in the afternoon. Q3 ran on 5 August in Makati and 13 August in Pampanga.
13 August · Pampanga
Entec 2 Building, Angeles
The same day run again for Pampanga: breakfast, team games, company updates, and time with colleagues people rarely see off-screen.
Q4 dates are set: 4 November in Makati, 12 November in Pampanga.
New this year
The hammerjack Learning System
We have over 700 people working across about 30 role profiles. Until this year, their training was arranged case by case. hLS replaces that with one framework: what every role needs to know, the courses that teach it, and the certification that proves it. It went live company-wide in July 2026.
Define
Unified Competency Matrix
27 skills defined across 30 role profiles, at three tiers each. It is the single reference for what proficiency looks like in a given role.
Build
Course Catalogue
81 courses built to one standard: six instructional modules, a knowledge check, a practical assessment and certification. All of them are complete and certified-ready.
Prove
Role-Based Pathways
Each role profile maps to its own curriculum: the technical courses for that role at the right tier, plus all eight cross-role skills. Completion is certified against the matrix.
New hire orientation, in one session
16 hrs
→
3 hrs
All eight cross-role skills are now taught together on day one, one core habit per skill, instead of sixteen hours spread across eight separate documents. Every new hire leaves with a working toolkit.
We measure whether it worked
A short survey runs on every course completion. Learners rate their confidence against each objective, before and after, and the results roll up into a quarterly effectiveness review. Where a score falls below threshold, the course gets rebuilt rather than logged.
5–8 minutes
13 questions
70% target response rate
“hLS turns ‘we have good people’ into ‘we can prove it, develop it, and scale it.’”
hammerjack Learning System · FY2027 launch
Running now
The Cross-Skills Course
The eight cross-role skills, one hour at a time, fortnightly from August to November. Each session covers a habit that makes remote, client-facing work go well, and finishes with an assessment that counts toward the person's certification.
- 01 Listen First: Foundations of Comprehension Catching what is really being asked in a brief, and asking the right question at the right time. 26 Aug
- 02 Communicating with Clarity Writing that is clear and easy to act on, and choosing the right tone and channel for the moment. 9 Sep
- 03 Working Well with Others Sharing updates before being asked, responding on time, and giving feedback that helps. 16 Sep
- 04 Owning Your Work Making commitments you can keep, flagging blockers early, and owning mistakes constructively. 30 Sep
- 05 Quality at the Source A two-pass review habit that catches errors before they ever reach a client or teammate. 14 Oct
- 06 Staying Steady When Things Change Adjusting quickly when priorities shift, and protecting quality under pressure. 21 Oct
- 07 Take Ownership of Your Growth Processing feedback, reflecting daily, and setting a personal growth goal. 11 Nov
- 08 Working with Australian Clients Cultural know-how, the right level of directness, and making a strong first impression. 25 Nov
Compliance
Data Privacy 2026
How we collect, handle and protect data at hammerjack. Required for every employee, with make-up slots for anyone who cannot attend live.
2 September
Platform
Engaged teams, better outcomes: inside hjEngagement
Every outsourcing partner is asked the same quiet question eventually: how do you keep your people happy enough to stay? Turnover on an account is not just an HR statistic. It is ramp-up cost, knowledge loss and inconsistent service, absorbed by the client as much as the provider.
We have been building an answer since May 2026, and this year we rolled it out company-wide. hjEngagement is hammerjack's own employee engagement platform, built in-house and owned end to end by our Capability & Engagement team. It is tailored specifically to our teams here in the Philippines, wherever they work from: Makati, Pampanga, or home.
hjengagement.app — one home for activities, recognition and progress.
One place for every activity
Employees browse, sign up, and get verified credit for every learning session, workshop and company event, onsite or online.
Points, progress and a leaderboard
Participation is recognised and tracked, turning engagement into something visible and a little bit fun, not just another calendar invite.
Kudos and shoutouts
Peer-to-peer recognition, built right into the platform, so a colleague's good work doesn't go unnoticed.
A personal profile
A lightweight, fun way for employees across two hubs and a remote workforce to actually get to know each other.
Built-in support
Questions get answered inside the app, not lost in an inbox.
Live now
Rewards Center
Employees redeem their points for real perks. Clients can recognise their team directly too, by sending points carrying an equivalent AUD value.
Why this matters to you
An outsourcing partnership is only as strong as the people behind it. hjEngagement is one part of how hammerjack keeps those people engaged, recognised and growing, which shows up where it matters most to our clients: steadier teams, lower attrition, and less disruption on your account. This is not a one-off initiative. It is a permanent part of how we invest in the people who work on your business every day.
What's on
The rest of 2026
Sports clubs, celebrations, community work and the year-end party. Published dates, open to every hub.
20 AUG
hj Quiz Riot: Pop Culture Edition
Fast-paced online trivia, solo or by department
Teams
19 SEP
hj Badminton Club launch
All skill levels, equipment provided
The Zone, Makati
25 SEP
National Family Week: Caring for the Caregiver
Support for the caregivers among us
Teams
26 SEP
hj Esports Cup: Mobile Legends Showdown
Eight teams, single elimination, open to all hubs
Makati
5–8 OCT
Customer Service Week 2026: The Extra Mile
Online kickoff, then onsite legs in Makati and Pampanga
All hubs
10 OCT
hj Pickleball Club launch
No experience necessary, paddles provided
The Zone, Makati
17 OCT
hj Pampanga Sports Day
Pickleball, badminton and basketball in one day
San Fernando
22 & 29 OCT
Halloween hammerJAM H2
Live music, games and a costume contest at both offices
Pampanga, Makati
28 OCT
hammerjack Family Day: Your Extended Family
Titos, titas, cousins and pets welcome
Teams
14 NOV
More than Just Work: Early Gift-Giving & Christmas Celebration
Giving Tree tags and a party with the kids at our partner school
Floridablanca
FRIDAYS
Recess Rewind Fridays
Four weeks of nostalgia counting down to Year-End, from 20 November
Teams
Flagship
Year-End Celebration: Balik-Bata
12 December. The biggest one of the year, built around rediscovering the joy of being a kid again.
The people behind it
Who you'll be working with
The team that runs our capability programmes and engagement calendar, and looks after your account day to day.
Luis Baring
Senior Capability and Engagement Manager
Mizpah “MJ” Relato
Client Success Lead
Harvey Draper
Client Success Manager
Ma. Angela “Rocky” Magpantay
Client Success Manager
Gerika Anne Raco
Client Success Manager
Ma. Angeline Ursua
Client Success Manager
Jezel Obaña
Client Success Manager
Want to hear more about how hammerjack supports the teams behind your account? Reach out to your Client Success partner anytime.