Human Resources, Singapore January-February 2015 editiion

January / February 2015

The smart HR professional’s blueprint for workforce strategy

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January / February 2015 « CONTENTS

COVER STORY 12 Q&A Frieder Rummel, senior director of HR at The Hershey Company, explains how the company’s efforts in ensuring its unique employer brand always hit the sweet spot.

Features 16 Getting the blend just right Corporate learning works best with a blend of outsourced and in-house training. How can HR combine the unique characteristics of each to ensure staff get the best mix of training? Akankasha Dewan finds out.

28 United we stand Teams have evolved to become virtual, global and cross-functional.

Aditi Sharma Kalra speaks to HR leaders to find out how they create the right conditions for team success.

Opinion 38 Learning & Development

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Last year, Fuji Xerox Hong Kong celebrated its 50th anniversary. HR director Eliza Ng outlines the employee engagement efforts which have helped keep staff happy and on board.

41 People Issues Pay for performance will only work if employees understand the rationale for differentiation, explains Prakash Satagopan, business compensation manager for APJ at Hewlett-Packard.

ON THE COVER: Art direction: Shahrom Kamarulzaman; Photography: Stefanus Elliot Lee – www.elliotly.com

44 Upwardly Mobile

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Corinna Cheang, Jetstar’s head of people, explains how its part-time cabin crew programme helped to attract and retain experienced staff back into the workforce.

45 Unconventional Wisdom Rashmi Sharma, head of L&D at Citi Singapore, explains the business imperatives behind putting together a well thought-out flexible working strategy.

48 Last Word Editor Rebecca Lewis says her final goodbyes after three years at the helm of the magazine.

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Regulars 3 4 6 8

Ed’s note In the news Suite talk Spacial awareness

10 HR by numbers 11 Snapshot 47 Shelf life

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Email rebeccal@humanresourcesonline.net January/February 2015 « Human Resources «

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EDITOR’S NOTE

editor senior journalist journalist contributors

regional art director senior designer regional marketing executive regional directors

Rebecca Lewis Aditi Sharma Kalra Akankasha Dewan Corinna Cheang Eliza Ng Prakash Satagopan Rashmi Sharma Shahrom Kamarulzaman Fauzie Rasid June Tan Karen Boh Yogesh Chandiranani Jaclyn Chua Naomi Cranswick

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Darren Beck Sharissa Chan Nikita Erpini Kenneth Neo Jenilyn Rabino

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Yeo Wei Qi Evelyn Wong Tony Kelly Justin Randles

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Human Resources is published 12 times per year by Lighthouse Independent Media Pte Ltd. Printed in Singapore on CTP process by Sun Rise Printing & Supplies Pte Ltd, 10 Admiralty Street, #06-20 North Link Building, Singapore 757695. Tel: (65) 6383 5290. MICA (P) 178/08/2010. Subscription rates are available on request, contact the Circulation Manager by telephone: (65) 6423 0329 or by email to: subscriptions@humanresourcesonline.net COPYRIGHTS AND REPRINTS. All material printed in Human Resources is protected under the copyright act. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the prior written consent of the publisher and the copyright holder.

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So long, but not goodbye Change, even if it doesn’t seem particularly helpful at the time, is always a good thing. So far in my life, this has proven to be true.

Over the past year or so, there’s been a fair amount of change in my world. Professionally, we expanded our magazine and online content into the Hong Kong market, welcomed around seven new members of staff (and counting!) to the team, and implemented a whole range of new offerings to our readers, including a fantastic new website, more frequent news updates, and a plethora of new HR events and awards shows (with even more happening this year).

On a personal level, there was also a fair amount of change experienced: I moved house, my sister shifted to Singapore, and I got married, to name a few.

Of course, all these things are positive changes, but believe me there have been changes which haven’t seemed so great to begin with.

Funnily enough, I can’t recall exactly why the bad changes seemed so bad at the time – which perhaps proves the old adage that “everything happens for a reason”.

But why am I lamenting on the benefits of change? Well, because it’s time for me to instigate yet another change – that of my career. Yep, it’s time for me to move on.

I’m sad to say this is my last ever editor’s note to you all, as I bid farewell to Human Resources and take a leap into something new. After 10 years on one side of notepad and paper, I’m moving away from journalism and, as we say in media, “crossing over to the dark side” of public relations.

Now, this is something I once swore I’d never do. After years of newspaper reporting, followed by magazines, I promised myself I’d always report the news on some level. But, as it so happens, my priorities, goals and aspirations have changed, and it’s time for me to join my husband’s growing agency.

Thankfully, my new role will keep me very much connected with the HR and recruitment space, so I hope I can stay in touch with many of you.

I’ve hugely enjoyed my time with Human Resources, which is truly a fantastic product created with the help of a superbly talented team, and headed by forward-thinking and passionate management. I can’t thank everyone enough for everything you’ve taught me.

I won’t go into the individual thank yous for fear of getting all Oscar-like on you, but I do want to acknowledge everyone for their support as I move onto the next phase in my career.

As I’ve written about so many times, a change of pace is important – and necessary – to ensure you never get too comfortable, and that you’ve always got new opportunities and challenges to inspire you.

So, here’s to a life-changing 2015, which I’ll hopefully look back on fondly when 2016 rolls around (ask me then how much I enjoy working with my husband!)

For the last time, thanks, and enjoy the issue.

Photography: Stefanus Elliot Lee – www.elliotly.com; Hair & makeup: Vanida Yam Yen – vanidamakeover.blogspot.com

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Rebecca Lewis Editor January/February 2015 « Human Resources «

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News from humanresourcesonline.net

SINGAPOR EVEN MORE SINGAPORE EXPENSIVE FOR EXPATS

WHY WE SHOULD LD START WORK AT 10AM!

Singapore is ranked the t 26th most expensive city in the world for expatriates, expatria five places higher than last year. The city state is now more expensive than Hong Kong, Stockholm and Melbourne, in the lates latest ECA International survey. It sits in nninth place in the Asia Pacific rankings where Seoul has overtaken rankings, Tokyo fo for the top spot followed by Shanghai Beijing and Yokohama.

Shanghai, a The annual study compares a basket of like-for-li like-for-like consumer goods and services commonly purchased by expatriates.

Top Topping the global rankings for a second year is Caracas. Switzerland, however, dominates the top 10 featuring Zurich, G Geneva, Bern and Basel.

One in six workers are so tired they can’t help lp but ese fall asleep at their desks occasionally, and Japanese deprived and Singaporean workers are some of the most sleep-deprived in the world. A study from the American Academy of Sleep ain Medicine looked into why we’re sacrificing our sleep – and the main reason was work. ss Starting work earlier and ending later, sleepers who slept six hours or less ended up working more hours on weekdays (1.55) and weekends (1.86) than “average” sleepers. Short sleepers also travel more for work having to wake up earlier to commute to their jobs. The solution? To overhaul the culture of work to ensure we start working later in the day.

The study shows that around 20 minutes of sleep time is gained for every hour later that work starts.

On average, respondents sleep six hours when starting work at or before 6am compared with 7.29 hours slept when starting between 9am and 10am.

Self-employed respondents and private sector employees are 17% less likely to be sho short sleepers due to flexible work times.

THIS YEAR’S S HOTTEST JOB SKILLS Analytics is expected to bee the most sought after skill by employers in 2015, 5, as companies want their employees to not onlyy make sense of all the information available to them, em, but to use it to ecisions. make smarter business decisions.

For HR professionals, an important skill to possess is “people analytics”, lytics”, found a new report by CTPartners. It also lso established a leading role for a “chief digital gital officer” (CDO) mpany’s functions. to partner across the company’s As a result, the CDO is expected to play a bigger role in harnessing essing all this data, using it to measure various HR performances. The reportt attributed this cal skills to a rise in demand for analytical proliferation of new job descriptions, escriptions, borne out of the influence of big data.

In the operations function, ction, expect “business data analytics” to be the most valuable skill, with i h companies i llooking ki to synthesise h i the data from customer interactions, supply chain feedback and other sources. While skills for “digital risk analysis” top the area of risk management, “personalisation skills” emerge as the most important in the field of customer relationship management.

SINGAP SINGAPORE BOSSES ‘UPBEAT’ ABOUT HIRING IN 2015 Employers in SSingapore plan to increase headcount between January and year, statistics from the latest Manpower Employment Outlook March this yea Survey reveal. Of the employers interviewed, 19% forecast an increase in staffing levels levels, 3% anticipated a decrease and 78% expected no change. Once the data is adj adjusted for seasonal variation, the outlook stands at 18% 18%.

The most robust hiring activities were anticipated in the services sector, with a net employme employment outlook of 25%. This was followed bby the transportation and utilities sectors se (20%), and the public and education bli administration d i i sectors (19%.) Steady hiring activity was also anticipated in the wholesale trade and retail trade sectors and the finance, insurance and real estate sectors, with outlooks of 18% and 16% respectively.

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H BIGGEST PRODUCTIVITY HR’S UCTIVITY KKILLERS THREE WORK TRENDS FOR 2015 According to Fast Forward 2030: The Future of Work and the Workplace by CBRE, there is “an awakening of human spirit and a belief that work in the future should be joyous and more fulfilling”.

In fact, 78% of those interviewed said their happiness was as important as financial success.

The study also pinpointed three major trends to look out for in 2015, all the way to 2030.

First, traditional workplaces will be the minority, as 77% believed traditional offices will disappear in favour of “activity based workplaces”.

Second, every company will need a chief of work. The general view is that existing roles such as HR will help with implementation, but an in-charge is needed for work experience at the C-Suite level.

Third, technology will take over and become more commonplace, as 50% of respondents predicted many of today’s occupations will no longer exist by 2025. But this does not mean losing jobs, it just requires a change in what people do.

N GUIDELINES FOR NEW KEY EMPLOYMENT TERMS Singapore’s Tripartite Alliance has released a new set of Singapore guidelines fo for listing terms of employment to employees.

Stemming from MOM’s announcement in April 2014, which mandated mandate key employment terms (KETs) be issued employee in writing, this will be made compulsory by to employees the first half ha of 2016, in tandem with the mandating of pa itemised payslips.

The alli alliance agrees that providing KETs in writing is employm practice which benefits both the employer good employment and employees, while helping to prevent or resolve disputes and providing assura assurance of regular income and benefits. a to provide the KETs to all employees Employers are continuously em employed for at least 14 days. As far as possible, shoul be provided in writing before they commence the terms should work, but no later than 14 days after the start of employment.

Some of the KETs include information on working hours and days per week, basic salary per salary period, overtime rate of pay, leave entitlements and notice period for termination of employment initiated by either party.

SIM-GE-265-T14 HRMag@ft.ai 1 9/1/15 3:23 pm

A the traditional role of HR continues to evolve, one thing As iis clear – HR wants a more strategic role ole directly related tto the business. That was the key finding ding of a study by BBambooHR, which polled HR professionals ssionals to gauge hhow they spend their time, versus how they think they should be spending their time. me.

The report found the biggest st perceived threat (29%) to productivity is employee yee management – 71% of HR professionals stated ated they spend anagement a lot of time on employee management issues. This was followed by spending time on company compliance issues ssues (54%) and recruiting (42%).

In fact, workforce planning (40%) was also the number one task these HR respondents would like ke more training on followed by professional ional development (34%) and managing ing and overseeing company culture (32%). hough, HR Generally though, professionals are well trained – 82% of respondents ondents have attended HR-related trainings rainings in the past year, and 67% spend an hour or cating themselves on HR more educating updates weekly.

Thee survey repeatedly stressed ed the need to overcome ap between what the HR the gap function is perceived to be and what it actually wants ts to become.

CORRECTION In the Vendors of the Year 2014 publication, the Singapore re Workforce Development Agency (WDA) was incorrectly included as a management, ement, sales and Infocomm Technology (ICT) training provider. WDA provides funding through appointed training providers to make training affordable for Singaporeans/PRs. WDA works with training providers to deliver management training via the Human Resources and/or Leadership & People Management WSQ; Sales training is delivered via the Business Management WSQ, and ICT training via the National Infocomm Competency Framework.

Please contact WDA at 6883 5885 for more information.

This error is regretted by Human Resources.

January/February 2015 « Human Resources «

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WORK LIFE » People GET INTO THE BOSS’S HEAD

Khoo Seng Thiam Managing director FedEx Express

You started with FedEx as a ramp agent in 1992. How does it feel to be MD now?

The basic functions of a ramp agent are to load and unload freight and keep check of the weights and balances. Many people look at this job as a task, but to keep going, you need to understand the job in its relation to the overall objectives.

In my case, a lot of people felt the job was very monotonous. But the fun lies in the fact there are many capable individuals who form a chain of work processes that make it possible for ramp agents to load the packages onto the plane – there lies the meaning of the job.

At the end of the day, everybody desires a promotion. But I keep reminding them that when one is in a job, it’s more important to excel in it.

When you do that, people around you take notice, and when the opportunity arises you will be given a fair opportunity for progression.

How has FedEx’s organisational culture developed amid the growth in Asia?

Our growth would not have been possible without FedEx’s fundamental people-first philosophy, also called People Service Profit (PSP). We truly believe people are our greatest assets, and that we have to look after them well. In return, they will be motivated to look after customers and provide them impeccable service, which translates into profits.

This thinking is ingrained in every one of us.

No matter what we do, that spirit has never shaken.

This drives the company’s continued success into the future.

What has been most memorable about your career to date?

There have been many moments, but at the end of the day it’s the people around me. I have worked with many great individuals, and many of them are still in the organisation doing good work.

Even those who have left still keep in touch.

This is what FedEx is about – creating a possibility to connect and touching lives through what you do.

If I had the power to make everyone happy, I would do that, but this is a process of emotional connectivity. Every organisation is like a house, but how do you make it a home?

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Who has been your most important mentor?

There are many. When I first encountered FedEx in 1992, I was just a young boy who came from Malacca to Singapore. I spoke no English, and knew only Malay and Chinese.

If I could name someone, it would be the first person who hired me as a manager, Dennice Wilson, who was vice-president of planning, engineering and support for FedEx Asia Pacific, before she retired earlier last year. She was a great boss – very inspiring, tough, demanding and with high integrity. She continued to push me to realise my potential and acquire further education.

My wife is also important in my life. She was always there when I was learning English or studying, guiding me. I couldn’t be more fortunate and blessed with such people around me.

What are some of the key HR initiatives undertaken at FedEx? As a company rooted in PSP, everything we do, every decision we make puts the people first and this shows in our HR policies. We have an opendoor policy. Anybody can knock on anyone’s door up the line, all the way to presidents and even the CEO of the organisation.

Our guaranteed fair treatment policy is a channel for employees to be assured of a fair hearing in case of grievances. We take it very seriously to ensure no one has been discriminated against or treated unfairly.

Beyond that we conduct a once-a-year climate survey called survey feedback actions. It surveys employees to generate an index of how each manager is performing. It asks questions like whether employees feel free to communicate with their boss, and if they have been treated with respect. This is a great tool for managers to gear themselves up to be great leaders.

How can HR spread this message better?

HR has to play a more active role in not only putting up policies, but also making sure that communication goes out on the exact intent of each policy. If this is not done, we risk making our next generation leaders very robotic.

Also, the important thing for a leader beyond all conversations is action. When leaders are committed to something they need to follow through. This helps people trust you in times when they want to talk about something.

How do you spend your free time?

I spend as much time as I can with my growing kids. I enjoy dropping them to school, because I have their full attention during the 20-30 minute ride.

I am trying to be an early sleeper, so I can get up fresh. I have begun to enjoy running, while listening to rock bands from the ’80s and ’90s, like Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses. With the team in the office, we like to get around on a Friday evening for a quick beer after a week of hard work.

How do you use this to connect better with staff?

Policies are structural basics that we have had in the organisation since we started in the 1970s.

But on the leadership side, the important thing is for all leaders to come across as authentic and sincere. We have to take things forward as a conversation. A lot of people think that is the same as communication, but it’s not.

I personally like talking to the front line a lot, and understanding what is happening with them.

From time to time, I have to remind everybody there are no barriers between them and me. The only difference is in our roles and responsibilities, but we are all here to make things work together.

As managers these days we are no longer managing – we are there to facilitate the conversation, the processes and the structures – so our people can be successful in the day to day of what they are doing.

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People WORK LIFE

SpacialAwareness

INSIDE THE COLOURFUL WORKPLACE OF WALT DISNEY Much like the characters and stories from The Walt Disney Company that have inspired and delighted people all over the world, the company’s Singapore office aims to invoke the same sense of wonder.

According to Kattie Capozza, director of human resources SEA and learning and organisational development for South Asia, “the environment that you create within the workplace is critical to inspiring and enabling the company culture”.

“Our stories revolve around key values like fun, family, community and optimism. These values are equally important in our work culture along with a focus on creativity and innovation.

This is just part of our DNA,” she said.

For the company to be successful, she said it was important to foster an environment that created open communication, collaboration and transparency.

The open plan office culture is designed with this in mind, with physical accessibility to everyone across all teams.

“Simply put, an engaging office space creates an environment that is conducive for great work where employees feel relaxed and stimulated. It’s often in a setting like this that great ideas are born,” she said.

The colours and highly visual stimulation aim to inspire employees on a daily basis.

“This is why our Disney office in the Sandcrawler building is filled with colourful images of our heritage and stars on the walls. Our team members have great pride in our brand and the environment provides a constant reminder of what we have accomplished as a team.”

And that strong connection to the brand is what helps keep everyone on the same page.

“Every brand has a core appeal for its internal and external stakeholders. It’s critical to ensure that your employee brand and consumer brand are connected.”

She said organisations must find out what employees value most about their work, and marry that with what your company does best. “For us it’s about creating an inspiring and motivating environment that everyone feels proud of.”

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WORK LIFE » HR by numbers

HR’s top concerns for 2015 What will be keeping HR professionals up at night this year? Recruitment, recruitment, recruitment.

According to the annual HR Trends Survey by Lighthouse Research for Human Resources, the ability to attract and retain talent is front of mind for local HR leaders. This is followed by challenges around talent management and training and development concerns, as well as employee relations and satisfaction.

But despite talent attraction being a challenge for the 17,723 senior HR professionals surveyed, only 3.4% see finding staff with specialised skills as a challenge. Similarly, less than 3% said finding experienced local talent is still a challenge.

21%

of HR heads say attracting talent is their main challenge.

17%

are worried about retention.

11.5%

said their biggest goal was improving recruitment efforts.

8.5%

plan to boost training frameworks in 2015.

Source: HR Trends Survey 2014

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People WORK LIFE

snapshot

15 minutes with ...

Michael Vaz

Director of global human resources development, service & attitude Accor Hospitality WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST HR JOB, AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE HR AS A PROFESSION? My first HR role was with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. It was a beautiful story – I actually hosted its annual colleague party, and the next morning the director of HR at the time walked up to me and bluntly asked me, “have you ever considered a career in training?” I interviewed for an HR/training role a few weeks later and the rest, as they say, is history.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK? I’m blessed with a real passion for public speaking and running learning programmes, and I love nothing more than to be able to build and nurture great leaders for the future. It’s something I take great pride in, after all, once you change people’s mindsets and show them a more positive way to be a great leader, you’re literally watching lives change and grow. People go home happier because they are treated well by their bosses, who have a better understanding of their working patterns and behaviours. It’s a very cool circle of influence.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE A REGULAR WORKDAY AT YOUR COMPANY? I only recently made the move over to Singapore to take on this exciting new role with Accor, and I try and start each day with a teh tarik. I’m getting quite addicted, actually! The rest is spent either creating or designing new and exciting brand learning programmes to build a strong organisational culture, working with my young and passionate team members and great business partners, as well as getting a few smiles around the office. I love a happy and engaged work culture.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE DESIGNING BRAND LEARNING PROGRAMMES AT ACCOR. Culture is everything. The more brand culture-centric learning programmes you create, the more your people and, in turn your customers, will begin to believe in your brand and relate to it. We work on everything from brand orientation, brand grooming, brand service culture and brand-centric leadership. We are also very fortunate to be one of the few leading brands in the world to have fully fledged and licensed academies (Academie Accor), with great trainers who assist us with the roll out of these programmes to all our employees around the world.

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED? I know it really depends on each situation, however, try your best never to take a job for the money. Stick like glue to what you love doing, and the rewards will come. The monetary value always has a ceiling; love and passion for what you do, does not.

The second piece of advice would be to go home and have fun with family. Your computer’s not going to hug you at the end of the day.

"Culture is everything. The more brand culture-centric learning programmes you create, the more your people and, in turn your customers, will begin to believe in your brand and relate to it."

HOW DO YOU THINK THE HR FUNCTION WILL EVOLVE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? More people will be hired through LinkedIn, so my advice to people who don’t seem to care about a LinkedIn account, is go home and give some TLC to your profile. Also, respect and accept every invite you get as you never know when you’re going to find the next rising star who’s going to rock your company.

Second – and this is learning specific – the only way to engage a new generation of learners is through blended learning – a nice mix of both online and classroom sessions. There are some great young companies out there producing products to match this mindset, so find them quick and involve them in your business.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU FEEL HR CAN DO BETTER TO PLAY A BIGGER ROLE IN ORGANISATIONS? I believe in making sure you instil and maintain an extremely strong and healthy working culture and ethic, where people work the right hours, people are treated with real respect and, most importantly, leaders are given tools and training to inspire people around them daily.

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PROFILE » Frieder Rummel

Frieder Rummel Senior director of human resources The Hershey Company The sweetest job of all

By AKANKASHA DEWAN

Q You’ve been with The Hershey Company (Hershey’s) for two years.

How has your experience been?

We are a company that has been putting a lot of focus in expanding into Asia, and so we are investing and continuously growing. The company has a very positive environment and just like chocolate, it is a very “sweet” industry to be in.

Art direction: Shahrom Kamarulzaman; Photography : Stefanus Elliot Lee – www.elliotly.com

Q How did your experience working at P&G help in adjusting at Hershey’s?

The parallels are, of course, that both are very professionally run fast-food and consumer goods companies based in America and with a global reach.

Both companies are also focused on understanding the consumers, and winning them, and are dedicated towards building very strong brands. Hershey’s is a little more family sized. We have approximately 14,000 employees. This size helps in creating an environment which allows you to get familiar with almost everybody, especially here in Asia, and in the global leadership team.

Q Tell us about your current role.

My focus is on supporting an acquisition which we are running in China. I was in Shanghai for six months before this, just closing this project. My main responsibilities focus on ensuring the company has the people and the talent it needs for its ambitious plans. China will be our biggest international market very soon. This is very exciting and we are very much looking forward to it. Our recruitment strategy has a couple of focus areas. For example, we are recruiting 400 people in Malaysia for a new factory. It is our first

winning together. Our culture is authentic, ethical, trusting, friendly and driven.

Another thing is the diversity in our teams. When I joined, there were no two people of the same nationality in the leadership team. In fact, I experience our diversity every day. At a typical lunch table we always have about four to five different nationalities and four or five different functions represented. That diversity helps us, as a regional headquarters for a big region, to serve our internal business units in many countries well.

Our colleagues from Singapore, of course, are a majority in our office here, so that gives us a very good basis to understand different cultures of the different partners who we support.

factory in Asia. The other big focus area is in China, where we typically hire more than 300 people in a year.

Q What makes Hershey’s a great place to work?

People are happy if they can associate themselves with strong international companies and strong brands, like Hershey’s. The company also has a long and unique tradition in doing good. That has a big impact on our culture.

The founder of our company, a gentleman named Milton Hershey, donated his entire fortune to a good cause before he passed away. What’s remarkable was that he never spoke about it – it was only discovered accidentally five or six years ago. From that purpose, a trust was created which is currently still in control of the company. Hershey’s also runs a school of about 2,000 children who come from very different backgrounds. They live in bungalows with six to eight kids, along with their foster parents. Every two weeks, the parents have a weekend off and then come a substitute group of parents.

Everything is provided for the kids, and once they pass their high school exam, they can also get sponsorships for their university studies.

This is also something we are very proud of because people like to work in companies which make them feel good and are also socially responsible.

Q The culture of care sounds very authentic. How does this translate on a day-to-day basis?

All my colleagues put the success of the team above their own, we aim towards

Q Are there any other factors which

VITAL STATS Frieder Rummel has been the senior director of human resources at The Hershey Company, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa, for more than two years. Prior to that, he has also worked in companies such as Allianz and P&G, and has travelled extensively to cities such as Shanghai and Vienna.

you think help to maintain Hershey’s employer brand?

Our focus on talent development and our growth is also impressive. When you come here and you start your job, the job becomes much bigger in two years because your business has grown, your organisation has grown, and you are playing in a different league. So you grow even without being assigned to a new responsibility or without undergoing any job rotation. Of course, we also look at internal talent development. In the last 12 months we have appointed eight to nine senior leaders in our region, or to our region, and all but one were internal appointments. In these assignments, we have moved leaders from Asia to America and vice versa. These kind of career opportunities are, of course, very exciting for our employees.

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PROFILE » Frieder Rummel Q Are these opportunities supported by a leadership programme?

We also have first-class leader development programmes in Asia for our more junior leadership levels and globally for our senior leaders. We do this because ultimately we know that employees want to be in places where they can learn and grow. We know they want to be in companies who are interested not in things that they [the employees] did yesterday, but in things which they can do tomorrow.

We also subscribe to the 70:20:10 concept of development. I was recently on such an assignment for six months in Shanghai, working to prepare the acquisition of the local company. That was a wonderful experience for me, and now I can relate to the expectations my colleagues have from such assignments.

Q How do you measure the effectiveness of your employer branding strategies?

Looking at retention rates is a good measure, and your ability to attract talent is another one. Ultimately, it is also the business results. The environment is pretty competitive, and you can only achieve success and growth with a very engaged workforce. But more systematic than that are employee engagement surveys, which are a good starting point. Additionally, your ability to internally staff your key positions is a good measure, including how much you depend on having to go outside and recruit external people, and how well your succession pipeline is filled.

Q How do you leverage social media

stretched. They also want assignments which are demanding, and where they can bring in their strengths and experiences.

They want opportunities to develop in business situations, and to be considered for future business opportunities. Many of our talent are interested in international exposure. Having a home company in the United States gives us various opportunities for this.

Q What does Hershey’s look for in an

to communicate the employer brand?

Our colleagues in the United States are leading the way on this, for example, via Facebook, with our internal social media tool and with the development of innovative technologies in recruiting. Hershey’s has also won the Candidate Experience Award in 2013 and 2014, an annual competition in North America designed to identify companies who provide a superior endto-end hiring experience for candidates.

An example for innovative approaches in Asia is our Micro-Site for Malaysia, which supports our hiring for more than 400 positions until the end of 2015.

ideal candidate?

We want people who have the ability to solve problems which will arise tomorrow, but which we don’t know today. As we innovate and grow, we must have people who are able to drive this. If you look at the company’s processes a decade ago, you will realise we weren’t doing half of the things we are doing now. It is important to look at the potential and the learning ability of the people you hire, and then what they bring in. Their current knowledge is important, but what is more important is their ability to develop new solutions in the future, address new problems, or solve old problems in a new way.

Q What do candidates look for when

Q Do such factors hold significance

joining a company?

Typically, they look at personal growth opportunities, and how much they can be

across all generations and regions?

Let’s talk about Singapore, which will be 50 years old soon. Forty years ago,

the country was fighting to prove it was able to exist on its own, and people were extremely keen on making money to finance studies of brothers and sisters, or helping their parents in their old age.

Now, as Singapore has become a very successful and wealthy country, people are also after things such as work-life balance.

So the younger generation is very much aware that life is about things other than just work.

Q Do you have flexible working strategies in place?

The Hershey’s regional headquarters here in Singapore is special because it doesn’t have many customers here. We spend a lot of time on travel or on evening phone calls, and we have a flexible system where people are responsible for their performance. There are days where people don’t step into the office at all. Time spent in the office doesn’t really matter. On a typical day, you’ll only see one third of the population. A third will also be travelling, while a third would be working from home. But we also know if people spend a lot of time travelling, their required compensation also needs to be put into place. We don’t want staff to work for two years and then leave. We want future leaders to come from our own talent base, and that means adapting to their needs.

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Frieder Rummel « PROFILE Q Hershey’s has done a great job building its employer brand. What advice would you give to others?

Create something that builds your brand.

You can’t create a strong employer brand by talking, but you can create one by doing and by being really credible. That’s why I mentioned we build our employer brand by things such as business growth, diversity, internal talent development – all these are things which I can actively do and prove.

Q What are the challenges of maintaining this strong brand?

We have to make sure the process doesn’t get automatic. We have to review our employer brand strategy every year, if not every six months. We must be aware that time does not stand still, and we need to progressively work towards becoming a more attractive place to work.

Q Should HR solely be in charge of building this?

This is something which various functions can collaborate together in. For example, the communications function can be very important in transferring and sending out messages to the corporate world. The HR

function has a very good understanding of what we can actually deliver, while the marketing people and those working in consumer insights can also help us to identify what is really needed, and what is most wanted and what is helpful.

Professionals in sales are also important, as they sell the product and the good story that we have. We expect our function representatives and leaders to be all actively involved in troubleshooting. We need a concerted, credible effort. You really can’t create a brand only by talking.

Q There’s been more reliance on tech to facilitate these discussions. Do you see any red flags in HR’s approach?

There is a skills gap, where some companies don’t even have the systems in place to use technologies optimally. Over the last year, we have invested heavily in our ability to get data, and then analyse this in the same way people in consumer insights, or marketing, use data to make good business decisions. It is understood HR needs to do much more when it comes to data and analytics, and currently the function still has a long way to go to get educated and to get ready in this domain.

Q What challenges might Hershey’s HR face in the near future?

We have an ongoing talent shortage, especially in Asia. The leadership challenge is also prevalent. There is a strong need to build an environment where people are willing to go the extra mile. That is a challenge for every leader because young people today are very demanding and selective. If you want people to come to you and join you and stay with you, then you have to be a very good leader.

At the same time, most leaders in Asia are still young and relatively inexperienced. That requires strong investments into leadership development.

For the senior leadership generation, it is about bringing them up to speed, getting them to understand new concepts.

We can’t just assume those leaders who were efficient 10 years ago are still efficient today.

Your chosen approach to leadership development will also ultimately affect your employee engagement and retention levels, so the right approach needs to be taken. Having good diversity numbers is also important, and I would also not underestimate the fun element.

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FEATURE » Corporatee Training Training

How can HR leaders use the best ingredients of both outsourced and in-house training to ensure the learning lasts a lifetime?

Akankasha Dewan finds out.

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Corporate Training « FEATURE onducting training in-house or outsourcing it elsewhere is no longer an either/or decision. Human resources professionals have long searched for creative solutions to come up with the best training strategies for their staff, and more often than not, many find an integrated approach works best.

Why? Because it gets the blend just right.

In fact, the 2014 Kelly Global Workforce Index found a blend of training – comprising of employer-provided training (48%), mentoring (39%) and outsourced training (23%) – are the most popular resources in Singapore when preparing for career development and advancement opportunities.

“This is not an either/or question,” says Amy Kong, regional director of learning and people development at MSLGROUP Asia. “What we should look at is the desired outcome based on training needs analysis and discussions with the business leader, then look at whether the best source or training or content can be found internally or externally, or both.

“Our people – and our training programmes that help them to thrive – cannot be complacent and must transform alongside the business in order for us to succeed.”

Indeed, the broad capabilities of today’s hybrid trainings ensure the unique challenges that arise as budgets tighten and demands increase can be overcome – but they must be adopted while keeping in mind the strengths and weaknesses of each type of training in line with your own learning philosophy.

“Employees have to approach their jobs and careers with the perspective that learning, informal or formal, is a continual ongoing endeavour,” Kong says. “Companies can facilitate that by designing training and other development initiatives to encourage that mindset.

“It is about lifetime employability and not lifetime employment.”

What works for your needs?

One of the first elements to take into consideration when designing an effective hybrid training strategy is analysing the type of corporate environment the employees are working in and its specific requirements.

“About three years ago, we did an analysis and we found that 66% of people who join us leave us in their first year,” says Carol Yong, human resources director at Dairy Farm South Asia.

“The main reason for that is that this environment is not an easy environment to stay in. At Dairy Farm, most roles are multi-tasked and fast-paced, so it’s very natural for new joiners to find their first years quite challenging.”

She adds that supervisors and managers, specifically, have to upscale their capabilities at a rapid pace upon joining the industry.

“In retail, the person who manages a team has a lot of responsibility on his or her hands.

This includes managing not only people, but also products, inventory and housekeeping. So they need to be pretty strong as a manager.

“In the areas of leadership development, negotiation and executive coaching, we will leverage on external resources. Outsourcing also helps overcome the tight labour situation, and the time gap needed in recruiting competent people who are able to train well.

“Time is also saved in building the infrastructure required to conduct training exercises. Outsourced professional experts are also likely to deliver high standards of service and meet all KPIs.” While Wong Wai Meng, head of capability development and human resources at Goodrich Global, similarly acknowledges the benefits of relying on external sources, he adds certain aspects of industries are too technical to outsource completely.

“Almost 80% of our training is outsourced, but we can’t outsource the other 20% because we are unique in our industry and we have our own syllabus,” Wong says.

“We have certain instances where we find there’s no available service provider who can cover topics, such as some core proprietary knowledge, which is not commonly available within the public training syllabus.”

This is something which resonates with Eileen Keng, vice-president of leadership and senior talent at Credit Suisse, who adds outsourced providers need to be well established, especially in the topic which they are being engaged for.

“If you are a subject matter expert in terms of having many years of research and experience in a particular topic, then you will be the type of provider we would go for,” she says.

“The downside of this arrangement is, of course, the lack of organisational context.

This means the learning and development team has to make sure the external training providers are aligned with the organisational

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FEATURE » Corporate Training needs and learning culture through a very close partnership.”

The need for alignment and communication But such an alignment between companies and their external training vendors is precisely what is lacking in the corporate landscape today.

A study by GP Strategies in 2009 found only 41% of survey participants had a strong alignment with their learning service providers.

Additionally, while three in four companies are aligned at the beginning of an engagement, less than half remain strongly aligned throughout the engagement.

Shedding light into the root causes of this alignment drop-off, the survey found poor communication, a lack of clearly defined goals and provider flexibility were among the chief factors impacting alignment and performance.

Keng stresses these factors are integral if HR departments wish to establish a good working relationship with their outsourced providers.

“For those programmes which we outsource, we work very closely with our partners, right from the content design stage,” she says. “We ensure their key messages are aligned very closely to what we’re looking out for. We use consistent briefs or outlines when we go out and source for a partner.

“This outline is consistent globally to ensure we send the same messages and teach the same topics to our employees worldwide, even if the providers we are using are different in different places.”

Brewing the best: Mix and match to find the best learning programmes for you.

But merely attempting to align expectations and goals with providers is but the first step – the process is complete only when providers themselves are able to give companies the quality and level of services which are expected of them.

“Provider inflexibility is a big obstacle to achieving alignment,” the GP Strategies survey stated. It added that respondents believed providers’ inadaptability had a negative impact on alignment, and the number one reason they would replace a provider was a lack of flexible or responsive service.

Finding the right facilitator Often, such a lack of flexible services include the lack of a good facilitator who is able to change and adapt course content and delivery to suit the type of employees on hand.

“The challenge is identifying and finding a suitable faculty who has the right level of gravitas and who can speak to the seniority of those employees whom the content is targeted at,” Keng says. “So if it’s a very senior audience, we need a faculty member who can match their level of extensive knowledge.”

She adds another challenge is the inability for external facilitators and programme providers to actively use and appreciate the corporate language that is used within Credit Suisse.

Using such language will aid in helping employees to relate with the examples and contexts employed by the trainer.

With such challenges in place, all leaders admit HR divisions need to put in effort and time before choosing the right training provider and facilitator to work with.

“If it’s a new training programme, we would have to assess the quality of the training provider,” Wong says. “It does take some trial and error in finding the right trainer. We ask around, we do research on the providers.”

Keng agrees and adds that throughout the training period, her organisation diligently keeps track of the learning provider’s performance.

“We are very careful in the way we select who comes in to deliver the programme and we monitor the feedback that our employees give the facilitator very closely,” she says.

“We communicate our expectations very clearly upfront to them and we have very clear standards for them to meet. If the feedback which we receive about them is not very positive, we do take actions to remove them from our faculty.”

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FEATURE » Corporate Training She adds the large-scale presence of the bank mandates her L&D department has a very comprehensive learning system in place globally.

“We have a standard set of questions that we collect feedback on, on all programmes and on all trainers. Because all our programmes are coded in the same way, we can key in some key words for a particular programme and we can pull out a report showing all the feedback across all regions for the same programme. We can then do a comparison across regions.”

Enhancing in-house learning However, Yong reminds us that even with such measures in place to overcome the disadvantages of using external vendors for training, outsourcing training does pose a few risks.

“When companies do outsource training, they are likely to face an increase in costs, or a year-on-year increase in service fees. There is also the risk of below expected delivery standards

“Business leaders typically want to cram as much as possible into a training programme. Avoid the situation where you cover everything and participants learn nothing.”

– Amy Kong, regional director of learning and people development, MSLGROUP Asia

sometimes, and companies might also suffer from a potential loss of confidentiality, such as data related to payroll,” she says.

Such reasons are precisely why there is a strong need to simultaneously build internal learning and development teams which can not only conduct training sessions for employees, but also manage external training vendors diligently.

“Our L&D team leads programmes such as POS (point-of-sale) cashier training and proprietary fresh programmes,” Yong says. “They also work on service and campaign training and lead engagement platforms. This team also analyses the type of external programmes that are suitable to meet our needs. They are involved in management trainee assessment, talent management, and in a lot of group programmes.

“A dedicated training department needs to be present, so they take full responsibility and accountability for training employees.”

Kong adds that such teams also aid in ensuring employees are learning at optimal levels.

“Business leaders typically want to cram as much as possible into a training programme to maximise the employees’ time away from work, but there is a limit to how much knowledge an employee can retain. Avoid the situation where you cover everything and participants learn nothing.

“The job of the L&D function is to work with the business leader to strike a balance between maximising the training time and retention of learning.”

Wong echoes this, and highlights such an approach is especially useful to small and medium-sized enterprises, such as Goodrich, which has limited resources and budgets for learning programmes.

“For us, cost-effectiveness is very important – we may not be able to afford a high-end trainer.”

Invoking leadership participation Keng further elaborates on how Credit Suisse’s internal learning strategy relies quite heavily on the participation of senior leaders.

“Running in-house programmes allows for the content to be highly customised to fit the organisational context and issues. It is also highly effective if we can identify internal subject matter expertise of experienced leaders to deliver the training,” she says.

“Leaders teaching leaders is a very established and well-received delivery format in Credit Suisse. Our high potential leaders have a responsibility to be a part of our learning faculty and they are all very committed to the development of other colleagues in the firm.

“Colleagues, on the other hand, appreciate hearing from leaders so they can contextualise the learning in real-work situations.”

All interviewees unanimously agree that invoking management support is key.

“Often, HR and L&D teams organise a lot of programmes, but the senior management often does not know why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Yong says.

“They don’t know exactly what needs you are fulfilling. It is very important for them to understand these needs, endorse the approach you have adopted, and be involved in the training programme. They can give motivational talks, and be subject matter experts.”

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THIS ARTICLE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY WENTWORTH PEOPLE SINGAPORE

LEADER LED LEARNING – THE NEW FACE OF CORPORATE TRAINING A new era of learning is dawning; an era marked by tight budgets and slashed classroom learning hours, coupled with calls for a new breed of people-centric leaders. The ambition is that such managers will build an engaged workforce and achieve a high performing (perhaps even “sexy”) business that top talent clamours to work for. But why have only a handful of these leaders emerged? Could it be that just being high achievers in their areas of expertise is not sufficient to create true leaders?

Today’s volatile global business environment requires leaders to connect with, engage and learn together with their staff. This is the basic premise of leader led learning, which delivers a punch two ways: increasing engagement and reducing external facilitating expenses.

A REFRESHING CHANGE Team benefits: • Bite-size learning, supported by those closest to the team, totally relevant and hitting the mark, each time, all the time.

Leader benefits: • Recognition as the best in class to their teams, showcasing leadership capabilities • Personal growth and learning new ways to doing things, then sharing this with others • Increase team performance through collaborative learning and sharing

Case study: International Publisher Professional Services This company had been rolling out an annual sales training programme across Asia for years. Feedback scores were great, but did not translate into changed behaviors and downstream results.

Taking our advice, the Client switched their approach to leader-led learning. First, we equipped their leaders to become great facilitators. Second, we provided them with all the content. Third, they practiced with a Wentworth consultant in coaching sessions before they delivered to their teams.

The impact? Aligned to their regular weekly meetings and integrated into business as usual, ideas generated by the teams as a result of these sessions boosted their performance with immediate measurable results. By passing the programme over to the local leaders, they took ownership with our support.

7. Discover your tipping point - Review and finesse your process after an initial pilot to find out what works best for your company culture.

ALREADY HAVE A CULTURE OF SHARING AND OPENNESS? Let’s take it to the next level. Learning driven by dialogue and stories is proven to be the most powerful way of engaging learners, such as sharing stories to illustrate learning points(i.e. a golden nugget during meetings) or a tip of the day. This can be done in newsletters, emails or other written communication channels.

3 Top Tips to remember 1. Not every leader will be a natural teacher, so equip them to facilitate and coach.

2. Allow the team to practice and learn from honest, constructive feedback. Aim for incremental improvements; praise often and reward.

3. Make it safe for people to make mistakes and improve. This is essential to a building a learning culture.

Ask us how to implement Leader Led Learning in your business, and shift your training budget to a sustainable, learning culture that your leaders and employees can own and enjoy.

7 STEPS TO CREATING A SUCCESSFUL CULTURE 1. Champion this new approach - Introduce the approach to the business at all levels, and drive it from the top to ensure line managers take this up.

2. Forge great teachers - Identify leaders who will facilitate the leader led learning sessions and equip them with the right skills.

3. Deliver content with ease - Create core learning materials that can be used across the entire business, so your leaders can deliver with confidence.

4. Integration into Business-As-Usual - Decide frequency and fit it into your regular team meeting sessions.

5. Follow through engagement - Use existing business / social media platforms to continue conversations and collaboration online. Gamification is a great way to keep things going!

6. Money talk - Decide how to make the learning measurable in terms of business gains

This article was contributed by Anna Tan, Managing Director, Wentworth People Asia

Find out more at www.wentworthpeople.com.sg or write to anna.tan@wentworthpeople.com

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FEATURE » Corporate Training

CASE STUDY: MSLGROUP ASIA Akankasha Dewan speaks with Amy Kong, regional director of learning and people development at MSLGROUP Asia, on the best practices to create a high-impact learning organisation.

Today, corporate training has assumed predominant importance in the corporate landscape. Employers and employees alike have realised that training improves the potency of professionals and ultimately helps the company to zip ahead on the corporate path.

In fact, according to the Q2 2014 Employment Confidence Survey by Glassdoor, 72% of employees stated they believed specialised training to acquire specific skills is more valuable than a degree.

Additionally, 63% of employees surveyed said learning new skills or receiving special training is more important than a big paycheck.

“The national conversation about the value of higher education and gainful employment is a topic alive within companies,” Rusty Rueff, career and workplace expert, Glassdoor said.

However, any corporate training programme, conducted in-house or outsourced, makes the biggest impact only when employees are willing to learn and undergo the shift in mindset that is required of them as they gain new knowledge.

She highlights five unique ways her company’s L&PD team uses to build a learning culture to enhance the impact of its outsourced and internal training processes.

Designing easily accessible training programmes which empower thinking The fi rst includes choosing and designing training programmes which aim to empower thinking, instead of merely providing answers.

“They are designed to teach thinking frameworks, applied to real-life situations that help our employees develop critical thinking abilities that allow them to fi nd their own answers. It empowers the employees to be independent thinkers and it helps them to gain confidence when in a situation that they have not faced before,” Kong explains.

Second, the company surrounds its employees with learning avenues at different touch-points, offering different types of learning.

“When our employees want to learn, learning options are available. We have formal professional skills training

"The company also has informal learning avenues, including ongoing knowledge-sharing emails, which are delivered into inboxes on a bi-weekly basis, email groups set up to share trends and knowledge across the network, and rotating subscriptions to professional e-learning libraries that employees can request for access for personal learning."

Such a mindset can be inculcated with the help of a dynamic learning culture, says Amy Kong, regional director of learning and people development at MSLGROUP Asia.

“In this age of convergence and consumer empowerment, businesses now have to be more agile than ever to capitalise on emerging opportunities to stay ahead of the competition,” Kong says.

“Training is a development tool, but what is more critical for companies is to help employees build a growth mindset and create a learning culture. For example, at MSLGROUP in Asia, our entire learning and people development (L&PD) strategy is designed to encourage a learning culture.”

in the form of workshops and regional summits, and a training library – called the Asia Agency Enrichment Collection – containing ready made training materials that supervisors can take to train their own teams.”

The company also has informal learning avenues, including ongoing knowledge-sharing emails, which are delivered into inboxes on a bi-weekly basis, email groups set up to share trends and knowledge across the network, and rotating subscriptions to professional e-learning libraries that employees can request for access for personal learning.

“We have two strong mobility programmes – the Asia Mobility Experience, a short-term work mobility programme that allows employees to work at any office

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Corporate Training « FEATURE

“Learning has to be self-motivated, and forcing employees to meet a training hour quota is not going to encourage a positive mindset or personal ownership of one’s own development.” in Asia from two days to three weeks, and the Together Work’s Better programme that sends employees to any destination across our global network to spend one week visiting the office and understanding another culture.

“We also have Grow! – our mentoring programme that pairs our top 100 executives across our network with emerging young talent across the world.”

Making learning clear and exciting The third step to building an encouraging learning culture is to ensure all programmes, internal or external, are based on voluntary participation, as the programmes are not mandatory for everyone, beyond certain compulsory programmes.

“Learning has to be self-motivated, and forcing employees to meet a training hour quota is not going to encourage a positive mindset or personal ownership of one’s own development. Th is also ensures the L&PD function produces quality programmes that are relevant to employees and teams,” she says.

“We want to create a situation where our employees put their hands up in excitement when they hear of a training programme being offered, because when they step into the classroom or enter the programme, they are ready to learn. And when they leave, they should feel so enriched by the programme that they start recommending it to their colleagues, who will in turn volunteer to attend the programme. Th is then creates a virtuous cycle that in the long term helps to create a learning culture.”

The company also doesn’t believe in legacy programmes or training programmes which are being conducted only because they have been in place for a long time.

“If it doesn’t work, we trash it. And because many of our programmes are based on voluntary participation, we know quickly whether or not a programme is valued by employees.”

And fi nally, another important practice the company follows is to actively communicate the need for learning.

Kong elaborates the organisation’s emphasis on learning is a constant drumbeat, and the L&PD team actively communicates to keep the importance of learning and training programmes it has available at the forefront of staff ’s minds.

“We update our senior leaders in Asia regularly on L&PD programmes and the results achieved. We have quarterly updates sent to all employees in Asia to update them on the L&PD activities conducted and which of their colleagues have successfully completed programmes.”

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FEATURE » Corporate Training

Developing a relevant learning roadmap “We develop overviews of the entire L&PD programme for the year that are distributed to employees to help facilitate their development conversations during performance appraisals. When any L&PD team member travels to offices in the region, we conduct in-person briefi ngs to employees on the L&PD roadmap for the year.”

Kong adds having a good development roadmap is also the fi rst step to consider when designing an effective employee training programme – both for leaders and employees. Th is step is integral as it enables training to remain relevant – something which is often lacking in organisations.

“We want to create a situation where our employees put their hands up in excitement when they hear of a training programme being offered, because when they step into the classroom or enter the programme, they are ready to learn.”

A Cegos Asia Pacific survey on major learning trends across the region recently found “a lack of dialogue in some organisations between professionals and the learning community” and concluded that some training provided may be “considered irrelevant, out-of-date, or simply not required.”

“Th is is particularly true in our survey of participants from India and, surprisingly, Singapore,” the report stated.

Such presence of irrelevancy between training programmes and the needs of the professionals being trained in question is precisely why Kong stresses on the need to identify what the aims of training are.

“First, it has to be clear how the training is going to ladder up to meet the business strategy. Time and resources are limited, and if your business leader doesn’t see how the training programme is going to help meet the business strategy, he/she won’t see your value or support the programme.”

Kong explains it’s also integral for target employees to know how the training will impact them directly.

“We are now in an on-demand environment, where people only seek information when they need it. So, immediate relevance to the employee’s job or career, timing of the programme, whether employees are in the right environment and have the right tools to apply the lessons of the training are factors that need to be considered.”

To ensure such training remains relevant for the employees in question, Kong suggests incorporating reallife situations or case studies in learning programmes.

Customising learning helps participants link their learning to their daily jobs.

“Finally, what training follow-up should be planned to ensure that employees apply the learning from a training programme into their daily work,” she says.

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FEATURE » Teambuilding

Teams hhave ave eevolved volved to to become become vvirtual, irtual,, gglobal lobal aand cross-functional, often working across matrix structures.

Aditi Sharma Kalra speaks to HR leaders to find out how they are creating the right conditions for success.

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Teambuilding « FEATURE n today’s uncertain global economy, achieving organisational targets is a task that even the most Herculean leader will find daunting. Prospects of growth are shaky at best, and success in this scenario cannot be achieved without team support.

In Ernst & Young’s 2013 research, an overwhelming majority of senior executives agreed that teams were the best way to address today’s increasingly complex business problems.

In fact, more than 80% said their organisations’ ability to develop and manage teams would be essential for their future competitiveness.

Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt recently voiced his opinion on the topic by posting an African proverb on his Twitter stream: “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”

However, the word “team” no longer refers to employees who simply work in the same department, doing similar kind of work and reporting to a single manager. Teams have changed – drastically.

Teeming with changes Teams today are virtual, global and crossfunctional. They work across matrix structures, and often have more than one reporting manager. They thrive on collaboration, be it remote or on-ground.

CCL’s research found 95% of employees participate on more than one team at a time.

Team members are geographically dispersed in two out of three instances, and 87% agree that collaborating with other teams is key for success.

So, how have organisational structures changed as a result of this evolution in teams?

Francis Lua, human resources lead at Microsoft Singapore, says this trend prompted the company to move to a “new world of work” (NWOW) nearly three years ago.

This change takes place in three areas – people, place and technology. The first aspect was addressed by empowering employees to take control of their schedules and workloads, enabling them to have a virtual presence and encouraging a “family friendly” workplace.

“Post-NWOW, 54% of employees reported an increase in productivity levels, 49% confirmed they collaborate more with their colleagues and 77% reported an improvement in their working environment over the previous one,” he says.

Place ensures Microsoft staff are working on the move.

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FEATURE » Teambuilding “We have become more fluid in terms of our physical presence. Our Singapore office has no assigned desks or private offices for managers.”

Finally, technology has played its role in blurring the lines between home and work.

“The idea of the office as the primary work location is being challenged as we evolve the idea that we are able to work any time, any place and anywhere.”

Another impact of the evolution of teams has been on the rising numbers of “informal” teams versus traditional “formal” teams. In many cases, these informal teams come together for timebound specific projects and are tasked with more expectations than formal teams.

The planning and implementation of these projects are usually placed in the hands of project teams that are put together to seal the deal, explains Yuen Keng Au, director for human resources at BD for Central Asia.

“If you bring in people with the right core values, meaning those who feel accountable and responsible for delivery, then you get a great team.”

– Yuen Keng Au, director for human resources at BD for Central Asia

“In many cases, project teams have to very quickly determine all the goals they want to achieve, and where the resources that they need are placed across different departments. Then, they need to figure out how to put everyone together. It is all about collaboration,” she says.

“If you bring in people with the right core values, meaning those who feel accountable and responsible for delivery, then you get a great team. That would be an ideal situation.”

A leader to lead them all Researchers from Columbia Business School and INSEAD analysed all Himalayan expeditions over the past 100 years (that’s 30,625 mountain climbers from 56 countries on more than 5,000 expeditions). The objective? To assess the impact of hierarchy on high-pressure group situations.

They found clear hierarchies can help groups achieve the best outcomes by offering coordination, organisation and less conflict during high-pressure situations, be it in mountains or meeting rooms.

And the importance of leadership in today’s teams cannot be emphasised enough. Research

by Hay Group shows leadership accounts for about 70% of the variance in a team’s working climate. A positive climate can increase bottomline performance measures by up to 30%.

“Leaders at Microsoft are expected to be, at the very least, role models of our values and our core competencies. This will in turn be reflected in their leadership styles,” Lua says.

He adds all leaders need to create people and team plans that assess strengths, development opportunities, retention risk, career aspirations and next roles. This then translates to clear actions for each individual.

Keng echoes this sentiment: “Nobody wants to work with you if you are not interested in developing your people.”

BD has created a leadership standard that it encourages all of its managers to practise, where talent development is a key area of focus.

“Not everyone who walks into your organisation is classified as a high potential.

Sometimes you hire a person because you think they can do a particular job, and after a couple of years, you give them an opportunity to move – whether laterally, zig zag or upwards, the last of which is harder these days because the organisation is so flat.”

Clearly, investment of time and effort in talent development is in the best interests of the team leader. However, the amount of time managers spend on it can vary, depending on the size, function and responsibilities of the team.

“Depending on the state of evolution of the team, different amounts of time will need to be spent building, correcting and sustaining team performance,” Lua says.

“For example, new managers and teams with new members will always need to spend more time building relationships, defining team fundamentals and determining team norms, compared to a team that’s been working together over a period of time and are already high performing.”

In the Ernst & Young survey, respondents globally spent more than half their time on team-related activities, with a few variances.

Respondents from China were spending the most time on team activities at 65%, followed by those from India and Germany. Depending on the state of evolution of the team, different amounts of time will need to be spent building, correcting and sustaining team performance.

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SPONSORED RECRUIT CONTENT HOW TO THIS ARTICLE WAS CONTRIBUTED BY RED DYNASTY PAINTBALL PARK

SHOOT FOR SUCCESS WITH SINGAPORE’S ULTIMATE TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY

After a tough week at work, splattering your colleagues with paintballs is definitely a good stress reliever!

Paintball is the perfect team building event, where participants of all ages, genders and fitness levels can take part in an activity that boosts morale, encourages exercise and is healthy, safe and fun to play.

With four different branches located around Singapore, Red Dynasty Paintball Park has assisted more than 10,000 companies to bring an unforgettable experience to their staff through paintball.

With the most reliable and well-maintained equipment, and experienced instructors, Red Dynasty Paintball Park aims to provide an adrenaline-fueled experience for corporate clients to help staff and colleagues enhance their self confidence, decision-making skills and teamwork.

“It is a sport where women and men compete equally, and, which is not dominated by the younger nor the faster. Like a game of chess, being able to think quickly and decisively, is what makes you a star in paintball.

“Teamwork and determination, not merely strength, speed or agility, are keys to success in the sport.”

The key objectives of a paintball team building event are to: • Encourage discussions and open communications among the teams.

• Build strong camaraderie among staff.

• Build strong team spirit in the organisation through the various challenges in games of paintball.

• Develop self-confidence in participants and teams through idea contributions, trials and implementation.

• Overcome obstacles and counter the “war plan” of the “enemies” through team strategising and battling of wits among teams.

• Experience an exciting and unique team building activity where all can participate And, should you enjoy the experience enough to want to do it competitively, Red Dynasty Paintball Park is the first paintball park in Singapore to offer speedball at a regional competitive level for those interested in competition!

Red Dynasty Paintball Park, managed by EK Paintball Group Pte Ltd, opened its first branch at Bottle Tree Park, Khatib in 2007, now known as ORTO, which has served thousands of companies, schools, national servicemen, friends and families to date.

Other locations include Red Dynasty Paintball Park (Turf City, Bukit Timah), Operation685 Battlefield (Camp Challenge, Sembawang), and Red Dynasty Paintball Park (Fairway Club, Jurong).

Red Dynasty Paintball Park (Turf City, Bukit Timah) is the newest and biggest branch in central Singapore, having opened in 2014. Here, you can organise team building events for between six to 500 people. The park also features a shooting gallery where participants can challenge themselves or their colleagues to be the top marksman.

Operation685 Battlefield (Camp Challenge, Sembawang) is a true battlefield experience, providing a back-to-nature war zone experience – even with a mock helicopter and river bridge to really put you and your team in the zone!

Companies based in the west and central areas of Singapore can arrange for team building outings at Red Dynasty Paintball Park (Fairway Club, Jurong), which features a 100m long stretch of game arena, out of view from the enemies and perfect for sneak attacks.

With Red Dynasty Paintball Park’s top expertise in team building and healthy lifestyle promotion through paintball, you can be assured you’re in good hands – you will just have to think about who is really your friend and who is your enemy!

Red Dynasty Paintball Park, managed by EK Paintball Group Pte Ltd, has assisted over 10000 companies to bring an unforgettable experience to their staff and families through paintball teambuilding.

For more information, visit us at www.weplaypaintball.com or email us at info@weplaypaintball.com or call us at (+65) 6659 4782 ; (+65) 6755 7537 ; (+65) 6659 8095

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FEATURE » Teambuilding A cause for collaboration In addition to leadership, a lot of team performance boils down to collaboration. This is not just about a periodic team meeting, but rather about how well the team members work with each other and with colleagues and partners outside of their team.

In a Randstad Workmonitor survey released last year, more than 80% of employees across Singapore and Malaysia called for their organisations to spend more time promoting collaboration – in essence, ensuring they are prepared and excited to work well together.

This was especially significant given that more than two in every three employees across both countries said they performed better in teams, rather than individually. Microsoft has actually instituted collaboration indicators as part of its employees’ performance metrics.

“Explicitly stated in our performance system is the requirement for all employees to leverage others for impact and to contribute to the impact of others,” Lua says.

This results in teams who are not just focused on improving their own effectiveness and performance, but also actively working across functions with other teams to ensure the larger organisation is delivering results.

“Additionally, ensuring various teams are aware of what each other are doing is critical to enabling effective collaboration as teams will know who to turn to and for what purpose.”

A global, collaborative mindset is also a big part of BD’s leadership standard framework.

“Having a global mindset means to really understand what is happening in different parts of the world, and how economic and political situations can affect your business,” Keng says.

“One also needs the ability to translate that global mindset into local impact. If you don’t know how to apply that learning locally, you are going to lose credibility.”

Measuring what gets managed The research by Ernst & Young shows that highperformance teams are identified most of all by their clear and achievable goals. This is followed by a shared commitment towards the team, and clarity in their roles and responsibilities.

Over at Microsoft, Lua explains it has specific formal training on things such as collaborating for success and team leadership for the employees. “However, we put in place strong support structures such as mentors, coaches,

learning circles and communities to help employees and managers learn and grow.”

Having such strong systems makes for a transparent measure of team performance.

“We measure team performance in terms of the impact that is being delivered to our customers and partners. This is reflected by key metrics such as revenue or scorecard numbers, not only for the team itself, but also the larger organisation,” Lua says.

It also benchmarks, both internally and regionally, against other countries and teams in a particular region, as well as globally across organisations of a similar size operating in a similar market maturity.

“We also have an employee engagement survey conducted every year that reflects critical aspects of employee and team engagement that contribute to team performance.”

In cases where the performance of a team has not been up to par, Lua’s advice is to start with the leader to determine if this is a leadership issue or something else. And, why not? DDI’s study in 2010 of frontline leaders found that only about two in five found a transition to being a first-time leader “easy”.

Research by Ernst & Young also had half the respondents reporting an insufficiency of leaders with the ability to manage and motivate teams.

Besides leadership, Lua affirms the need to have the right people in the team.

“The leader will need to define the skills and competencies that are required to make up a high performing team.”

Related to this is clear direction, without which, one cannot determine, “the need for a team versus being just a group of individuals”.

Next comes the fundamentals such as relationships, trust, individual and mutual accountability, and ways of working; which are backed by sustainable systems and processes to drive the desired behaviours.

The next step, he says, is to build an external network for the team, finally followed by putting all of this into a plan that is executed well, in order to turn around an ineffective team.

It is evident that both leadership and collaboration are the two key factors which can make the difference between success and failure when it comes to teams delivering results.

Managing a high-performing team has never been uncomplicated, and increasingly team leaders will be expected to wear different hats in order to keep pace.

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FEATURE » Teambuilding

CASE STUDY: ABN AMRO BANK Building great teams starts with building strong leaders. Roland Muller, Singapore HR country head and regional HR head of private banking for ABN AMRO Bank, speaks to Aditi Sharma Kalra about this transition.

To truly and positively affect the way a team functions, a business needs strong leaders. Leaders who go beyond simply providing direction, but who also create an environment where employees can thrive, grow and work together effectively.

It’s this important element of team-building which ABN AMRO focuses on – leading from the front and developing strong managers who hold the team together.

A recently launched initiative at the bank looks at developing the skills of team leaders, with the view to ensuring they are equipped with the right tools and skills needed to lead and build a successful team around them.

The project aims to transition leaders “from being playing captains to pure play captains”.

“Some catching up needs to be done to ensure the person who got promoted is as effective and successful in his/her new role,” says Roland Muller, ABN AMRO Bank’s executive director and country head of HR in Singapore, as well as regional head of HR for private banking in Asia and the Middle East.

“Particularly in front-office teams where team leaders, along with their managerial responsibilities, have to also manage their client base. How do they, on one hand, make sure their clients are taken care of and, at the same time, manage their team?”

The initiative starts by evaluating individuals on where they stand in terms of gaps in management skills, and discover whether they are really interested in changing with – and leading a change in – the business environment.

“One can’t take up a leadership role just for a grander business card or more salary, it has to be something that one is passionate and serious about. For our team leaders too, it is a personal choice, do they want to continue looking after their clients or do they want to go down the managerial path?” he says.

“The bottom line is we don’t want to have team leaders neglecting their responsibilities as managers. They have to make a choice.”

The path towards change The change entails a close partnership with the business.

The starting point is a competency framework that defi nes expectations from managers – how much time they should spend on coaching and performance management of team members, compliance matters and client relationships.

“Next, we’ll do a gap analysis of where each leader fits in the framework while giving consideration to the type of role they are interested in.”

HR will then facilitate in closing the gaps. Th is, Muller says, can range from a simple brushing-up of skills through a managerial course to an extended executive coaching engagement.

“Each situation is different so needs will be tailored to the individual. HR will be the advisor and facilitator, working in close partnership with the business – it’s a joint responsibility.”

To roll this out, they have set an ambitious target of one year.

“However, since this is so important to us, we will not sacrifice quality for the sake of quick implementation – if that means that it’ll take longer, then we’re willing to accept that.”

Aside from this, Muller fi nds an increased emphasis on collaboration and open communication has impacted the way teams today are built.

“Transparency has improved, which is a reflection of the social media explosion over the last 10 to 15 years.

People are eager for news, they are keen to know what’s going on, and they want to get involved.”

In turn, Muller is a strong believer in empowering his team members.

“I believe in encouraging them to challenge the status quo and certainly challenge me – getting them to open up and play to their strengths. Another thing is to include them in some of the decisions to be taken.”

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SPONSORED RECRUIT CONTENT HOW TO THIS ARTICLE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY EASY TAXI

HIRING FOR A CONSTANTLY EVOLVING MARKET LANDSCAPE Fast-growing start-ups have changed the hiring landscape with demands for exceptional candidates and a very short turnaround time. The highly competitive environment and unpredictable market conditions make it quite difficult to predict hiring needs for the next month. More often than not, an entire team needs to be assembled in days, if not weeks.

For a tech start-up, one of Easy Taxi’s challenges is hiring the right people fast.

While face-to-face interviews remain a key factor in hiring, it is difficult to assess a candidate’s capacity to do the job, especially in positions where there is a lot of uncertainty and ambiguity. Interviewing countless applicants takes a lot of patience and a healthy dose of luck. After all, recruiters can fall in love with a candidate at first sight and find a perfect match. However, the chances of that happening are quite slim.

Since Easy Taxi began operations in Singapore in December 2013, we’ve realised there is no foolproof formula to hiring. Rather, it’s a constantly evolving process based on the position and the market landscape. After conducting more than 400 interviews in the past year alone, we’ve learnt a few key lessons.

1. Test, test and test: Start-up environments are like pressure cookers and there’s no easy way to assess in an interview how a candidate deals with stress. For this, we’ve devised a test to measure a candidate’s creative and problem-solving skills.

While there’s no right or wrong answer, it gives us insight into the applicant’s thought process and reasoning skills.

We also get candidates for key positions to come in for a day and experience what it means to work in a start-up. The applicant is asked to complete real-life tasks, and a debrief session is held at the end of the day with the candidate and their potential colleagues. While this isn’t a formal assessment centre, it gives us a chance to observe the person with a team and gauge their reactions.

2. Add elements of unpredictability: Although the test is standardised (we generally require confirmation from the candidate they will keep the test confidential), we’ve realised these workplace scenarios need to be infused with elements the candidate could not have prepared for. We have had “angry drivers” storming into the room while the interview was in progress, and a colleague “fainting” in front of the interviewee while passing over a document. A person’s qualities are best demonstrated when they are put in unusual situations.

3. Be observant: A well-respected mandarin in imperial China had only one way of selecting his disciplines from candidates recommended from the provinces – going out for a 3,000-step walk with the candidate. His rationale was simple: from the person’s posture, steps and way of communicating, he could pretty much tell how much potential that person had.

This might have been a bit extreme, but in general we have been training ourselves to be more observant about the non-verbal cues the person gives.

for fear of creating a void. We get stuck in the mindset that while performance may not be AAA, the person is still doing his job somewhat. We’ve made this mistake and we know firsthand what this costs. Apart from affecting team morale, firing someone who’s not delivering just gets harder the longer we put it off.

6. Keep an eye out for potential employees: We don’t interview only when we have open positions. Sometimes, we come across applicants who might be a good fit for us, and we invite them to come in for a casual meet. Apart from expanding our network of potential hires, we constantly get surprised at the unique qualities some of the candidates possess.

Of course, the above does not represent a silver bullet. As the company grows, our needs also evolve and we are constantly tweaking our approach according to changing circumstances.

This article is contributed by Jianggan Li, managing director for Easy Taxi Singapore

Easy Taxi is the world’s biggest taxi solution for consumers and businesses, available in more than 30 countries across four continents. Founded in Brazil in 2011, it began operations in Singapore in 2013, where it has grown rapidly. With a wide network of taxi drivers and hundreds of thousands of boarded rides each month, Easy Taxi constantly strives to make travelling easier for both individual and corporate passengers.

4. Discipline: We’ve noticed in some companies, positions can be left open for months while searching for the perfect candidate. Unfortunately, we can’t afford that.

We treat each hiring initiative as a project, complete with action plans and a deadline.

If we know we need the person by next week, we will interview five candidates a day this week. The KPIs are set and hiring becomes a lot more efficient.

5. Create a problem in order to solve it: We have a saying in the office: “Hire slow, but fire fast.” Firing someone is never an easy job and we sometimes delay the action

Find out more at http://www.easytaxi.com/sg/corporate or write to corporate@easytaxi.com.sg

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FEATURE » Teambuilding

CASE STUDY: BD Identifying the right members to staff a team is the first step to building a successful team. Yuen Keng Au, director for human resources at BD in Central Asia, assesses the leader’s role in this, in a conversation with Aditi Sharma Kalra.

Team structures at BD are a mix of both formal and informal, each with their own nuances. The solid-line reporting structure makes formal teams perhaps slightly easier to manage, while informal teams are regularly appointed for time-bound, project-specific needs.

“Informal teams are usually put together very quickly, so it is up to the leader to identify the people to get on board. That also means developing trust among them, having credibility to command their respect, and monitoring their progress,” says Yuen Keng Au, director for human resources at BD in Central Asia.

Therefore, understanding the people within the organisation becomes very important, which Keng says, a good leader should be doing on an ongoing basis.

Th is knowledge of potential team members is supported by the performance management process, which brings out an employee’s strengths, areas of development and the developmental opportunities available.

“If you have built a strong working relationship with your people, this would not need to be a ‘formal’ dialogue, as these areas would have been discussed continuously while working together. For instance, if

someone is excited about an upcoming project, they would have raised their hand upfront, instead of waiting.”

It is clear that gauging employees’ needs on an ongoing basis is an important task in identifying the right members for a team.

Different needs for different members Be it formal or informal teams, each one has its own blend of high to low performers along the bell curve.

Keng advises keeping super performers engaged with regional projects, as well as cross-geographical responsibilities where possible. She also makes it a point to connect with them beyond the regular monthly meeting.

For team members who require improvement, however, she believes it is important for the leader to be prepared to spend additional hours in upping their performance.

“When looking to hire somebody, team leaders would be faced with whether to fi nd someone very skilled, who may not be easily available in the market, or to pick someone who is half ready, but can be groomed to fi ll the role.”

It’s in the latter case where a lot of time in coaching would be required from the leader.

“If you make a clear decision at the point of hiring, you also learn about their areas of development that you have to watch out for.

“To ensure things don’t fall through the cracks, I tend to spend a little bit more time with the individual – behind-the-scene coaching, front-of-the-scene coaching, more guidance and a little bit more monitoring.”

However, she cautions these team members should not feel like they are being constantly tracked, and it’s important for the leader to allow the employee to make their own independent decisions.

Her tips to improve overall team effectiveness?

“The starting point is always diagnosis, understanding the cause of the problem before one starts prescribing solutions.”

She believes it’s not only about using the right tools to build a team, but also for both the team leader and team members to walk into the team with the right mindset.

“If you don’t treat each other with respect, you are starting off on the wrong foot. That will never allow for any decent conversation to take place.”

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OPINION » Learning & development

Making work a ‘second home’ As Fuji Xerox (Hong Kong) celebrates its 50th anniversary, its HR director outlines the employee engagement efforts which have helped keep staff happy and on board.

ELIZA NG HR director Fuji Xerox

Feeling at home: True engagement only comes when employees are in the right environment to play to their strengths.

Established in 1964, Fuji Xerox in Hong Kong (FXHK) is a leading information and communications technology provider specialising in document consultancy. We celebrated our 50th anniversary, a remarkable milestone in 2014.

The company provides a full range of knowledge and document management solutions and services from multifunctional devices, production printing systems, document

management and workflow software to enterprise print services and business process services.

At FXHK, continuous improvement applies not only to its products and services, but also to creating a positive work culture and caring work environment for its employees. We instil love and care, respect and responsibility, communication and harmony elements into our employee engagement initiatives –

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Learning & development « OPINION

this is our mission to helping staff regard FXHK as their second home and an interesting place to work.

We believe our staff are more willing to offer their discretionary effort at work to achieve a higher productivity and outstanding performance if they can achieve growth and fulfilment in both their professional and personal lives.

In line with this commitment, FXHK considers employee wellness a top priority, which is demonstrated through a variety of initiatives and CSR activities to promote employees’ physical, emotional, intellectual and social wellbeing. After all, business sustainability relies on talent, so retention is critical.

Every staff member is welcome to participate in employee engagement projects voluntarily, and they are given the flexibility in their arrangements to “think outside the box” and stretch their leadership potential. This process helps build confidence and promotes collaboration.

Every year, we engage more than 150 employees in planning and execution, with more than 3,600 people – staff and family members – participating in these programmes.

When it comes to work-life balance, this helps increase productivity and improve morale. At FXHK, we have introduced various measures for work-life balance by being more innovative and extending these to family members of our employees.

For example, there’s flexibility around volunteering leave for CSR activities; flexible working hours on the day after the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals and children’s graduation leave, as well as things such as parent’s birthday gifts and sponsorship on cultural activities during work-life balance weeks.

We also encourage our employees and their family members to contribute to society by actively participating in our CSR activities. Their commitment has strengthened our corporate image as well, in a win-win situation.

Additionally, our employee assistance programme provides professional consultation and counselling services for staff and their families.

To encourage lifelong learning, we have diversified learning opportunities to enhance employee competencies. Our learning resources include an in-house library, e-learning courses and comprehensive training via the staff professional development programme.

Staff can accumulate their individual learning mileage points to exchange for ferry and flight tickets for overseas trips to Europe as a reward for their achievements.

We are always willing to invest in our people, as they are our core asset to our success. Management provides full support on resource allocation for these activities, and they walk the talk by participating.

With these measures in place, we believe employees can remain passionate about their work and seize every opportunity to grow with Hong Kong for the next 50 years and beyond.

January/February 2015 « Human Resources « 39

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5/2/2015 9:28:09 AM

SPONSORED CONTENT THIS ARTICLE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAGEUP

HOW WILL YOU ACHIEVE YOUR HR GOALS IN 2015?

An attractive global launch pad for multinational corporations (MNCs), Southeast Asia has a lot going for it – a large and young workforce, a resilient GDP with growth rates in the 5% to 8% range, and rich natural resources, to name just a few.

But, along with these encouraging factors come talent management challenges that even the most sophisticated organisations find themselves struggling to overcome.

during and after learning. In addition, support action-based learning by combining traditional assessments and formal training with experiential learning as well as coaching and mentoring.

Employing these best practices across your talent management functions will allow you to be both responsive at a local level while still taking advantage of global efficiencies facilitated through today’s sophisticated technology solutions.

Top 3 HR goals of 2015 To tackle these challenges, HR professionals are focusing their efforts in several targeted areas in 2015. The top three – according to the recent HR Trends Survey conducted by Human Resources magazine – include improving recruitment, retaining top talent and developing current talent. There are a number of ways that you can address these business critical areas if they are also on your company’s priority list for 2015.

1. How to improve talent recruitment How can you best manage your proactive and reactive recruitment needs in a way that is both cost-effective and localised to reach better quality hires? The right talent acquisition system can ensure that you can connect with the best talent while streamlining the overall recruitment process.

State-of-the-art systems that are built for today’s mobile and social world provide innovative methods to create engaging, localised career websites. The sophisticated technology available now allows companies to create a stronger connection with candidates through language and style adaptations that speak directly to candidates’ cultures and interests. Real-time communication capabilities also enable a more efficient recruitment process that results in improvements in time to hire.

2. How to retain top talent Although talent retention is considered business-critical for most MNCs, less than one-third feel that their talent retention strategies are adequate, according to a PageUp research study of businesses in Southeast Asia.

While there are multiple reasons why an employee intends to stay or leave, MNCs can use diverse HR policies and practices to minimise the risk of losing top talent, including: • Using a dynamic process to identify future leaders, as well as recognising and rewarding high-performing employees.

• Conducting regular reviews to identify individual development needs.

• Aligning individual development plans with business priorities.

• Conducting employee engagement surveys annually and as-needed.

• Creating opportunities to develop strong personal connections with the organisation.

3. How to train and develop your workforce The high ratio of unskilled-to-skilled labor in Southeast Asia creates a significant demand for multinationals to give their employees the workplace competencies they need to develop faster. By developing the capabilities of the existing talent pool, MNCs can build on the talent acquisition investments that they have already made.

To ensure that you have a ready supply of skilled talent, use an engaging learning management system that supports your organisation’s specific business needs and also encourages online interaction and social networking before,

This article is contributed by Karen Cariss, PageUp Founder & CEO

Since 1997, PageUp has helped employers worldwide attract, hire, develop, retain, and improve employee performance. Our Unified Talent Management technology helps you optimise your multinational workforce strategy, maximise business impact and continuously improve the return on your human capital investment.

Find out more at http://www.pageuppeople.com or write to karenc@pageuppeople.com

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People issues OPINION

Get prepared to pay for performance Pay for performance will work only if employees understand the rationale for differentiation.

PRAKASH SATAGOPAN Business compensation manager, APJ Hewlett-Packard

Pay for performance is one of the most discussed topics in HR circles, but the devil of this generally accepted pay philosophy lies in the details. How do we execute it effectively and ensure employees understand its rationale?

This is where HR managers need to dive in and understand the perspectives that can get it right.

Before we talk “pay”, let’s talk “performance”. To measure performance, it’s critical every employee and team are clear about: How their performance objectives are set; how their performance is measured, and how they get paid for this.

Setting performance objectives is about alignment of the organisational goals with the goals of each function. Function leaders have to determine how their team will contribute towards the overall goal, and communicate this effectively.

Many times, this activity has to be delivered against a timeline, which in my view, dilutes its essence. However, preparing ahead of time and planning a good communication strategy will ensure all employees understand their performance goals and sign up to them.

Be smart about measuring performance With the objectives set, it is equally important to be clear on how to measure performance against them, using the “whats” and the “hows”.

I categorise the “whats” as goals to accomplish, and while we set goals, we all need to set in motion the levers or metrics that will be used to measure performance in each role. For this, I suggest the SMART philosophy – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based.

On the other hand, I relate the “hows” to behaviours – how employees go about achieving their goals. This may be demonstrated by aspects such as collaboration, teamwork, leadership and execution. These often cannot be purely measured purely by metrics, and this is where interaction, discussion and gathering feedback become critical.

Calibrating performance With this done, every manager needs to spend time calibrating performance levels of each individual. Each job is unique and so is the person performing it. It becomes essential for managers to have consistent and clear expectations on both fronts.

This is where transparency, organisational framework and policies come into play to help managers differentiate performance. A bell curve approach is essential, but in practice there are challenges in implementing it, especially if the team size is small and performance is high. In this case, peer calibration, which involves relative comparison, may be useful.

Ready, set, pay: Start strong when educating staff on pay.

Communication Next comes a key driver of performance – communication, such as how effectively employees use one-on-one discussions with their managers and team members. A structured and regular one-on-one session is essential to ensure an employee is moving in the right direction. Discussions on challenges, progress and updates are critical, and performance results should not come as a shock or surprise to employees.

Equitable, not equal As compensation managers, we have a fixed budget. The objective is to pay equitable, but not equal. HR plays a critical role in educating managers and employees on how this works.

I have realised that even during a difficult year, a difficult performance decision can be executed well if the communication is clear, crisp and honest. Such decisions are driven by differentiation in performance, made by using pay bands and ratios. It is an important step, given that it shows how strongly the company believes in the philosophy. It has to be done with as much transparency as possible.

With that done, the right levers (base pay increase, bonuses, stock and other benefits) can be used to show that not only is the organisation equitable, but it also understands employee needs.

To take an example: employees often get confused when high performers at a high pay band receive a lower increase, while low performers at a low pay band receive a higher increase. We must ensure it doesn’t look like we want to pay everyone the same – it’s about how equitably we want to pay.

It’s clear employees need to be educated about the compensation philosophy - it can’t be avoided. Many firms do this only when it is due, but it really needs to be looked at as a constant evolving journey to educate.

Often, a perception is the reality. When employees are educated on the pay philosophy in a transparent way, the trust factor builds up and noise levels go down.

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SPONSORED CONTENT THIS ARTICLE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PEMBANGUNAN SUMBER MANUSIA BERHAD

BUILDING NATIONS BY BUILDING PEOPLE

Second from left: HR Certificate Steering Committee chairman Abdul Wahab; Ministry of Human Resources minister Dato’ Sri Richard Riot Anak Jaem; and PSMB chief executive CM Vignaesvaran A/L Jeyandran.

Human resources is like any natural resource; it’s often hidden and unrefined, and it requires a combination of luck and effort to find and refine it.

In keeping a highly skilled workforce, Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB) is taking an active role in recognising, discovering and enhancing human resources talent to help the country’s business and economic development.

Different companies often require different talents, and identifying which talent suits which field best is an incredibly crucial aspect for any organisation to succeed.

For this reason, PSMB has formulated various schemes, programmes and initiatives through the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) for the Malaysian workforce, with the opportunity to train their employees on various skills and proficiencies.

These programmes and initiatives were created to meet the training needs of

the country’s workforce by identifying their employee skills while improving their effectiveness. These are: National Human Resources Standards (NHRS) Allowing an industry to effectively regulate itself will mean greater autonomy with better results. This is why the National Human Resources Standards (NHRS) was initiated by PSMB to cater for the nation’s workforce.

The NHRS was developed by the National Human Resource Certification Committee as a standard for all human resource practitioners. The formulation of the standards was created after nine months of research on HR practices within Malaysia, combined with global HR practices.

The standards were formulated through engagements with HR professionals and industry associations such as the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), Federation

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SPONSORED RECRUIT CONTENT HOW TO

of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Malay National Chamber of Commerce (DPMM), GLCs, federal and state agencies as well as private universities. These standards were developed with the aim to provide a model that defines the criteria to measure quantity, weight, extent, value and quality of HR practitioners. Furthermore, they incorporate an “east meets west” concept by blending the best of the managerial skills with theories and techniques to face new challenges to become globally competitive.

Housewives Enhancement and Reactivate Talent Scheme (HEARTS) Finding gainful employment is not limited to companies and organisations. Some individuals are highly independent and often overlooked, such as housewives and single mothers. To increase the percentage of employable women from 46% to 55% to achieve developed nation status by 2020, PSMB introduced the HEARTS programme, an initiative under the 1Malaysia Support for Housewives.

It was launched to train and educate housewives in specialised fields, which would enable them to actively participate in the economic growth of the country while maintaining their status as housewives. Additionally, it provides a platform for single mothers to pursue business opportunities without sacrificing their household commitment.

Apprenticeship scheme Getting students to join the workforce early is crucial. As experience is a valuable aspect in any workplace, getting an early start can help school leavers kick-start their careers. The apprenticeship scheme emphasises on a dual system to train school leavers on various industry related skills. It provides a combination of practical and theory at approved training centres, with a hands-on approach at the premise of a sponsoring employer. Working on a modular basis, upon completion of training, apprentices will be offered a one-year contract with the sponsoring employer. They will also receive the Malaysian Skill Certification based on their level of training.

Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) Experienced employees without a recognised certification are often a valuable asset.

To help deserving candidates, PSMB initiated an experienced-based scheme to recognise deserving employees. The RPEL was introduced by PSMB to recognise experienced professionals while enhancing career prospects of the Malaysian workforce, without formal certification. The scheme was introduced in supporting the government’s aspiration to increase the number of skilled workers in the country.

Expansion Act Handbook PSMB has published the Expansion of PSMB Act 2001 handbook, which gives detailed information for firms from various industries to qualify for levies for training grants. These levy grants are categorised into Sectorial Training Committee (STC) to help identify training needs for employers, and the Future Workers Training (FTW) which allows employers to receive financial assistance in terms of skills training and increase the knowledge of their future workers.

Sectorial Training Committee (STC) The STC aims to identify training needs that correspond with the advancement of technology, systems and processes for the sub-sectors covered under the PSMB Act 2001.

These initiatives further enable PSMB to fulfil its role more proactively. The sub-sectors covered under the PSMB Act 2001 are clustered into several STCs, comprising of members from their industry field. As professionals within their areas, they provide a connection to the industry and PSMB to develop relevant training programmes.

Seminars for union workers In recognising the importance of members from unionised organisations, the Department of Trade Union Affairs, in collaboration with PSMB, has initiated a series of training seminars. The Trade Union Training on Leadership and Raconteur (TUTELAR) recognises the rights of union workers to establish clear and direct communication.

Union organisations often lack leadership who are versed in rules and regulations under the Union Worker’s Act 1959. This also places them at a disadvantage in regards to negotiations, compensation and workers’ rights known as collective bargaining.

To assist, these TUTELAR seminars allow union members to develop leadership and communication skills. The trainings cover negotiation and other business skills, helping them to understand their rights under the laws of trade unions and industrial relations.

Other programme initiatives Among these many initiatives, PSMB recently organised the “HR Leadership Talk” and the “HRDF Towards Certification Programme” seminars, which aim to expand the HR practitioner’s awareness on current trends and practices.

PSMB also organises an annual national HRDF Conference & Exhibition that serves as a hub for HR practitioners, trainers and business leaders to congregate and share their views and experiences. More programmes are also being introduced and developed to assist SMEs, business owners, training providers as well as HR practitioners to improve their workforce.

This article was written and contributed by Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad, an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources to encourage employers covered under the Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Act 2001 to retrain and upgrade their workforce.

For more information, visit the Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad website at www.hrdf.com.my and www.nhrc.com.my or call PSMB’s contact centre via 1-800-4800.

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OPINION » Upwardly mobile

Making room for part-timers in the workplace CORINNA CHEANG,

Find out how Jetstar's part-time cabin crew programme has helped to attract and retain experienced staff back into the workforce.

Head of people Jetstar Asia Airways

Serving up flexibility: Jetstar's programme has helped mothers re-enter the workplace.

When the Jetstar Asia part-time cabin crew programme was first introduced in 2009, it was considered an innovative and bold move in the aviation circles in Singapore.

At the time, we were the only local airline in Singapore offering customer service pioneers in the industry a part-time work option.

The objectives behind the programme were three-fold – we wanted to foster a family friendly environment, welcome mothers back into the workplace and allow greater flexibility in the customer service team to support flights.

When the programme was first introduced, the reception was positive, as the airline was able to entice experienced flight attendants from world-class airlines to join us. In that first year, Jetstar Asia had 20 part-timers, most of them mothers.

The age group of the part-time cabin crew was between 30 to 60, and these cabin crew employees were passionate about flying and committed to the highest standards of service.

They were genuinely caring and aimed to put a smile on their passengers face every time they travelled.

They were also keen mentors, always ready to raise up the next generation of cabin crew teams to the service standard they were accustomed to.

Since then, the programme has continued to make Jetstar Asia a magnet for experienced cabin crew, who are looking for opportunities to rejoin the workforce and put their skills in customer service and people management to good use.

The flexibility offers part-time cabin crew the autonomy to manage their work schedules and strive for work-life balance.

The flying roster afforded back-to-work mothers predictability in

their schedules and also met the airline’s need to scale support for flights accordingly.

As a result of the programme, we have also further enhanced our work culture to be more inclusive of our parttime cabin crew. Part-time crews have structured medical and insurance programmes and are involved in our employee wellness programmes and staff recognition schemes.

We also developed a career progression programme for part-time crew as they continue to work with us.

The supportive work environment, fair compensation and job stability offered by the programme, has also stood the test of time and demonstrated relevance and resilience, as our parttime crew have the highest levels of engagement, are fiercely loyal and committed to delivering the highest levels of customer service.

Over the course of this year, the Jetstar people team has taken inspiration from the programme and has built into its recruitment and retention strategy the importance of promoting diversity at work. Across Asia, the people team at Jetstar has also refined our company values to “Celebrate Jetstar”.

Due in part to this, in the past 10 years, Jetstar Asia has earned itself a reputation in the fiercely competitive commercial aviation business as the top-ranking Singapore-based lowcost carrier in Singapore by Skytrax for many years, as well as the AsiaOne’s People’s Choice Award for low-cost carriers in Singapore in 2012 and 2013.

Our efforts to promote greater work-life balance and flexibility at work will continue because we believe a happy and engaged workforce makes happy customers.

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Unconventional wisdom OPINION

Why flexible working makes good business sense The business imperatives behind putting together a well thought-out flexible working strategy.

RASHMI SHARMA Head of L&D, lead advisor, of the diversity council Citi Singapore

A study conducted by Gallup found organisations with engagement scores in the top quartile averaged 12% higher customer advocacy, 18% higher productivity and 12% higher profitability. Likewise, a Hay Group study found firms in the top quartile in engagement generate revenue growth 2.5 times higher than those in the bottom quartile.

Can’t do it all?: But you can help staff to manage their lives better.

Can a single strategic tool enhance employee engagement, productivity, talent attraction and retention, while contributing towards real estate cost optimisation and stakeholder engagement? At Citi, we believe flexible work strategies are a contributing factor to all of the above, and more, for these reasons: Trends According to the 2013/2014 Randstad World of Work report, 60% of employees in Singapore say flexible work gives them greater job satisfaction. Workers in Singapore also say working 70% at the office and 30% at home is their ideal. The Employer Alliance of Singapore stated that hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans could re-enter the workforce and ease the nation’s manpower shortage if more companies adopted flexible work arrangements. Flexible work options facilitate better talent attraction, improved talent retention, increased productivity and cost savings. Additionally, Gen Y professionals joining the workforce are overturning the traditional workday by placing more value on workplace flexibility than earning more money.

Employee diversity We believe a diverse employee base is a business imperative.

Diverse employees have diverse needs, and our employees aspire to lead holistic lives. As much as employees hope to have productive and fulfilling experiences, they are also investing themselves in health and fitness, community work, further education, and in many more areas. Flexible work strategies let employees live more balanced and wholesome lives by allowing them to decide when, where and how they deliver at work.

Empowerment, engagement and productivity Employees who are empowered to ascertain their own work schedules are also more engaged – and engaged employees say, strive and stay.

Stakeholder engagement Employees, as well as managers, are also using flexible working to serve internal and external stakeholders better.

For example, our Citi Asia head of compensation for operations and technology shared he and his team were able to interact with partners all the way from New Zealand and Japan to India, despite the fact different team members worked different hours – from the office as well as from home.

What do we need to drive this culture change?

Organisations adopting flexible working strategies need to ensure they have the right physical infrastructure and the right technology to support it.

This, however, is the easy part. Changing an organisational culture to one where flexible working is not only accepted, but seen as a business advantage is the bigger challenge, and there are several barriers to fostering this environment. One is the mindset of people who are fed with popular myths such as “employees who work longer hours are more committed”.

These myths are not backed up by credible research or data.

Employees working flexibly are known to feel more empowered, more engaged and more productive.

A strong accelerator of culture change is senior management role-modelling flexible working. At Citi, awareness talks are delivered by senior business leaders who not only educate and encourage, but also showcase employees and managers leveraging these.

Decision making Not all jobs are conducive to every kind of flexible work schedule.

An equity trader, for example, cannot work staggered hours, and a receptionist cannot work from home.

Fortunately, from a list of flexible hours, remote work, parttime work, job-sharing and a compressed work week, there are many other options to choose from. For effective implementation ground rules must be laid out. Irrespective of the work schedule, the employee must remain responsible for meeting all role requirements. Team members and managers will need to make a conscious effort to engage as a team, perceive and convey urgency when needed, and to find innovative ways to stay connected and networked.

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CAREERS » Personal development

uptheranks Tracking HR’s industry moves Who: Usha Baidya From: BT To: BT BT has appointed Usha Baidya as the new HR vice-president for Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), responsible for managing HR across the region. She has more than 15 years of HR experience, along with seven years at various business units of BT Global Services (GS). These include GS UK, GS Government and Health, and GS Portfolio, Service Design and BT Advise, where she helped these organisations grow through various programmes aimed at creating fulfilling and rewarding careers for staff.

“BT is a melting pot of culture, language, skills and experience. Our role within HR is to find the right balance so our employees will find their stay with us fulfilling at the professional and personal level,” she said.

“I am very pleased to be part of BT’s drive to create a sustainable, harmonious and diversified work environment for over 4000 people across the region.”

Before joining BT, she held a number of senior HR positions at Vodafone Global Services in the UK and Germany operations.

Who: Yvonne Corpuz From: Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi To: Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) has announced Yvonne Corpuz, formerly the general manager of the bank’s Asian human resources office (AHRO), for the newly created role of global chief learning officer.

“She will lead this function to develop a holistic global learning and development strategy that effectively leverages global leadership programmes and creates integrated learning solutions to build organisational capability that is aligned with business priorities,” a statement read.

Assuming her position as general manager of AHRO is John Gerard Williams, a seasoned international HR practitioner with almost 30 years of experience in financial services.

Williams has responsibility for the human capital strategy in BTMU’s Asia region, which incorporates more than 8,000 staff in 18 countries in Asia.

Williams will be based in Singapore, while Corpuz will divide her time between Tokyo and Singapore.

personalgrowth IF YOU’RE UNHAPPY, CHANGE IT When HR doesn’t feel like a strategic contributor, it’s bad for the business, says Rebecca Lewis.

This time before Chinese New Year is often one of change. Year-end appraisals have been conducted, budgets have been set and bonuses have been given – and HR professionals generally use this time to reflect on both their organisation and the trajectory of their own careers.

As it turns out, a number of HR leaders are pretty unhappy.

HR leaders are becoming increasingly dissatisfied in their roles, a recent Harvey Nash survey found, with only 32% saying they are “very satisfied”. HR professionals also aren’t happy about how HR is perceived by the business, and 44% say they want to switch jobs within the next two years.

Similarly, a report by BambooHR found HR professionals aren’t happy with how much time they’re spending on employee management, compliance and recruiting – they would rather be spending their time playing a more strategic role to the business.

If this sounds like you, you’ve got a problem. We all know the potential HR has to be an integral part of leading business growth. Your role and value extends beyond things such as paperwork and recruiting and processing payroll.

If you want to own the role of managing and overseeing culture, and would like to be more involved in workforce planning, here are a few things to think about as you enter 2015: Do you know what your CEOs biggest concerns with the business are? If you

don’t, then you’re unlikely to play a strategic part in fixing this. Find out what his or her objectives are and create a strategy around how HR can help deliver the top three KPIs. Get a stronger understanding of metrics and analytics. Even if your organisation’s capabilities in this area aren’t there yet, there’s nothing stopping you from schooling yourself up on this and thinking about how you can make a difference with data.

Use your unique perspective to your advantage. You can shape strategy by showing your knowledge of the talent market and human behaviour. But doing this requires an understanding of business strategy and how it relates to organisational capabilities.

I read somewhere that HR needs to operate as a “mini-business” in order to convince others that its input is worth something to the business. Your services need to be effective and efficient and well maintained. This will not only make the business happier, but also you as an HR professional.

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Good reads to improve your business life

T Naked CEO: The The Truth You Need to Build a Big Life Alex Malley Wiley S$27.88 Even a suspended schoolboy can become a CEO. That’s the message from Alex Malley’s truthful, powerful and inspirational book about daring to dream, self-awareness and leadership.

At the front of the novel, Malley shares a letter written from his school principal to

Inside the Crystal Ball: How to Make and Use Forecasts Maury Harris Wiley S$47.03 No future is certain, but some people are certainly better than others at being able to forecast and predict future outcomes.

In this book, Maury Harris, who has had a successful career in economic forecasting, takes readers on a journey to understand how forecasters succeed (and fail) and how they get to a point where they can make long-range business and investment decisions.

Examining the elements of successful and failed forecasts in depth, this book illustrates how “forecasting is about honing judgment of the underlying drivers than about the proficiency in pure quantitative analysis” – in other words, everyone can do it.

hi father, informing him of Malley’s his s suspension from school in 1978. On th opposite side of the page, and the ffast-forwarding fas a 36 years, Malley has pprinted rinte a letter from the same principal congratula congratulating him on a TV appearance as the CEO of CPA Australia (but also lecturing him on a grammatic grammatical error in his speech, proving you’re never too acc accomplished to learn something!)

This perso personal journey is played out in this book through intriguing in stories, real advice and inspirational lessons less of mistakes made throughout life – prof professional and otherwise. Focusing on topics such as “creating your own universe” and “be the best person you can be”, the book helps readers – whether students, job seekers or management-level professionals – gain insight into the journey of a successful career from a “naked” CEO laying everything out on the line.

Bookmark this!

Insight does not always come from someone in a senior position, someone with more experience, someone you would expect. Keep an open ear and mind when it comes to the people you listen to. The more you listen to all of those around you, the better you will become at filtering through the noise to find those nuggets of gold that you can learn from. It comes down to developing a feeling for the environment around you – this is one of the skills you have to develop in your life – page 28.

Through chapters ab best practices, about ju judgment, everyday f forecasting issues, t credibility the of government statistics and analysis and more, mor his book brings analysis, to life his own experiences to offer his best advice about the future, and how to understand it.

Bookmark this!

Reputations are often based on an entrepreneur, marketer or forecaster “being really right when it counted most”. Our society lauds and rewards such individuals. They may attain guru status with hordes of people seeking and following their advice after their “home run”. However, an impressive body of research suggests that these one-hit wonders are usually unreliable sources of advice and forecasts. In other words, they strike out a lot – page 17.

Bringing Strategy Back: How Strategic Shock Absorbers Make Planning Relevant in a World of Constant Change Jeffrey L. Sampler Jossey-Bass S$36.55 When the world continues to change as quickly as it does, it’s not hard to see why strategy falls to the bottom of the management agenda. In this book, author Jeffrey L. Sampler rummages through the noise to really help leaders understand ly “strategy” – especially at a time when five-month plans can fall through in a blink of eye, not to mention fiveyear plans.

As a strategy expert, he explains how it all comes down to resilience – shrugging off obsolete notions of strategy to reorientate their approach and absorb the shocks they feel to their system during change. Only then, he says, can strategic planning reliably play its part.

Suggesting four new “strategic shock absorbers” – accuracy, agility, momentum and foresight – this book outlines how leaders can withstand even the worst bumps in the road and ensure they remain proactive, rather than reactive, when planning for the future.

Bookmark this!

Imagine you are idling at a busy intersection in Mumbai, waiting for an opening to inch out into the chaotic rush of traffic. When do you move? In this environment, you need a rule to guide your actions. This is what a decision trigger is – a rule that dictates actions and decisions. In this case, the decision trigger may be: When you spot a small opening in the line of traffic, move quickly to seize it before it is too late. You would not pause to ask your passengers if they agree. By the time the question can be asked, the window of opportunity will be shut tight – page 27.

Photography: Fauzie Rasid

Pick of the month

shelflife

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LAST WORD

Time to go As she gets ready to leave, Rebecca Lewis waxes lyrical over that bittersweet feeling During the course of my time editor here, I have been told many an HR horror of switching jobs. as story. But nothing amazes me more than the dozens of stories I’ve heard about candidates showing up for their first day of work… and then never coming back. No phone call. No email. Just not turning up again.

Sometimes you manage to get hold of the new (ex) employee to ask why, and the answer is almost always either, “I didn’t think it was right for me” or “I realised it was too far to commute from my house”.

Both reasons are incredibly common, but neither one is acceptable. You can’t possibly know the job wasn’t right for you after just one day, and the candidate should have really had an inkling about the commute before accepting the job offer.

I’ve experienced my fair share of recruitment blunders, as I’m sure you all have, and it’s possible there have been times when you have been the one wanting to throw in the towel during the early days.

As I write this, I’ve got one more week left in this role after being here for three years. In the past couple of days I’ve had numerous people ask me whether I’m excited to move on. Am I happy about leaving? Am I so ready to just get out of here?

There are right and wrong reasons to leave a job. I am a firm believer that resigning should never be an escape, and you should never accept another job simply to minimise pain (there are caveats to this, but not many). Overall, you should leave knowing that you’ve given the job your best, with your relationships intact and knowing that you can call your former bosses for references if needed.

It should be a bittersweet experience. You’re pursuing new challenges, knowing you’ve done what you can where you are. You’re excited about what’s ahead, knowing full well that it is what’s behind you that’s allowed you to take another step up the career ladder.

As I get ready to move on from this job, I’ve been thinking about those people who quit after

“You’re excited about what’s ahead, knowing full well that it is what’s behind you that’s allowed you to take another step up the career ladder.” one day. It’s sad those people will never know what could have been. They never gave themselves a chance to make an impact or to change what they thought they didn’t like. They let money, or distance or a skewed one-day perception be their primary reason for choosing to leave.

Basically, they never got the chance to have the experience I have had here.

So, to answer those questions from colleagues – the answer is no. I am not happy about leaving and I am not ‘excited’ to move on in the way that they think. My time at Lighthouse Independent Media has been incredibly transformational and wholly positive, and I am sad to be leaving such a wonderful team of eager, skilled people.

However, I am very happy to have found a new role that will, again, be hugely transformational and I am incredibly excited about what lies ahead. I am ready for new challenges, a new environment and a chance to prove myself at something else.

I’m happy, and I’m sad. And I think that’s how it should be when you resign.

Thanks again to everyone for making it such a difficult decision. rebeccal@humanresourcesonline.net

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4 - 5 May

Risk Management

Understanding GST Concepts for Businesses Basic Accounting Understanding and Analysing Financial Statements Effective Costing, Cash Flow Management and Budgetary Control Understanding Malaysia GST Concepts for Businesses Finance for Non-Finance Professionals HR Development

7 - 8 Apr

Module 3 - Introduction to Hedging for Corporate Asset and Liability Module 3A - Basic Derivative Instruments Pricing (Interest Rate and FX Derivatives) Module 3B - Advanced Derivative Instruments Pricing (Interest Rate and FX Derivatives)

22 - 23 Apr

Supervisory Management

28 - 29 Apr

Supervising Principles, Skills and Techniques for Managing the 21st Century Organisation

Driving Performance and Retention through Employee Engagement Train the Technical Trainers Talent Acquisition, Management and Succession Planning Train the Trainer

7 - 8 Apr

Leadership in Action Effective Change Leadership for Managers Lead Your Team with Confidence in the 21st Century

15 - 16 Apr

*Applicable for Professional Development Workshops except I.T. Short Courses

7 - 8 May 25 - 26 May

Financial Management

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5 - 6 May 11- 12 May 25 - 26 May

15 - 16 Apr 13 - 14 May 28 - 29 May

8 - 9 Apr

Team Leadership 23 - 24 Apr 11 - 12 May 27 - 28 May

11 - 12 May 21 - 22 May

mdc@mdis.edu.sg

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32 Maxwell Road #03-01 Singapore 069115 www.maxwell-chambers.com

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