HRM 15.2 - So You Want To Be An Employer Of Choice? by HRM Asia

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ISSUE 15.2

So You Want To Be An Employer Of Choice? Naomi Simson, Founding Director, RedBalloon Live at the Spire HR Summit 2015

PLUS: Price inc. GST $9.95

THE RECRUITMENT SPECIAL AMGEN’S QUEST FOR PIONEERING TALENT PLANNING A CORPORATE RETREAT

EDITOR’S NOTE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sumathi V Selvaretnam ASSISTANT EDITOR Shalini Shukla-Pandey JOURNALIST Sham Majid DIGITAL JOURNALIST Roshni Kapur SUB-EDITOR Paul Howell PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATOR Azimah Jasman SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amos Lee GRAPHIC DESIGNER John Paul Lozano SALES DIRECTOR Steve Lye ACCOUNT MANAGERS Edwin Lim Jolene Ong Ryan Kwa Shamaine Chua MARKETING MANAGER George Smith MARKETING EXECUTIVE Rafiq Jalil MANAGING DIRECTOR Kaveri Ayahsamy PHOTOGRAPHY BY Frank Pinckers (pinckers.com) Ted Chen (tedchenphoto.com) PRINTED BY Times Printers Pte Ltd PUBLISHED BY

HRM Asia Pte Ltd 121 Telok Ayer Street #02-01 Singapore 068590 Tel: +65 6423 4631 Fax: +65 6423-4632 Email: info@hrmasia.com.sg

15.2

Dear HRM readers,

inning the war for talent requires HR to treat recruitment as more than just a piecemeal exercise. It requires prior planning, strategic thinking and the creation of future goals. In this Recruitment Special, we take you through the finer points of the recruitment process from creating a long term vision of your human capital needs, to rapidly screening the thousands of résumés that land in your inbox. We also look at how freelancers can be a valuable resource when your employees are feeling stretched. Still on the topic of recruitment, find out how biologics player Amgen is seeking pioneering talent in a hotbed industry that has attracted some $3 billion in investment. The Spire HR Summit will take place on May 19 and 20. In this issue, we profile Summit Speaker Naomi Simson, who founded RedBalloon, a hugely successful gift experience business in Australia. Simson shares how she grew her startup into a multi-dollar business, and the important leadership lessons that she learnt along the way. Is the enormity of the year ahead getting to you? Well it’s never to early to start planning your next corporate retreat. HRM also looks at some unique options that are guaranteed to add an element of fun and adventure to teambuilding efforts. Wishing you a fruitful month ahead!

Sumathi V Selvaretnam Editorial Director, HRM Asia

MICA (P) 163/07/2014 ISSN 0219-6883

Read something you like? Or something you don’t? Perhaps there’s some insight we haven’t considered? Have your say on HRM’s news, features, and contributions by emailing: info@hrmasia.com.sg

ISSUE 15.2 HRMASIA.COM

CONTENTS 15.2 COVER STORY 34 Taking flight A good leader knows when to take a step back and let the business grow. In this exclusive interview, Naomi Simson, Founding Director of RedBalloon, shares how her gift experience business overcame its early hurdles to become one of Australia’s best places to work.

FEATURES 10 Leadership that

transcends industries

ISSUE 15.2

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Education vs. Experience

After spending more than two decades in the banking sector, one of Asia’s most promising young business leaders has now jumped into the IT industry. HRM speaks to Ben Elliott, CEO of Experian AsiaPacific.

Employers in Singapore have been encouraged to not go on a paper chase but rather judge workers for their skills and job performance. HRM finds out what recruiters think.

18 Recruitment planning 101

Freelancing is becoming increasingly popular among nimble employees looking to engage in multiple projects simultaneously. Why are employers and employees alike enticed by this world? HRM profiles the emerging freelance fad

Organisations that want to hire the best talent need to adopt a more strategic and long term approach towards their recruitment process, writes Wendy Cheong, Practice Director, Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences, Engineering, Berkley Recruitment Group.

23 The Big Debate –

28 Own time, own target

32 Panning for gold Sifting through hundreds of

40 résumés for a single position both quickly and fairly can be one of the toughest jobs in HR. The team at Adecco offers this advice.

writes guest contributor David Klassen.

40 Wanted:

Every month, HRM speaks to a young university talent hoping to carve out a career in HR upon graduation.

A Pioneering Spirit American biotechnology firm Amgen launched its ambitious new Singapore facility in November last year. It’s HR Director, Phua King Song, reveals more about the company’s journey in hiring its first crop of highly-skilled talent.

48 A heart for people Social events agency Adrenalin Group believes in giving back. Its Managing Director Richardo Chua explains more about the company’s inclusive workforce practices and key employee programmes.

50 5 Brain-friendly

strategies to increase staff engagement Understanding how the human brain is wired can lead to better employee engagement and increased productivity at work,

54 HR from the classroom

56 Marina Bay Sands: Thinking differently

In addition to conventional training programmes, Marina Bay Sands is always looking for innovative alternative approaches to staff development. Chan Yit Foon, Senior vice president of HR says the integrated resort has even used a TV reality programme to build staff skills.

60 “Retreat”-ing from the status quo

Planning a corporate retreat these days is certainly a much more sophisticated affair than in the past. Organisations are now venturing into unheralded territory in a bid to craft memorable and enriching experiences. HRM probes further into the corporate retreat scene.

REGULARS 4 News 15 Leaders on Leadership 45 Viewpoint 47 In Person 47 Resources 58 An HRD Speaks 59 Twenty-four Seven 64 Talent Ladder 65 HR Clinic ISSUE 15.2

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NEWS

ASIA

SINGAPORE

ASIA

EMPLOYERS NOT READY FOR GEN Z

STRESS TAKING A TOLL Office life has never been more stressful, with over half of the global workforce (53%) saying they are closer to burning out than they were just five years ago. Globally, the top triggers of workplace stress are lack of exercise, unreliable IT and feeling understaffed, according to a recent Regus report. In mainland China, 34% of respondents found that lack of exercise and unhealthy eating were the biggest causes of stress – higher than the global average of 21%. However, in Hong Kong and Taiwan, respondents indicated that a lack of staff creates the most stress. Respondents from Singapore and Japan shared the same view.

Only half (53%) of employees in Singapore believe their organisation is well prepared to meet the demands of Generation Z, according to Randstad’s most recent Workmonitor report. This is despite 66% of employees believing that this next generation of workers, now aged between 14 to 19, will be essential for companies to drive innovation. “To successfully integrate the next generation into the workplace, employers need to understand the unique characteristics of Generation Z, which is typically associated with coveting greater work-life balance, increased workplace flexibility and more rapid advancement opportunities,” said Associate Director at Randstad Singapore Jaya Dass. “Employers need to factor in this new multigenerational landscape into their workforce planning now, to ensure that the current workforce can easily adapt.” She added that each generation has unique workplace expectations, working styles and skills. For example, having been born in a technologicallysavvy era, Generation Z workers are expected to be very comfortable with online collaboration tools and technology platforms. The ease and familiarity this generation has with technology will enable them to work well in an office environment that increasingly uses online platforms to manage business interactions and productivity. Meanwhile, workers from mature generations may need additional time and more in-depth training before they are fully comfortable with using business technology platforms, and employers can engage the skills of Generation Z workers to provide mentorship to older workers. Indeed, 68% of current employees believe Generation Z workers will be able to teach them a lot about the use of technology. “According to our survey, 66% of employers in Singapore are actively promoting mentorship. This is key in managing a workforce with different generations,” Dass concluded. “Employers should not only encourage older workers to mentor their younger counterparts and impart industry knowledge to them, but also have the younger workers share their new ideas and drive innovation.”

ISSUE 15.2

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Top five stresses Global Ave

China Taiwan S’pore South Japan Korea

Lack of exercise and healthy eating

21%

25%

34%

20%

18%

16%

Unreliable/obsolete technology

21%

26%

12%

26%

16%

Lack of staff

20%

28%

18%

22%

27%

16%

24%

Job instability

15%

16%

17%

11%

20%

Working to deadlines

14%

24%

15%

14%

23%

11%

13%

Source: Regus, 2014

With the pressure on to find ways of reducing stress, many workers believe one way of easing the tension associated with demanding jobs can be a break from the main office – at least some of the time. A significant majority of global respondents – 74% – found a change of scenery, such as working from another location, to be a good stress reliever, the report reveals.

ASIA

GLOBAL BENEFIT MANAGERS ARE MISSING OPPORTUNITIES Nearly two-thirds (62%) of global pension and benefit managers claim that day-to-day operational activities are limiting their ability to add value and are hampering their strategic contribution to their organisations, global professional services firm Towers Watson has found. Research from the latest Current and Emerging Global Benefit Themes survey shows that three-quarters (75%) of participants also felt there was increasing pressure for them to do more with less, suggesting they were going to have to change the way they did things in order to focus on more value-added activities. Also, 70% of rewards managers predicted a significant increase in their global or regional involvement in pensions and benefits in 2015, with the top three focus areas expected to be: • Global control and oversight of pensions and benefits; • Financial management of pension and benefit costs and risks; and • Employee appreciation of pensions and benefits.

ASIA SINGAPORE

HONG KONG

INTERNET FOR PLEASURE, NOT WORK

LABOUR ISSUES HIGH ON AGENDA

NEWS

Hong Kong’s labour force is expected to decline from around 2018. In the official Hong Kong Policy Address for 2015, a fivepronged strategy to address the new challenges brought by demographic changes was laid out. First, the government will unleash the potential of local labour force by extending the retirement age of civil servants, enhancing childcare services to provide better support for women who wish to join the job market and promoting employment for the underprivileged. Next, local manpower will be nurtured through the creation of diversified job opportunities and the provision of varied learning, Singaporeans spend 45 minutes of each workday training and development opportunities for the younger generation. using social media and doing online shopping. Thirdly, Hong Kong will take a more proactive approach to recruiting According to a survey of Chief Technology talent from outside the country. Some measures include relaxing Officers (CTOs) and Chief Information Officers the stay arrangements under the General Employment Policy, the (CIOs) by specialist recruitment firm Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals Robert Half, Singapore employees spend and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme. A study will also Malaysia’s salary increases an average of 9.3% of their time doing be conducted to assess the feasibility of drawing up a talent are expected to be online shopping, looking up travel sites list to attract high-quality talent to Hong Kong. second and keeping in touch with others through The fourth prong is fostering a supportive environment social media. for forming and raising families. Lastly, the government will That’s nearly six minutes of every hour, look towards promoting active ageing. or 45 minutes in an eight-hour work day Hong Kong will continue to keep abreast of labour issues. spent on personal activities online. Subject to this Council’s approval, the Statutory Minimum The survey found that Singaporeans are Wage rate will be increased to $32.50 per hour, which will Source: 2015 Hays Salary Guide spending less time engaged in personal benefit tens of thousands of low-income employees and activities than their counterparts in the encourage more people to join the labour market. Asia. Japanese employees spend more Also the appointment time doing non-work related online activities, rate of women to government averaging 14.6% of their day, while Hong Kong’s advisory and statutory bodies average is 13.2%. maybe raised from 30% to 35%, to encourage women to participate What will be the chief human Table 1: What is your company’s policy regarding more in public decision making. capital obstacle for 2015? employees shopping online while at work? Peter Yu, Director of Randstad Hong Kong, welcomes the labour Workforce Singapore Total Small Medium Large policies laid out and believes 43 votes competency (1 to 499 (500 to 999 (1000+ these policies will help Hong Kong employees) employees) employees) build a productive and sustainable workforce. Leadership 58 votes Block access to 35% 35% 16% 56% On engaging return-to-work some sites mothers, he said that longer service hours and up to 6,200 Retaining and Allow access 52% 53% 74% 25% 176 votes engaging employees childcare centres in the near but monitor for excessive use future will allow mothers in Hong Kong to better manage Knowledge and Allow 9% 13% 5% 6% advancement of skills 25 votes their work and family lives. “As unrestricted a result, these return-to-work access mothers will widen Hong Kong’s Re-educating the talent pool and enrich the 37 votes HR department Other/don’t 4% 0% 5% 13% diversity of Hong Kong’s labour know Total votes: 339 force,” he added.

only to China this year

HRM Asia Online Poll

13% 17%

58% 7%

11%

ISSUE 15.2

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NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

UNRULY BEHAVIOUR DOMINATING WORKPLACES

THE JOB ANALYSIS FAD

Would you utilise street talk and handsigns during your workplace meetings? You may not, but your US counterparts certainly might, a new survey has highlighted. According to a poll by professional services firm Kessler International, some 84% of US managers say their staff are inconsiderate and rude at the office. Furthermore, 65% of the same respondents believe a majority of their workforce “lack a moral compass”. Some respondents revealed their disgust of certain members of their staff, along with their own incapability to mend the issue. They identified their firm’s political correctness, their own inability to confront issues and constraints established by their HR departments as obstacles to finding a resolution. Among the behaviours most cited by managers were: • Untimely and inappropriate use of cell phones • Wearing inappropriate clothing to work • Lack of courtesy • Use of street talk and signs in professional meetings • The inability of younger staff to write a letter or email • The lack of personal responsibility • Failure to say please and thank you • Lying to customers and clients

WORKING... FROM THE BUS OR TRAIN

ISSUE 15.2

Job analysis is becoming a vital cog in recruitment for HR professionals. According to a recent Society for HR Management (SHRM) survey, close to threequarters (73%) of firms utilise information collated via job analysis activities for hiring purposes. Job analysis, the art of scrutinising and evaluating the criteria needed to execute a job’s duties and assignments, usually includes a candidate’s knowledge, skillsets and capabilities. The survey found that other uses of job analysis included performance management (72% of • Hanging up on phone calls respondents cited this), compensation (69%) and when they are confronted or training (61%). uncomfortable The top three ways to conduct job analysis were • Cheating on time billed to interviews (50%), observation (33%) and structured clients, and stealing time by questionnaires (27%). arriving late and leaving early “It is critical for HR departments to clearly • Cutting corners on work product understand how jobs are performed at all levels, rather than staying after hours to so HR professionals can properly perform their correct the mistakes they made own job duties,” explained Bettina Deynes, vice • Visiting sex and dating websites president of HR and diversity at SHRM. on company time “This is where job analysis is • The inability to helpful. It is helpful not only interact professionally in recruiting but in completing with clients various performance management of US employees between • The lack of personal tasks as well.” the ages of 18 and 34 say integrity Approximately half (51%) of HR changing jobs every few years can actually help “It seems like the professionals have participated their careers workplace has changed in at least one formal or informal Source: Is Job Hopping significantly in the job analysis-related activity, and Losing It’s Stigma past 30 years and not 45% of HR executives have utilised Accountemps survey for the better,” said information from job analyses Susan Peterson, Chief for purposes beyond identifying Operating Officer of Kessler. what was needed for a job or position, such as Kessler International conducted formulating interview questions and performance the survey by quizzing upper and appraisal systems. mid-level management at 40 SHRM quizzed 459 randomly-selected members professional services firms. throughout the US.

57%

British HR professionals are not spared from their job, even while commuting. According to new research from specialist HR recruiter Ortus, more than three quarters (76%) of HR professionals spend an average of 3.5 hours weekly working while travelling. This is equal to an additional four weeks worked yearly; yet, 78% receive no pay for this. A significant proportion of companies (69%) know that this additional work occurs. Close to four fifths (78%) of HR professionals who engage in work while they travel do not see this additional labour reflected in their basic pay, bonus,

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holiday in lieu or additional days off work, meaning the majority are actually working for free. Of those who are compensated for their additional workload, close to half (48%) view that return in their basic wage, while 41% garner time off in lieu. The research involved a survey of 164 HR professionals.

INTERNATIONAL

NEWS

EUROPE

UK& IRELAND

SHORTEST “TRAVEL TIME TO WORK” NATION REVEALED

SURVEY: WE WANT FRIENDS AT WORK

The next time UK employees trudge their way to work, they can perhaps afford a wry smile knowing that they enjoy the shortest commute in Europe. According to new research commissioned by Samsung Electronics, UK workers usually take the least travel time in Europe, with the average journey to work taking 36 minutes and 53 seconds. In fact, close to one in three (28%) British travellers take a journey of under 20 minutes, as opposed to the European average of just under 45 minutes. Nevertheless, it still cannot match up to their Belgian counterparts, who clock the longest everyday travel time of 52 minutes and 48 seconds.

Workplace relationships matter to a significant proportion of UK and Irish employees, according to a new survey. The 2014 UK and Ireland Workforce Mood Tracker, found that 83% of UK and Irish workers feel their work ties are crucial to their quality of life; however, nearly half (45%) had no co-workers they viewed as real friends. The research also deduced that 33% of survey respondents did not believe their organisational culture permitted them to easily construct enduring relationships with colleagues, despite 43% of them spending between 31 and 50 hours per week with their coworkers. Tellingly, the survey deduced that companies that endorse and foster friendships among their working staff will benefit from steeper employee retention rates. Close to a quarter (24%) of those with friends at work claimed they intend to remain with their present firm for as long as possible, as opposed to just 16% of those without friends at the office. Despite often being neglected, service anniversaries may herald an opportunity to showcase these relationships. The research highlighted that 65% of UK and Irish employees claim they would feel good if their co-workers recognised their first year anniversary at their firm, while 17% said shared memories and kind words from colleagues would be the most significant way to celebrate such milestones. The survey featured the responses of 1,200 employees across the UK and Ireland.

AVERAGE COMMUTING TIMES Belgium

52.80 minutes Switzerland 42.36 minutes

Italy

51.89 minutes Poland

41.86 minutes

Spain

51.63 minutes Portugal

41.80 minutes

Greece

49.40 minutes Romania

41.36 minutes

Austria

47.51 minutes Germany

39.62 minutes

Netherlands 42.50 minutes UK

36.88 minutes

Despite their short trips, a staggering 87% of British commuters confess to getting peeved on their way to work, with traffic jams (39%), slow drivers in the fast lanes (30%) and people talking loudly in crowded areas on public transport (11%) being serious drawbacks for them. Travelling by car was deduced to have been the most popular way of travelling to and from work for Brits with 59% of those polled choosing to travel by this means. At the other end of the spectrum, close to half (45%) of health minded Brits walk, run or cycle to work. To keep themselves occupied during their travel, UK employees generally listen to music (59%) while 12% choose to people watch and 16% simply do not occupy themselves with anything at all. The research was carried out by One Poll among 7,500 adults across 12 countries in Europe (UK, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Austria, Greece, Italy, Belgium, Poland, The Netherlands and Switzerland).

ISSUE 15.2

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LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

Still Standing at the Crossroads Dr Roland B Smith

Vice President and Managing Director, Center for Creative Leadership (APAC)

he state of women leadership in corporations remains an issue. In Singapore, though access to education of both genders is on par, this state of equity becomes more allusive upon entering the workforce, and hastens up the corporate ladder. The Center for Creative Leadership’s (CCL ®) lead researcher on women leadership in Asia, Sophia Zhao, discovered that women professionals still face tremendous challenges in their careers. Some challenges stem from within i.e. women’s gender role identity, confidence level, or their priorities in life. Additionally, challenges emerge from societal expectations of taking on a larger role in family responsibilities or the tendency to be judged and stereotyped in corporate structures. To tackle this, the most important factors contributing to the presence of strong female leadership in corporations are: • Support from the organisation through recognising women talent, providing development opportunities for both genders, and providing flexibility of work arrangements. • The presence of mentorship, professional support networks that consist of colleagues, and familial or friend-based support. • Individuals’ attitude, resilience and self-care. By exploring and addressing the challenges talented women face in navigating their career, other talented individuals may find new and alternative paths to success. With equal opportunity, women have the equal capability to assume similar leadership positions as men. 7

INF GRAPHIC

Having an edge in the war for talent As the battle for talent in Asia becomes more fierce, how can organisations steal a march on their counterparts? HRM shares some findings from Randstad

Percentage of employers who will recruit more international candidates to combat talent scarcity in the next five years China 14%

Hong Kong 26%

India 7% Malaysia 20%

Employers likely to outsource all or part of their talent/strategy recruitment process in the next five years

Australia China

India

• Try to rein in unrealistic salary expectations • Sell the long-term benefits of an international career: - Development of cross-border business skills - Exposure to new networks - Unique cultural learning experiences ISSUE 15.2

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44% of employers in Asia rated their organisation’s ability to attract top talent as average or poor

New Zealand 34%

Malaysia

72%

Hong Kong

How to encourage talent to make an international move

49%

Singapore

66%

New Zealand

53%

45%

57%

70%

TYPES OF TALENT POOL

30% of talent pool

Active

Casual

63%

of professionals surveyed intend to leave their job in the next 12 months in search of career advancement and better remuneration

Singapore 33%

Australia 16%

DID YOU KNOW

70% of talent pool

Passive

Not looking

2020 the median work force age will be 43 in Singapore

TALENT DIVERSITY — and the skilled migration levels needed to achieve it — will be critical to the future growth of Asia’s commercial hubs Sources: • 2014 Randstad World of Work Report: Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series • 2014 Randstad Award employer branding research • A Randstad Sourceright survey • Some icon graphics are by freepik.com

HR MARKET ROUNDUP

NEWS

OAKWOOD LAUNCHES DIGITAL MAGAZINE Serviced apartments provider Oakwood Asia Pacific has launched a digital magazine on iTunes & Google Play stores. Called Global Insider, the magazine app was developed in response to consumers’ desire for engagement and information on the go. Available in both English and Chinese, it offers readers a rich media interface and lifestyle content that celebrates travel, life, success and wellbeing. “Global insider reveals a fresh perspective on travel – destinations, food, gadgets, culture - and global mobility from the eyes of the real Global Insiders,” said Dean Screiber, managing director, Oakwood Asia Pacific. Upon subscription, the digital magazine can be viewed on tablets and smartphones. The inaugural issue showcases cultural events in Seoul, Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

SR GROUP AWARDED INVESTORS IN PEOPLE SILVER STANDARD Global recruitment consultancy The SR Group has been awarded the Investors in People Silver standard. This recognition is achieved by only 6% of Investors in People accredited organisations, on a global basis. The SR Group demonstrated exceptional employee engagement in every geography. The SR Group consists of of recruitment brands Brewer Morris, Carter Murray, Frazer Jones, Taylor Root and SR Search. Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “Achieving the Investors in People Silver standard is something that any organisation should be truly proud of. It is the sign of a company which is very committed to good people management practice and we’d like to congratulate The SR Group on their achievement.” Investors in People is the leading accreditation for business improvement through people management, and provides a wealth of resources for businesses to innovate, improve and grow, with a focus on good people making great business.

INSEAD UNVEILS S$55 MILLION LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTRE French business school INSEAD has opened a new Leadership Development Centre in Singapore. The 10,000m2 centre marks “Phase Three” in the school’s major Asia campus expansion. It raises INSEAD’s capacity by 50%, and aims to be a premier business innovation and executive education hub for the region. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr. Beh Swan Gin, Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board, said: “Over the past decade, Singapore has built up a strong ecosystem of business schools, leadership development specialists, HR consultancies and think-tanks to support the talent

development needs of companies here and in the region. INSEAD’s Leadership Development Centre will further strengthen this ecosystem and develop leaders who can help their companies navigate the complex business environment today, harness the opportunities and overcome the challenges.” Features of the new INSEAD Leadership Development Centre include four amphitheatres each with seating capacity for 50 to 70. Each amphitheatre will be serviced by its own pre-function and meeting rooms, and several large and small meeting rooms will accommodate intensive team study and interaction.

Ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the official opening of INSEAD¹s Leadership Development Centre in Singapore today

ISSUE 15.2

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LEADERS TALK HR

LEADERSHIP that transcends industries

You had over 20 years’ experience in the banking sector before joining Experian, an information systems company. What made you make the jump?

Shalini Shukla-Pandey

I loved my time in banking at both shalini@hrmasia.com.sg Westpac and Lloyds, but really wanted to test myself in a new environment. So I did it all at once – a new market and a new industry where I had no history or credibility. The great thing about Experian is that it is such a diverse company. We deliver marketing, data, consulting, software, analytics, fraud and identification, and credit bureaus. While I previously worked in banking where we used these services, I really had no knowledge of the mechanics and what can really be done.

You were also recognised by Asian Banker magazine as one of Asia’s most promising young leaders. Tell me more about that experience and how it has moulded you as a leader. I was really very proud at the time to receive the award. In many ways it was a strong reflection of the investment that Westpac had made in my career and of the advice and guidance that I had received along the way. After I received the award, I think in many ways I became far more curious about leadership in general and what makes a good leader.

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What I have learned is that I am not as good as I thought I was!

What is your leadership style and how would employees describe you?

I learnt early that not being really direct and honest leads to confusion. So I would say that I am direct, but I also try to take a balanced view where I hear constructive and creative advice. Also, I’m sure that conventional wisdom calls for consistency of approach and treating everyone the same way, but I see it the other way. Everyone I work with is different – that is inescapable. I do try to operate in a way that suits both the personality and the environment. While I believe there will be variability between current and former colleagues, in general I think people would say that I’m engaged, detailed and support a sense of achievement and pride.

What do you consider to be the most challenging aspect of your role as CEO of Experian?

We are a multi-market, multi-language, multicurrency, and multi-cultural business spanning 12 countries. We are also a complex business with multiple business lines. I have benefited hugely in learning from teams about managing complexity and ambiguity. The biggest challenge is knowing when to “step in” or “step out” to help the teams in each country.

LEADERS TALK HR

BIO BRIEF Ben Elliott joined Experian AsiaPacific in May 2012 as Managing Director of Decision Analytics and subsequently transitioned to the role of Chief Operating Officer in Asia-Pacific from March the following year. He was then announced as CEO of Asia-Pacific with effect from April 1, 2014. Elliott has over 20 years’ experience in the banking sector. Before joining Experian, he was the Network Director for Retail Banking at Lloyds, where he led over 1,400 UK retail branches and 18,000 people, in addition to the bank’s sizeable mortgage and bancassurance distribution businesses. Prior to Lloyds, Elliott enjoyed an 18-year career at Westpac Banking Group in Australia and New Zealand, where his most recent role was State General Manager. He was particularly noted for the exceptional increase he drove in customer satisfaction across the business there. Having had experience running private, retail and business banking organisations, Elliott was also recognised by Asian Banker magazine as one of Asia’s most promising young leaders.

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LEADERS TALK HR

What are some key changes or developments that you’ve brought about since you joined Experian a year ago? It is really easy, of course, to be critical as a new leader: critical of the past and of what came before you. One of my bosses once said to me: “It’s easy to be a prophet in a foreign land”. It hit home, and so I am very respectful of the fact that I joined the business in different circumstances than those before me. What was clear to me though is that we needed to invest heavily in people, by bringing talent to the front of discussions, and to up the ante on delivering what we promised. I would say we have made very real progress in both these areas.

Where do you get your main talent pool from?

We are an emerging part of a large global company. We have a relatively small team of 1,400 people in Asia-Pacific, but like many others in the region we are growing quickly. Finding highly-skilled people who understand the cutting edge of an emerging market can sometimes be a challenge.

I want far more of our leaders to be internally-sourced and home-grown. While we are starting to see this play out, we have a global view today of balancing new ideas from new people with great existing talent. One of the key changes we have made is to focus more on direct sourcing of our new recruits. We specifically invest in a talent team of dedicated people who are not only trained to search for talent but also understand our values and culture. Through our robust talent team, we found Patrick Sim, who joined us as a business development manager a couple of years ago. We spent time and effort to develop him and now he is the general manager of marketing services across AsiaPacific. Our experience is that nobody can represent us better than ourselves. I really enjoy meeting potential colleagues, so whenever I can, I want to be part of those discussions.

Me Myself I I love: The pace and intensity of the company and the region. I dislike: The moments I miss when I spend so much time away from family. My inspiration: Selfless and driven human beings. My biggest weakness is: Not stopping to recognise great people as much as I should. In five years’ time I’d like to be: Proud of what we have created. Favourite quote: My current favourite is from one of my team members. He talks about making decisions using the process of “80% right, but 100% now”.

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Are you big on graduate development?

Yes. Nearly two-thirds of our workforce in Asia-Pacific is Generation Y so you can see we place a lot of importance on training and developing young talent. In almost all of our markets, we have customised versions of graduate programmes. For example our Australia office has a great heritage of bring brilliant people from graduate level to leaders through our marketing services business, while our development centre in Malaysia has also started to leverage this. Our Japan graduates are being moulded into long-term leaders through

LEADERS TALK HR

another version of the graduate development programme there. Recruitment of potential candidates for the graduate development programme is stringent throughout the region. We look for talent with the creativity to work in a fast-growing emerging market; people who handle ambiguity and complexity well. We look for those who love pace and urgency.

What sort of leadership opportunities do you offer?

All my direct reports have a number of people that they are mentoring at any one time. We link them to development programmes such as the Experian Business Network, where an employee gets a mentor specifically from the executive team. I currently mentor eight staff members; four internal and four external. Out of the four internal, two were allocated through the programme. I take my CEO hat off and we talk about their challenges; how they deal with line managers and peers; any development gaps, and the like. Often what I find is that mentees come into this relationship expecting answers but I give them more questions! Mentees must be able to take honest feedback and improve themselves. I really enjoy the opportunity of stepping back and playing adviser and conscience, rather than line manager. I think over the years, I’ve learnt as much as the mentee.

“We needed to invest heavily in people, by bringing talent to the front of the discussions, and to up the ante on delivering what we promised”

How do you recognise and reward employees?

What is your top tip for aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs?

This is an area that I think we have made significant progress with, yet I think it is also the area that still requires the most attention. Like many organisations, we look constantly around financial rewards but I am convinced it is the small things that matter. Whether it is a well-timed personal note or a very public recognition, I know I don’t do enough of it!

Authenticity is what people will remember you for. You can fake it for one job, maybe two, but not for a career.

Leadership from the ground up Ben Elliott, CEO of Experian Asia-Pacific remembers how he made it a priority to have faceto-face time with his whole team after getting feedback that he wasn’t spending enough time engaging with employees. “At that time it was a bit jarring and I made all sorts of excuses to myself, especially that I was too busy,” he explains. “In the end, I realised I was trying to avoid it because it was just awkward. Now it’s the best part of my job.”

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LEADERS ON LEADERSHIP

How should leaders continue to ensure they stay motivated? H

aving started my own business, there are still days where I am feeling beaten and demoralised. There are moments where I wonder if I should maybe throw in the towel. Hence, I understand as a leader, be it of a team, a department or an organisation, there will be times that one would feel down and out. When my husband Jamie and I started our business 11 years ago, one of the first things we did was to create our company vision and mission statement. If you think about it, it is quite comical, two people leading a company of two, sitting down and crafting these ‘lofty’ statements. The reason why we did it was because we wanted to put down on paper the reasons we started the company in the first place. And when the goings got tough, I always remembered revisiting our vision and mission statement, and that kept me going, knowing there is a purpose in what I am doing and a purpose in what I am creating.

If you have not already done it, find out your “why”. Why are you doing what you are doing? And let that be your focus. As leaders move up in an organisation, they might take on new responsibilities that would move them away from what used to give them the highest job satisfaction. One of my dating consultants who used to derive her job satisfaction from matching her clients up successfully started to feel demotivated once she was promoted to be a manager as she was no longer working directly with the clients. However, with some soul-searching and a change of perspective, she is now doubly motivated as she sees that her new role can help her team to grow and achieve their career goals. More importantly, as leaders, we have to limit the down days to the minimum, use those times to reflect and sharpen the saw and come back stronger and better.

RYAN GOH

Vice President of Sales, Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific

eaders usually take pride in placing company before self. However, it is also important that they preserve their best self not only in the office, but also in their personal lives. My family members are the most important people in my life and are my source of inspiration. When the going gets tough, it is always great to have loved ones to be your steadying anchor and the driving force that motivates you. Money, promotions or awards don’t give the same emotional strength that can help you through hurdles at work. Exercise keeps the mind clear, fresh and recharged, and both mind and body will feel ready to tackle the next challenge that happens at work. I run 30 minutes on weekdays and go for longer

VIOLET LIM CEO & Co-Founder, LUNCH Actually Group

runs on Sundays as much as I can. It is important for leaders to translate these everyday principles into action within the workplace. When you have like-minded team members who have the same work philosophy, this form of unity among colleagues also serves to motivate the leaders themselves. I challenge my team to always raise the bar and test themselves at work, but I also remind them that worklife balance is of utmost importance while they pursue their career goals. Work is a like a metal ball, and can become deadweight when it takes over a large part of your life. Luckily, health and family are crystal balls that can help you stay optimistic, and help you see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

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THE RECRUITMENT SPECIAL RECRUITMENT PLANNING 101 OWN TIME, OWN TARGET: HIRING FREELANCERS PANNING FOR GOLD: SCREENING CVS THE BIG DEBATE – EDUCATION VS. EXPERIENCE ISSUE 15.2

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RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

STRATEGY

RECRUITMENT PLANNING “W

hy does it take HR so long to hire a marketing manager? Just put out an advert - tons of people wants to work for us.” A client asked me this over lunch recently. It was a rhetorical question and I knew she wasn’t really expecting a response. “It’s why people like us have a job,” I quipped.

Adopting a long term view Many companies approach recruitment as they would refill their dishwashing liquid: they pick up a new bottle from the supermarket when the old one is used up. However, this approach is simply unsustainable. Talent acquisition is not exactly rocket science, but to do it well you do need to plan ahead. One of the tenets of recruitment I adhere to is “do it 18 ISSUE 15.2

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101

Organisations that want to hire the best talent need to adopt a more strategic and long term approach towards their recruitment process, writes Wendy Cheong, Practice Director - Pharmaceutical/Life Sciences & Engineering, Berkley Recruitment Group

right the first time”. The cost of hiring the wrong person can ruin a business, and sometimes in the frantic rush to fill a position, we have the mentality of getting it over and done with. It takes on average twelve weeks to fill a position; at least six weeks to source, screen and interview applicants, and another four to six weeks to make the offer and serve the notice period, if not longer. Over that period of time, what is the cost to the organisation? We are talking about reduced productivity

and opportunity costs; one less person to do the job and both HR and hiring managers having to set aside time screening and interviewing. Then there is the morale of the existing team and initial teething issues when the new person is on board. It will arguably be at least six months before the ripples smooth themselves out. Imagine, then, that the wrong hire is made. The above process will repeat itself, to the detriment of the team and the company’s investment. So what can HR do to lower the impact of these inevitable disruptions? Consider having a more holistic approach to recruitment. Talk to business leaders to understand the company’s mid to long-term goals. From here, we can take a pulse check on both internal and external talent

STRATEGY

pipelines. Find out where the pain points are and identify any underlying issues that prevent the organisation from hiring people with the best fit.

Boost your employer brand HR may design the framework and execute the policies and processes, but recruitment involves the entire organisation. When you have the main strategy finalised, communicate it to the rest of the business, and work with domain specialists to craft the plans in detail. Take, for example, employer

branding. In this digital age, one can ill-afford to have weak employer branding or a poor online presence. Indeed, many companies today recognise that a strong branding and clear employer value proposition (EVP) can be the deciding factors to being an employer of choice for top talent. Do note that an effective EVP goes beyond just a catchy tagline. Yes, Adidas’ “Shape the future of sports” makes it clear to potential jobseekers that sports needs to be in their DNA. SingTel says it wants to “Connect and

RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

grow”, but does the company really deliver this culture? Ask yourself what your EVP is and find out if your employees identify with those values. Perhaps it’s time to work with corporate communications and find out in the next employee satisfaction survey. While coffee was being served, I took out my iPad and logged on to Glassdoor.com - a peer review website that allows employees to anonymously post and rate their interview experiences, salaries and work ISSUE 15.2

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STRATEGY environment. My client’s organisation had over 100 reviews, of which four were from Singapore and were not exactly flattering. “But it’s just four lousy reviews out of 500 employees. Surely this won’t affect our ability to attract applications,” she guessed. This generation of employees are the most tech savvy we have ever seen, and opinions form quickly online with few avenues for employers to address every single piece of feedback. We can’t stop disgruntled employees from posting negative reviews, but having a strong and positive brand name will definitely diffuse the impact.

Review your resources Once business goals, directions and the EVP is clarified, a standard SWOT analysis will be helpful in determining the amount of resources needed to cope with workloads and expectations. Ask if the current application tracking system (ATS) is efficient in engaging candidates and well-integrated into the rest of the HR systems. Or is it just a glorified database? A good ATS must be simple, intuitive, and require as few clicks as possible to perform its core functions of posting jobs, screening applications and communicating with candidates. The recruitment team may also benefit from receiving training in more sophisticated tools and practices. Remember that extending a job offer is an art; the better you communicate, the higher the chances of acceptance. I know of a client who complained of constantly facing protracted recruitment cycles and botched job offers. In the end, the business hired a third party to audit its HR processes and uncovered many gaps which were sufficiently addressed with minimal costs. If, for example, your organisation has an operational excellence champion, make sure you utilise this valuable resource.

RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

“A good recruiter will be able to tweak the hiring strategy according to the position”

Wendy Cheong

Practice Director - Pharmaceutical/Life Sciences & Engineering, Berkley Recruitment Group

Reaching out Also make sure that you are aware of where your hires are commonly sourced from. Referrals can be a very good source of suitable candidates, after all people only recommend those they want to work with. It can also be a very good indication of employee satisfaction. Again, the entire organisation can be involved if there is a robust referral programme in place. There are many job boards in the market, and each may attract a different pool of people. Know what each of their strengths are and how they can add value to your branding.

Other sourcing efforts, such as networking, recruitment agencies and social media, can also prove to be effective. A good recruiter will be able to tweak the hiring strategy according to the position. Finally, as with all plans, set measurable targets so that progress, milestones and achievements can be tracked. Metrics such as retention rates, turnaround, cost per hire, brand visibility and success cases should be charted and regularly shared with the business. It’s a reminder that recruitment is an ongoing battle in the war for talent.

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RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

THE BIG DEBATE EDUCATION VS. EXPERIENCE Employers in Singapore are being encouraged to judge workers for their skills and job performance, rather than chase formal qualifications. HRM finds out what recruiters think

Shalini Shukla-Pandey shalini@hrmasia.com.sg

n last year’s National Day Rally Speech last year, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee said employers should focus on job candidates’ skills and job performance, instead of their qualifications, when assessing them. “Employers must value their staff and develop them to take on higher responsibilities and with the right support at work, you can advance in your careers, whether or not you are a graduate,” Lee said during the rally. “As Singapore places less emphasis

on this ‘paper chase’, it will likely witness marked growth in job creation and career opportunities for the larger demographic,” he said. Sanjay Modi, Managing Director – India, Middle East, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong – Monster.com says the job seaerch engine has come across many candidates who aren’t ‘book smart’ or lack the ability to pursue higher education, but many possess valuable skills honed through years of experience and practice. “Aided by advances in

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TALENT MANAGEMENT recruitment technology and a growing economy, they can rightfully expect more opportunities,” he says. Jason Liang, Assistant Director, The GMP Group, believes that experience can be regarded in the same way as a paper qualification. “If you look at some of the greatest minds in today’s business world, some left university without completing their studies while others went on to build very successful companies worldwide. “This is not to say paper qualifications are not important,” he adds. “Paper qualifications provide an understanding of theory but it is that application of theory and how it is turned into industry experience that matters most.” Paper qualifications are also used as a measure of intelligence, a start in working life, says Liang. “As the saying goes, ‘knowledge is power’.” Although paper qualifications can be used as a deciding factor in selecting a candidate, employers are becoming more focused on experience as well as soft skills. “It really depends on the company’s degree of needs and their business functions,” says Liang. Based on her experience in the private as well as public sector, Low Peck Kem, Chief HR Officer and Senior Director (Business Partnerships) of the Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office, says employers generally assess candidates’ suitability for hire based on the right skills, relevant experiences, appropriate qualifications and at the right price to fill their vacancies. More often than not, the factors are generally in that order of priority, she says. “Organisations which are performance-based and not purely seniority-based, would focus on employees’ performance and the skill level needed to perform at a higher level of achievement,” says Low. “In such organisations, compensation and rewards tend to be more results–, performance- and skills-based rather than qualifications-based,” she

explains. “The relevant qualifications are usually used as a proxy to determine if the candidate has the right education and training to perform a job, such as an engineering degree or diploma for an engineer’s role. “However, once a candidate gets his/ her foot into the door or is being hired, paper qualifications hardly matter unless higher qualification is required to meet higher level job expectations.” Similar to the private sector, the Singapore Public Service hires officers based on merit so that the most suitable candidate is selected for the job. For new job seekers at entry-level jobs, educational qualifications serve

RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

as a proxy for the competencies needed for these roles. Hence, recruitment for certain jobs or job levels have specified a university degree, while a degree is not required for other jobs or job levels.

Are degrees and diplomas now obsolete? As long as you are gaining knowledge in a subject of your interest, diplomas and degrees are still relevant rites of passage, says Modi. “Education provides exposure, knowledge and perspective, with each level of education offering new learning experiences. “For employers, it continues to be an indication of candidates who have proven a certain level of ability and perseverance,

Degree-holders risk losing jobs The GMP Group recently reported that degree-holders faced the greatest risk of losing their jobs. In the last two years, degree-holders have been found to be the most vulnerable to redundancy and downsizing. Since 2011, they have also made up a higher proportion of residents made redundant than among all resident workers. Experts suggest three reasons for this: jobs lost in restructuring tend to be held by graduates, a greater demand for non-academic skills; and substitution from skilled foreign labour. Studies by the Ministry of Manpower have revealed that among Singapore residents, degreeholders made up 39% of workers who were laid off last year, but only 34% of all employees. “When a company goes through retrenchment, the more senior you are in a company, the more difficult it will be to find another job,” says Jason Liang, Assistant Director, the GMP Group. “Some of the roles which are typically affected by retrenchment are filled by degree-holders.” As more and more degree-holders flood the market each year, retrenched professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) compete with these new graduates or foreign PMETS for job opportunities. PMETS who generally command higher salaries will not be in favour compared to foreign skilled PMETS who command lower wages and are often also equipped with better skill sets. An example of such an industry will is IT. Degree-holders who are not attuned to technological advancements will find themselves vulnerable in tough times as new graduates will be equipped with better advancement skillsets. “It takes two hands to clap. Degree-holders must be willing to undergo training constantly to upgrade their skills and employers on the other hand, should encourage employment of those lacking degrees,” says Liang. “With such a mind-set, these PMETS (who are generally degree-holders) should not have to worry in vulnerable times.” With the government pushing for employers to look beyond paper qualifications when appraising staff, those with experience (and whom have hit the glass ceiling) now have another window of opportunity in career progression. “This will definitely enhance staff retention and loyalty to the company,” Liang explains. “These are the people who can provide the company advice, picking from their wealth of experience as compared to those with just paper qualifications, who may only have these ideas in theory. “So from this perspective, it may turn out to be a win-win situation for both employer and employee,” he concludes.

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TALENT MANAGEMENT

Government leads by example The Singapore Government is taking the lead in giving non-graduate employees a leg-up. Nongraduates in the Public Service have been enjoying faster career progression since October last year. They can receive their first promotions after working for two to four years, compared to the previous three to six years. Subsequent promotions will also be fast-tracked if the officers continue to shine. The government intends to merge more of what used to be separate graduate and non-graduate schemes of service into integrated schemes. In these schemes, officers might start at different entry points, but thereafter, they will progress according to their demonstrated performance and the ability to take on larger responsibilities, regardless of their starting point or education qualifications. All officers are given training to acquire the right competencies and knowledge to do their jobs well. The People’s Association, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Home Affairs already have such integrated schemes of service. “We do recognise that different people bring forth different skills sets and every role is valued within the public service,” says Low Peck Kem, Chief HR Officer and Senior Director of the Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office. “As our officers acquire more experiences and skills, they will be managed based on a common progression path which gives them due recognition for their performance and contributions. They won’t be capped to an arbitrary ceiling based on qualifications. “We will continue to provide more opportunities to support the aspirations of all our officers, graduates as well as non-graduates, and will continue to reward all officers who show good performance and readiness to take on larger roles,” Low says.

and provides the base standard to choose talent from,” he explains. Indeed, a degree or diploma acts like an easy filter when assessing work applicants, says Liang. “A lot of employers spend more time looking at academic background and less time looking at work experience,” he explains. “This is especially so for entry-level positions.” There are, of course, exceptions. Academic training is certainly important in medicine, law and engineering. “In these cases, any employer will require that candidates meet those accreditation requirements,” says Low. While employers focus on skills and performance, a relevant degree or diploma is still important to get a candidate ready and “employable”, says Low. “Also, it gives potential employers a good indication of their areas of interest, their career aspirations and assesses them based on their experiences in the polytechnics or universities. “How else do you differentiate between a scientist and an accountant?” Apart from academic results, extracurricular activities during the course of study also give interviewers insights into a candidate’s leadership qualities, values and whole-person qualities, she adds. “Therefore, paper qualifications, as in a degree or diploma, are definitely not obsolete,” Low concludes.

Giving a fair chance Organisational cultures sometimes do determine if there is any fair chance at career advancement. “The structure which some companies thrive in may not see any reason to adopt changes to suit non-graduate career advancement,” Liang explains. “Very often, these non-graduates will hit the glass ceiling at an early stage of their career. On the other hand, companies which value experience over qualifications may advance non-graduates faster in their career progression.” The first step towards ensuring fair weight is given to both qualifications 26 ISSUE 15.2

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TALENT MANAGEMENT and skills is listing an accurate job description in the recruitment process, says Modi. “HR should seriously consider candidates who possess required experience and submit outstanding applications, even if they are lacking in qualifications,” he adds. “The hiring process can be supported through tests and skills assessments to verify a candidate’s suitability for the role.” As HR tries to find the most effective way to attract, retain, and motivate their workforce in today’s tight labour market, it is important to ensure that it does not lose potential talent through a broad-based screening process focused only on paper qualifications, says Low. “HR needs to look beyond what is indicated in the job description and ask if indeed the job requires that level of ‘minimum qualification’,” she explains. “Could the job be done

RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

CASE STUDY

Nanyang Polytechnic Without a formal degree, Loy Chui Hong, Senior Lecturer – School of Engineering, Nanyang Polytechnic has still progressed steadily and found the past two decades at the tertiary institution to be very fulfilling. “I started my career in NYP as a Technical Officer at the School of Engineering. I soon discovered my passion for teaching, and am grateful that the Polytechnic sent me for relevant training and gave me various opportunities to hone my skills in this area,” says Loy. “With NYP’s support, I completed a Certificate in Teaching & Learning and an Advanced Diploma in Computer Studies. I love engaging and interacting with the students. I will continue to nurture and inspire them to excel in their chosen field of study.” with someone with relevant skills and experiences, though without the ‘minimum qualification’?” HR will need to brand their organisations as “choice employers” with equal opportunity values, Low adds. “In today’s context, where it is an

employees’ market, talent will easily move to another organisation that will value them for their skills and experiences and not be hung up on their paper qualifications,” Low concludes. “Clearly, you know the ones who will win talent.”

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RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

FREELANCERS

OWN TIME, Freelancing is becoming increasingly popular among nimble employees looking to engage in multiple projects simultaneously. Why are employers and employees alike enticed by this world? HRM profiles the emerging freelance fad

Sham Majid sham@hrmasia.com.sg

an you pinpoint the difference between a freelancer and a part-timer? If you are befuddled by the distinction between the two, you are probably not alone. “The confusion is caused by a misunderstanding of the two terms,” says Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays in Asia. “Freelancers are less common than parttimers so sometimes people aren’t familiar with what is involved in freelance work.” 28 ISSUE 15.2

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FREELANCERS

RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

OWN TARGET One thing for certain though is the increasing pertinence of freelance in the working sphere; in Randstad’s fourth quarter 2014 Workmonitor report, 53% of Singapore employees acknowledged that firms were progressively recruiting freelance talent for specific tasks.

Spotting the differences So what are the distinctive variances between freelancing and working part-time? Wright explains the key difference between freelancers and part-time employees is that freelancers offer specific services for a negotiated rate and time period, whereas part-timers usually clock in standard or set hours weekly, obtain holiday and sick pay, and are deemed to be permanent workers of the employer. “Otherwise known as ‘independent contractors’, freelancers bear the risk for making a profit or loss on each task as well as the responsibility and liability for poor work or injuries sustained while performing the task,” says Wright. “As such, contractors generally have their own insurance policy. Freelancers also usually pay their own pension contributions, tax and use their own tools and equipment, and do not receive paid leave.” The up-side, Wright says, is that freelancers can enjoy very flexible working arrangements as well as a greater level of control over their workloads. “This can promote a fulfilling work-life balance,” she says. At the other end of the spectrum, Wright

says part-time workers are themselves becoming an increasingly important part of organisations’ permanent workforces. “They perform work under the direction and control of their employer on an ongoing basis and bear no financial risk,” she says. “They receive a set weekly wage each week, are entitled to pension contributions, holiday pay and sick leave.” Echoing Wright’s sentiment is Dan Spencer, Chief Talent Officer, Asia Pacific, Saatchi & Saatchi. “Freelancers are engaged on a contract basis for a fixed term which naturally makes it more challenging for them to take the same level of ownership and be as passionate about the bigger picture as our employees,” says Spencer. However, Spencer says this does not mean freelancers do not add any value or understand the bigger picture of the global communications and advertising agency network. “We try very hard to recruit the best freelancers; people who are able to hit the ground running and are closely aligned to Saatchi & Saatchi,” he says. Figo Fuad, Chief of production house The Moving Images Company, also highlights the difference in project types between freelancers and part-timers. “Freelancers tend to be attached to a particular project, whereas part-timers work on a variety of projects on a timed basis,” says Fuad.

Prevalence of freelancers While many organisations have a fixed workforce in their ranks, for several

industries, particularly in the creative and media sectors, freelancers are also a permanent fixture. According to Spencer, “it’s the nature of the industry.” “For the most part, we’d prefer to have full-time employees but the reality is that most agencies have retained clients and few project-based clients,” he explains. “To service certain clients’ needs, sometimes you need to bring in freelancers to help cope with the workload.” In the case of Saatchi & Saatchi, Spencer says the prevalence of freelancers varies according to the project, but the majority would be involved in creative and production tasks. Fuad says The Moving Images Company engages the help of freelancers when the workload gets too much to handle for their in-house talents and full-timers. “Another instance is when we require people with specific skillsets that are not required on a regular basis,” he explains. Fuad adds freelancers in The Moving Images Company are required to edit and animate, assisting the full-timers on staff. “The tasks we engage freelancers for often require advanced or specific skillsets, such as detailed 3D animation, to fill in production-related roles, makeup or voiceover talents,” he elaborates. While Spencer says his organisation would prefer a workforce that comprised of all full-time employees, freelancers can be attractive if suitable for the client and if found to be a good fit for the project, or during particularly demanding times of the year. ISSUE 15.2

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RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

FREELANCERS

REVEALED: Five freelancer categories The Freelancing in America: A National Survey of the New Workforce study, conducted last year by the independent research firm Edelman Berland, found five distinct freelancer segments in the market. They are: • Independent Contractors (40% of the independent workforce in the US) – These “traditional” freelancers do not possess an employer and instead engage in freelance, temporary or supplemental work on a project-to-project basis • Moonlighters (27%) – Professionals with a primary, traditional employment who also moonlight by engaging in freelance work. • Diversified Workers (18%) – People with multiple sources of salary from a mix of traditional employers and freelance work. • Temporary Workers (10%) – Individuals with a single employer, client, job or contract project where their status is temporary. • Freelance Business Owners (5%) – Business owners with between one and five employees who consider themselves both a freelancer and a business owner. “The pool of freelancers is limited and it can be a challenge finding the right freelancer in a short time frame,” he adds.

Freelancers from an HR angle From an HR perspective, Wright says freelance and temporary workers offer employers a flexible alternative to permanent staff who can help fill shortterm and longer contracts, and whose expertise can be used for special projects. “Flexibility is the key here as freelancers can be engaged and released at short notice and as workloads require,” elaborates Wright. “They also allow an employer to overcome permanent headcount freezes.” Another bonus of using freelance and temporary workers is the relief it can provide permanent staff, Wright adds. Sixty percent of the employers surveyed in the 2014 Hays Salary Guide claimed it was one of the benefits they liked, she says. “Rather than continuously redistributing work between current permanent employees, which can reduce productivity, increase stress and may negatively impact on health and safety, temporary resources can instead support a permanent team,” she notes. Spencer says freelancers are best utilised when there is a shortage in resources, not just to fill skills gaps. “Being clear on our current skills gaps 30 ISSUE 15.2

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and identifying what we need for the future forms part of our longer-term talent strategy and is a critical factor when recruiting, attracting and retaining talent,” he explains. “The industry is evolving very quickly. We want to ensure that we are investing in top talent that have the skills that are relevant to the business today, but also setting ourselves up for the future.”

Endorsing freelance credentials Expediting the output of projects and smoothing workflows are key factors in the recruitment of freelancers, affirms Fuad. “Freelancers fill roles related to projects that our current manpower cannot fill, especially if we require niche talents or skillsets that we do not normally require in our day-to-day operations,” he says. In addition, he adds freelancers often provide quick, temporary and affordable solutions to manpower woes. Wright says freelancers are affordable as they often work from home and do not have a lot of overhead costs. They can therefore offer competitive rates. “They are also very flexible regarding the hours they work so can often be used to help companies meet deadlines or finish assignments out of normal office hours,” she explains. Furthermore, Wright cites that good freelancers are generally inculcated with

lots of experience and skills; hence, employers can benefit enormously from their involvement. “They usually require the minimum amount of training and are able to make a valuable contribution to a company in a short space of time,” she adds. Spencer also says freelancers can help Saatchi & Saatchi tap into talent pools the company may not yet be aware of. “The more connections you have with top talent, the better,” he says. “It’s important that we ensure their time with us is challenging and enjoyable so they refer candidates to us or come back if the need arises.” Spencer adds a talented freelancer can make a “huge impact in a short space of time”. “Like a new full time employee, they can bring additional complimentary energy to the agency and contribute a fresh perspective to a certain project, which in turn helps facilitate creativity,” he surmises.

Juggling the costs While Fuad maintains that freelancers are roped in to fill in skills gaps, he says they also have to fit into the project budget. “To balance our finances, as well as ensure a smooth workflow, they are chosen based on how well they are able to meet our needs,” says Fuad. Wright, on the other hand, argues that compensation and benefits’ aspects should not be a barrier for companies looking to secure the services of freelancers. “Companies can negotiate the terms and conditions when hiring freelancers so there is no need for this to be a sticking point,” she explains. Nevertheless, Spencer reveals that compensation is always a factor when it comes to hiring freelancers. “From my observations, those who prefer to freelance do so because they like having the flexibility on when and where they would like to work,” he says. “Freelancing does not necessarily entitle them to the same benefits as full time employees so there is an obvious trade off.”

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Featured speakers: Gen Mckenzie Senior Vice President Human Capital SILVERNEEDLE HOSPITALITY

Lisa Duty Head of Communications, Culture and Engagement EXPERIAN

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Contact Me to Register: Joshni John | Tel: (65) 6423 4631 | Email: joshni@hrmasia.com.sg

RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

SCREENING RESUMES

PANNING FOR

GOLD

Sifting through hundreds of résumés for a single position both quickly and fairly can be one of the toughest jobs in HR. Femke Hellemons, Country Manager, Adecco Singapore offers this advice

R teams can receive up to a 100 résumés a day. So how do they do it? And the big question is, how should they be doing it? Everyone has a certain methodology of handpicking the crème de la crème of candidates through a mountain of résumés but here is our two cents’ worth on the subject. 32 ISSUE 15.2

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Before commencing any résumé screening, it is critical for the HR personnel to have a good understanding of the role they are hiring for, the full function of the job and the key traits that the new employee should possess. They do this by reviewing the job description or employee profile to understand who their company needs

to hire and why. Have a quick meet-up with the manager of the department that is hiring, find out their wish list and dissect the job description to align everyone’s expectations. At this stage, communication is key. As a match-maker between the jobseeker and the team that is looking to hire, HR needs to have an acute

SCREENING RESUMES

RECRUITMENT SPECIAL

“The HR team should always aim to identify potential gaps and questions throughout the screening”

Femke Hellemons Country Manager, Adecco Singapore

understanding and clarity of the role. These include the right competencies, skills sets, relevant experiences and the industry profile. From understanding the brief, the HR then turns to the résumés with the intention of shortlisting the cream of the crop for interview. How do they do this? First of all, scan the presentation of each résumé. Presentation of a résumé also crafts an overall impression of the candidate which plays a part in identifying some traits such as:

• Attention to detail; • Consistency; and • Logic. Experienced hiring managers are able to sieve the good ones in less than a minute. From the template used to the way the information is presented – these reveal impressions that can often be overlooked by the candidate. Reviewing the choice of words, grammar, lack of spelling mistakes and the accuracy of information are also some of the ways to identify the jobseeker’s professionalism and attention to detail. Once the better résumés have been set aside for consideration, some forms of basic criteria such as the candidate’s total years of experience and qualifications are then used to go through the first round of elimination. A certain amount of time should be spent vetting through the skill-sets to derive the level of job fit and the potential value-add each candidate brings to the table. Often, this is linked back to address the ‘wish list’ of selection criteria from the manager of the department that is hiring. This review process requires serious consideration in selecting valuable criteria in comparing the best candidates once it comes to the final countdown. Once the best candidates have been shortlisted from their résumés, it is not uncommon for HR to do a background check on their potential employee. What is their employment history like? Are

they committed to their teams? Or do the short stints in positions in their résumé suggest that they could be job hoppers? While job hopping may cause a red a flag in background checks, HR should never assume – and always give candidates a call to clarify information before making inferential leaps. In today’s digitally-connected world, it is also good to know that social media checks are very common – be it on a candidate’s LinkedIn or Facebook profiles, or even by doing a Google search of their name to check their online presence. The candidate’s portrayal of themselves online through the content of their posts and photos are taken into account. Social networks might also provide HR with an insight to see how each potential recruit is connected and to whom. This might lead to a valuable recommendation of the candidate, if the recruiter has mutual connections. The HR team should always aim to identify potential gaps and questions throughout the screening. The extensiveness of the selection process is highly dependent on factors such as the nature of the job, the number of applicants and the size of the organisation. Therefore, the importance of having a systematic approach towards screening résumés should not be undermined as effective employee selection forms a critical component in an organisation’s success. At such a critical juncture of the hiring process, the ball will be in HR’s court. ISSUE 15.2

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NAOMI SIMSON

TAKING

FLIGHT

A good leader knows when to take a step back and let the business grow. In this exclusive interview, Naomi Simson, Founding Director of RedBalloon, shares how her gift experience business overcame its early hurdles to become one of Australia’s best places to work

Sumathi V Selvaretnam sumathi@hrmasia.com.sg

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In 2006, RedBalloon had a staff turnover of 60%. What are some signs of a poor work environment? How did you fix it and encourage employees to stick with RedBalloon? The biggest drivers of employee productivity are strong relationships with managers; trust and belief in leaders; and feeling valued. It comes as no surprise that four in five Australians aren’t engaged in their workplace, and back in 2006 this was something I had to fix. Just under 10 years ago, one of my employees said to me, “You love this baby so much, you’re going to kill it”. That’s because I had become the absolute bottleneck. Everyone had to listen to me and report to me. She said, “You have to step aside now, because you’re very hard to work with – you have all these great ideas and you’re so enthusiastic that people

can’t keep up with you”. That was really confronting but at the same time, really helpful. If I had been offended, not listened, or just said, “Well, bad luck”, there’s no way the business would be what it is today. It was a very unpleasant conversation at the time, but I fixed the issue by getting out of my own way and trusting people to do the jobs they had been hired to do. The employee who gave me that feedback is still at RedBalloon today, and so am I. And the company is stronger for it.

Start-ups often cannot afford the luxury of having a full HR team. How did hiring your first HR professional prove to be a game changer for RedBalloon? It’s important to know how to get out of your own way, and to realise that you don’t necessarily have all the skills

NAOMI SIMSON

ABOUT THE SPEAKER Entrepreneur, speaker, director, chair, mother, author, blogger and innovator – Naomi Simson founded RedBalloon in 2001 with a simple idea, a lot of persistence, and a drive to make the world a happier place. Since then, the organisation has sold more than two million experiences and has been named a BRW Great Place to Work five years in a row. Naomi received the 2008 National Telstra Business Women›s Awards for Innovation and the 2011 Ernst and Young Industry Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She shares her insights at naomisimson. com – rated one of Australia’s top 15 Best Business Blogs – and is a LinkedIn Influencer with close to a million followers.

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NAOMI SIMSON

“The biggest drivers of employee productivity are strong relationships with managers; trust and belief in leaders; and feeling valued” needed to do everything yourself. I don’t know a thing about performance reviews and job descriptions and health and safety – so I needed to find someone who could do those things because they’re very, very important. We hired our Head of Employee Experience Megan Bromley and haven’t looked back since. In 2007, one year after hiring Megan, RedBalloon’s growth rate skyrocketed to 60% – it remains a company record. Within four years, we had brought out turnover rate back down to industry standard levels and achieved our first of five appearances in the BRW Best Places to Work list.

Employees are often motivated by different things. How did you find out what motivates your staff and keep everyone happy? It’s simple – I asked! At RedBalloon we acknowledge that not everyone likes being recognised in the same way, and while being acknowledged in a big and public way can sometimes be nice, we find it’s often the little and private moments of thanks that can have the biggest impact. We use an online platform called Bamboo HR. Every employee has a customisable ‘favourites’ tab, where 36 ISSUE 15.2

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they can document their favourite foods, beverages, shops and how they like to be recognised. I know that our PR executive Claire likes lattes with one sugar, and our Technical Team leader Klaus’ favourite book is Moby Dick.

How do you ensure that employee rewards are meaningful and impactful, not just lip service? You have to ensure that your recognition programme is directly linked to your company values. We use Redii (recognition software platform), and aim to recognise every employee at least eight times per year. Our team leaders are equipped with the tools they need to deliver recognition and they take the time to really get to know their people. This means they deliver the kind of recognition that resonates with each individual. The feedback and engagement of our people shows a clear link between the investment in our recognition and reward programme and the strong business performance we have delivered year after year – our Employee Net Promoter Score is currently 90%. A successful recognition and reward programme like Redii isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ – it is essential to responsible business strategy.

Why is succession planning and delegation so critical for success? Why did you decide to pass on the CEO torch to Kristie Buchanan? When I made the decision to hand over the CEO reins, it was a well-considered one. After all, I was handing over my baby, and wanted to ensure that the legacy of what I had created would live on. I moved to the role of Founding Director several years ago, and our new CEO Kristie Buchanan has well and truly put her stamp on the business since then. She is leading us into our next phase of growth. As I mentioned previously, it’s important to know when to get out of your own way. When it comes to Kristie and I, our differences are our strengths. Where my strength is in vision, Kristie’s is in planning and execution – we make a great team. We are both passionate about people in different ways. I love to connect with as many people as possible and see every interaction as an opportunity, but Kristie is a good filter – she loves to be inside the business, actively shaping the culture and getting to know people deeply.

How did hiring for cultural fit improve your retention rates?

Recruitment at RedBalloon is based on a formula of 50% cultural fit and 50% technical alignment. First and foremost we recruit people who live or align with our five values: integrity, generosity, leadership, a sense of humour and fun, and being a little dog with a big dog personality. If we share the same values, then we work better (and harder) together. What we look for more than anything is happy people.

What do you look forward to the most at your HR Summit session in Singapore? I’m looking forward to sharing all of the lessons I’ve learnt over the years with a new audience. I’m also looking forward to learning from others at the Summit.

NAOMI SIMSON

Catch Naomi Simson at the Spire HR Summit 2015

So You Want To Be An Employer Of Choice? From its humble beginnings in Naomi Simson’s front room in an inner suburb of Sydney to becoming a much loved Australian brand, Simson will share what she believes have been the key drivers behind RedBalloon’s successful and sustainable growth. RedBalloon is fast changing gifting in Australia, having sold more than two million experiences since 2001. After having created and grown the organisation, as well as mastered the arts of succession planning and delegation, Simson learnt that the secret to becoming an employer of choice had little to do with winning awards or getting a plaque to display in your office. In this enlightening and informative session, Simson will give you the tools to change a poor workplace environment, low engagement levels, high attrition and low productivity, and show you how to attract, optimise and retain the right talent by creating an award-winning culture.

TOP THREE TAKEAWAYS from Naomi Simson’s Spire HR Summit session

• The three critical elements to building the foundations for a successful business • Why one business may thrive, while another in the same field may not • Best practice and proven strategies used by best employers For more information, please visit

www.hrsummit.com.sg

Naomi Simson

Founding Director, RedBalloon

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Is It Time to Split HR? Understand How Your Company Really Works & What the CEO Wants You to Know Ram Charan Global Advisor to CEOs & Business Guru

Produce Immediate Breakthrough Results - How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be Jack Canfield America’s #1 Success Coach, Peak Performance Strategist & Co-Founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul

So You Want To Be An Employer Of Choice? Naomi Simson Founding Director, RedBalloon

From the Ground Up - FedEx’s MD Speaks Khoo Seng-Thiam Managing Director, FedEx Express

Boost Organisational and Employee Success with Durability Derrick McManus Author, Performance Coach & International Speaker

No Excuses: How you Can Turn Any Workplace Into a Great One Jennifer Robin Author & International Speaker

Become a Consultative Partner in Your Organisation Through HR Measurements and Analytics Oberdan Marianetti Global Head of Learning Corporate & Institutional Clients and Corporate Finance Standard Chartered Bank

HR Evolution - Building Your HR Teams’ Core Competencies for the 21st Century Eugene Lam HR Leader, Asia Pacific Juniper Networks

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HR INSIDER

WANTED A PIONEERING SPIRIT American biotechnology firm Amgen launched its ambitious new Singapore facility in November last year. Its HR Director, Phua King Song, reveals more about the company’s journey in hiring its first crop of highly-skilled talent

ingapore is fast becoming a hot spot for cutting edge pharmaceutical research and manufacturing. The burgeoning industry has seen investment of more than $3 billion to date, with 6,000 jobs created as a result. Amgen is the ninth biologics player to set up a facility in Singapore. Located at Tuas Biomedical Park, the next-generation bio-manufacturing plant is the company’s first investment in Asia. Biologics refers to a field in biomanufacturing in which medicines are made from living organisms. At

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its Singapore facility, Amgen plans to produce a medicinal substance that can be used to treat bone conditions such as osteoporosis. Amgen also recently announced the construction of another facility in Singapore. This upcoming plant will produce an active ingredient used to treat myeloma, a type of cancer. As biotechnology is a relatively new field in Singapore, one of the main HR challenges faced by Amgen has been finding candidates with the requisite skills, qualities and, ideally, experience in the industry, says Phua King Song, HR Director, Amgen Singapore.

Sumathi V Selvaretnam sumathi@hrmasia.com.sg

The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) has been extremely successful in its drive to grow the biotechnology industry here, Phua shares. “While this is very encouraging, it also means increased competition for an already limited talent pool,” he says. To address this, the EDB recently announced a Sectoral Manpower Development Plan, to help develop the workforce for the biologics manufacturing industry. A further challenge faced by Amgen is the fact that its particular bio-manufacturing strategy

HR INSIDER

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HR INSIDER

requires a more complex skillset than a conventional facility. “Being the first of its kind, we have little prior expertise to fall back on and our employees will need to have as much pioneering spirit as scientific understanding,” Phua says. Amgen Singapore has hired around 75 local staff so far, and is looking to increase that pool to 125 by year-end. It plans to hire as many as 200 staff in the coming years. “Many of these roles are highly-skilled manufacturing, quality, and operations positions that align with the EDB’s focus on

expanding the biomedical industry in Singapore,” Phua says.

Netting the best Amgen has been casting its talent net wide in its quest to get the best candidates. In Singapore, it is focusing on recruiting talented graduates from the local universities and polytechnics through career fairs and speaking opportunities. “We are continually impressed both by the quality of the science and engineering programmes offered here and the high calibre of the

graduates that they produce,” Phua said. Employees referrals is another channel that is proving to be effective. “We also made use of recruiting advertisements and search firms but have found that a particularly effective tactic is incentivising staff to recommend people whom they find suitable for the job,” Phua says. During the initial round of hiring, Amgen received around 1,400 resumes, conducted 300 interviews and ultimately hired about 20 staff members. “These people were chosen because they stood out from their peers

WHO’S WHO

KIMBALL HALL

Vice President, Manufacturing and Singapore Site Head

MATT SHIELDS

Executive Director, Manufacturing

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PHUA KING SONG

Director, Human Resources

HR INSIDER

in terms of technical aptitude and other important traits including flexibility, communication skills, teamwork, willingness to take on larger roles and willingness to work with different technologies,” explains Phua. According to Phua, the potential competitive edge that NextGeneration Biomanufacturing offers has not been lost on local candidates and “this does play to our advantage.”

HR policies Amgen has incorporated the majority of its US HR policies into its local practices at the Singapore facility. The organisation’s Individual Development Plans (IDP) form a forward-looking effort that encourages all staff to take ownership of their individual development through creating a unique career plan. “Amgen sees every staff member as an asset and wants to ensure staff are motivated and their careers are aligned with their personal interests and Amgen’s goals,” Phua says. Staff achievements are measured and rewarded under the Managing Amgen’s Performance programme. Amgen also runs a mentoring programme that matches mentors and mentees based on their individual skill sets. While career development is important company-wide, there are tremendous opportunities for staff to develop and grow their careers at this specific site because of its innovative nature, says Phua. “The staff learn and grow together as the facility continues to grow. Beyond Singapore, our staff have the opportunity to move around the global Amgen network and apply their skills in our other facilities around the world,” he adds.

Fostering long-term growth Employees from Amgen Singapore get to tap on the knowledge and expertise of their counterparts in the US.

AT A GLANCE Total number of employees in Singapore: 75

Size of the HR Team (Singapore): Currently 1 full time on board, Amgen is in the process of hiring another member Key HR Focus Areas: Talent acquisition The first batch of staff members – all recent graduates – embarked on a year-long comprehensive training programme in the US. “This involved rotations at various locations to ensure staff were trained in all aspects of manufacturing, quality and compliance to meet our global standards of biomanufacturing,” Phua says. Amgen defined a unique training curriculum for these specialised jobs. “The staff attended a one-week orientation in Singapore followed by a one-month intensive training programme in our Rhode Island facility to master basic manufacturing skills,” shares Phua. This was followed by a rotation period in three groups that involved travelling to Amgen’s Seattle facility to learn about single-use equipment and other new technologies. Staff also visited the company’s Thousand Oaks headquarters in California to be introduced to Amgen’s cross-functional networks, including supply chain, clinical manufacturing facilities and other groups. On-the-floor training rounded out the year in Rhode Island. These staff were also part of an

Ambassador Programme where each staff member from Singapore was connected with an ambassador who personally helped them integrate into the US and provided mentorship for personal and career development. “Many of these staff members are still in touch with their ambassadors to this day,” Phua says.

Boosting productivity Amgen’s Singapore employees are equipped to manage the entire biomanufacturing process from start to finish. “The multiple breakthrough technologies used at this facility in Singapore allow the manufacturing process to be more streamlined and efficient than a conventional facility,” Phua says. Employees understand how all elements of the manufacturing process fit together. “As a result, they have a higher capability to troubleshoot and find innovative solutions. This enables them to collaborate more frequently and problem-solve in teams in order to make decisions faster and at a pace someone at a higher level would take,” Phua says. The design of the Amgen Singapore’s 120,000 square feet plant plays an important role in raising productivity. All processing takes place on a single level in a single suite, which differs from conventional facilities. “This arrangement greatly improves efficiency and facilitates future technologies. Additionally, windows are placed between the clean room and the logistics corridor allowing communication between the logistics and operating staff,” Phua says.

Total rewards

Amgen’s Total Rewards programme is benchmarked against leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Employees at Amgen receive a package, which includes competitive base pay and bonus opportunities, benefits, a good work environment and the chance to grow both financially and professionally.

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Ensuring talent sustainability in your organisation: Two key considerations

The recipe for success includes a balanced and dynamic ecosystem of positive talent mindsets combined with a strong talent management system, says Sophia Zhao, Research Scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®)

eyond providing the bare minimum of a talent management system, today’s VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) environment has created the necessity for organisations to view talent as a vital resource and have systems in place that deliver impact with lasting results. More crucially, the issue of talent sustainability reflects the organisation’s ability to continuously attract, develop and retain people with the capabilities and the commitment needed for current and future organisational success. Through a collaborative research between CCL and HRM Asia, we found two key factors that need to be considered when managing talent in the organisation. Contrary to popular belief, talent development is not the sole responsibility of the human resource department – a positive mindset throughout the organisation toward talent management is crucial. • Talent management responsibilities ought to be shared by the

entire organisation, with everyone playing a role in talent development, from senior management (advocating talent development practices), to line managers (identifying and developing talent) and employees (managing one’s personal growth and career progression). • The cultivation of a culture that encourages and rewards talent development behaviours is necessary. Employees should be given opportunities to develop their talent knowledge and skills. • In such a culture, coaching and mentoring behaviours are not only encouraged, but also become a natural part of what leaders do every day. Here, knowledge is shared; and learning is a collective process. Also, a well-designed talent management system is very important in contributing to organisational talent sustainability. • The system should consist of eight key elements (as shown in the Talent Sustainability Framework), and these eight elements

ought to be intertwined and embedded in the organisation’s talent strategy and talent culture. • To yield more significant results, equal emphasis has to be placed on each of the eight elements of the framework consistently. • Potential areas that tend to be neglected include the areas of having a leadership competency model, knowledge network, and a systematic sourcing and recruiting process. Systems within a talent strategy should be incorporated into the

business strategy because business success is dependent on talent. In addition, a positive talent mindset within the organisation will provide the support for a dynamic and sustainable talent ecosystem. CCL’s program for senior HR executives recognises that organisations need to strongly consider talent management in the bigger scheme of things. However challenging, it is necessary to understand how talent management is aligned with business strategy to support the organisation’s objectives to drive sustainability.

Sophia Zhao Research Scientist, Center for Creative Leadership Email: Zhaos@ccl.org Center for Creative Leadership, Asia Pacific Office 89 Science Park Drive, #03-07/08 The Rutherford (Lobby B), Singapore Science Park I, Singapore 118261 Tel: +65 6854 6000 Email: apac.ccl@ccl.org Web: www.ccl.org/apac ISSUE 15.2

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IN PERSON MARK FLETCHER

Director of Human Resources, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore How many years of HR experience?

I have 10 years of experience in HR. I began my foray into HR as a Training and Organizational Effectiveness Manager for The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, in 2004.

Why HR?

Being in HR was not a part of my career ambitions in my early years at the hotel. I wanted to be a Training Manager and communicated my interest to my Front Office Manager then. In 1999, I was given a Department Trainer role when the programme was launched companywide. My responsibilities were to on board (i.e. induct) all Ladies and Gentlemen (employees) at the Front Office, and administer all departmental related training. It was during this time that my interest in the training and development of people began to grow.

Why The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore?

I enjoy the work culture and people focus of the organisation. We have an ongoing practice of conducting daily line-ups (daily 20 minute briefing sessions before the start of each day/shift) which enables us to energise our company’s credo, motto and service values; all of which are imperative in guiding our ladies’ and gentlemen’s daily interactions with each other and with our guests.

Biggest achievement?

It would most definitely be my promotion to the Director of HR of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, in 2012. Again, it was never part of my plan to be head of HR and I pretty much grew into the role over the years with the support of my leaders and the organisation. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity and trust that they have placed in me.

After hours?

I listen to a lot of music and catch up on social media. On weekends, I watch English football on TV. Otherwise, I have a packed schedule on most days and the only place I look forward to after a long day at work, is home.

Family?

My wife Jane has been my pillar of strength and support throughout my career. We will be celebrating our 15th year together in February 2015. My son Leighton is 10-years-old and my daughter LeAnn is seven-years-old.

BOOK REVIEW

Going gaga over employer branding E

ver marvelled at how global organisations craft their employer brand to perfection and wished you could follow in their footsteps? Have you ever wondered how you can conceptualise and strategically position your company as a much sought-after employer? If you are intending to embark on this task, then the book, Employer Brand Management: Practical Lessons from the World’s Leading Employers, is the most pertinent read for you. Precocious and highly driven employees are key elements of a successful organisation, and the techniques and tips in this book help entice, hire and keep the very best talents. Author Richard Mosley provides compelling personal insights on a new method of people management. Mosley also highlights important and progressive procedures and practices of global companies to give readers a broad understanding of employer brand development. Facebook, Coca-Cola, Apple and Google are some of the leading firms presented as case studies in this book. Readers will also be inculcated on topics such as brand planning, definition and implementation, deep brand thinking, enhancing current hiring and talent management programmes, as well as understanding the significance of employee engagement from a brand perspective. Laden with real-life company examples and articulated in a clear and concise fashion, Employer Brand Management: Practical Lessons from the World’s Leading Employers, is the ultimate must-read for those seeking to leverage their employer brand.

Title: Employer Brand Management: Practical Lessons from the World’s Leading Employers Author: Richard Mosley Publisher: Wiley Price: US$ $34.81

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SME SPOTLIGHT

A HEART FOR PEOPLE

niversity graduate Richardo Chua was tutoring at-risk youth when he met a 16-year-old student who was weak in his studies. However, the student showed that he had much more to offer when he was given a work stint at an event that Chua was emceeing. He took excellent photos. When Chua co-founded Adrenalin Group in 2008, he was inspired to employ youthat-risk, by giving them higher value-added jobs such as DJs and photographers. “Working with them made us realise that creating employment within the creative industry is such a great way to do good,” Chua says. The Adrenalin Group currently employs 37 people. A third of them are people with special needs. “We have four categories of beneficiaries. They are: deaf, wheelchair users, youth-at-risk, and people who are recovering from mental illness,” Chua says. The company tries to foster an inclusive and united work environment. “One example of such efforts is our sign language sessions at the end of our monthly company meetings. We encourage everyone to learn how to better communicate with our deaf colleagues through sign language,” Chua says. 48 ISSUE 15.2

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Social enterprise events agency Adrenalin Group believes in giving back. Its Managing Director Richardo Chua explains more about the company’s inclusive workforce practices and key employee programmes

Sumathi V Selvaretnam sumathi@hrmasia.com.sg

The Adrenalin Group’s head of finance is one of the company’s success stories. “Rosalind is deaf but has overcome that to become an integral member of the management team, overseeing the finance, internal functions and IT parts of Adrenalin,” Chua says.

Key HR challenges One of the main challenges is finding the right team of people who are willing to work for a small to medium enterprise (SME), especially a social enterprise. “Many still use remuneration packages as the primary judging criteria. As a SME,

our current systems and processes are still being improved, hence to recruit and retain the best people can sometimes be a challenge,” Chua says. “We pay our staff the market rate. Besides basic pay, we also have other incentives and benefits. For example, we give each employee a $500 travel incentive a year for them to travel and see the world,” Chua explains. HR initiatives that show that the company sincerely cares for its people, are one of the other ways in which the Adrenalin Group is overcoming its limitations as an SME. “Over time, our reputation as an employer has been enhanced and there are people who begin to seek employment opportunities with us. We also have a robust internship programme which offers us a pipeline of new talents.” As the company grows, it is also developing a HR system that allows it to capture various HR-related information, which it believes will enhance the efficiency of its HR team.

A great place to work Starting things off on the right foot with new employees can go a long in way

SME SPOTLIGHT toward their long-term retention. With this in mind, The Adrenalin Group runs an orientation programme for new joiners to ensure they are ready for the job. To help employees keep fit, the company introduced its first wellness programme last year. This consists of group-wide health screenings, physical activities such as kickboxing, as well as workshops on mental wellness. Employees are also encouraged to take up training courses to improve their skill sets. “We have event management training for the events team to equip them with technical skills and knowledge,” Chua says. Each employee is eligible for annual training grants ranging from $500 to $1,000. The Adrenalin Group believes in encouraging employees to grow with the company. “For example, the Managing Director of Events joined us five years ago as

an intern. She stayed with us after graduation as an event executive. She was promoted to lead the MICE Team before she became the leader of events. “ During her early days in the company as a project executive, this employee handled different type of events. “This gave her specific skillsets and a deeper knowledge of our products and services. She was then promoted to lead the MICE team, which exposed her to leadership and management skills. Put together, her event expertise and her leadership experience helped ready her for her current role,” Chua says. According to Chua, Adrenalin provides talents with jobs that not only allow them to grow personally, but also make a social impact “We aim to build a workplace that is united and fun; a place that provides a career of growth and where good performance is rewarded.”

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Bringing staff together Teamwork is a part of social events agency Adrenalin Group’s DNA. The company believes that everyone is important in the team despite their differences, and it encourages employees to support and help each other at work. Each team at the company receives a “Team Bonding Incentive” that can be used for activities that facilitate teamwork and togetherness. To further encourage inclusiveness, Adrenalin also celebrates every employee’s birthday.

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

BRAIN-FRIENDLY STRATEGIES TO INCREASE STAFF ENGAGEMENT

Understanding how the human brain is wired can lead to better employee engagement and increased productivity at work, writes guest contributor David Klaasen.

ar too many staff feel totally alienated by indifferent management and a lack of belonging at work. This is reflected in the numerous surveys that show most businesses are suffering from a chronic lack of staff engagement. But once you understand some of the basic principles of how our brain functions, it becomes easier to implement simple strategies that can improve engagement, collaboration and productivity. 50 ISSUE 15.2

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According to the flourishing new field of Neuroscience our brains are hard-wired to assess threats to our survival. We are five times more likely to notice and remember a threat than a reward. While this may have been a good evolutionary trait in early years of human development, it now presents a dilemma for employers. As the world and the global economy become more interconnected, a crisis thousands of miles away can impact a business,

creating deep uncertainty. The lack of choice many people feel in their role compounds this and the perceived lack of fairness of it all exacerbates it. These issues create compounding threats that have a very detrimental effect on the brain. Because they are often below conscious awareness few people recognise it. Wise managers and leaders are beginning to learn that acknowledging some simple facts about the brain can make a

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huge difference in the way they Lead, Manage and Develop their people.

A cocktail of neurochemicals When the brain perceives a Primary Threat it goes into an automatic below conscious stress response. We get a cocktail of neurochemicals pumped into our blood stream. It is well known that these neurochemicals increase motor functioning, preparing us for fight or flight. However, they also narrow our perceptions giving us a reduced field of view so we focus on details and lose sight of the bigger picture. Because of the increased blood flow to vital motor muscle groups our thinking and reasoning is impaired, this in turn reduces creativity giving us fewer insights. Finally, and perhaps most relevant to engagement is that this all lessens our ability to collaborate and to work effectively with others. So what are you doing to reduce the underlying threats that may be undermining engagement and productivity? What are you doing to create rewards that make people feel part of your organisation and want to contribute to its success? In his excellent book ‘Your Brain at Work’ David Rock presents his SCARF model. This is a neat way to label and remember the five key domains that produce a ‘Primary Threat’ or ‘Primary Reward’. SCARF stands for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness. By reducing threats and increasing rewards, wise managers and leaders are finding that staff can better hear what is actually being said, and respond in a more creative and collaborative way.

The Five Domains Status – How I rate myself Our brain is constantly scanning the other people we are with to assess who has a higher or lower status. The brain science shows that an increase in Status

triggers the same reward circuits as getting a pay rise and a drop in status makes you feel like you are about to be hit on the head with a stick. Status is totally in the eye of the beholder and not necessarily influenced by level of management. Some managers are given a lower status because they are seen as ineffective and lacking in authority or power, and some colleagues are seen as having higher status because of specific expertise or connections. This constant comparison leads to a lot of bickering, office politics and jostling for power. Just observe any business meeting and you will see some people striving for more status by speaking more or arguing their case even when is it flawed. In fact we hate the drop in status that comes from being ‘wrong’ so much so that you can sometimes witness people defending the indefensible or agreeing to disagree, just to maintain their sense of status. In fact the science shows that many managers don’t praise staff because it changes their status and can make the manager feel a drop in status. In order to praise others you need to have a healthy self-awareness and self-esteem. This is still sadly lacking in many leaders and managers.

If a lot of energy is being used to think about all the different outcomes of a particular situation due to uncertainty, it creates a huge drain on the brains’ precious resources and degrades the Pre Frontal Cortex where we do our most important thinking, like planning and making decisions. Any unexpected situation or sudden change will create uncertainty and trigger a deep Threat Response, leading to pessimistic predictions based on accidental neural connections. This response is so uncomfortable that many Managers fail to delegate because of the uncertainty it creates.

Certainty - Pattern recognition The brain likes to feel certain; in fact it is addicted to certainty. The brain is a pattern recognition machine, all five senses are constantly checking for patterns. We base our safety and survival on the recognition of patterns so that we can be certain about what will happen next. We don’t just hear, we are predicting what we will hear next. We don’t just see, we are predicting what we will see next. There are about 40 environmental cues you can consciously pay attention to at any one time and subconsciously there are about 2 million – that creates a lot of predictive possibilities.

Relatedness – a sense of trust and belonging Humans are totally dependent on their parents for survival for far longer than any other creature on the planet. The need for relationships is literally a matter of life and death – this is hard wired into our brains and never leaves us. The brain responds to social needs using the same neural networks as basic survival, like the need for food and water. Being hungry and being rejected or ‘left out’ activates the same pain and ‘threat to safety’ responses. A feeling of relatedness is a primary reward for the brain and if there is an absence of relatedness it generates

Autonomy – a sense of being in control A sense of autonomy is a primary human driver. We feel trapped and deeply uncomfortable in situations where we have a lack of choice. Increasing bureaucracy and an authoritarian management style stifle people’s sense of autonomy and create a threat response. Far too many managers still rely on supervision and control to increase performance. This stifles autonomy and people just drift along on autopilot or worse, they get stressed because the lack of autonomy creates a chronic primary threat.

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

The key to reducing uncertainty is effective communication, and plenty of it, especially when there are changes taking place

a Primary Threat. In fact our default nature is to see everyone as a potential ‘foe’ until we get some positive cues that we perceive as ‘friendly’. It is said that people join an organisation but leave a manager. The relationships between managers and staff are critical to the success of a business but too many managers are promoted for their technical expertise and being ‘good at their job’ rather than their social and interpersonal skills.

Fairness – a sense of equity Recent studies show that when we deem something is unfair it activates a part of the brain called the Insular. The Insular is involved in intense emotions including the response when you eat, or even think about having to eat, something disgusting. There is now evidence that a feeling of fairness is a critical element of our social makeup, as important as food and safety. In fact there are numerous cases where it is more important than money, for example where people spend vast amounts of money to reclaim a very small amount through the courts because they feel a lack of fairness. The main reason people take an employer to a tribunal is because they feel they have been treated unfairly, and some will still insist in pursuing a case even when they only stand a very small chance of winning. Ineffective mangers can lose the best members of their team if they don’t manage underperformance. High performing people often have a very strong reaction to situations where some people are ‘allowed to get away with it’. The unfairness of the situation feels so bad that they may simply go elsewhere or perhaps become disengaged and just put in a lot less effort. Over time this can seriously erode productivity.

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self-assess their own performance and to set small short term objectives that they can achieve. Help them to recognise how they are better today than they were yesterday. This improvement gives the brain an automatic ‘Primary Reward’. This means that they are raising their own status without lowering the status of others. This avoids creating potentially divisive competition which can erode relationships. Additional recognition and praise from senior management can turbocharge the response and you can create an even longer-lasting effect than a pay rise if it is linked to public recognition. The Economist Ian Larking researched Sales People who were willing to sacrifice up to $30,000 in quarterly commission in order to become a member of the ‘Presidents Club’ which had no real financial benefits but earned members significant status in the company. Strategy 2 – Increasing certainty The key to reducing uncertainty is effective communication, and plenty of it, especially when there are changes taking place. Clear Team, Division and Organisation Charts allow people to see where they sit in the organisation. Giving people a timetable of communications and mapping out a process or business plan also reduces uncertainty, even when little certainty exists. Setting clear objectives and giving plenty of feedback on progress increases certainty. So plan regular updates and team meetings to communicate the big picture and help people’s brains to feel more certainty as this will help them focus on improving productivity. Strategy 3 – Giving more autonomy Autonomy, or even a perception of autonomy, reduces stress and raises your sense of status with all the benefits that come with it. You may want to consider how you can create opportunities for your

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people to make decisions at a level appropriate to their role regarding: • The task: – You may want to consider job swapping, so people can see their job from a different perspective and make some choices about how they can adapt the way they work in order to help others. • Time: – Ask your people to estimate and measure the reality of how long things take and ask them for suggestions to improve performance. • Technique: – Ask them to consider the outcomes required and to suggest ideas about how to improve the processes and procedures to remove obstacles or redundant steps. • Team: – Consider setting up small teams of volunteers from across the business to explore problems and come up with solutions. Strategy 4 – Facilitating relatedness Managing relationships is a critical skill of a manager. Facilitating relatedness in a team is all about helping people to feel high levels of trust and a sense of value. A wise manager will put time and effort into ensuring that the team is able to play to the individual strengths of its members, and that they can be open about their weaknesses so that the team can be supportive and achieve common goals or objectives. In multicultural or virtual teams this is particularly important, and sharing previous experiences and lessons learned can be particularly helpful. Creating regular down-time and social activities that everyone can join in on is increasingly important. One company ensured that the Catering Contractor did not serve food too quickly in the staff canteen to ensure that there was a relatively long line where people would chat informally, make new connections and spark up new conversations and ideas. It is also possible to increase relatedness by setting up clearly defined buddy schemes, mentoring

or coaching programmes and action learning sets to address specific issues in the business. Strategy 5 – Ensuring fairness The key to fairness is transparency and being clear about the reasons for decisions. Consistency is also vital, underperformance needs to be promptly addressed and management needs to have clear expectations of what is required. It will be very powerful if the team can be involved in deciding the ground rules, what behaviours are acceptable and what the objectives will be. Many of my clients agree on a set of Team Values for the next 12 months that they can use to assess their own performance and behaviour, give one another feedback and hold one another accountable. This encourages self-awareness and facilitates an open and honest conversation.

Brain Friendly Leadership The more aware we become of how the

brain works, the more we can become aware of the triggers that upset it. If we can notice the triggers without becoming overwhelmed with the emotions that are created by the cocktail of neurochemicals, we can respond in a more effective way. The key to being able to respond, rather than merely react, is maintaining some objectivity. But this takes practice and a lot of leaders are now exploring the discipline of Mindfulness. This is a way of noticing what you are feeling in any given situation and identifying the truth in it. It requires observing what you actually feel, see, hear, taste and smell – not what you make it all mean. The brain is a meaning-making machine and it is significantly influenced by your personal biases. Wise leaders and managers are now exploring their biases and looking beyond them. They are also identifying how their words and actions create Primary Threats and Primary Rewards, so they can implement more of the above strategies, and increase engagement and productivity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Klaasen is passionate about ‘Pragmatic HR’. This means resolving people and performance problems by cutting through the waffle with the passion of a Michelin Star Chef. After 10 years of working in Michelin-starred kitchens during the 1980s, Klassen moved into Training and Development in 1988. As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) with over 25 years of experience working with Directors and Managers, Klassen is the founding Director of Inspired Working Ltd. He has developed the CLEAR Framework® to ensure that there is a focus on performance and profits while engaging people to play to their strengths at all levels of the business. He uses the latest thinking in applied psychology and neuroscience, calm confidence and unique tools to help his clients to produce the tangible results they want. He can be reached at David.Klaasen@InspiredWorking.com

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HR YOUNG GUNS

HR FROM THE CLASSROOM Every month, HRM speaks to a young university talent hoping to carve out a career in HR upon graduation

What attracted you to HR? Why are you studying it? I would say that it is “people”. My personal belief is that individuals are unique and that every interaction is different. I am interested to know why people behave differently under different circumstances. HR is in a position to influence people’s behaviour and by implication, is able to make a difference to both the organisation and its employees, taking on the role of a strategic partner to the business. I believe a robust education such as the HR Consulting programme offered by Nanyang Business School will put me in good stead when I embark on my HR journey, by equipping me with the relevant skill sets to succeed in this profession.

What aspect of HR do you hope to specialise in upon graduation? I am particularly interested in Total Rewards management. I find Total Rewards intriguing; it is both an art and science. How you design, for example, total compensation packages, can have a signalling effect, which has significant consequences in attraction, retention and motivation. In terms of strategic HR, I think Total Rewards can play a fundamental role in aligning employees’ goals with that of the organisation.

The top three things you want from your HR career: Firstly, I would like an opportunity to make a difference to the organisation and improve the well-being of the employees by contributing my ideas. Secondly, opportunities where I can apply my knowledge and problemsolving skills to solve people

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challenges would be appreciated. Lastly, I hope to have a mentor who is able to share with me their experiences in HR.

What challenges do you anticipate? There are two: the movement towards HR analytics and Big Data, and the new skills needed to attract and retain talent in Singapore’s unique economy. As the HR analytics movement gains momentum, with Big Data holding huge promise, I believe that predictive analytics may be the next “Big Thing” for HR through the designing of proactive interventions. A key challenge is how HR can build a culture that is data driven and values inquiry while balancing the need for intuition where appropriate. This would be a critical step in HR’s transformative journey to becoming a true strategic partner — HR needs to start thinking like a scientist. Consequently, the competencies required of an HR professional will also expand to include statistical capabilities. With an ageing workforce in Singapore and the limits imposed on quotas for foreign workers, Singapore’s labour force is expected to start plateauing in 2020. This will translate into a challenge which requires organisations to rethink how they can compete for talent while managing costs. Also, with the changing psychological contract, loyalty to an organisation is no longer the norm. With increased mobility, HR will need to devise retention strategies for the A-players.

Your HR career five years from now I would like to start my career as a Total Rewards specialist or a similar role in a HR Centre of Excellence to develop my

Tan Yong Hwa Final Year Student, Bachelor of Business (HR Consulting and Business Law), Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University expertise in Total Rewards management. Five years from now, I hope to take on the role of a HR Business Partner to work closely with a business unit to advance its strategic initiatives. Other possible careers paths I am contemplating include going into HR consultancy to provide advice to organisations on HR issues, and becoming an adjunct HR lecturer to nurture the next generation of HR leaders by sharing my knowledge and experiences.

Hobbies and inspiration? I enjoy doing some light reading during my free time in addition to sourcing for ways and ideas to improve myself through books or online resources. I believe there is something worth learning from everyone. Inspiration is not too difficult to discover!

Happy Generation Ys in the workplace:

An elusive dream or reality within reach? By Tan Yong Hwa

ith findings presented from the inaugural National Workplace Happiness Survey led by Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) and consulting firm Align Group along with other similar research, it may be timely to revisit the adage: “Happy employees are more productive employees”. Against the backdrop of a shifting workforce composition and a growing reliance on Generation Y workers, having happy young employees may become an opportunity that organisations can leverage to create a more productive talent pool within the organisation. Given that the survey findings show that Generation Ys are “Under-happy”; this invariably raises the key challenge facing employers: how can they better engage Generation Ys to make them happier at work?

The psychological contract of Generation Y From an HR perspective, and being a Generation Y student myself, I think that to make employees happier, managers need to better manage the psychological contract of Generation Y. They can do this by recognising the implicit expectations on the part of the employee. In my opinion, the psychological contract of Generation Ys is analogous to an investor mindset, where Generation Y staff invest their skills, knowledge, time and effort into the organisation. In exchange, these staff expect reasonable returns in the form of learning, development, recognition and opportunities, in alignment with their self-concepts. In my view, the repercussions stemming from a breach of this psychological

contract can be wide-ranging, from diminished effort, either consciously or subconsciously, through to attrition. Therefore, I would consider a fulfilment of this “unwritten contract” as the bare minimum for workers to feel happy at work. Here, I would attempt to address two of the key tenets underpinning this psychological contract:

Being appreciated and recognised Firstly, Generation Ys value being appreciated and recognised for their contributions. Generally, Generation Y staff need to believe that their job is meaningful, in addition to having trust in the strategic leadership of the organisation. Accordingly, leaders can engage Generation Y by illustrating how their jobs fit within the broader picture and obtaining their buy-in to the organisation direction. To facilitate this, I advocate that HR and leaders try to involve Generation Y staff in the decision making process and communicate with them. Moreover, as custodians of the organisational culture, top management and HR can work with Generation Y to foster a climate of trust, transparency and open communication through initiatives that could ultimately be institutionalised through policies and practices. Consequently, this will sow the seeds of happiness within the organisation.

Provide constructive feedback Secondly, Generation Y staff value personal development and feedback. Instead of giving feedback during the performance appraisal, leaders and supervisors can try giving

Generation Ys feedback on a regular, and timely basis. Regarding the content of feedback, I concur with conclusions derived by authors like Dr Joseph Folkman concerning the quandary experienced by Generation Ys: a curiosity as to whether we did the right thing, yet an insecurity characterised by fear of receiving negative news, manifesting into a misconception that Generation Ys only want to hear praise. For that reason, leaders and supervisors can take a sensitive approach to deliver feedback in a manner that is constructive. Moreover, words of encouragement accompanying the feedback will promote positive emotions in the workplace. In addition, assigning coaches or mentors to Generation Y staff for developmental purposes could help ignite the feelings of reciprocity, and satisfy the psychological contract. More importantly, this could provide an avenue for assistance when dealing with workplace stress.

Conclusion: Reality within reach To conclude, apart from automation, embracing a collaborative approach to invigorate workplace happiness also has the potential to boost workplace productivity, which has been proven by studies conducted globally. To achieve this, HR can implement positive psychology techniques to the workplace. By understanding the neuroscience behind human psychology and different happiness drivers, I strongly believe that HR can play an integral role in creating a happy and productive workforce, making this a reality within reach.

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HIGH

IMPACT HR

MARINA BAY SANDS:

Housekeeping Challenge episode – Team members ready for action

THINKING DIFFERENTLY

he tourism and hospitality industry is a key economic driver in Singapore. While there are many factors that make this industry successful, the fundamental formula for success is the ability to deliver excellent service that ultimately results in customer satisfaction, says Chan Yit Foon, Senior Vice President – HR, Marina Bay Sands. “Providing appropriate and adequate training to our more than 9,000 team members across 100 departments will help to achieve this,” says Chan. “Therefore, the importance of training cannot be overstated. 56 ISSUE 15.2

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“We believe that a well-trained workforce will reap tangible benefits, such as increased productivity, better teamwork and management across business units, and more importantly, happy and satisfied guests,” she explains. “It also puts us a notch above our competitors.” In its four and half years of operations, Marina Bay Sands has invested over 3.37 million training hours. “Our continued investment in training has paid off, not just for the company, but also for our employees,” says Chan. “A significant number of

frontline team members who have gone for training and have been promoted to management levels.”

Standing out from the crowd Sands Service 8 is a brand of service culture unique to Marina Bay Sands. It is customised to convey the qualities employees should demonstrate on a daily basis in a simple and impactful manner. Every team member, from frontline staff in food and beverage and the hotel through to back-end support employees in facilities and housekeeping, as well as specialised workers in finance and IT, are required to go through this training module. As the name suggests, there are eight qualities in the module: being friendly; professional; personable; proactive; responsible; skilful; and appreciative, as well as being a team player. “We also work very closely with a number of Singapore’s institutes of higher learning to roll out management

traineeship programmes across departments,” says Chan. These programmes typically start off as six-month internship, where a scholarship is also offered. Students who have done well are then offered an 18-month management traineeship programme, after which, they have the opportunity to convert the study into full time employment. Marina Bay Sands also further supports talented and eligible team members in their pursuit for higher education by reimbursing up to 70% of their academic course fees.

Train through TV In addition to conventional training programmes for customer relations and service skills, Marina Bay Sands has also used a number of innovative training approaches, including one utilising an in-house produced TV reality programme, The Service Marina Bay Sands has invested in a Challenge. total of over “I believe that effective training is equal parts information and motivation, and The Service Challenge in five years of operation encapsulates this,” says Chan. “Entirely conceptualised and produced in-house, this novel training programme is our first-ever training tool that adopts the framework of a reality TV show.” Seventy team members auditioned for the nine-episode series, with 27 chosen to participate. They were put through a one-day, intensive WSQ training crash course for every episode, and then expected to take on tasks which they had never previously attempted, such as valet, housekeeping and concierge duties. Then, in true reality TV form and on top of performancebased judging three finalists were chosen by a vote of their peers and colleagues. These three three finalists competed in the Grand Finale with the overall Service Champion walking away with a stay for two at the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel. “The Service Challenge training series is a strong example of how Marina Bay Sands uses motivation as a driver to engage our team members across diverse departments and levels, facilitating bonding across departments and fostering team spirit,” says Chan. Though light-hearted and easily understood by anyone, The Service Challenge was also impactful as main training messages were clearly driven across to featured departments during the airing of the one-day crash courses. Mapped to WSQ training modules, those tips could be applied across everyday work at the integrated resort, helping to jog employees’ memories as well as give other staff an idea of how different departments work. “The Service Challenge created a buzz among our Team Members across all levels,” says Chan. “The guest-facing jobs showcased enjoyed a higher profile and greater recognition among our team members as well.”

3.37 million training hours

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AHRDSPEAKS AHRDSPEAKS

Retaining our Key Talent A

ttracting and keeping good employees becomes increasingly challenging in a tight labour market. Traditional strategies such as counteroffering when an employee resigns, and asking employees why they are leaving during exit interviews, do not necessarily get to the bottom of attrition issues. Departing employees rarely give the real reasons for leaving for fear of “burning any bridges” with the organisation. To beat these challenges and keep our best employees, we need to move further up the value chain in examining our selection process.

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Are we hiring purely for skills and experience? Do we try and find out the candidates’ interests and passion, assess their fit to the organisation’s values and culture; and how much they possess the necessary qualities to perform the job well? It is far easier to train someone to acquire new skills than to cultivate their passion for the job and the organisation. We can’t rely on “one size fits all strategies” to attract and retain an increasingly diverse workforce which includes multigenerational employees. Our role as leaders and HR professionals is to draw out the strengths of the different

generations, helping them shape each other and discover what they truly have in common with one another. Also, how do we avoid falling into the trap of taking our valued employees for granted? Do we conduct stay interviews with them to find out how they feel about their jobs? How about post exit interviews with ex-employees to get to the bottom of the real push factors? It is clear that organisations can no longer expect employees to stay indefinitely. Instead, we must actively and creatively engage our good employees; and even fight to keep them in this true “war for talent”.

Pauline Chua General Manager – Human Capital & CSR, Fuji Xerox Singapore

SEVEN

6:30AM Weather permitting, I try to make it out for a morning run around the Botanical Gardens.

9:00AM

Deborah Woollard Vice President Human Resources, Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)

Once I get into the office, I make it a priority to do a quick morning catch-up with my team over a fresh cup of coffee from our in-office barista. Once a week, we also do a casual huddle to ensure that we are tracking against our key deliverables and projects.

10:00AM Connect and check in with Jan Smits, Chief Executive Officer for AMEA at IHG as well as other key stakeholders around performance and people plans, and keep up to speed with the latest industry news

and trends. I also use this time to address any day-today transactional work which requires urgent attention.

12:00PM It’s the time I carve out for myself to catch up on emails or to simply take a step back and look at the bigger picture; have some time with my own thoughts to do some thinking.

1:00PM I usually have a veggie-filled salad for lunch, which will help me power through the rest of the day. Our office is also next door to one of our hotels, InterContinental Singapore, and they regularly come in to serve us up some delicious local food so I’ll sometimes grab a warming

bowl of laksa or mee siam when they do.

2:00PM Spend time going around the office, seeing and speaking to people outside my team. This never fails to re-energise me, and if I need an extra boost I’ll pay our Brand Management team a visit. They are always brimming with creative energy - they are responsible for looking after our great brands.

4:30PM Work on the ongoing projects and plans or clear any outstanding emails and administrative paperwork.

6:00PM Leave the office and head home for dinner with the family.

Corporate Teambuilding. Family Day. Team Orientation. Leadership Training. Cultural Amazing Race. Retreat & Incentive. Club Gatherings.

“it’s not just a sport, it’s a lifestlye!”

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MICE

“RETREAT”-ING FROM THE STATUS QUO J

ason Chen, a Business Director with Dragon Boat Innovate (DBI), has worked with a wide range of organisations seeking to hold corporate retreats for their staff. While that in itself is nothing uncommon, Chen provides a particularly unique insight into the rationale and the lengths to which companies will go to conceptualise and implement a retreat that meets specific strategic goals. “Imagine training a group of insurance agents to become semi-proficient dragon boaters; they would later invite their clients for a session and together they form a team to compete in a race,” Chen explains. “Think about the methodology behind it – they are saying ‘As your financial advisors, we’re in the same boat with you, part of your driving force and we’re in this race together striving towards the finishing line’. 60 ISSUE 15.2

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Sham Majid sham@hrmasia.com.sg “It’s a concept used for a few of our clients in the financial space.” While all corporate retreats may be not be entwined with such strategic foresight, it appears that the era of organising runof-the-mill events at organisations’ own backyards is slowly but surely phasing out.

“Companies used to engage and host teambuilding on their own premises,” says Zee Soh Fun, Senior Manager, Communications, Sentosa Development Corporation. “More companies are now moving towards organising ‘retreats’ that are really an extended meeting in a pleasant setting outside of their workplace.”

Setting the backdrop As the name clearly alludes to, DBI specialises in dragon boat activities for its clients. Chen says DBI has crafted programmes that have reached out to more than 200 companies over the past three years, covering some 35,000 participants. DBI’s clients have included organisations such as Fossil, Deloitte, DHL, DBS, HP,

MICE IHG, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Shell, GE, Google, SingTel and Starhub. “Our main product and niche is in the field of offering dragon boating as a platform for engaging people,” says Chen. “The power of our sport is the ability to bring people together in the simplest, easiest and shortest possible way.” “People do not realise that the level of entry into this sport is so easy and extremely addictive.” Another organisation looking to leverage on its high seas backdrop is Star Cruises. According to Michael Goh, Senior Vice President of Sales, “MICE @ Sea” cruises for corporate travel groups is the company’s forte. “MICE @ Sea cruises are perfect for companies that yearn for a distraction-free environment on an invigorating high seas setting,” says Goh. “Since the event attendees are confined together, they will get to work, wine, dine and play as a team. As a result, dynamic teams with strong synergies are formed.” Goh explains that MICE @ Sea cruises consist of a mix of management and staff retreats, seminars and conventions, teambuilding workshops, product launches, award ceremonies, dinner and dances, anniversary celebration parties, and MICE incentive programmes. Zee says that besides setting aside hours for teambuilding, Sentosa Development Corporation places emphasis on the amount of free and socialising time groups have on the island. “A simple lunch or dinner, or a few hours of free-and-easy programming

Al Fresco BBQ Buffet

SuperStar Gemini by Star Cruises will be beneficial as eating together and interacting socially in a different setting helps build relationships,” elaborates Zee. “Besides the choice of hotels on the island, Sentosa offers unique venue options that take guests to the outdoors, from beachside pavilions to hill-top dining. Moreover we offer clusters of attractions all within touching distance of accommodation.”

What’s in it for me? Chen confesses that some people do have stereotypical notions of dragon boating. “Many people have the perception that dragon boating is tiring, sunny and even has the risk of capsizing,” he says. “But we are very confident that once our clients try it, they will never feel the same way and will always return for more.” “Over the years, we have managed to counter these perceptions and make sure our clients never feel that way through proper consultation, sharing and even in some cases, offering trials.” Citing the idea of customisation, Chen says the sport is easy to take up and is quick to get people enticed. DBI ensures company organisers planning the activities are also enthusiastic about the sport. Chen says DBI carefully designs and plans activities in stages that best suit the needs of clients, adding that most programmes tackle aspects such as training, racing, debriefing and celebrating: all of which can be done in a session of approximately three hours. According to Chen, several companies have provided feedback that the hours their staff spend in conferences and

meetings can be intensive, yet dull. Hence, DBI always tries to put itself in the shoes of its participants to make sure that once a firm’s employees enter the boat, everyone can have a fun and energetic experience. “DBI always ensures that our trainers and facilitators are experienced and full of energy to make sure that the experience is refreshing and to bring the mood up to a high,” explains Chen. Another reason Chen says companies sign up for dragon boating corporate retreats is due to organisation relations. He says that when people paddle in a dragon boat alongside their peers, the satisfaction of learning and achieving the possibilities is felt together in a team. “This feeling actually allows individuals to think about how much they contribute to the team as individuals,” he explains. “People literally step out from a boat understanding that there’s no ‘I’, but rather, a big ‘we’, and learnings come in an experiential way.” Chen says DBI has witnessed dozens of examples of these learnings espousing common organisational values, such as respect, communication and leadership. Flexibility is another vital cog in DBI’s offering, with the company designing flexible programmes to suit what clients want and need. “We offer sound advice and provide suitable and successful examples to guide our clients to harness the best possible experience with the budget that is given to us,” explains Chen. “We understand the difficulties in planning retreats and we are always ISSUE 15.2

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EQUARIUS MICE PROMOTION

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MICE committed to making sure the process is smooth and hassle-free.” As for Star Cruises, Goh says its MICE@ Sea ships are well-equipped with stateof-the-art business and MICE facilities to meet business objectives. “We can exercise flexibility and customise our unique cruise offerings to suit every budget and event requirements, like menu upgrades, dinner and dance entertainment, and teambuilding workshops,” he explains. “No details are spared to ensure each corporate event attains perfection. Both event planners and attendees can enjoy a peace of mind while networking with one another in style, as they leave the rest to us to manage.”

Making it the right fit In certain cases, companies that have already selected their MICE option will have further difficulties deciding how to exactly fulfil the occasion in order to cater to the idiosyncrasies of employees.

Customised concepts Jason Chen, Business Director, Dragon Boat Innovate (DBI), says the firm has categorised its “product” into three areas: • HR needs: Corporate teambuilding and retreats form one of DBI’s most popular services and are used to relate a corporate organisation’s values to its staff. • Marketing and activation: Leverages one of the biggest participative water sports to engage a company’s target segment or agenda. DBI also allows businesses to showcase their brands through engaging sports-related campaigns. • Business solutions: Assisting companies to engage their clients in out-of-the-box concepts.

According to Goh, Star Cruises firmly understand the diverse Asian cultures, unique preferences, and evolving expectations of their valued MICE guests. “This deep understanding gives us a competitive edge to shape new cruise itineraries, create differentiated onboard experiences with sensational entertainment as well as offer swanky retail experiences,” explains Goh. “An all-encompassing cruise is a one-stop destination on its own. It balances the seriousness of business with leisure pleasures.” Furthermore, Goh states Star Cruises’ friendly and well-trained crew (from 20 different countries) are highly devoted to the needs of their valued MICE delegates. “We have a dedicated hotel operation staff to formulate and execute any MICE @ Sea events,” he adds. “They are highly skilled to meet and exceed the expectations of our MICE guests with ever-changing demands.” Likewise, Chen says DBI strives to package the most ideal MICE event according to an organisation’s best fit. For example, he says there are several local locations for dragon boating and “amazing race”style events including Kallang Riverside Park, Kallang Water Sports Centre, Marina Barrage, Bedok Reservoir, and Lower Seletar Reservoir. “We have also done dragon boat birthday celebrations where we paddle out into the reservoir and blow the candle out off a cake in the middle of it,” he reveals. Chen says DBI is “constantly challenged by our returning clients to come up with more activities to cater to their huge numbers.” “Thus we are also very proud to introduce and add on round-island or location-based amazing races, scavenger hunts, food hunts and drive trips.” In addition, Chen adds DBI has also worked with regional partners to bring the same corporate experiences to Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur. “We are currently working on other venue possibilities, such as going to Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, and even South Korea,” he says. ISSUE 15.2

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TALENT

LADDER Lim Zhi Rong

Regional HR Business Lead, Asia Pacific, Mondelēz International

Lim Zhi Rong takes on a new role as Regional HR Business Lead at International, Asia Pacific. He was formerly the Regional HR Business Partner at the company for the past two years, and brings with him more than eight years of experience in HR management. Lim is responsible for leading the development, standardisation and implementation of HR initiatives in support of both functional and business objectives. At the same time, he drove talent management through recruitment, performance management, succession planning and training to ensure a bench of high potential talent in a positive environment. He looks forward to making significant contributions as the Regional HR Business Lead, working closely with his business stakeholders, including the CFO of Asia Pacific and the regional leadership of the commercial functions, to drive business performance by enabling people initiatives. “2014 has been an exciting year for International as the company underwent a business transformation process to become a fully-fledged multi category company that will further strengthen itself as the world’s leading global snacking company,” said Lim. “We led the change from our head and heart to drive the two twin goals of the company: top tier financial performance and a great place to work.”

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Adrian Lau

Regional HR and Organisation Development Director, Asia Pacific, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS)

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has appointed Adrian Lau as Regional HR and Organisation Development Director, Asia Pacific, with a focus on driving the company’s performance culture, talent management and training and development. Lau says that maintaining profitability at a time of rising costs requires the company to invest in people and upgrade skills. “We need to make sure we have the right talent to do the job well, hire the right candidates and invest in their development as they take on different projects and roles,” he says. With 15 years in HR, Lau brings extensive experience to the Asia Pacific region. He was previously HR Director in Tyco Fire Protection Products, overseeing all HR aspects in Asia Pacific, with a strong focus on driving strategic people investments and ensuring performance and a value-driven culture. Before Tyco Fire Protection Products, he was the HR Business Partner at Rolls Royce Marine, Asia Pacific. Lau says he is excited to be back in the maritime industry and is looking forward to working in challenging market conditions. He sees the role as an opportunity to optimise resources and employees in the most effective manner. “Our success is our people,” he adds. “The knowledge they possess and quality of service they provide to the customer is critical and this can only be driven by a high performing culture where staff are equipped with the competence to do their job well.”

Kaveh Gharachorlou Regional Talent Development Director, MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, Mindshare

Kaveh Gharachorlou has been appointed as the new Regional Talent Development Director for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region at Mindshare. Gharachorlou is an accomplished leader and a very talented recruiter, with over 20 years of experience in HR management. He received an MBA in HR Business Management and an MA in HR Strategy and Change. He was also awarded a black belt in Six Sigma, a set of techniques used for process improvement. Gharachorlou honed his expertise in the field across many influential industries such as banking, oil and gas, government, manufacturing and construction, and security and defence. He successfully ran his own HR consultancy business for three years in the United Kingdom, specialising in project roles for organisations, developing a mindset for adaptability much like that of Mindshare’s. He went on to work as Head of HR in construction and manufacturing eight years ago before being selected as a director for a prestigious global security and defence organisation. “While we welcome Gharachorlou on board, we look forward to seeing his contribution to position Mindshare MENA as the preferred employer” says CEO Mindshare MENA Samir Ayoub. “He brings a wealth of HR experience and valuable talent development skills to our team.”

HRCLINIC What are the best practices in identifying and developing executives for future leadership roles? irstly, I would see management development as a process rather than a programme. Programmes have fancy names, are launched with a big bang – yet more often than not achieve little long term concrete outcomes. Processes on the other hand have a clear input and defined output. For this, a management development process framework should be in place that clearly defines for instance, desired management competencies with a forward looking perspective. In other words, which new knowledge, skills and values will you need from your management to be successful in business at a three to five year horizon? In this management development process framework, development approaches, avenues and contents should be closely linked to succession planning. Secondly, I would suggest to look at executives (or I prefer to say specialists), managers and leaders not in a

way as if they were three different persons, but rather, three different roles taken by the same person – just at different values over time and in different situations. With this mind shift, you will treat a fresh graduate, who is mainly hired for her or his special knowledge, also as a leader, for example in the form of a thought leader who brings fresh ideas to the table. A leader on the other hand, would still have a duty as specialist, sharing her or his experience and expertise. Last but not least, one should clearly define the role of the employee, the respective manager as well as HR in this development process.

Alexander Trost

Vice President HR, Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific

Ask our HR experts. Email your questions to sham@hrmasia.com.sg

In-house Recruitment Opportunities

Human Resources Director, Asia Pacific

Regional HR Manager, Asia Pacific

› Diversified leading industry players › Highly hands-on and business partnering scope

› Healthcare and life science MNC › Strategic and operational focused

› US diversified industrial organisation › Hands-on and strategic-focused role

Representing multiple global organisations in the region, we seek dynamic and passionate specialist Recruiters to join them.

A respectable and growing organization, our client has an immediate need for a consummate and commercially-attuned HR Professional to lead its people agenda for Asia Pacific region.

Our client has extensive global presence and now seeks a dynamic HR professional to join them in the Asia Pacific team.

As Recruitment Manager, you will conceptualize, implement and manage recruitment, sourcing and employer branding strategies. You will build an effective talent strategy for the operation that aligns with business’ objectives and growth, establish and manage strong partnerships with internal and external sources, manage recruitment metrics and lead projects for new initiatives and continuous improvement.

You will develop HR strategies and direction in line with regional and global HQ. You will implement HR strategies by establishing country and department accountabilities in areas of talent acquisition and management, succession planning, compensation & benefits, learning & development, employee relations and labour law compliance. Partnering closely with the leadership team and division heads, you will drive change and ensure strategic alignment of HR directives across the business.

Dual reporting to HR Director and Regional MD, you will align HR plans with business strategies and provide high level professional and operational HR advice to business leaders. You will design, develop, implement and evaluate the impact of HR programs, policies and strategies required to support the current and future growth needs for the business. You will provide HR function with vision, direction and leadership with key accountabilities include organisational development, staffing and retention, employee and labour relations, and compensation & benefits.

For leadership role, you have 10 years relevant experience and for Recruiter, 5 years minimum. Those with hybrid in-house and agency experience with hands-on exposure to volume recruitment and executive search are preferred. Demonstrated ability in stakeholder management and dealing with ambiguity in a matrix working environment, with high level of initiatives, results-oriented, excellent interpersonal and communication skills are successful traits.

Degree qualified with postgraduate qualification, you have minimum 8 years relevant experience in HR leadership capacity in manufacturing MNC. Demonstrated ability in stakeholder management and dealing with ambiguity in a highly matrix work environment is mandatory. Those with change management, merger & acquisition HR related experience coupled with strong project management skills are preferred. You are a leader with coaching and mentoring skill, are hands-on and possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Degree qualified, you have minimum of 8 years of relevant experience ideally in MNCs. Ideally, you have regional corporate HR experience and proven success in driving and executing change management activities in a complex matrix reporting environment. Armed with excellent communication and strong influencing skills, you have demonstrated HR partnering experience with cross-cultural business leaders. You are highly hands-on, self-motivated, and flexible in operating independently and in a team environment.

Reference number: MH/JD48563A Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

Reference number: MH/JD48874 Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

Reference number: MH/JD48885 Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

As Recruiter, you will perform end-to-end recruitment process from partnering with stakeholder to qualify requisition to strategising sourcing strategies and employee on-boarding.

1143/01_15

Your Human Resources recruitment specialists To apply, please go to talent2.com and search for respective reference number. For a confidential discussion, you can contact Maureen Ho for the relevant position in our Singapore Office on +65 6511 8555  linkedin.com/company/talent2

Allegis Group Singapore Pte Ltd Company No. 200909448N EA Licence No. 10C4544

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Your career in HR starts here. Compensation Manager

C&B consultancy experience / Leading local conglomerate You shall develop and implement key compensation guidelines and plans including pay mix analysis and job grading specifics. You will also develop and manage relocation policies and programmes and ensure its compliance with international tax and local laws. Key attributes relevant to this role will include at least 5 years of compensation and benefits consultancy experience, familiarity with financial terminology as well as strong analytical and numerical skills to develop remuneration strategies and policies. Contact us at +65 6632 0048 / hrmg@capitagrp.com for a confidential discussion.

Manager, Group Human Resource Succeed as a HR business partner / Established retailer

You shall partner the senior management team to optimise performance, through developing and delivering effective HR processes and activities in recruitment, recognition and retention. You will oversee payroll administration, compensation and benefits competitiveness as well as other corporate HR deliverables. Armed with a HRM degree and 8 years of HRM experience, you are well-versed in the Employment Act and are able to deliver sound HR policies in a retail and services environment. Hands-on experience in Times Pay will be an advantage. Contact us at +65 6603 8021 / hrmg@capitagrp.com for a confidential discussion.

Human Resource Manager

Individual contributor HR business partnering role / Medical manufacturing MNC You will act as an effective business partner with specialist teams, such as Talent Acquisition, Compensation & Benefits, and Learning & Development and be involved in a number of HR projects including acquisitions, harmonization and integration of compensation & benefits and processes, new product introductions, as well as entries into new markets in the region. You will ideally have post grad qualifications in HRM along with 10-15 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; MNC experience executing regional HR work in a matrix environment. Contact us at +65 6632 0041 / hrmg@capitagrp.com for a confidential discussion.

Manager, HR and Talent Management

Focused on Asian talent acquisition and management / Global communications leader You will be responsible for developing an effective people strategy, employee engagement and HR internal communications and seek to create a Centre of Excellence for HR programmes in recruitment, training and compensation and benefits. You will need to be influential and have experience in senior management reporting, alongside with the tenacity to achieve excellent HR work where it will resound with both internal stakeholders and external partners. Contact us at +65 6603 4719 / hrmg@capitagrp.com for a confidential discussion.

BUSINESS SUPPORT | OUTSOURCING | TECHNOLOGY | ENGINEERING | BANKING

Professional. Personalised. Passionate. THE HALLMARK OF OUR TALENT SOLUTIONS

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CAPITA PTE LTD

EA Licence No. 08C2893 An ISO 9001:2008 certified company

MICHAEL PAGE

Head of Human Resources, Asia

Total Rewards Director, APAC

Regional Talent Management Manager

› Leading FMCG with global opportunities › Potential career progression

› Leading MNC with global opportunities › Newly created role reporting to the Global C&B Director

› Regional and strategic portfolio › Visibility to senior management

Our client is a global investment management company. Reporting to the Global CEO, you will be leading a regional team responsible for the delivery and enhancement of existing services and programmes to support business objectives. The purpose of this role is to partner the business and play an advisory role on human capital matters. Key to your success will be your ability to engage the senior leaders on a strategic level. Ideally, you are Degree qualified, with at least 15 years of post-graduation experience, gained in a financial services multinational environment.

Our client is a leading American Multinational within the FMCG industry, looking for a Regional Total Rewards Director. Reporting to the Global C&B Director, you will be responsible for globalising the C&B policies and frameworks across Asia Pacific and ensuring compliance of the C&B structures within the organisation. You will also manage the C&B incentive plans for the sales staff. Prior experience in C&B in the retail industry is preferred. You should be humble and a great team member. This is a unique opportunity to join a people centered multinational focused on meritocracy.

Our client is a European listed company in the manufacturing industry, looking for a Regional Talent Management Manager. Reporting to the HR Director, you will be responsible for the alignment of policies and strategies across Asia Pacific pertaining to talent management programs, organisational development projects and processes. The successful applicant should possess a minimum of 8 years of HR Learning & Development or Talent Management. With China being the largest market, proficiency in Mandarin is essential. This is an excellent opportunity to be a valued business partner in an organisation.

Please contact Sean Tong (Reg. no: R1110029) quoting ref: H2585450 or visit our website.

Please contact Domi Di Marco (Reg. no: R1439720) quoting ref: H2543540 or visit our website.

Please contact Sheldon Toh (Reg. no: R1331128) quoting ref: H2568200 or visit our website.

To apply for any of the above positions, please go to www.michaelpage.com.sg and search for the reference number, or contact the relevant consultant on +65 6533 2777 for a confidential discussion.

Get Connected. Stay Ahead.

Specialists in human resources recruitment

Human Resources

#15349 Licence No.: 98C5473 Business Registration No: 199804751N

WORLDWIDE LEADERS IN SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT

www.michaelpage.com.sg

EMPOWERING YOUR CAREER Human Resource Manager

HR Project Specialist

Opportunity for APAC travel Renowned USA MNC Team environment

Global US MNC Attractive remuneration and benefits 2 years contract, convertible to permanent role

Our client is well established in the consumer retail industry and they are currently looking for a Human Resource Manager with APAC experience.

Our client is a global leader in manufacturing, maintenance and repair of heavy machinery and they are looking for a HR Project Specialist.

Reporting to the HR Director, you will be responsible for a wide range of HR functions. You will serve as the Cobra Administrator, administering health and welfare plans as well as processing required documents to ensure accurate record keeping. You will perform recruitment activities and interviews, and conduct employee orientations and monitor career path program. You will be in charge of HR policies and procedures, maintaining the Human Resource Information System records and compiling reports. You will also administer compensation program and perform benefits administration.

Reporting to the Senior HR Manager, you will lead and deliver the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) project implementations. You will be responsible in gathering global HR data, coordinating system updates, maintaining compliance, procedures and guidelines. You will serve as the point of contact for technical and functional issues related to HRIS and payroll system, as well as amongst HR business partners, Payroll, Finance and IT team on operations and HRIS/Payroll issues.

To be successful, you should have a degree in Human Resources or Business with minimum 5-7 years of relevant experience. You should have strong communication skills and ability to work with various stakeholders from diverse background. Candidates with excellent computer skills and software competency (including Microsoft Office) are preferred. If you meet the above criteria, please email your detailed CV in word format to Maggie_Ong@kellyservices.com.sg. Your interest will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Ong Ai Leng Maggie EA Personnel Registration No. R1105973

To qualify, you should have a degree in any discipline with at least 5 years of relevant experience in HRIS and payroll system implementation in large MNCs. You must be hands on and well versed with SAP, Prosoft, Workday and ADP. You should have good working knowledge of employment acts, local statutory regulation and project management with system integration experience. Good IT skills and proficiency in HRIS systems will also make you successful in this role. If you meet the above criteria, please email your detailed CV in word format to eileen_kok@kellyservices.com.sg. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Kok Siew Ying Eileen EA Personnel Registration No. R1108463

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions globally. For more than 35 years, Kelly in Singapore has been partnering the finest

local companies, key government agencies as well as some of the world’s most respected multinational companies to deliver the best talent in the market. Kelly’s centralised recruitment hub makes nearly 8,000 placements in Singapore last year. Complementing our general staffing capability, Kelly also offers great expertise in the sourcing of specialised professionals across technical disciplines such as Engineering, Technology and Science, as well as functional specialties for Finance, HR, Sales & Marketing, Procurement and Banking.

kellyservices.com.sg

Kelly Services (Singapore) Pte Ltd | EA License No. 01C4394 | RCB No. 200007268E

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Headquartered in Singapore since 2003, Kerry Consulting is Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading Search & Selection firm. Our consulting team is the most experienced, and amongst the largest, in the ASEAN region. We offer positions in the following sectors: Banking & Financial Services Commerce Finance Engineering & Supply Chain Healthcare & Life Sciences Human Resources Legal Sales & Marketing Technology

Kerry Consulting celebrates 10 years in Singapore since 2003

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TO APPLY: Please submit your resume to the consultant email address listed, quoting the job title and reference number. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. For further information on each job, visit the short URL

www.kerryconsulting.com | Returning the Human to Resourcing

Regional Talent Acquisition Manager (Real Estate)

Associate Director L&D APAC (Hospitality)

Digital Learning Programme Manager (Banking)

Real Estate Management SEA Coverage Salary Circa up to $120K

Newly Created Role Growing organisation with a strong branding Salary circa up to $120K

Leading Premier Bank AVP/VP Level Salary circa up to $150K

Our client is a leading global MNC and the world’s largest facilities management company. Innovative and exciting would best describe the business that they are in. As a talent acquisition manager, you will report to the SEA HR Director and lead a team of recruiters. You will be responsible for the entire recruitment cycle from sourcing talents to smooth onboarding.

Our client is an established U.S. multinational within the service industry with strong growth in APAC. There is now an opportunity for a high calibre L&D Associate Director to join them in this newly created role. This position has Asia-Pacific coverage and will report directly to the Learning and Development Director, APAC, and manage a team of three. You will play a pivotal role in managing the entire process of partnering new/conversion developments in the key areas of brand service culture, culture building, and training systems.

Reporting directly to the Head of L&D, you will support the design and implementation of the Bank’s L&D programmes through digital training solutions. As a key driver, you will engage and consult with key business leaders and HR stakeholders to develop and deliver fit for purpose and cost-effective learning solutions. You will act as a consultant to engage with key stakeholders to identify learning needs and propose effective learning solutions, with a focus on using digital platforms to promote learning initiatives.

For more info: http://bit.ly/pc-7898

For more info: http://bit.ly/pc-7701

Ref No: PC7802\HRM pc@kerryconsulting.com Reg No: R1104327

Ref No: PC7435\HRM pc@kerryconsulting.com Reg No: R1104327

Senior Associate (AVP Equivalent) - Compensation & Benefits (Private Banking)

Regional Senior Manager - Total Rewards

For more info: http://bit.ly/pc-7932 Ref No: PC 7932\HRM pc@kerryconsulting.com Reg No: R1104327

Area Head of HR (Based in Qingdao, Shandong, China) Leading Global Industrial Organization Strong Career Progression Potential Competitive Remuneration A leading industrial company with an established global footprint and a leading product pipeline is seeking an Area Head of HR to be based in Qingdao, Shandong, China, as it undergoes extensive organic growth and aggressively expands its APAC market presence. This role has wide exposure throughout the organization and will play a key role in supporting the Country MD’s commercial strategy. You will also actively participate in senior leadership decision-making, develop a robust learning and development agenda, lead change management initiatives, and create an innovative and commercially-focused HR team. For more info: http://bit.ly/ft-7868 Ref No: FT7868\HRM ft@kerryconsulting.com Reg No: R1104310

Premier private bank Newly created role Salary Circa up to $120k This is an international private bank with a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region. It is now going through an expansionary phase and seeking a Senior Associate – Compensation & Benefits (C&B). This role reports to the Head of C&B and you will work closely with HRBPs, local and Group C&B teams on market competitiveness analysis, as well as provide expert advice on rewards-related issues. You will also work alongside third-party benefits vendors to support the day-to-day operations of the benefits portfolio. For more info: http://bit.ly/ft-7334 Ref No: FT7334\HRM ft@kerryconsulting.com Reg No: R1104310

Fortune 500 Organization Newly Created Role Salary circa up to $200K This successful and growing organization headquartered in Singapore has an exciting future ahead and is seeking a Regional Senior Manager – Total Rewards as a strategic hire to ensure the further success of the business through its people and partners. This role reports to the Global Total Rewards Leader and partners closely with senior executives. In this key Total Rewards lead role, you will oversee, manage and design the C&B policies and framework for the region. For more info: http://bit.ly/ft-7686 Ref No: FT7399\HRM ft@kerryconsulting.com Reg No: R1104310

Licence No: 03C4828

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Human resources professionals speak to tHe experts Deputy Director, compensation & Benefits (retail & Hospitality) architecting remuneration strategies

Hr manager (education) spearhead key Hr initiatives pertaining to talent acquisition & management

In line with encouraging growth in the business, a rare Deputy Director, Compensation & Benefits opportunity exists within a reputable MNC in the hospitality scene. Reporting directly to the Regional HR Director, you will oversee compensation & benefits strategies for commercial units in the region. You will be a Bachelors Degree graduate with eight years of relevant compensation & benefits experience. An established manager, you have a proven track record in people management and business partnering with senior leaders.

A renowned educational institute is looking for a HR Development Manager to work closely with the management team in planning and developing key HR frameworks and initiatives pertaining to talent acquisition, talent management and learning & development to build people management and skill competencies. With more than six years of hands-on HR operational experience in talent acquisition, talent management and employee engagement, you will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills to liaise with key stakeholders at all levels.

Hr Director (philippines based) Be the driving force of a dynamic mnc

Hr Business partner lead Hr for high profile business unit

An exciting strategic business partnering opportunity exists within a financial services organisation looking to expand their operations significantly in the Philippines. This role will entail mass recruitment, taking charge of multiple HR projects such as rolling our HRIS and supporting the C-Level team with their strategic plans for expansion and stabilisation within the country. You must be degree educated with a minimum of eight years of relevant HR experience. This role offers a full expatriate benefits and relocation package.

This multinational organisation within the shipping industry has its APAC headquarters based in Singapore. It is looking for an HR Business Partner to work closely with the business, translating their strategic objectives into specific HR programs. This role is working with a high profile stakeholder and requires you to be credible and influential, and able to work within a matrix organisation. This full spectrum generalist role will leverage off the Centre of Excellence and it will require you to be a true partner to your customers, advising in all areas of human resources.

please contact ash russell, tamara sigerhall, chris lui, keith lim or sean Wong at hr.singapore@hays.com.sg or +65 6303 0721.

hays.com.sg

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ATTRACT

HELPING YOU GROW A STRONG PEOPLE TREE WITH OUR INTEGRATED HUMAN CAPITAL CONSULTING SERVICES

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CONSULTING

TRANSFORMATION

Formerly Steve Morris Associates

LEADERSHIP & TRANSFORMATION

TALENT MANAGEMENT

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS & PERFORMANCE

E-TALENT & E-REWARDS SYSTEMS

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