HRM 15.7 by HRM Asia

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HIRING FOR THE FUTURE AT UBISOFT INNOVATIVE BONUS SCHEMES HR SALARY UPDATE

ISSUE 15.7

WHAT ARE YOU WORTH?

Price inc. GST $9.95

Compensation & Benefits Special

EDITOR’S NOTE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sumathi V Selvaretnam ASSISTANT EDITOR Shalini Shukla-Pandey JOURNALIST Sham Majid SUB-EDITOR Paul Howell PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATOR Ezzaty Nazurah Zainal 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

15.7

Dear HRM readers,

re you contented with your compensation and benefits package? Where do HR salaries in Singapore stand in comparison to those in region and beyond? This month’s Compensation and Benefits Special attempts to offer some insights on these topics. We also look at some innovative bonus schemes offered by some companies, and examine whether expatriates today still receive better pay packages than their local peers. Our HR Insider for July shines the spotlight on leading video games developer, Ubisoft. We find out how early recruitment planning is crucial for netting top talent in this cutting edge industry. Lastly, how seriously do you view feedback from your exit interviews? For local SME ColorWash, feedback from departing employees helped it re-think its HR policies and come up with new strategies to effectively attract and retain staff in a very niche sector. Happy reading!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Frank Pinckers (pinckers.com) PRINTED BY Times Printers Pte Ltd PUBLISHED BY

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HRM Asia Pte Ltd 60 Albert Street, Albert Complex #16-08 Singapore 189969 Tel: +65 6423 4631 Fax: +65 6423-4632 Email: info@hrmasia.com.sg

Best Regards,

Sumathi V Selvaretnam Editorial Director, HRM Asia

MIC (P) 065/07/2015 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 15.7 HRMASIA.COM

CONTENTS 15.7 COVER STORY 22 Make them hungry for more

Gone are the days when HR just whips out some extra cash to reward good performance or share the company’s profit. Today’s bonus schemes are becoming more creative and innovative. HRM finds out more

22 FEATURES 10 Milking success in Asia

With more than 140 years of experience in dairy leadership, FrieslandCampina has a strong footprint in Asia and is proactively building its presence, and increasing its scale and reach in the region. While new to Asia, Chief Operating Officer Piet Hilarides has broad experience in leadership roles in the dairy industry and will be pivotal in growing the company in the region. HRM finds out more

16 Ahead of the game

In the rapidly-evolving video gaming industry, being the first to innovate and develop new ideas is crucial for success. In

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this exclusive interview, HRM finds out how Ubisoft leads the pack by hiring for new skills and emerging job roles ahead of time

26 Paying what they’re worth While the topic of salaries always divides opinion, there are even more robust discussions when it comes to the remuneration of foreigners when benchmarked against that of locals

30 HR salary update

Strong economic growth is continuing across the Asian region, and HR is increasingly taking a more prominent position in the boardroom. The function is creating business growth through human capital development. But

16 are HR salaries matching up to the increased responsibility?

35 Hidden costs of relocation

Relocating employees is never easy, and HR must consider a range of factors that can affect the process. HRM reveals the hidden costs of relocation and how to avoid them

43 Training a productive workplace

Attaining an effective and productive workplace is something all organisations aim for. HRM looks at training programmes that can help boost productivity

48 Cultivating sustainable meetings

54 Brains at work

A lot of factors are involved when it comes to keeping staff engaged at work. Guest contributor Dr Jenny Brockis says employers need to create an engaging work culture that allows for staff brains to perform at their best

58 HR Young Gun

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

60 Hootsuite â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Social is in its DNA

How did Hootsuite grow from a 20-person startup to a more than 600-strong workforce in just three years? By using social media of course, says Ambrosia Humphrey, Vice President of Talent

64 SME Spotlight

Re-thinking its workplace policies has helped ColorWash emerge out of a hiring rut and become an employer of choice, especially among mature workers.

REGULARS 4 News 15 Leaders on Leadership 41 HR Clinic 57 Resources 51 An HRD Speaks 51 Twenty-four Seven 53 Talent Ladder 57 In Person ISSUE 15.7

HRMASIA.COM

NEWS

ASIA

SINGAPORE

ASIA

EMPLOYEES CAN’T SWITCH OFF

THE KEY TO OUTSOURCING SUCCESS: INTEGRATE THE TEAM

One in three (32%) employees in Singapore finds it hard to let go of work during their holidays, while over half (51%) say their boss expects them to still be contactable when they are away. These were some of the key findings in Randstad’s Workmonitor research from the second quarter. This makes Singapore one of the worst countries in Asia-Pacific when it comes to leaving the stresses of work behind, with only employees in Japan (44%) and Malaysia (36%) more likely to take their work with them. Employees in China (15%) and Hong Kong (19%) are the most relaxed when it comes to taking time off work. Randstad’s Singapore Country Director Michael Smith, said that there were number of reasons behind this: • Singapore has one of the highest smartphone penetrations in the world with the majority of Singaporeans using two or more connected devices. • Some may not want to return from holidays to a backlog of emails or

Outsourced and sub-contracted employees are used in many industries, but their success or failure often comes down to how well they are integrated may feel obligated to show their into the business, says Hays. commitment to their job while on leave The use of external employees • Others feel it’s an expectation of through a service partnership can bring their boss, with 60% claiming that many benefits, includins access to their boss requires them to be specialist skills and additional workforce available outside of regular office flexibility. However, it can also raise hours people management issues, one of • Singapore employees are also known which is how to make the employees to have a strong work ethic and are feel part of the business, despite being often motivated by money and career employed through a third party. progression, translating into working “The benefits of outsourcing may be long hours and finding it difficult to clear but companies must take a step back switch off once outside the office and consider the issue of integrating the “Being able to switch off new employees into their from work actually helps business,” says Christine to improve productivity Wright, managing director and boosts morale,” says of Hays in Asia. of the Asia-Pacific respondents polled say they Smith. “Business leaders “Any company entering would be unwilling to work for should be clear on how into a partnership of this companies involved in bribery switched on they expect kind needs to ensure and corruption scandals their staff to be when that the outsourced team Source: EY’s APAC Fraud they’re not at work.” believes in the same core Survey 2015: “Fraud and values as their own. If the Corruption – driving away talent?” team coming in already INDIA shares the same ethics and is able to embrace the company’s culture, the foundations are there to build a strong working relationship.” Job seekers in India favour potential career growth over higher salaries, a TimesJobs Helping to integrate an external team poll has shown. into a business can be achieved through According to the research, 35% of job candidates said the steps taken by a a number of strategies. Hays suggest: company to help develop their career would be the biggest reason for joining that • Providing the same training as for organisation. Salary came in second, with 24% citing that as a reason to sign on. regular employees – this helps Work culture was the third most popular reason, with 21% of the survey to convey to outsourced and subrespondents noting this. contracted employees that their The research also found that candidates are not as bothered about job security contribution is just as valued as their as the above parameters of salary and work culture. Just 20% polled in favour of host counterparts. job security as the top reason for • Even though they won’t be directly working in a company – showing managed by the host company, make a diminishing interest in public sure that senior management are aware sector jobs. of the outsourced team’s objectives. This is in contrast to the results • Give management and the team the of a TimesJobs.com poll from ability to openly discuss performance mid-2012. Then, 30% of the job – this is effective in creating a more seekers quizzed cited job security productive relationship. as the prime reason for going job • Ensure all parties are clear on hunting. However, career growth the agreement between the two topped the list even then, with companies. Everybody involved must 34% of votes. know exactly what is required of them.

CAREER GROWTH OVER SALARY

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80%

ASIA

NEWS

MORE ENGAGED, MORE EFFECTIVE, MORE PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEES.

HONG KONG

CHINA ATTRACTS MORE HK GRADS An overwhelming majority of Hong Kong university graduates are willing to work in China, citing more job opportunities and a healthier economic outlook. A survey of 624 graduates by the Hong Kong United Youth Association Student Exchange Network has found that more than seven in 10 were willing to relocate to Mainland China. More than half of the respondents planned to build their careers in China for one to three years after graduation. Nine in 10 were optimistic about Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic growth. Hong Kong graduates face more challenges because of globalisation, said Tang Wing-sze, Vice Chairman of the student exchange group. Many also lack confidence in Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local job market.

WE CAN HELP.

Alexa Chow, managing director of AMAC HR Consultants said graduates nowadays demand higher salaries, reducing their employment prospects. She added that Hong Kong-invested firms in mainland China pay an average of HK$10,000 (S$1720) a month, less than the average offer in Hong Kong. But the firms also give increases of between five and eight per cent compared with 4.2% average salary increment in of employers surveyed Hong Kong. forecast an increase in

21%

staffing levels over the third quarter this year

ASIA

SMES LOVE APPS LIKE WHATSAPP & SKYPE Small businesses in emerging AsiaPacific economies are embracing cheap online tools faster than their peers in wealthier nations Businesses from Vietnam to the Philippines are exploiting the latest and cheapest technologies to boost productivity. A Microsoft-backed survey found small and medium firms in emerging economies are embracing tools such as Skype, Dropbox and WhatsApp more readily than their peers in advanced

Source: 2015 Manpower Employment Outlook Survey

nations. Vietnam and the Philippines topped the region in using four or five such online tools, including e-mail, social networking, file sharing, document collaboration and virtual meetings, according to the survey of 10 countries. Of the 2,000 respondents from small and medium-sized businesses, about 80% from Vietnam and the Philippines said they used four or five of the mentioned tools, compared with 35% in Australia and 40% in Taiwan. For instance, a company in Vietnam said it used Microsoftowned Skype for video conferences because it was cheaper and because employees were already comfortable using it with their families. Traffic gridlocks in cities such as Manila, Jakarta and Bangkok, which makes it imperative for employees to be able to work more easily on the go, may also contribute to the demand.

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Well-being support for 48 million employees across 56,000 organisations in 200+ countries and territories. Learn More at:

www.workplaceoptions.com 5

NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

GLOBAL

PARENTS URGED TO WORK LESS

ADULT CONTENT STILL HAUNTING FIRMS

Workers around the globe are Kids in the UK are asking their parents to cut down taking foolish risks when it their working hours. According to new research from CareerBuilder.co.uk, comes to cyber security at their workplace. 33% of working parents have been asked to work less According to a global research by at least one of their children. study by Blue Coat Systems, Furthermore, 42% of men and 35% of women employees are accessing illbelieve their work has negatively impacted their chosen websites while at the relationships with their kids. workplace – despite being fully When quizzed on how many hours they spent with aware of the risks to their firms. their offspring, 38% of respondents said it was less Pornography is the number than two hours daily. one issue, as it continues to be For some, high wages do not match up to the price one of the most popular ways of having less quality family time. Close to half of of hiding malware or malicious working mums (47%) and 39% of working fathers content. claimed they would be prepared to take a pay cut to Even though awareness of the spend more time at home. danger posed by adult content The research also found that men and women are websites is high, employees are equally as prone to take leave from the office for still accessing these potentially family reasons. risky sites. Forty-seven percent of both mums and dads The Blue Coat revealed they were likely to depart survey found that from their job if their spouse made with almost one sufficient money for the family to live in five workers on comfortably. confessing to When it comes to “having it all”, of 1,553 unemployed individuals in having viewed male employees tend to display the US decided to quit their jobs, adult material on more positivity than their female apparently encouraged by the a work device, counterparts. improving economy and reports of China has the Sixty-five per cent of male staff think an improving labour market worst record for they can attain success in both their Source: Harris Poll these risks. The career and parenthood, as opposed to commissioned by Express Employment Professionals workforces in 58% of female employees. Mexico (10%) and “Traditionally, men have been the UK (nine percent) are not expected to be the breadwinners for their far behind. households, but the dynamic is shifting,” said Scott Findings from the survey Helmes, Managing Director at CareerBuilder UK. highlighted that: “While 52% of working dads remain their family’s • Though 65% of global sole financial provider, now 37% of working mums respondents consider utilising a provide the only salary for their household.” new application without the IT “While the vast majority believe it’s possible department’s permission as a to ‘have it all’ in terms of career and children, serious cyber-security threat to maintaining a healthy balance between the two can the organisation, 26% confessed still be a struggle.” to doing so regardless The survey was conducted online among 380 adults • In Singapore, 37% of with children between March and April this year. respondents utilised new applications without the IT department’s approval. The figure was 33% in the UK and 30% in both India and Mexico. At the other end of the spectrum, Australia and France were the lowest offenders at 14% and 16% respectively

Nearly one-fifth

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• Obvious risks, such as opening emails from unverified senders, still occur at the workplace. Close to one third (29%) of Chinese workers open email attachments from unverified senders, even though close to three out of four (72%) view it as a serious threat. US firms see the threat even more seriously (80%) and open fewer unwelcome emails (17%) as a result. • Close to two out of five workers (41%) utilise social media sites for personal reasons at the office. • Although six percent of global respondents still confessed to watching adult content on work devices, China was listed as the worst offender with close to one in five (19%) workers confessing to viewing adult content at work. “While the majority of employees are aware of cyber security risks, in practice most still take chances,” said Hugh Thompson, Chief Technology Officer for Blue Coat. “The consumerisation of IT and social media carry mixed blessings to enterprises. It is no longer realistic to prevent employees from using them, so businesses need to find ways to support these technology choices while simultaneously mitigating the security risks.” The global research study featured 1580 respondents across 11 countries.

INTERNATIONAL

NEWS

Strengthen influencers, sustain talent

DO YOU HAVE AN OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENT POLICY? Many American organisations talk about employee engagement, but just how many of them are deliberately structured to keep staff excited about their work? Not many, if a report by WeSpire is anything to go by. The report, titled The Evolution of Employee Engagement assessed how organisations engaged employees. It highlighted that only 27% of US firms have an official employee engagement policy. In addition, 76% of workers under the age of 30 wanted to see their company do more in terms of employee engagement. The survey found three important trends for more effective employee engagement initiatives: • Great Managers: Eighty-nine percent of “very engaged” employees claimed their superiors cared about them, while only 28% of “not at all engaged” workers responded

Christopher Dewar

Faculty Director, Design and Delivery, Center for Creative Leadership

as politely. Beyond that, 97% of “very engaged” workers claimed that they were making meaningful contributions to their company. • Transparency: In companies with official employee engagement strategies, 55% of workers are engaged, while only 40% of employees are engaged at firms without official policies. • Choice and collaboration: Employees who have a choice in the types of programmes they can positively impact are more likely to be engaged. Furthermore, peer collaboration is becoming increasingly more crucial, with 62% of respondents being interested in knowing more about the sustainability efforts of their colleagues. The report was based on a survey of more than 400 respondents.

midst a volatile and competitive business environment, talent is a vital resource and organisations constantly strive to sustain talent. Business line managers are well-positioned to influence the development and movement of talent given their proximity to the talent and organisational knowledge positions. However, our study shows that they tend to be the weakest link in the talent system and require higher levels of support to achieve talent sustainability. How can HR professionals help line managers better fulfil their role in this process? • Instilling accountability: When talent development is significantly incorporated into line managers’ goals and performance appraisals, alongside valuable rewards and recognition – line managers are kept answerable and incentivised in the quest to develop top talent. • Maintaining approachability: Line managers need to remember that to their subordinates, they are the face of the organisation – it is crucial that they are approachable, inspiring, yet comfortable with and confident of offering feedback to coach and mentor. • Equipping of tactical and functional skills: When a talent conversation occurs, line managers need to be wellversed in leadership coaching and mentorship. The ability to be adept at having this conversation with different types of talent (e.g. top talent, solid performers, potential performers and underperformers) is essential. Clearly communicated goals and objectives, constructive and timely feedback, and the creation of a positive mindset that encourages improvement must be achieved. Finally, the willingness of the line manager to make tough decisions and deal appropriately with underperformers cannot be avoided. Engage your line managers to be your Talent Influencers.

YOU’RE UNDERPERFORMING... HERE’S YOUR BONUS Some UK managers are being handed out bonuses, despite performing below expectations. This was the stark finding from the latest National Management Salary Survey, conducted by XpertHR and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). The survey revealed that close to a third (30%) of UK managers whose performance was listed as “underperforming” were given a bonus this year. For the first time, the 2015 National Management Salary Survey documented performance ratings alongside salaries and by doing so, the yearly survey found that payment for underperformance was rampant across UK organisations. In fact, almost half (45%) of senior managers and directors whose performance was listed as “not meeting expectations” received a financial bonus - on average, worth £8,873 (S$18,750), but rising to £44,687 (S$94,600).

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

The survey highlighted managers’ wages rose three percent over the previous 12 months – the steepest yearly increase since 2012, and well above inflation. “Too many managers are reaping the rich rewards of their positions despite being poor performers,” said Ann Francke, CEO of the CMI. “Unfortunately, it seems to be a lot easier to reward poor performance than to face the awkwardness of having difficult conversations with underperforming staff.” Mark Crail, content director at XpertHR, which conducted the survey, explained there is frequently a practice “of rewarding past glories”. “The biggest and most significant indicator of whether someone will get a bonus this year is whether or not they got one last year,” he said. The survey comprised of 72,206 employees in 317 UK companies.

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INF GRAPHIC

Dissecting the DNA of professionals What is the make-up of the everyday professional and what makes them tick? HRM shares some insights from LinkedIn’s New Norms@Work study

Dressing the Part @Work Close to half (48%) of professionals

surveyed in Singapore say they will dress up more for meetings held during the workday,

Women feel most pressured to impress in

the workplace, with 37% believing they get judged more for what they wear at work, while men believe they will appear more professional by dressing smartly (46%).

39% of males and 47% of females keep separate work and home wardrobes.

Say Cheese @Work 35% of those surveyed in Singapore say

they think more carefully about their profile pictures on LinkedIn compared to other social networking sites.

43% of Singaporean professionals say it is “very important” for them to keep their professional and personal social media profiles separate.

The Truth @Work One-third (34%) of professionals in

Singapore reported that if they were fired from a job, they would make it look like they left on their own accord.

24% wouldn’t mention it at any cost. 1% would even lie about it. Between the sexes, males ( 34%) are more

likely to be upfront and completely honest about the situation, compared to females ( 27%).

New Norms @Work: Worldwide In India, one quarter of full-time working professionals reported wearing a suit or a formal dress to work the most frequently, compared to only 3% of their counterparts in Sweden.

Indonesian professionals are the most

image-conscious, with the highest number (51%) of professionals there saying they think most carefully about their professional profile picture, compared to only 4% in Japan.

Sources: • LinkedIn’s New Norms @Work study • Some icon graphics are by Freepik.com and VectorOpen-Stock.com 8

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DID YOU KNOW

58%

of professionals would now challenge their colleagues by voicing their opinions compared to when they first started their career.

ONE TWO professionals surveyed also disagree that they are “yes employees” — someone who does as he/ she is told and is not likely to question authority.

Professionals aged 25-34 – or the millennials – appear to be the most eager to please.

55%

say they consider themselves as “yes employees”, compared to

43%

of professionals in the 5565 age group

HR MARKET ROUNDUP

NEWS

HK IS MOST EXPENSIVE ASIAN CITY FOR EXPATS Hong Kong has maintained its status at the most expensive Asian city for expatriates, according to Mercer’s 21st annual Cost of Living Survey. Singapore, which was ranked fourth in the 2014 survey, also stayed in the same position in 2015. “As the global economy has become increasingly interconnected, close to 75% of multinational organisations are expecting long-term expatriate assignments to remain stable or increase over the next two years to address business needs,” said Ilya Bonic, Senior Partner and President of Mercer’s Talent business. “Sending employees abroad is necessary to compete in markets, and employers need a reliable and accurate reflection of the cost to their bottom line.” According to the survey, the costliest city in the world – for the third successive year – is Luanda, the capital of Angola.

Other Asian cities appearing in the top 10 of Mercer’s costliest cities for expatriates are: Shanghai (sixth), Beijing (seventh), and Seoul (eighth). The world’s least expensive cities for expatriates, according to Mercer’s survey, are Bishkek, Krygyzstan, Windhoek, Namibia, and Karachi, Pakistan. Tokyo was ranked seventh last year but fell to 11th in the rankings in 2015. “Japanese cities have continued to drop in the ranking this year as a result of the Japanese yen weakening against the US dollar,” said Nathalie Constantin-Métral, Principal at Mercer. “However, Chinese cities jumped in the ranking due to the strengthening of the Chinese yuan along with the high costs of expatriate consumer goods.” The survey included 207 cities across five continents and measures the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment.

Top 10 rankings (2015) Mercer Cost of Living Survey – Worldwide Rankings 2015

(Mercer international basket, including rental accommodation costs)

Rank as of March

City

Country

2014

2015

Luanda

Angola

Hong Kong

Zurich

Switzerland

Singapore

Geneva

Switzerland

Shanghai

China

Beijing

China

Seoul

South Korea

Bern

Switzerland

N’Djamena

Chad

ASCOTT HITS 40,000 APARTMENT UNITS RECRUIT INC LAUNCHES CONSULTANCY CapitaLand Limited’s wholly owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited, has accomplished its target of owning 40,000 apartment units globally, ahead of its planned schedule. The company has secured 10 new contracts in the growing cities of Nantong, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Wuxi and Nanjing in China, Jakarta in Indonesia, Bangkok and Sri Racha in Thailand, as well as Muscat in Oman. Ascott’s portfolio has increased by more than 2,000 units to come to 41,000 units. The company had planned to achieve this only at the end of this year. The apartments are spread across 270 properties in 91 cities and 25 countries, strengthening Ascott’s status as the world’s biggest international serviced residence owner and operator. “Ascott has been expanding aggressively to achieve our milestone of 40,000 units globally ahead of schedule,” said Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s CEO. “This year, Ascott has so far added 18 properties in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. We also opened eight properties, with another 15 more to open in China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Oman and Saudi Arabia this year. “Such expansive growth demands an intimate understanding of the market and an ability to establish the right local alliances. To double our portfolio to 80,000 units by 2020, our strategy is to expand through investments, management contracts, strategic alliances and franchises.”

Boutique executive search firm Recruit Inc has unveiled its HR consulting practice for Asia, part of its regional strategy to provide indepth HR expertise to both large companies and SMEs in the region. “In Recruit Inc, we partner clients in their search of the right people,” said Dorcas Tan, General Manager. “We believe that every individual has a special talent and the challenge is to find the right fit in an organisation that brings out their unique qualities. “The HR consulting practice consists of a variety of options and solutions including helping clients to build internal workforce capability and talent leadership management.” With its personalised approach backed by a proven methodology, Recruit Inc is committed to gaining the trust and confidence of every client to make it an enriching and meaningful search experience, Tan remarked. “We are up for that challenge,” she said.

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LEADERS TALK HR

MILKING SUCCESS IN ASIA

Tell me about yourself. Who inspires you? What are your career aims?

It is important to be able to take charge and steer the company towards its goals, and at the same time ensure that the employees also fulfil their potential or ambitions. I always encourage an active collaborative environment – sharing knowledge, expertise and learning builds better teams.

I am Chief Operating Officer of FrieslandCampina in Asia. We are one of the world’s five largest dairy companies, founded in Holland in 1871. I moved to our regional headquarters in Singapore in January this year Shalini Shukla-Pandey from Holland, taking up my new shalini@hrmasia.com.sg position. My focus is to grow You’ve just assumed the the business and to make it the role of Chief Operating most successful, attractive dairy Officer. Tell us more. company in the region. I am excited about the opportunities FrieslandCampina’s ambition is to create the most that this role brings, especially in a region as diverse as successful, professional and attractive dairy company Asia. I hope that I am able to inspire, contribute and make a for our member farmers, employees, customers and meaningful impact on the business. consumers, and society. I am inspired by Nelson Mandela: I am inspired by his To achieve this, a top priority for me since taking on strong sense of humanity and balance, even after 27 years of this role is to ensure that we are growing in existing imprisonment. His exemplary leadership style was based on markets as well as capturing opportunities in new markets. compassion and a clear vision, and it is something to aspire toward. Growth is the bloodline of our company; Asia is now the world’s highest growth market for milk and dairy What is your leadership style? products – consumption has doubled over the last 30 years, I believe that a great leader is agile and able to contributing to more than 60% of the global consumption adapt their leadership style based on the needs of gains. We have strengthened our market position through the team or situation. The leader needs to be able to call joint ventures and acquisitions in China and the Philippines the shots when a situation calls for it, and sometimes, the in the last two years, and growth in new and existing leader needs to be able to allow for participation to build markets presents an exciting opportunity for us. consensus.

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LEADERS TALK HR

Piet Hilarides, Chief Operating Officer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Consumer Products Asia, FrieslandCampina

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LEADERS TALK HR

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

Asia is such a diverse region. We are present in 11 markets and have operations in 30 locations. As you can imagine, we have to work with heterogeneous socio-cultural norms and different institutional and regulatory landscapes, and at the same time continue to strive for continuity and consistency in our businesses. Being able to find that balance is a challenge on a daily basis, but it is also the most exciting part of the job that I truly appreciate.

What are some key changes that you’ve brought about since your move to Asia?

The three main developments I have

initiated since taking over as COO are: • The sharpening of the strategy, which puts greater focus on the most important product-market combinations in our portfolio. • Giving more attention to the quality of execution, which results in more pride and rigour in the route to market capabilities. • The improvement of the quality of basic processes, which results in higher first-time-right scores.

transformation of the company to become one of the top five dairy companies in the world, with products sold in more than 100 countries. Before moving to Asia, I was in charge of the Africa business and the cheese, butter and milk powder division in the Netherlands. I have also held a variety of management positions at Campina, Melkunie, Pepsico and Smiths Food Group (General Mills).

While you are new to Asia, you have broad experience in leadership roles in the dairy industry. Tell me more. I joined FrieslandCampina – then just Campina – before the merger with Friesland in 2008 – in 1994. I have witnessed the growth and

How do you interact with your staff?

I would hope that they would see me as an approachable leader who is willing to listen, take their feedback and interests seriously, while still being a leader who is firm, decisive and able to lead the team confidently.

BIO BRIEF Piet Hilarides assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer of its consumer products business group in Asia this year. Hilarides is a member of FrieslandCampina’s executive board and is based in Singapore, FrieslandCampina’s regional headquarters in Asia. In his new role, Hilarides assumes responsibility for the production and sales of FrieslandCampina’s broad range of dairy products to consumers in Asia. He has a strong track record in leading FrieslandCampina’s cheese, butter and milk powder business group and the FrieslandCampina “milkvalorisation” strategy. During the past two years, Hilarides has also been responsible for developing and implementing the company’s Africa strategy, including new market entry and mergers and acquisitions. Commenting on his new role, Hilarides said: “I am delighted to take up my new position in Asia, a very important region for FrieslandCampina as we continue to implement our international growth plan in one of the fastest growing dairy regions in the world. “I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to build on the great progress we are already achieving in providing millions of children and families in Asia with valuable nutrition every day,” he added. Hilarides was Chief Operating Officer of the cheese, butter and milk powder business group from 2009 to 2014, based in the Netherlands. Prior to this, he held a variety of management positions at Campina (later Royal FrieslandCampina), Melkunie, Pepsico and Smiths Food Group (General Mills). Hilarides first joined FrieslandCampina in 1994. Hilarides completed the Harvard Advanced Management Programme and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Economics from the University of Rotterdam and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, from the Nijenrode Business University. He is currently a member of the supervisory board of CSK Food Enrichment and a member of the advisory board of NIZO Food Research.

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LEADERS TALK HR I believe that a leader must be able to trust and believe in the abilities of his colleagues and team members to carry out their tasks efficiently and diligently. I am a strong advocate for a collaborative work environment that emphasises sharing and learning. I also believe that an open, two-way dialogue is necessary for any workplace to thrive. About 10 years ago, I took time off work for professional studies in Switzerland. I appointed a strong team of five executives to each take over a part of my duties during my absence. Upon my return, I was very pleased that two members of the team had enjoyed and excelled at their tasks and responsibilities. This not only allowed me to catch up on work that had accumulated while I was away, but also provided them the opportunity to fast track their development for

management positions. On the other hand, I had to relook into the work that was under the remit of the other three members, and this was time consuming.

What is your talent acquisition strategy? How else do you groom talent?

A key focus of our strategy is to have targeted development of our own FrieslandCampina team in addition to external recruitment of top talent for management and specialist positions. In 2014, the number of internal staff being appointed to management positions increased. Another key focus is to build engagement that in turn drives performance. We have regular employee feedback sessions and programmes in place to nurture and develop talents. We want to make sure that our employees have fulfilling and long stretching careers with FrieslandCampina.

How about training and development opportunities for current staff?

What is your top tip for aspiring leaders?

We actively consider our proposition as a company to employees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from recruitment to development, reward and wellbeing. In terms of training and development, we have established the FrieslandCampina Academy which is focused on the development and organisation of training courses and e-learning programmes. In 2013, more than 3,000 of our employees globally followed one of the over300 training courses available, and we also implemented a new learning management system to enable easy registration for on-going learning. Being a global company, we also deploy our staff on short-term assignments overseas so that they get to learn more about our operations and have a deeper and better understanding of the business.

Be willing to share, listen and proactively ask for advice. At the same time, trust yourself and your personal judgement while taking the advice of others into account.

Me Myself I I love: Sports. I dislike: Dishonesty. My inspiration is: Apart from Nelson Mandela, my family. My biggest weakness is: Being too Dutch. In five yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to be: As happy and in balance as I am today. Favourite quote: Leaver dea as slaef (Better to be dead than enslaved).

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LEADERS ON LEADERSHIP

How do you ensure your organisation and its activities are aligned with your “core values”? A t Hootsuite, we strongly follow and cultivate the core values of being egoless, entrepreneurial, adventurous, and passionate. As social media is our company’s DNA, our employees are aligned with the company’s vision and passionate about the space of social. Employees are our best brand advocates, so we do spend a great deal of time ensuring we cultivate a strong working culture with our core values being ingrained deeply, and also making sure social media is a core competency for every role in the workplace. To help foster and continue building a strong, socially-savvy workforce, we provide our employees with social and digital trainings that are tailored for them. For example, all newly-recruited talents go through a Hootsuite University social media training course with certification, which educates individuals

on what social media can do to help them in their job, how it can affect their careers, and how it can provide better product trainings to their customers. Aside from employee trainings, our team members in Singapore are also encouraged to organise and host internal meetings and events to promote team building and also build stronger ties between departments. The team can get quite creative with their party ideas and themes, and personally for me, it’s a great way for me to stay in touch with everyone outside of work and to build a better relationship with my team. In the earlier days, when Hootsuite set up its first office in Vancouver (where our headquarters are located currently), culture was identified as an important factor in our chance for success. To this day, even as our company has experienced a huge amount of growth over recent years, our core values remain important to all of us.

BERT WONG

CEO, Fuji Xerox Singapore

uji Xerox’s vision is to become the dominant force in the document solution industry. When I was first appointed as the CEO of Fuji Xerox Singapore in 2007, enabling and empowering employees was on top of my priority list. I was determined to ensure that all employees had a share in this vision and would play an active role in realising it. As everyone who joins the company comes from a different background and walk of life, it is important to align everyone to a set of shared values and beliefs. Therefore, I decided that two important steps had to be taken in order to bring the organisation to a higher level: firstly, organisational business strategy had to be integrated with organisation members’ own values and aspirations to ensure that there was a common vision that was shared among all. Secondly, it was about enabling our employees with the competencies and resources required to achieve the vision.

SIMON TRILSBACH Vice President of Asia-Pacific region, Hootsuite

Since then, we have introduced a few initiatives and programmes across the organisation with the key objective of achieving a strong work culture and shared core values for all employees, enabling them to successfully drive the organisation forward. For instance, we have introduced the Leadership Challenge Programme that’s well tailored and aligned with Fuji Xerox Singapore’s core values. By matching the leadership development programme with our own leadership needs, it ensured that there was a strategic fit where organisation members were able to see how their learning could be effectively translated within the overall organisation vision and strategy. Today, Fuji Xerox Singapore has experienced a change not only within the key management team, but among all employees as well. It is important that we continue to train our people in order to be successful.

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HR INSIDER

Ahead of THE GAME

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HR INSIDER

he creator of popular video skills or expertise, says Tee. “Game gaming franchises such as development is a team effort. Like Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six and team sports, the chemistry and Far Cry – Ubisoft has been rapidly synergy of a good team can really push expanding its presence in the region the bar up in terms of quality and after opening its Singapore studio in innovation. Hence, we are always on a July, 2008. lookout for talents. From an initial staff strength of “We spend considerable efforts 20 people, the company has now building the talent pipeline, and expanded to become a diverse team it takes time to understand the of over 300 employees from 30 candidates before finding a good nationalities. “The studio has full match for hire,” she adds. All HR capabilities in game development, policies and practices are aligned including game designers, with the company’s core values and programmers, artists, animators, strategic priorities. testers, community Ubisoft tackles developers, player its hiring challenge intelligence by building analysts, and professional producers,” says Iris relationships and Tee, HR Director, social networks with Based on their years of service, Ubisoft Ubisoft Singapore. good talent pools. employees receive between $400 to $600 The studio “Instead of relying annually to spend on vision care, dental health, insurance or leisure and relaxation activities. recently won the on traditional Singapore Computer job postings or Society’s Best advertisements, we Tech Company to Work For Award. Tee recruit via social media like LinkedIn says that recognition is testament and Facebook,” says Tee. to Ubisoft’s push for innovation, its The company’s employee referral great working environment, and agile programme is its next most effective HR policies. recruitment channel. Ubisoft also participates in key industry events and Hiring for the right cultural fit networks with potential candidates. Maintaining this growth trajectory “Within the Ubisoft Group, there comes with its own set of challenges. is an active mobility programme for One challenge is finding and inter-studio movements. Lastly, we attracting diverse talents who are not invest in hiring young talents – fresh only good at their job but who will graduates from polytechnics and also fit well with the Ubisoft culture, universities – to groom them for the says Tee. “The video game industry future,” Tee says. is one that changes rapidly, with new Two years ago, Ubisoft increased technologies and game innovation its external communication efforts emerging all the time. To develop to raise awareness of the career the next big game, we need to recruit opportunities available in the games ahead of time for emerging job roles, industry. many of which require skills that are “Many people may not realise not readily available locally or even that game development is a multiglobally.” billion global industry and it offers It is not sufficient for potential professional challenges not inferior candidates to just have the right to any of the better known high tech

Flexible Spending Account

AT A GLANCE Total number of employees: 300 Size of HR: 7 Key HR focus areas: Talent Acquisition, Innovation Culture, Talent Development & Employee Engagement

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HR INSIDER

Ubisoft’s partnership with Digipen Ubisoft started its partnership with Digipen in 2009 when it jointly launched the WSQ DigiPen-Ubisoft Campus Programme to groom local talents for the games industry. It is a collaboration between DigiPen, the Workforce Development Agency, and Ubisoft to develop a programme that prepares students to enter the game industry. Students of the campus go through 10 months of intensive training, split between rigorous academic coursework and five months of production that mirrors real experience in the industry. During the production phase, students form teams to envision, design and develop a video game from start to finish using a commercial game engine under the mentorship of senior Ubisoft Singapore staff. The campus has had five cohorts of graduates to date with at least half of each cohort going on to take jobs with Ubisoft. “The campus was really a win-win-win creative collaboration that boosted our recruitment of promising young talents,” says Iris Tee, HR Director, Ubisoft Singapore. “It is especially heartening to see the campus graduates well-equipped to perform their roles in Ubisoft and a number of them have grown professionally to become seniors in the studio – they are now mentoring new campus students”.

companies. So, these targeted career talks and campaigns were fruitful to influence some to consider a switch to the games industry,” Tee says.

Fostering a positive work environment Creating a conducive and inspiring environment for employees to learn, grow, excel and be innovative is another important challenge to overcome, says Tee. When the studio was small, everyone

worked on one project and the friendly environment and closely knitted work relationships came naturally. “Now, with 300 people working on different projects, conscious effort is required to sustain this unique environment,” she says. The studio is managing this challenge by building cohesive, collaborative, and high-performing teams. These teams are given the creative space to chart their own missions and career aspirations, says Tee. Nurturing a fun,

open and creative environment is also crucial for individual growth, she adds. This process requires Ubisoft to listen to its employees and maintain open communication with them. “Our employees are surveyed regularly at key project and career milestones to gauge staff engagement levels and the overall team health. New employees and their managers are asked to give feedback on their experiences in the second week and third month of joining. We also have a biennial global people survey to gather comprehensive feedback on employees’ experiences,” Tee says. Team health surveys need to be followed up with swift actions, says Tee. “For example, following up from the 2013 Survey, we swiftly addressed the dissatisfaction with the benefits package by introducing a flexible spending account benefit and enhancing medical coverage,” she explains. Ubisoft has created several internal channels to facilitate information sharing. Its team leads and managers have regular one-on-one discussions with team members to hear their concerns and render support. Initiatives like communities of practice gatherings, lunch-and-learn sessions, peer group learning using massive open online courses (MOOCs), hobby clubs, and language classes are organised

WHO’S WHO IN HR

IRIS TEE

HR Director

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CAMMY GOH

Senior HR Advisor

ZHANG XIAOCI HR Advisor

JANICE ANG

HR Specialist (Operations)

LIN XIAOTIAN

HR Specialist (Recruitment)

HR INSIDER

to encourage interaction at both the professional and personal levels.

Helping employees grow Employees at Ubisoft can choose from a variety of learning options, delivered through different modes that cater to individual preferences and project constraints. For example, one can learn by attending the soft skills, leadership skills and technical skills training courses that the learning and development team rolls out every year. Alternatively, an employee can choose to undertake a MOOC, together with their peers. These learning groups normally consist of three to seven people who come from different projects in the studio. Each group is given a budget of $200, which can be spent on items such as, reference materials, magazine subscriptions, and even snacks. Attending an online course in a group creates greater accountability and reduces drop-outs, says Tee. Employees are Ubisoft are also encouraged to pick up new skills on the job, by shadowing an expert or taking on stretch assignments. “Some of our employees get the opportunity to attend the Ubisoft Academy courses held at our headquarters in Paris. They are also given opportunities to attend big industry events like E3 and Gamescom, as well as group-wide knowledge sharing sessions to network with development teams in other studios,” Tee says. Ubisoft is made up of a young staff population that is eager to develop and progress fast. “So, the enhancement of learning options and career development support makes a difference also in staff retention. With the career planning tools and more guidance on internal growth opportunities, employees can better visualise their career evolution and be motivated to stay,” Tee says.

Recognising and rewarding good work On the production floor, no one is taken for granted, says Tee. “Contributions are duly recognised through words of appreciation by the manager, and acknowledged at team meetings or other team events to celebrate successes and contributions,” says Tee. Teams are also presented with limited edition game merchandises and memorabilia to commemorate completion of each game. A service award is given to celebrate five-year work anniversaries. Ubisoft’s monetary reward system is meritocracy and performance based. “Basic salary rewards the level of responsibilities, skills and experience. Annual increments and other incentives are prioritised according to the level of individual and team achievements,” Tee says. Teams behind financially-successful projects are given a bonus. Longterm rewards like stock options and stock awards are also used to retain key people and the employee share ownership scheme enables all employees to share the group’s financial success.

Lastly but not least, Tee says Ubisoft regularly reviews its total remuneration and rewards package regularly to ensure competitiveness in the market.

Driving innovation Innovation is at the core of the business at Ubisoft. “We always encourage people to challenge and champion new ideas. That spirit of being an entrepreneur is the main stimulus for everyone,” Tee says. Ubisoft also encourages autonomy in its job roles. “We strive to educate everyone that they have the ability and the empowerment to influence their job role and come up with initiatives to do better in their own work,” she says. The various project teams have a clear idea of the vision of the game that they are working on. “This is a strong driving force to be creative and innovative,” says Tee. The studio is also free of hierarchies and employees are free to give comments on projects. “We foster strong collaborations so that employees benefit from the diversity and cross-fertilisation of different ideas,” Tee concludes.

Epic staff parties Ubisoft believes in working hard but also playing hard. It organises three parties a year so that employees can let their hair down and have fun with their peers. The upcoming one is going to be “awesome”, says Iris Tee, HR Director, Ubisoft Singapore. “It will be a casino night and we are redecorating the whole place so that it looks like a Macau casino. At the end of the night, our very own Ubisoft bands will be playing on stage,” she explains. The fun doesn’t stop there. Every year, Ubisoft organises a t-shirt design competition to commemorate each anniversary. “We always have a lot of entries, and then we vote for the best design. And you know what? It’s not always the art directors who win,” Tee says. In addition to such office celebrations, Ubisoft believes in maintaining a convivial work environment. It offers a casual dress code, flexible reporting hours, an open concept office, as well as a games corner and pantry for rest and relaxation. “Nurturing and sustaining a friendly, engaging work environment has been the most powerful retention tool for us. Our employees stay because they are passionate about making great games enjoyed by millions of players, and Ubisoft is a cool place to do that,” Tee says.

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COMPENSATION & BENEFITS SPECIAL

MAKE THEM HUNGRY FOR MORE PAYING WHAT THEY’RE WORTH HR SALARY UPDATE ISSUE 15.7

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COMP & BEN SPECIAL

BONUSES

Make them

HUNGRY FOR MORE

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BONUSES

COMP & BEN SPECIAL

here end-of-year bonuses once stood as the gold standard, today’s reward programmes are more varied and reflect an organisation’s unique culture and creativity. “From peer-to-peer rewards to gamification and front-row parking spots, the reward space is evolving with the speed of an Internet meme,” says Lisa Bodell founder and CEO of Futurethink, an innovation solutions consultancy. “Your own incentive programme plays a key role in driving innovative behaviour, so it must serve your business goals while offering an array of aspirational carrots,” she adds. With salaries under pressure, employers in Singapore have turned to bonuses based on performance to reward their top achievers this year, the recently released 2015 Hays Asia Salary Guide has revealed. “Bonuses remain a favoured method of rewarding staff and a good bonus plan entails an incentive for good performance,” says Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays in Asia. “This year, 51% of employers across Asia said they would award bonuses to more than 50% of their staff. In the majority of cases these bonuses are related to employee performance (80%) and employer performance (73%).” “This shows that rather than give acrossthe-board salary increases, employers are using bonuses based on performance to reward their top talent,” she adds. “So as mentioned, the incentive element is very important in a bonus plan.” In terms of the value of these bonuses, 44% of employers said they will award between 11% and 50% of staff salary as bonuses. Thirty-four per cent said bonuses will equate to less than 10% of

staff salary this year. In Hong Kong, bonuses are no longer a key deciding factor with regards to retaining banking professionals. According to the Hong Kong Banking Professionals Employer Retention Market Report, Hong Kong banks may need to consider changing their compensation strategies if they want to increase retention rates. In fact, bonuses came seventh out of 10 options, in three of five survey questions covering why employees might leave, stay, or join a new employer.

Bonuses go creative Employers in Singapore provide a wide variety of bonus schemes to their staff, says Wright. “These bonuses depend on the nature of the industry they are in, and also the role they carry out,” she explains. “For example, back office staff in the banking industry will obviously be rewarded differently to front office staff.” Two of the most well-known schemes are: The quarterly performance bonus This scheme helps to retain staff by always providing a bonus incentive. “Staff are less likely to leave when a bonus is due to be paid, and regular bonuses also keep staff motivated,” says Wright. If employees are in a yearly bonus scheme and perform below expectations for a few months they might have the tendency to feel that they have missed their chance of getting a good bonus for that year. “Quarterly bonuses mean that employees have a renewed chance to reach targets and receive a good bonus,” she adds. Increasing bonuses Some employers are simply

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BONUSES offering to increase bonuses. “These schemes are not particularly innovative, but are very effective,” says Wright. “In the banking and financial services industries many employers have reduced bonuses in recent years.” However, investment banks are once again starting to increase salaries and bonuses in order to reduce the resultant staff turnover. “Bonuses can help motivate staff and increase retention,” Wright explains. “They ultimately reduce the costs involved in hiring and training new staff.”

Communicating bonus plans effectively As you consider which incentives will be most impactful for your organisation, choose rewards that are in fair proportion to the scope of achievement. “When you can pinpoint individual efforts — a winning idea, for example — it’s important to reward individuals,” says Bodell, who’s also the author of the bestselling book Kill the Company: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution. “For accomplishments that can’t be attributed to one person — say, meeting revenue goals on a particular innovation — consider rewarding entire teams and groups.” HR should ensure employee awareness about rewards and recognition for innovation by working with the PR team on a specific communication plan. “Outline the expectations (what is being rewarded) and if necessary, clarify changes to the existing programme,” says Bodell. “Keep teams motivated by bestowing rewards on a consistent basis.” Lastly, check metrics regularly to determine if the plan is meeting your goals and fine-tune your programme accordingly: • Are more innovative ideas being submitted? • Has your market share on innovations increased? • Have deadlines and budgets stayed on track? “By taking a balanced approach to rewards and recognition, you’ll have the right type of carrots to measurably engage your employees on innovation,” Bodell concludes.

COMP & BEN SPECIAL

Non-traditional ways to reward innovative employees Through working with the world’s leading organisations, the most effective reward programmes CEO of innovative solutions consultancy Futurethink Lisa Bodell has seen are a blend of compensation, gifting, recognition, and perks. “Top innovators combine monetary rewards with recognition, and individual with team rewards in order to achieve a balanced programme, says Bodell. As you design (or redesign) a plan that serves your organisation’s goals, consider these five approaches:

1 Compensation

This typically translates to bonuses, cash-for-ideas, or stock options, although today’s innovators continue to expand the possibilities. When you need to motivate employees in the short-term, financial compensation offers a highly-effective route. • Peer-to-peer rewards — At Zappos.com, employees award cash bonuses to other colleagues. • MVP rewards — Employees at biotechnology company Genentech are acknowledged for going over and above job responsibilities with a check ranging from $1,000 to $2,500.

2 Gifting

Gifting doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive, but creative gifts must carry enough perceived value to incentivise employees. Gifting is ideal for re-enforcing exemplary behaviours in the short-term, and also for fostering long-term loyalty. • Experiential rewards — Westin (part of Starwood Hotels) has been known for awarding an exotic, five-day trip to the employee with the quarter’s best idea. If vacation packages aren’t a reality for your business, consider awarding extra vacation days instead. • Prestige rewards — Managers within ad agency DDB Worldwide send bottles of premium champagne to employees who exceed expectations.

3 Virtual rewards

The UK’s Department for Work and Pensions encourages ideas from employees through a gamification platform called “Idea Street.” Points are earned for submitting and further developing ideas.

4 Recognition

Recognition enables you to publicly showcase employees who demonstrate the behaviour and performance that you want to cultivate. For long-term goals, this approach is often more effective than financial compensation. • Failure reward — Intuit hosts a company-wide award ceremony at which the “Failure Award” is bestowed on a team whose unsuccessful idea resulted in valuable learning. When plastics company W. L. Gore & Associates kills a failing project, they host a celebration, just as they would if the project had succeeded. • VIP rewards — When launching its “Great Performers” programme, Honeywell featured the portraits and stories of top employees on posters that were displayed prominently across its offices.

5 Perks

Perks are rewards built into the overall work environment in order to attract and retain top talent, as well as increase long-term employee performance. • Brag-worthy rewards — The culture at Thrillist Media Group is centred around a work-hard-play-hard approach, and the company pays it forward with a dogs-welcome policy, sporting events, and beer on tap. • Concierge-style rewards — Genentech provides on-site dog sitting for employees, and services like haircuts and weekly car washes. • Future-changing rewards — In conjunction with Arizona State University, Starbucks offers a free online college education for its part and full-time employees.

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COMP & BEN SPECIAL

PAY STRUCTURES

Paying what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

WORTH While the topic of salaries always divides opinion, there are even more robust discussions when it comes to the remuneration of foreigners when benchmarked against that of locals

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Sham Majid sham@hrmasia.com.sg

PAY STRUCTURES A

survey last year shed light on some uneasy sentiments when it comes to the notion of pay structures between local and foreign employees in Singapore. According to the eFinancialCareers survey of more than 1,000 finance professionals in Singapore, over two thirds (69%) of local finance professionals believe their international peers are working on extravagant expatriate benefits packages. However, the research also found that 83% of overseas finance professionals in Singapore claim they have never been employed on expat terms. Making divisions worse, 62% of Singaporean financial services professionals believe that expat packages result in “friction in the office”. “Morale is affected as Singaporeans perceive that foreigners have higher total compensation while performing the same tasks as them,” Christina Ng, executive director of LMA Recruitment in Singapore says. “This invites gossip and office politics.” With both locals and foreigners espousing different viewpoints on this issue, what is the actual reality when it comes to this controversial topic?

Understanding the perceptions Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays in Asia, says its experience suggests Singaporeans do not have a negative perception of foreigners’ salaries. “Compensation and benefits’ teams at most large companies tend to structure remuneration so that all employees at each level are evenly paid,” she explains. “For example, bank employees don’t generally perceive that foreign Vice Presidents are on higher salaries than local Vice Presidents.” However, Wright concedes there may be a negative reception from locals who are holding more junior positions. “These employees might feel that the next level up is too heavily occupied by foreigners,” she says. “Local employees working in local firms might also think that foreign

COMP & BEN SPECIAL

“Any mature organisation would have pay structures pegged to size, skillsets and the grading of job, not on the basis of nationality” Joanne Chua, Account Director, Robert Walters Singapore

workers in foreign companies are on expatriate packages.” Nevertheless, Wright stresses the fact remains that over the past five years, expatriate packages have become very rare in Singapore. “In some specialised industries such as in Oil and Gas, expat packages still exist. However, on the whole, they are less common than they once were,” she adds. Joanne Chua, Account Director with Robert Walters Singapore, believes the perception that foreigners earn much more than locals stems from a time long past. “Presently, unless the foreign professional is a senior director-level transferred across by their company, most enter Singapore on local packages or local-plus packages. Local-plus packages offer some form of housing allowance to the individual, on top of salary,” she says.

Locals vs expats: Fact or myth? So, to get to the crux of the matter, do organisations in Singapore explicitly structure wages differently for locals and foreigners? Chua is keen to draw the line under this notion. “This is definitely not true,” she declares. “Any mature organisation would have pay structures pegged to size, skillsets and the grading of job, not on the basis of nationality.” According to Wright, most companies will still hire expatriates, but they will be considered equally with local candidates, and they will be offered a

local package only. “In general, the days of lofty packages are gone,” she reaffirms. “Multinational corporations will often categorically state that foreign workers are not paid differently to local workers.” Rather, she argues that in today’s landscape, skill sets and experience are the only factors that drive compensation. “Expat packages were used many years ago to attract foreign workers with specific skills, but today, Singapore is known internationally as a good place to live and work in. Therefore, companies no longer need to entice expats with generous packages,” Wright elaborates. Rakesh Rana, Senior HR Business Partner and Talent Acquisition Leader – Asia-Pacific at Murex, says the organisation treats all of its hires as local candidates and believes in maintaining internal equity. He affirms that Murex does not consider nationalities as a factor in its pay structure. “Our salary is standard for all employees it doesn’t vary for nationality types,” he declares. “The only difference which employees have is the CPF contribution for permanent residents and citizens. Employment Pass holders are not entitled for the pension fund.” Rather, he says the company has a standard salary structure which consists of base salary and benefits. “The salaries are structured based on the job level of the employee; however the employee benefits are standard,” he explains. ISSUE 15.7

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COMP & BEN SPECIAL

PAY STRUCTURES

“We follow the standard market philosophy to match, lead and lag the market.” Patrick Fiat, Chief Experience Officer of Royal Plaza on Scotts, says the hotel participates in salary surveys to ensure that the wages of talents are fair and competitive. “For executive positions, the salary structure is based on salary surveys and reviewed on a yearly basis,” he explains. “For junior positions, the salary structure is based on the Collective Agreement, which is negotiated every three years.” He also makes it clear the organisation does not formulate its pay packages for employees according to locals or foreigners. “This is not in practice at Royal Plaza on Scotts,” he says. Wright emphasises that nationality isn’t of importance to employers and that Hays has not seen any changes in

pay, whether upwards or downwards, due to a candidate’s country of origin. “Even when it comes to languages, nationality isn’t the factor,” she says. “An additional language is a skill that anyone can possess. For example, in Singapore, candidates with both written and spoken Chinese language skills are considered an asset for a company.” Nevertheless, while Chua, Wright and Fiat vigorously argue that companies in Singapore do not draw up different salary packages for locals and foreigners, the salary packages of Arab, Asian and Western expats in the Persian Gulf region do appear to vary significantly (see: boxout).

FCF: A spanner in the works of pay structures? With the Singapore Government having implemented the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) in August last year, has the

According to the Gulf Business 2015 Salary Survey: • Western expatriates in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, on average, earn 6.96% more than Arab expatriates; while Arab expatriates receive around 20.04% more than Asian expatriates • Asian expatriates in the GCC witnessed the strongest growth in average salaries among all racial groups • On average, Western expatriates earn 26.91% more than Asian expatriates

Average Monthly Salary in US$ for an Asian Expatriate Employee in the Gulf Bahrain KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) Kuwait HR – Manager

6,987

9,754

8,322

UAE

Oman Qatar

10,864 8,106 9,989

Average Monthly Salary in US$ for an Arab Expatriate Employee in the Gulf Bahrain KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) Kuwait HR – Manager

9,175

12,026

9,498

UAE

Oman Qatar

11,020 8,836 9,683

Average Monthly Salary in US$ for a Western Expatriate Employee in the Gulf Bahrain KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) Kuwait HR – Manager

9,595

12,810

9,992

UAE

Oman Qatar

11,113 10,067 12,447

scheme had an impact on pay structures? Since August 1 2014, employers have had to advertise job vacancies with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency’s Jobs Bank before submitting any Employment Pass applications. The Employment Pass is for foreign professionals, managers and executives, with candidates needing to command a salary of at least $3,300 a month and have acceptable qualifications. According to the Manpower Ministry website, this includes applications for foreign employees who are changing jobs. The advertisement is required to be open to Singaporeans and must comply with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. It has to run for at least 14 calendar days before a company applies for an employment pass. In addition, when an organisation posts a job advertisement, either the firm or its employment agency should refrain from stating a preference for nationality, age, race, religion, language, gender, or marital or family status. Wright says Hays has yet to see the FCF have any significant impact on pay structures in organisations. “The FCF was implemented to help ensure that local workers were considered by employers before they approach foreign workers,” she elaborates. “It specifically applies to positions that pay less than $144,000 per year. “The intention was for more local workers to be interviewed and considered for certain roles, but skill sets and experience will always be the main focus for employers when hiring, particularly for more senior positions. This applies to both local and foreign workers.” From Fiat’s perspective, the FCF also does not impact on Royal Plaza on Scotts’ pay structure as the firm has been practising fair compensation for many years. Rana explains that since Murex’s hiring philosophy is to bring in talent from local universities, the FCF has not played any role whatsoever in the firm’s pay structures.

Calibrating the foreign-local quota With the Government having tightened

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PAY STRUCTURES the foreign manpower quota in recent years, Wright says there has been an impact in terms of pay structure not across the board, but only in certain sectors where local and highly-skilled talent is in short supply. “Ultimately, in these cases, employers still need to look overseas if workloads are to be completed and if Singapore is to remain competitive in the global business environment,” she explains. “However, it’s now more difficult for foreign candidates to gain work in Singapore, particularly when they are looking to move to the region and are not based here.” Wright cites banking as one example where foreign owned banks operating in Singapore need to hire expatriates for their parent company’s regulatory reporting team. “For example, British banks in Singapore still need to report back to the Bank of England and other relevant

authorities,” she says. “These regulations differ to local regulations, and employers usually require candidates who have specific regulatory reporting experience. Many locally based candidates do not have this prior experience, increasing the need for employers to look to foreign candidates.” Royal Plaza on Scotts has been implementing various initiatives to help the company cope with the current labour crunch by increasing productivity and retaining employees. The number of work permit holders an organisation can hire is limited by a quota (or dependency ratio ceiling) and subject to a levy. Fiat says with the aid of automation, employees can now carry out their tasks more effectively within a shorter time.

Being transparent and consistent So if not citizenship status, what

COMP & BEN SPECIAL

factors should be considered when crafting pay packages? According to Wright, organisations need to have in place a pay structure that is consistent throughout. “Problems arise when these structures are modified for certain individuals and not for others,” she says. “Multinational corporations that have compensation and benefits teams in place are good at ensuring a satisfactory level of consistency.” Wright explains that in some cases employers may be forced to decline the perfect candidate if their compensation requirements do not fall within the salary bandings for their level, rather than bend the rules for one person and risk upsetting the rest of the workforce. “A transparent, consistent pay structure will ensure that employees feel fairly treated, and this also helps to promote tenure within an organisation,” she says.

JUMBO Group of Restaurants won the

‘SME Employer of the Year’ at the 12th Annual HRM Awards

JUMBO Corporate Ofﬁce: Blk 7 Kaki Bukit Road 1 #05-01/02 Eunos Technolink Singapore 415937

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HRMASIA.COM 29

COMP & BEN SPECIAL

SALARY BENCHMARKS

HR SALARY UPDATE Strong economic growth is continuing across the Asian region, and HR is increasingly taking a more prominent position in the boardroom. The function is creating business growth through human capital development. But are HR salaries matching up to the increased responsibility?

Shalini Shukla-Pandey shalini@hrmasia.com.sg

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SALARY BENCHMARKS O

ver the years, HR has really come into the spotlight. It has been recognised that acquiring the best possible talent is a necessity for firms wanting to compete at the regional and global levels. That in turn has highlighted the necessity to compensate and provide an attractive pick ‘n mix of employee benefits. And the employer brand – typically maintained by HR – has been welcomed as the way recruiters can first start to engage a candidate in their career journey. “The list goes on, and so the HR function has won its seat at the management table,” says Shook Liu, manager of Frazer Jones in Hong Kong. “To be effective, the HR leaders’ voices need to be heard and supported so as to enable the strategic people agenda to be acted upon and successfully implemented within the organisation.” The trends Frazer Jones sees include an increase in the HR business partnering concept, as well as the evolution of HR specialists (handling organisational design, talent, learning and management development, talent acquisition, and rewards). According to the 2015 Hays Salary Guide, HR salaries in Singapore will remain strong this year, as the candidate shortage continues. There will be increased demand for both permanent and contract HR talent thanks to a number of factors. These include the emergence of new regional hubs based here, as well as an increasing number of companies moving their global headquarters to Singapore. On top of this, Hays says HR professionals are in high demand to help employers meet the challenges posed by a broader candidate shortage. “We believe employers will be open to paying a higher salary for the right person in the year ahead, but only once they have exhausted the search for a quality candidate at their original lower salary level,” the 2015 Hays Salary Guide reveals. “This approach will lead to delays in hiring and consequently employers could miss out on strong candidates.”

COMP & BEN SPECIAL

HR salaries in Singapore

Regional HR salaries

Having HR at the strategic and effective level comes at a price, says Fiona Nesbitt, Country Manager for Frazer Jones. According to the Frazer Jones’ HR in Asia - Market & Salary Survey 2014, business partners at the managerial level with five to eight years of experience make $60,000 to $96,000 per year, whereas those at the director level with seven to 12 years of experience make in the range of $120,000 to $180,000. According to the 2015 Singapore

The Hong Kong HR market has seen a distinct shift in recent years, from a preference for HR generalists to

demand for more experienced functional specialists, says Liu. “This trend was evident throughout 2013 as companies across all industries looked to develop their targeted HR services, with many implementing a more developed ‘COE’ framework,” she explains. In demand functions include hiring compensation and benefits (C&B) Employment Survey by recruitment and specialists, aimed at increasing business services advisor FocusCore, HR competitiveness and retention professionals in Singapore are generally rates; and learning and development drawing high annual salaries this year, (L&D) managers to help spur on starting with $55,000 for employee capability and HR generalist and business development. HR professionals in Singapore are generally partners. The top HR In addition, the return earners are HR information of the ‘traditional’ HR system specialists who business partner has command as much as been evident in many $90,000 annually. organisations. Companies The report found are looking to strengthen this year, starting with $55,000 for that work-life balance, the relationship between HR generalist and business partners followed by company the strategic elements of 2015 Singapore Employment Survey by recruitment culture, was the most HR and the tangible impact and business services important factor for on the business. advisor FocusCore Singapore professionals “We expect this focus on choosing a new employer. Career specialist functions to continue in 2015 progression and salary were voted as the and this will naturally result in increased least important factors. salaries for HR professionals,” says Liu. More than half of the respondents According to Hays, while salary to FocusCore’s survey (51.9%) said levels are expected to remain steady for that they also qualified for long-term most job functions in the year ahead, incentives (cash, stock options, equity) employers will offer higher salaries over a five-year plan. in order to secure the right senior HR When it comes to industry-specific candidates. That’s especially so in L&D, HR salaries, evidently, the banking and as employers are placing a greater focus financial services sector is the most on retention rather than attraction. lucrative industry for HR professionals. In Mainland China on the other “This is because the services and deals hand, economic growth has notably and are of higher value,” Nesbitt explains. slowed in recent years, due in part to On the flip side, industrial HR candidates’ unwillingness to move into professionals may be less well off as new positions. Companies have also profit margins there remain low and this developed their retention plans and, effects the compensation for employees in addition to salary increments, are across the business. offering benefits and development to “Year-on-year, Frazer Jones sees a encouraged longevity in employees. healthy increment of at least seven per As a result of this change, companies cent to 12% on base salaries and stable are becoming inclined to hire more annual bonuses, if not more,” says Nesbitt. specialist C&B professionals to assist

drawing high annual salaries

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ENGAGE IN “LIVE” DISCUSSIONS NOW!

MyHRM Communities HR Expert Panelists For The Month Of July

Cara Reil

VP Talent Management & Development HR, SingTel

Dheeraj Shastri

Global Analytics, Abbott Laboratories

HR Expert Panelists For The Upcoming Months

A. Mateen

Senior VP HR, DHL Express Asia Pacific, Deutsche Post DHL

Preeti Subramanian Regional Manager Total Rewards, ZALORA Group

Gaurav Sharma

HR Director, Coca-Cola Singapore

Vineet Gambhir

Vice President & Head of Talent APAC, Yahoo, Inc.

William Chin

Staffing Director, Qualcomm Asia-Pacific

Aditi Singh

HR Manager Talent Management,

Mark Leong

Talent Partner APAC, UBS

Pauline Chua

General Manager Human Capital & CSR, Fuji Xerox Singapore

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SALARY BENCHMARKS in the redesign of benefits options. Similarly, other HR functions took a more prominent role: organisational development, change management and L&D professionals have all been recruited to assist in employee retention. According to Hays, the outlook for HR professionals in China this year is very strong. Candidates in demand include all levels of C&B experts, HR Business Partners, mid to senior talent acquisition managers and L&D managers. Many of these new hires will secure significant salary increases. Closer to home, Malaysia’s HR market and salary increases for top talent are expected to see further growth this year. Several areas of demand will exist. Firstly, candidates with regional experience are valued by organisations moving their regional headquarters to Kuala Lumpur and are thus able to command salary increases. “Also, as organisations shift their focus from cost reduction to retention and engagement, we have seen a particular increase in demand for talent management and organisational development skills. (These will) strengthen retention strategies and build all-important succession plans,” the 2015 Hays Salary Guide – Asia, says. C&B candidates who can work handin-hand with the business to execute these retention strategies are in high demand. Not surprisingly therefore, Hays expects the salaries for C&B specialists to continue to rise in the year ahead. “We also saw continuing strong demand for strategic HR Business Partners to support all divisions of the organisation. And we have seen steady hiring activity at the executive and senior levels as well,” the salary guide says. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s shared services sector continues to grow rapidly. These organisations have a huge appetite for HR talent and are expected to continue hiring and increasing salaries well into the year. “The HR market in Malaysia will continue to grow in 2015 and for organisations to remain competitive they must strive to expedite their recruitment processes to ensure they secure top HR talent,” Hays advises.

COMP & BEN SPECIAL

What are you worth? Regional HR Director or Vice President (15 years experience)

Regional HR Director (10 years)

HR Director or Head of HR (8-10 years)

HR Director or Head of HR (less than eight years)

China

260 - 430

220 - 330

170 - 260

110 - 220

Hong Kong

210 - 350

170 - 300

150 - 210

N/A

160 - 240

130 - 160

Singapore

250 - 400

220 - 250

180 - 220

150 - 180

Malaysia

130 - 190

90 - 110

60 - 80

50 - 60

Japan

Regional HR Manager or HR Manager or HR Manager or HR HR business partner Business Partner Business Partner (10 years experience) (10 years) (five years)

Assistant HR Manager (two years)

China

90 - 170

70 – 150

40 - 90

40 - 80

Hong Kong

110 - 150

110 - 170

70 - 90

50 - 80

Japan

130 - 180

110 - 160

100- 140

80 - 110

Singapore

150 - 185

120 - 150

80 - 120

60 - 80

Malaysia

60 - 70

40 - 60

30 - 40

15 - 20

HR Associate

HR Officer (two years)

China

30 - 60

20 - 50

Hong Kong

50 - 80

30 - 60

Japan

70 - 100

50 - 80

Singapore

50 - 60

40 - 50

Malaysia

20 - 30

10 - 20

NOTES: Salaries are represented in S$ Salaries are representative of the total package value Source: 2015 Hays Salary Guide - Asia

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Nominations Now Open!

Title Sponsor

Award Partners

GLOBAL HR SEARCH & RECRUITMENT

www.hrmawards.com

RELOCATION

Hidden costs of relocation Relocating employees is never easy, and HR must consider a range of factors that can affect the process. HRM reveals the hidden costs of relocation and how to avoid them

elocating employees can be a complicated and lengthy process. Organisations need to consider various factors including costs, compliance and tax policies, and whether the employee wants to move with their family. Mobility studies indicate that the top priority for most organisations arranging corporate relocations is controlling costs. These can be both actual costs and costs that cannot be discounted, such as losses in employee productivity (the risk of a stressed out employee from a poorly handled relocation move).

Experts say that to mitigate costs, hidden or otherwise, organisations should have up-to date relocation and compliance policies and choose a high quality relocation provider that can help them in all stages of an employee’s relocation.

Consider hidden costs Companies need to consider a whole range of costs including those associated with the relocation policy employed. Kenneth Kwek, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cartus AsiaPacific, says data from Cartus’ Biggest

By Priya de Langen

Challenges in Global Relocation survey indicates that controlling costs is rated as the number one challenge in managing relocation today – 77% of respondents cited cost as their greatest challenge. “Costs that can catch HR managers or organisations by surprise include both higher than anticipated actual costs, like those associated with household goods shipments, housing, compliance and policy exceptions, as well as costs that are harder to quantify like those associated typically with lost employee productivity during a relocation, and the costs incurred in ISSUE 15.7

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RELOCATION

a failed assignment,” explains Kwek. He adds that shipping costs are dependent on several external factors, such as freight charges and customs and port clearance times, that can make the actual costs deviate from the budgeted costs. Compliance costs are another aspect that organisations need to consider, says Kwek. These include those costs incurred in ensuring proper governance (auditing, tax compliance, and even fines and penalties incurred). “Dealing with exceptions to policy can incur both the cost of the actual exception (because the needs of the employee and family fall outside normal policy parameters) and the lost time cost of HR team members Kenneth Kwek, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Cartus Asia Pacific who are managing each individual exception process.” Gareth Leow, Relocation Service Manager, GMS, Santa Fe Relocation Services, gives a few examples of hidden costs that can be found with corporate relocations. He says they it could be from a delay in shipment delivery, resulting in extra temporary living costs. Also, shipping contraband items that are not addressed in the client’s policy could result in extra costs from unexpected • US • Singapore duties and taxes. “Engaging • China • Hong Kong unprofessional • UK home search Global Mobility Policy Practices Survey, 2014 agents that are unable to meet the demands and expectations of assignees may cause the home search process to drag, thus increasing temporary living costs,” explains Leow. He adds that companies should also consider the costs of repatriating an employee before their lease term ends, as this can result in breaking lease payments.

“It is vital that companies work closely in partnership with an experienced mobility provider who can advise and support in all areas of relocation policy and programme management”

Top destinations for relocating employees in 2014

What steps can companies take? Industry professionals say that 36 ISSUE 15.7

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RELOCATION

organisations can take certain steps to help prevent from incurring hidden costs during corporate relocations. As a start, reviewing their relocation policies and partnering with a good relocation or mobility provider are vital strategies. Leow explains that companies can consider conducting a benchmarking exercise for their mobility policies against competitors, or talk to their relocation provider about the best practices for different types of services. “Set expectations with employees on what to expect in their relocation upfront. (They should know) what is provided and what is not in their package, so as to prevent exceptions down the road,” he says. He adds that the biggest hidden and unknown cost actually occurs if the relocating employee fails in their international assignment. This ‘cost’ will far outweigh all other elements of the relocation. “Therefore, selecting the correct candidate for assignment is the most critical factor which any HR and line manager should consider,” states Leow. Kwek says that organisations need to have a successful relocation programme. He says it is important for companies to design and create policies and support elements that do not just focus on cost containment. “A successful relocation programme should be one that is in line with industry norms and supports the culture and overall business goals of the organisation,” he explains. He mentions that companies should actively engage with relocating employees throughout the assignment period, so that issues and concerns can be noticed at an early stage. Having a good working relationship with a relocation provider is also essential to mitigate potential hidden costs, says Kwek. “It is vital that companies work closely in partnership with an experienced mobility provider who can advise and support in all areas of relocation policy and programme management.” He states this can include cost projection analyses, such as optimal relocation costs and maximum relocation costs. These can

Trends in global mobility • 24.8% of organisations worldwide have reported an increase in assignment activity • 92.8% of employers say they are committed to cost containment in relocations • 53.5% of employers feel “under significant pressure” to reduce the overall cost of their programmes Source: Global Mobility Survey 2015

occur before candidates are selected and the relocation even begins.

Working together with HR Corporate relocation requires a good mobility provider and organisations need to consider a few factors when choosing the right partner. These include the role the relocation company plays in the relocation process, and how it manages its own service providers. Relocation companies also need to ensure that they have a good working

relationship with HR and their organisations so that the relocation process goes well for all parties involved. Industry experts say that relocation companies can do this by setting clear expectations on their services. Leow explains that Santa Fe sets expectations from the start, defining roles and responsibilities, and what clients can expect from the company in relation to the services offered. “Similarly, we will counsel clients on their customised policies and act as a gatekeeper to these policies, so as to ensure there will be no exceptions,” he says. Kwek says that Cartus Relocation connects closely with its clients at all stages of the relocation process including the pre-assignment stage. The company partners with HR, line managers, business owners and cost centre managers to conduct cost projections, review total compensation packages, and assess the best assignment options. “Clients particularly value our collaborative approach to their policy design and cost containment initiatives which can include looking at total mobility programme spend to determine the size of the opportunity for each relocation element and the potential for cost-savings,” he adds.

Companies tackle mobility issues Responses from 172 mobility managers across the globe Cartus’ Trends in Global Relation: 2014 Global Mobility Policy Practices Survey, showed the following: • 75% of respondents said cost control was ranked as the top global mobility challenge in terms of future impact on organisations • Overall compliance and immigration were considered part of the top three organisational challenges by respondents • The number of respondents who said family members were allowed to accompany them on long-term assignments has dropped from 90% to 76%. This could be due to concerns relating to emerging markets that can be unsuitable for families or high costs at traditional locations • Respondents indicated changing business conditions (63%) and inability of the family to adjust (61%) as the top reasons for assignment failure • Three major areas that organisations are interested in improving are upfront assignment planning (55%), cost containment (46%) and candidate assessment and selection (44%)

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TALENT FEATURE

Singapore behind Asian average for boardroom gender diversity Singapore has failed to make up ground when it comes to women in management, writes Ash Russell, Senior Business Director of Hays in Singapore.

ingapore is falling behind China, Malaysia and Hong Kong in terms of gender diversity in the workplace, with findings from our 2015 Hays Asia Salary Guide showing that just 27% of management positions in Singapore are held by women. This figure is unchanged year-on-year. Across Asia, we found that China remains the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diversity leader, with 36% of management roles held by women. This figure is also unchanged year-on-year and compares favourably with the Asian average of 29%. China was followed by Malaysia (34%, up from 29% last year), Hong Kong (31%, down from 33% last year), and then Singapore. In Japan women fill just 19% of management positions. Critically, this is up from 15% one year prior. We are a people business, so it seems remarkable in this day and age, given all the research espousing the benefits of a gender diverse workforce, that women are not equally represented in leadership positions, and supported and encouraged to reach their career goals. As HR professionals there are some things we can do to help redress this imbalance. One is continue to encourage workplaces to

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embrace flexible working practices. We can also work to highlight female role models to staff, work towards changing organisational policy in support of gender diversity, and encourage better board backing for diversity issues. Interestingly, the dialogue about how to achieve gender diversity in the upper echelons of management has turned away from quotas, with most people now saying that implementing quotas would not make real change happen. Instead, cultural change and practical measures are the agreed solution over formal quotas. One of the best practical measures is to put performance-related promotion policies in place. This ensures that people are promoted based on their performance alone. It also helps build a culture of meritocracy and helps to remove unconscious bias from the decision making process. If those in charge canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it happen, it might take the leadership of the next generation to action real change and close the gap between the number of male and female leaders. We will continue to monitor this trend in future years and see how quickly organisations develop (or fail to develop) female talent at the management level.

Ash Russell Senior Business Director, Hays Singapore

Hays is located in Singapore at Level 27, UOB Plaza 2, 80 Raffles Place. www.hays.com.sg

HRM

CUSTOMISED EVENTS

Maxis: Intelligent people management F

or businesses everywhere, people management is an oftenoverlooked hidden cost of business growth. While organisations are busy working on improving their services to clients and customers, very rarely do they take the time to look on growing from the inside. The impact of substandard performance or unproductive performance and the costs of constantly recruiting and training new staff can be significant. Poor people management can negatively impact businesses. Different by design, Workday allows organisations to take an intelligent approach to people management from making data-driven decisions to maximising worker performance and predicating outcomes. At Workday Elevate in Singapore, Chin Mee Lin, Head of HR Services, Maxis, shared with more than 150 business executives how the leading communications service provider in Malaysia is using Workday to address its people management challenges.

Setting the stage for success Servicing nearly nine million mobile internet users with a staff strength of 3,000, Maxis embarked on a transformation journey at the end of 2013. “Within HR, we needed to do the same,” shared Chin. One of the items on the agenda was to replace a 10-year-old HR System, that although was heavily-customised and relevant to what was needed 10 years ago, it was struggling to stay relevant to today’s changing business and organisational needs. “We embarked on a search with four guiding principles,” said Chin. • Leading Technology – an application or system that is intuitive and mobile

Chin Mee Lin, Head - HR Services, Maxis, sharing her views • Strengthening the Basics – better data structure and analytics capabilities to facilitate decisions, etc… • Renewing the Way of Work – keeping processes simple, relevant and important to have the agility to support changes • Enabling and Empowering – more self-service features for managers and employees

Implementation and results Maxis decided on partnering with Workday (Core HCM, Expense, Recruiting and Talent Management) and started the implementation project in September 2014. In six months, Maxis configured

more than 50 business processes and launched phase one on 1 April 2015. This included the Core HCM Module and Expense Module. Phase two later this year will cover Recruiting and Talent Management modules. “Two months post-launch, mapping what we are looking for in our guiding principles during the search stage, we are happy with what we see so far,” Chin said. “So this is where Maxis is at with our Workday experience and we are looking forward to better utilising Workday in support of our peoplerelated needs with the implementation of two other modules by the end of this year,” she concluded.

Key communications points in getting users ready • Accessibility/mobility: Staff are able to apply leave and get it approved on the go, view organisation structure on the small screen, take a photo of their expense receipts and park it for further processing. • Intuitive: The look, feel and functionality are very much like any new generation app (e.g. Facebook), appealing for employees to play around and figure out how to get things done. • Improved data structure: This is the foundation that supports Maxis’ analytics capability; as a new user, the telco is just scratching the surface (managers’ dashboard, organisation charts, headcount analytics, etc... Maxis still needs to learn to fully capitalise the analytics capability workday has to offer.

We want to work with you! Let us help you create an event to remember – please contact info@hrmasia.com.sg or 6423 4631 40 ISSUE 15.7

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HRCLINIC How can companies tap into the passive talent pool?

any leaders and people managers agree that the most important asset in their organisation is the right people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; getting talent into the right places, starting from top management down to the frontline employees. While developing and retaining talent from within remain a strategic challenge, companies also need to find and attract external talent. The majority of the workforce in full employment consists of passive job seekers, who are open to exploring and understanding new possibilities. This receptiveness presents a huge opportunity for talent hunting. Recruiters are moving from the traditional job portal application and search mode, towards a more proactive networking and sourcing style. We outline a few key steps you can consider to jumpstart this process. From the internal perspective, communicate your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) to your employees. Engage them to be the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recruitment ambassadors by reaching out to their professional and personal network through word-of-mouth referrals.

You can communicate your EVP through your employer branding strategy as well. Do take note that this group might not have been paying attention to your company nor expressed any interest to join yet. Consider building your online and offline presence to introduce your company and provide all the pull factors for their awareness and potential consideration. Headhunting agencies remain a strategic option as part of the sourcing strategy, given the dedicated support, specialist expertise and high-quality networks of target candidates. Besides being on top of labour market and industry trends, they understand the different motives, levels of interest and stages of career development to engage this passive jobseekers.

Dorcas Tan

General Manager, Recruit Inc

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

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2015

Best Recruitment Firm Award 2015 HRM Asia is renewing our commitment to great HR by launching the first ever HRM Asia R.E.D Awards 2015 to recognise three major pillars - Recruitment. Employment. Development. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re inviting all Singapore-based Recruitment Companies and Executive Search Firms to vote for your favourite company you deem worthy to be presented with the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top honours.

Start Voting Now at hrmredawards.com Official Title Sponsor

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For Sponsorship & General Enquiries, please contact: Ryan Kwa I email: ryan@hrmasia.com.sg I call: +65 6423 4631

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

Power up your productivity Attaining an effective and productive workplace is something all organisations aim for. HRM looks at training programmes that can help boost productivity Priya de Langen

roductivity at the workplace is an ever-present concern for organisations across the globe. It is also an issue that governments are concerned with, as great productivity helps to boost economies. Singapore is certainly tackling this issue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the government has launched the National Productivity Council (NPC) that aims to achieve national productivity growth of two to three per cent per annum between 2009 and 2019. The NPC is helping to develop sector-specific productivity improvement strategies and supporting capabilities and programmes across sectors. Companies are also interested in boosting productivity themselves, and one approach is to provide specific training for employees and managers. The training ranges from problem solving programmes to personal coaching courses to help staff improve their productivity at the workplace.

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LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT Aiming for an effective workplace

Productivity concerns for Singapore SMEs Business model research findings by Murdoch University, in partnership with the Singapore Innovation and Productivity Institute, suggest there are six key drivers of Total Factor Productivity that are relevant to SMEs. These are: Technology and Capital Utilisation; Pay and Performance Management; Training, Development and Organisational Learning; Development of an Innovation Culture; Government Policy and Market Access, and Leadership and Management Quality. The study further revealed the following issues faced by local SMEs: • There is widespread concern that the SME manufacturing sector has been unable to attract the next generation of leaders and managers. • Low investment in training and skills development, due to the perceived difficulty of releasing workers. • SMEs rarely develop managers through short courses or formal training programmes. • Employees do not have the discretion to develop new products or business processes. • SMEs report that the quality of ITE and Polytechnic graduates is relatively higher than that of university graduates. • The cost of business operations has increased in Singapore. SMEs surveyed have reported that increases in labour costs are exceeding growth in labour productivity.

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So, what do organisations want in terms of workplace productivity? Industry experts say firms want their employees and managers to prioritise tasks and manage their time to accomplish set goals. “Companies want the training to be relevant to their areas of work, and to be able to boost employees’ productivity after,” says Bryan Quek, Senior Director of Trades Campus, NTUC LearningHub. “They will then be able to grow their long-term skills

and build a productive workforce.” Theresa Ong, Coaching Division Manager, Executive Coach International, says: “When you ask employees what their biggest issue is at work, the number one answer is lack of time: people have the feeling of always running out of it, of having too many things to do and not enough time.” She also says that it often comes down to the difficulty of prioritising tasks. Any training that equips people with the ability of being focused,

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

of prioritising tasks and of finding the energy to do it will help to boost productivity, she says.

Boosting productivity with training Organisations have a wide range of training programmes available to them. These include those from service providers and also government assisted courses. Quek says that NTUC LearningHub is a total learning solutions provider that understands its clients so as to identify and plan their development needs. The company provides a wide range of customised courses to help organisations improve their productivity – these include the Lean, Lean Sigma, and Six Sigma problem solving programmes that can assist participants to engage problems more effectively and efficiently. There is also the Process Improvement course, which helps people to better evaluate, monitor, control and improve business processes, and also to assess the risks of potential failure of them. “We understand the growing needs of the business community and the need to groom managers and executives to champion the cause of productivity and innovation in their companies,” Quek says. “By leveraging on a strategic set of tools and techniques, companies can then maximise their innovation output and improve productivity levels.” Executive Coach International offers the Professional Coach Training Programme (PCTP) to help improve staff productivity. “It equips staff with the skills to become effective coaching and mentoring managers,” Ong says. “PCTP enables its graduates to deepen their relationships with the people they work with (including employees, clients and partners) while

“Any training that equips people with the ability to focus, to prioritise tasks, and to find the energy to do it will help to boost productivity” Theresa Ong, Coaching Division Manager, Executive Coach International

supporting them in their personal and professional development.” She adds that the course can empower professionals at all levels, including managers, directors, C-level executives, even if the employee does not aspire to become a coach. Ong says that Executive Coach International also offers the Coaching for Executives programme that entails personal or group coaching to boost effectiveness, enhance performance and add value to senior careers. The coursework also ensures holistic development in participants’ personal lives. Employers can also look to the Singapore Workforce Development Agency’s (WDA’s) initiatives on productivity. WDA offers the Productivity Initiatives in Services and Manufacturing initiative – it consists of various productivityrelated courses including seminars and training. The programmes are aimed at managerial and supervisorylevel employees to acquire knowhow that will help their companies become more productive through different tools.

Choose the right provider Industry experts say companies need to look at the right kind of training provider or partner that can provide them with effective training solutions, catered to their specific workforce needs. “Organisations would need to see if the course objectives meet what they want. The reputation and credibility of the training provider and trainers, as well as the funding granted for the courses, also play a part in determining the appropriate training provider,” states Quek from NTUC LearningHub. Ong explains that productivity can cover many topics so Executive Coach International advises companies to be as precise as possible when they are facing productivity issues. She adds that the more precise a client is, the more effective the training can be, and the greater the results. “Do your background checks, see what people say about the organisation you are about to hire to solve your productivity issues, and ask to speak to one of their coaches to see how you can get the most out of this project,” she advises.

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PROFILE

ORANGE CLOVE CATERING

Catering for heroes F

aced with a red ocean of event caterers when it first started in 2008, Orange Clove Catering took a bold approach in positioning itself as a corporate caterer. Orange Clove fills the market gap for mid to high-end gastronomic fare where expectations in taste, presentation and service are met. Carving out a niche for itself with international menus with a creative Asian interpretation, its offerings have expanded to serve anywhere from 10 to 10,000 guests. After numerous research and development efforts, Orange Clove offers nothing but the finest recipes using the freshest ingredients. It’s ‘One Chef, One Dish’ policy also crafts out culinary experts for individual dishes and ensures consistency. There is always something for everyone. Beyond the traditional buffet packages, it offers tailored menus for different occasions such as seminars, weddings, tea and cocktail receptions. Meanwhile, their dropoff and barbeque menus cover those who require ready-to-eat-food for less formal events. For the extra wow factor, clients can opt for customisation,

Orange Clove Catering Web: orangeclove.com.sg Facebook & Instagram: Orange Clove Catering

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live stations, sit-down and thematic set-up options.

Clap-worthy milestones Equipped with a 200-strong team and 50 vehicles, the brand has served some 24,179 events and 1,116 467 guests in 2014. Many, including Singapore’s top two largest event venues, Singapore EXPO and Star Performing Arts Centre, have appointed Orange Clove as their official caterer in 2014 and now in 2015. The award-winning corporate caterer recently celebrated a new win at the World Gourmet Summit, earning the “Outstanding Caterer of the Year 2015” accolade. Orange Clove stays true to its new customercentric slogan, “We Make You A Hero”, and constantly strives to bring about red carpet experiences. Orange Clove stays relevant through value creation beyond its core capability as a caterer. It houses wedding

and event management arms to provide complete solutions to meet different event needs.

Healthier, Greener, Kinder Orange Clove stands by its three-pronged approach to care for the consumers, community and the environment. With its partnership in Health Promotion Board’s Healthier Dining Programme, customers can now expect to tuck in to Orange Clove’s delicacies without guilt.

Notably, it has launched a food truck service named “Captain 500” that dishes out meals under 500 calories. Going eco-friendly, Orange Clove has been using biodegradable wares at the buffet lines, recycling oil into diesel and reducing its carbon footprint through Euro-V delivery vehicles. Lastly, it has been stepping up on its Corporate Social Responsibility role by supporting Association for Persons with Special Needs in its social enterprise.

MICE

CULTIVATING SUSTAINABLE MEETINGS

oom Monterde, Director of Sales, Naumi Hospitality, believes that going green in the MICE sector means doing much more than paying lip service. “Being green is a service culture – it is not just about switching off the lights,” she says. “It is also a balanced approach to business, which aligns our economic decisions with our commitment to the environment as well as corporate social responsibility.” Astrid Hebert, Director of Sales and Marketing, Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay, agrees. She explains corporate clients are increasingly looking at their environmental impacts and including these criteria in their meeting and incentive programmes; in the same way they looked at corporate social responsibilities a few years prior. 48 ISSUE 15.7

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The notion of going green has now extended to the MICE sector, with meetings in particular taking on environmental precedents. HRM finds out what lengths MICE players are going to entice eco-friendly companies to their meeting venues Sham Majid sham@hrmasia.com.sg “A few aspects are linked to cost savings through reducing the energy consumption and waste generated; but it’s also a question of company culture, corporate ethics, as well as leading by example.”

Hebert explains that despite the MICE sector being a multi-billion dollar industry with a high carbon footprint (think of all of the attendees’ transportation and activities, as well as the energy involved with event setups and lighting), companies are nevertheless paying close attention to the environmental impacts that are associated with such events. “Organisers and venues need to provide alternative offers to match the expectations of planners,” she says. “Being greener is becoming a logical thought process; where awareness and local actions are primordial.”

Going gaga over being green There is no doubting that sustainability has become a focal point for MICE players in

MICE Singapore and the wider Asia-Pacific region. In fact, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) unveiled formal guidelines for the MICE industry in late 2013, with these based on international standards such as the ISO 20121 and the APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainability Meeting Standards. They are quickly being aligned towards MICE partners who are keen to adopt sustainable practices. Monterde says Naumi Hospitality supports the STB’s call to promote sustainable development within Singapore’s MICE sector. “With more concern placed on the rapid environmental decay today than ever before, Naumi Hospitality recognises that being ‘green-friendly’ has grown to be an impertinent aspect of MICE venues, even for a luxury boutique hotel offering smaller event venues like us,” she says. “There are needs that have to be taken into consideration before a venue is confirmed, unlike in the past. These stem from a growing group of discerning travellers and corporate companies who are committed to incorporating social and environmental responsibilities into their events.” Hence, Monterde stresses that organisations now have to take into consideration the impacts their events have on the environment, be they large-scale or small. At the same time, cost effectiveness and maintaining balance with their own brand reputation and corporate social

responsibility remain important. “For example, a centrally located green hotel, like Naumi, can provide sufficient lodging and meeting space for event attendees, and eliminates the need for additional transportation. This in turns reduces the carbon footprint of the actual event as well as reduces the cost of running the event,” she says. According to Hebert, the MICE industry has the potential to become a “beacon of sustainability”. “Being part of Accor; we are joining the Planet 21 programme where sustainable initiatives are encouraged,” she says. “This is part of our identity and commitments.” Under the Planet 21 framework, Accor has made 21 commitments in favour of sustainable development (see: boxout).

Accor’s Planet 21 • Planet 21 echoes the urgent need to focus efforts to change Accor’s production and consumption patterns with the goal of protecting the planet, its people and their environment. • Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay has reached “Platinum” status in Planet 21, the highest level of social and environmental performance. • Following the hotel’s recent ISO 14001 certification, the hotel was awarded the Champion of the Singapore Environment Council under the Kimberly Clark Singapore Environmental Achievement Award in 2014 (Services category). Source: The Accor Sustainable Development Program

Green offerings So just what are some of these “green” offerings being offered by MICE players hoping to entice environmentallyfriendly organisations to their premises? Monterde says Naumi Hospitality has a total of four event venue options. One is 8M, a cosy meeting space for up to six people with natural daylight, while Varta, a gentlemen’s lounge-inspired meeting room, can hold everything from a 10-person boardroom meeting to a 50-person theatre-style event. Another offering is Cloud9, an alfresco rooftop pool and bar area for events of up to 50 people, while the fourth option

Varta Meeting Room – Naumi Hospitality

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay is Table by Rang Mahal, a casual Indian restaurant that can hold up to 80 people for a standing cocktail event. Naumi Hospitality encourages its meeting guests to utilise the LED televisions provided in the Varta room (instead of a projector and screen), reduce printing or printed materials, and to turn on the equipment and air-conditioning in the room only when required. Furthermore, instead of a separate standing lunch or buffet, the company recommends the set lunch at Table by Rang Mahal, to minimise food wastage. Green efforts are also epitomised when it comes to beverages. Monterde says instead of serving coffee and tea in urns, Naumi Hospitality offers the usage of a Nespresso coffee machine, as well as single-serve TWG teas. These produce only what is required, helping to reduce wastage while maintaining the prestige of an event. In addition, she adds they also offer Naumi pencils which are considerably friendlier to the environment than disposable pens. ISSUE 15.7

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MICE With the 73-room Naumi Hotel being certified as Green Mark (Gold) by the Building & Construction Authority, Monterde says 95% of the lighting used in the hotel has been retrofitted with LED technology. The hotel also has an awardwinning green wall façade on its exterior, which helps to cool the building. “The hotel also runs on an efficient air-con system and conserves a healthy amount of the energy consumed in our business,” she explains. Monterde says the team is very involved with its environmental credentials, and has developed a number of green policies in collaboration with Naumi Hotel’s management. These include the Responsible Purchasing Policy which educates and reminds the team to align their economic decisions with the hotel’s commitment to environmental sustainability and social responsibility. “Another example would be the Waste Reduction Plan with which the hotel pledged to reduce at least 10% of its non-recyclable waste production in 2013, and a further five percent over the next three years,” Monterde says. “We are also running an on-going recycling campaign.” The take up rate of events at Naumi Hotel has been increasing steadily since it re-launched in October 2013. It more than doubled in the first six months of 2015, compared to the same period last year.

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Marina Bay Sands’ “Fun Green Facts” Sands’ ECO360° programme integrates the company’s best practices, technologies and methodologies in the area of sustainability across all properties. Sustainable practices under Sands ECO360° include: • Green Meeting Concierge: dedicated service personnel who will help clients craft sustainable meetings using the Sands ECO360° Meetings Planning Tool • Sands ECO360° Event Impact Statement: provides a post-event sustainability report that captures an event’s sustainability highlights and provides a comprehensive summary of energy and water consumption at a glance • Sub-metering of MICE floors: allows organisers to effectively track energy usage across specific areas. • Harvest Menu: offers locally-sourced food and beverage options to lower the emission of greenhouse gases during transportation. Source: Marina Bay Sands Singapore Fact Sheet (As of January 2015)

“Our initiatives will continue to alleviate the Naumi Hospitality brand and allow us to offer our guests unique meeting options,” she explains. Meanwhile, Hebert says Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay has recently launched a “Green Meeting@Novotel” offering under the theme: “Planting your company success.” The hotel is also launching a series of green meeting packages that are completely free of plastics. The packages are inclusive of coffee breaks, an international buffet lunch, meeting room rental and wireless internet. According to Hebert, the packages are ideal for workshops, seminars or brainstorming sessions. The meeting rooms come with natural daylight, LED lighting, climate control air conditioning and a large foyer for guest registration and coffee breaks with locally sourced products or working lunches. The hotel also recently introduced ecopens as part of its green meeting packages. These pens are handmade in Indonesia, using recycled newspapers: part of the “Yayasan Peduli Tunas Bangsa” Accor foundation, which accommodates the “A Tree for a Child” programme. “The funds collected are then used to run workshops and financially support the underprivileged who, through employment, are able to send their children to school,” says Hebert.

“Our programme is supporting the Yayasan Peduli Tunas Bangsa foundation which is producing the Eco-Pen as well as Plant for the Planet; a reforestation programme in Indonesia,” she surmises. “We are providing a 10% discount until the end of September 2015 on our series of Green meetings.” Hebert says Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay has seen a positive take up from international companies and governmental agencies whose environmental and CSR criteria are part of the venue selection. “Awareness is key,” she stresses.

Making prudent savings Herbert says there are many misconceptions that being green is necessarily an expensive initiative. “Although some of the initiatives that we have embarked on, (changing of our chillers to more energy efficient ones, replacing halogen bulbs with LED ones, and installing water saving taps) can be quite costly, we also believe that by carefully selecting and shortlisting our vendors, we will be able build on a cordial relationship and pass on the savings to our clients.” Her counterpart Monterde states that green MICE venues like Naumi Hotel, do help event organisers save costs with few complications.

AHRDSPEAKS AHRDSPEAKS

Generalist or specialist HR career? A

fellow HR practitioner asked an interesting question on how he should grow his HR career: “I am hoping to move from being a recruiter to an HR business partner (HRBP)... How I can go about it? Is it a must to start as a specialist to be able to move to an HR business partner role?” HR business partnering is indeed an exciting role to be in and there are many ways to get there. Of course, one can have a better head start if he/she were to be given the chance to be part of the HRBP team from the very beginning. Another way to reach

SEVEN

there is to try to land yourself in an HR organisation where there is ample opportunity to grow; this allows you to have high visibility. My career route was somewhat of a detour. In my first two years, I was in the healthcare industry working on learning and development initiatives. I then went on to join American Express as an HR Shared Service team member. Both were HR specialist tracks. After about a year in HR Operations, I had a breakthrough when the HRBP team needed support personnel. I tried to learn and emulate as much as

8.30AM I start every morning with a teh si siew tai (local iced milk tea) for a kick of caffeine. I scan my emails and greet my team once they get settled in. We review the day’s work agenda and anything urgent that needs to be handled.

9.00AM

Maria Kormentza Director, Learning and Talent Development, Pan Pacific Hotels Group

With many training programmes being rolled out and already in the pipeline, I dedicate a large part of my day to the development of course material, and ensuring that the logistics for upcoming training modules are in place to deliver meaningful learning experiences.

11.00AM I use this time to do some research on social learning snippets, which can be used

possible, and eventually became an HRBP myself. Do your best in whichever career pathway you are on. It takes time to gain mastery in whichever career pathway you choose. Throughout your career, it is not just about the impactful HR work that you will produce, but also the credibility you will either gain or lose. When you are truly committed to our HR profession, your good name will spread. Chant this like a mantra. Over time, your performance and potential will be known and decision makers may wonder ‘why not’. Stay curious, stay hungry.

as part of our organisational social learning activities.

12.00PM Lunch is usually a quick one with my colleagues at a nearby sandwich shop or eating house. I also call and check on things at home.

12.45PM The office is quiet as most people are still out at lunch. I take advantage of the lull to clear my emails.

2.00PM I spend some time preparing my notes and presentations for meetings ahead.

3.00PM I join the weekly meeting with our CEO and Senior Vice President for Human Capital and Development. We discuss

Foo Chek Wee Group HR Director – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, Zalora

the group’s learning and talent development strategy, evaluate the progress of current programmes, and determine if refinements need to be made.

4.00PM Time to wrap up my work and prepare to visit one of our Singapore hotels where a service recovery workshop is being conducted.

6.00PM I undertake a quick debrief with the facilitator about the participants’ response: what went well, and areas for improvement.

6.30PM I head home after the workshop, but work usually continues until about 8.00pm if I am in the office. ISSUE 15.7

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20 15

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Our Expert Trainer Eckart E. Jensen CEO HR ACT PTE LTD

• Chairman – HR Committee of Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce • Ex-VP of HR Compliance and HR Audit Project for Africa and Asia

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Contact Me to Register: Azrielle Looi | Tel: (65) 6423 4631 | E-mail: azrielle.looi@hrmasia.com.sg

TALENT

LADDER

Narelle Burke

Biswajit Roy

Vikrant Bhatnagar

Global market research consultancy TNS has appointed Narelle Burke as its HR Director for the Asia-Pacific region. She joins the company from Nielsen where she led HR functions for four years, most recently as HR Director of the Singapore and Malaysia regional office. Burke brings with her over 15 years of experience managing international HR teams across a broad range of businesses including New Zealand Cricket, assistive technology provider HumanWare, Royal Caribbean International, and health insurance company Medibank. An expert in organisational leadership, transformation and change, she is skilled at identifying opportunities for synergies across markets and driving integration forward. At Nielsen, she worked in close partnership with the executive committee to define short and long term HR strategies that aligned business plans and helped drive commercial success in Singapore and Malaysia. Her new role at TNS will build on this expertise, giving her responsibility for the development and implementation of HR initiatives across the company’s 16 local markets. “TNS has experienced a great deal of growth across Asia-Pacific over the past few years, and with this success comes a range of new challenges,” she said. “TNS is at the forefront of innovations in the research industry and aligned with this is the need to support our people through this transformation. It’s a really exciting time to be joining.”

Biswajit Roy took over as Director of HR and Business Development at Oil India Limited (OIL), on 8 May this year. Oil India Limited is India’s second largest exploration and production company. Roy has over 32 years of rich experience in the oil industry, spanning across a spectrum of diverse functions. These include Marketing, Operations, Business Development, and HR, as well as a stint at the company’s office in Dubai. Roy has also been actively associated with a number of HR initiatives. Among these initiatives is the introduction of leadership assessment centres and the multi-rater appraisal system. He was also involved with the implementation of an electronic performance management system and headed an industry team on the setting up of a Hydrocarbon Sector Skill Council. A chemical engineering graduate from the University of Roorkee, he also completed the National Management Programme from the Management Development Institute in Gurgaon. Roy has won many coveted awards during his illustrious career. They include being the overall winner of the prestigious Global HRD Award in 2014, presented by the International Federation of Training and Development Organisations.

Hike Messenger, one of India’s fastest growing Internet companies, has announced the appointment of Bhatnagar Bhatnagar as its Head of HR. Bhatnagar joined Hike on May 1 and will be responsible for driving people strategy, development and growth within the organisation. Speaking on the appointment, Kavin Mittal, Founder and CEO, Hike, said, “As we continue the rapid pace of growth, we believe it’s vital to double down on building a world class environment that fosters creativity and innovation. “Bhatnagar, with his wealth of experience and his desire to innovate, will be a fantastic addition to our leadership team. I am excited to have him join us as our Head of HR to help turn Hike into one of India’s best workplaces.” On assuming the role, Bhatnagar said, “Hike is a phenomenal ‘Made-in-India’ success story in the Internet space. The combination of extremely talented people, innovative business practices and the relentless passion to bring India online is extremely energising.” “I am excited to be part of the Hike team and look forward to the journey as we bring India online” With a career spanning over 16 years, Bhatnagar has held leadership positions across business sectors and geographies, including as HR Leader for Amazon Kindle India, and as the Head of Talent Management for Aon Hewitt in Asia-Pacific.

HR Director, TNS Asia-Pacific

Director of HR and Business Development, Oil India

Head of HR, Hike Messenger

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Brains at work 54 ISSUE 15.7

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

e spend around 90,000 hours in. Modern day stressors may look employees who appeared disinterested. of our lives at work. Wouldn’t different from those early predators His initial enthusiasm diminished; he it be great to enjoy those hours, doing in our evolutionary history, but they began to question whether he would be work that felt valued and doing it in an produce the same physiological better off looking for a job in a smaller environment where you felt supported, responses. company elsewhere. understood and stretched a little? When Mark was offered a job in a Stress is nothing new to the human When Gallup revealed that only large, well-respected firm, he was brain. It has played an important role 13% of the global workforce is excited at the prospect of a in our evolution and contributed to our actively engaged, it sent a very massive career boost. On his survival. But it is essential we know strong signal that what many first day, Mark found himself how to manage our stress, because workers are looking for in their sitting in an office on his severe chronic stress diminishes our is nothing new to work isn’t being provided by own, with everyone else busy ability to use our prefrontal cortex, the human brain their employers. It’s about elsewhere. No one came to or “thinking” part of our brain well. more than just having a job, it’s explain what was expected Having certainty, being given clear about feeling that the work we do has of him, apart from one manager who direction, and feeling part of a team all meaning and is rewarding in some way. popped his head around the door contribute to our feeling “safe”. What appears to be missing is the asking, “Got everything you need? Janice was delighted when offered element of humanity. Good, we’ll catch up at lunch”. a new position in a small company. One result of our fast-paced and Lunch didn’t eventuate as the Her boss told her the work would be rapidly-changing world is that many manager was called away. Several demanding but to ask for help at any people now work harder and longer, weeks later, Mark was working hard, time if needed. Janice didn’t mind the and it’s making the distinction but he had no idea if he was doing what challenge, in fact she thrived on it, but between work and regular life more was expected of him and he still had some of her co-workers appeared to blurred. had little or no contact with his fellow resent the fact she would choose not to Workplace fatigue, multiple distractions and information overwhelm are contributing to an increase in the amount of stress we deal with every day. This can reduce our ability to juggle the many different facets of our lives, and leads to lower mental performance and disengagement. For businesses that seek to remain relevant, competitive and successful in the future, the solution is clear. The requirement is to: • Elevate awareness about the need for a higher level of brain fitness; and • Create “brain safe” work environments. We perform our best when we feel safe. If we find ourselves in a place that makes us feel uncertain or unwelcome, the body’s stress Dr. Jenny Brockis, Director and founder of Brain Fit responses (fight, flight or freeze) kick

Stress

“We perform our best when we feel safe. If we find ourselves in a place that makes us feel uncertain or unwelcome, the body’s stress responses (fight, flight or freeze) kick in” ISSUE 15.7

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

stay late or do extra hours • Choose to give your The level of as they did when called work your undivided on. What they didn’t attention. It’s not know was that Janice was that we choose not to in the workplace is an indicator responsible for the care focus, rather we just of organisational health of her elderly parents as allow ourselves to be well as her own family, distracted. While very which included three useful, our technology young children. has been designed to distract us, The snide comments and putwhich it is very successful at. downs from her colleagues made it • Set your day for success . With a increasingly difficult for her to enjoy 10 to 15 minute session of quiet her work. Her well-meaning boss was reflection or meditation, you will frequently absent so she felt she had find yourself calm, centered and no allies to support her. Frustrated capable of dealing more effectively and increasingly miserable, Janice’s with whatever the day may bring. work performance dropped as the office tensions grew. Create a brain safe environment The level of engagement in the workplace Supporting fit and healthy brains is an indicator of organisational health. The 21st century workplace is busy, Whilst providing a place of physical complex and demanding, all of which safety at work is well accepted, the places more stress on our ability to mental health and wellbeing of staff can respond appropriately. often be less adequately addressed. The temptation is often to push on Developing a brain safe work culture ignore the warning signs that we are recognises the value of: not managing our stress adequately. • Feeling part of the tribe. Our social Creating a fit and healthy brain intelligence is our ability to relate requires checking in and looking after to and understand others. Being our brain with appropriate lifestyle included in a conversation, invited choices. This automatically elevates to a team meeting, or being treated our resilience and coping skills. Key as “one of us” promotes relatedness, strategies include: empathy and trust. • Nourishing your brain with healthy, • Sharing a common set of values. If fresh, preferably unprocessed foods. your workplace culture is clear about Avoid skipping meals or eating on what it stands for and you share that the run. Your neurons do not store vision, this will lead to a greater glucose, so having regular meals sense of engagement. ensures your brain has sufficient • Providing certainty. Effective leaders fuel to power your day. communicate their messages clearly • Use your body to move. A sedentary and without ambiguity. Partial or lifestyle and long hours chained to incomplete information is perceived a desk reduce cognition and mental by the brain as a threat and triggers performance. Get up for a stretch the stress response. That’s why or stand and include thirty minutes the uncertainty generated by the of aerobic exercise into your daily announcement of “some jobs will routine. Exercise helps to burn off go” can quickly lead to widespread stress hormones and elevates those fear within a workplace. natural endorphins that enhance • Encouraging a growth mindset. Carol your sense of wellbeing. Dweck, psychology professor and • Schedule your day to work with mindset expert, describes how choosing your brain’s natural energy flow, to develop a growth mindset provides us the ultradian rhythm that ebbs and the ability to learn from our mistakes, flows every 90 minutes. Schedule to see a challenge as an opportunity, your hardest and most creative work and to be open to new ideas and for your first few hours each day ways of doing things. It promotes when you are cognitively most fresh. “possibility thinking”, she says.

engagement

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• Promoting autonomy of thought. Companies are often seeking new and innovative ideas to boost their business. Autonomy of thought provides the freedom of sharing new ideas without fear of ridicule, which stimulates curiosity and exploration of all options. Workplace engagement requires our urgent attention. Rediscovering a higher level of motivation, commitment and enjoyment of our work is what can start to shift a workplace culture to one that is well designed to support all brains at work.

BIO BRIEF

Dr. Jenny Brockis is a Medical Practitioner, healthy brain advocate and future mind planner. She works as the Director and founder of Brain Fit. An expert in brain fitness she teaches individuals and organisations how to stay brain healthy, eliminate poor thinking skills and boost mental performance. As a professional speaker and author of three books, Jenny provides cutting edge insights into how the neuroscience provides the perfect pathway to navigate our increasingly complex, complicated and busy world.

IN PERSON LIM TENG TENG Regional Director, Human Resources, SCIEX

How many years of HR experience?

I’ve been working for 25 years in the HR industry and three years at SCIEX; the life sciences sector has been my battleground for most of my career.

Why HR?

Back in the time when I graduated with a Biochemistry degree, the life sciences industry in Singapore was just budding. Backed by my passion for science, I joined the Skills Development Fund (SDF), the predecessor of WDA, to help identify training needs and promote structured training programmes for bioscience professionals. That marked the start of Singapore’s push for the industry and I’m fortunate to have been part of it.

Why SCIEX?

Having worked for many global life sciences companies that only had their subsidiary offices here in Singapore, SCIEX struck me as refreshing for its emphasis on Asia being an important component of its global business. Here in Singapore, we have a global manufacturing centre, a global supply chain management function, a global service centre, an R&D centre, and several global leaders based locally to help grow the business.

Biggest achievement?

I once led a 1.5-year-long global business initiative to overhaul and redesign the organisational structure in Asia. This involved extensive organisation evaluation, design, implementing changes and talent management across multiple business units. This experience rewarded me with many valuable business skills and a more balanced view of the organisation.

After hours?

I spend most of my spare time exercising, keeping myself abreast of the latest scientific developments and reading history books. I also play Guzheng, a Chinese musical instrument, and I have a passion for cooking.

Family?

I am happily married with two grown kids who are pursuing their tertiary education. My husband and I travel frequently but all members of the family make it a point to have family dinners as often as possible.

BOOK REVIEW Navigating past the change behavioural conundrum

o you find it extremely difficult to bring about behavioural changes in your staff? Are you desperately trying out new methods to herald new behaviours, only to see your efforts fall flat? If you are, then Changing Employee Behavior: A Practical Guide for Managers, is the perfect remedy to solve your organisational behavioural woes. Based on meticulous research conducted specifically for the book, authors Nik Kinley & Shlomo Ben-Hur unveil practical methods deduced from the fields of psychology, psychotherapy and behavioural economics. They highlight how these ideas can be utilised to tackle some of the most frequent, every day issues that managers encounter. The book commences with some theoretical aspects, while the second chapter encompasses four crucial approaches to comprehending the challenges involved in behaviour change. Chapters Three and Four tackle the topic of motivation, while psychological capital and gamification are also featured in subsequent chapters. The authors also present their unique MAPS (Motivation, Ability, Psychological Capital and a Supporting environment) model that will prepare readers to explore the important success factors for change. This book is a very practical-based read, laden with a plethora of tools and techniques that readers can apply in their day-to-day tasks. Moreover, at the end of each chapter, there is a “Further Resources” section to allow readers to tap onto other reading materials to expand their knowledge on particular aspects. Already feeling more confident now about overseeing behavioural changes in your employees? Then snuff out your organisational behavioural fears and make sure you read this insightful book.

Title: Changing Employee Behavior: A Practical Guide for Managers Author: Nik Kinley & Shlomo Ben-Hur Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Price: S$57.50 before GST

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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?

The top three things you want from your HR career?

I have always been outgoing and I enjoy interacting with people. Hence, naturally, I was inclined towards pursuing HR Management as my career. Despite that, strangely enough, the story behind pursuing this career was no straight path. In fact, it was by sheer coincidence I ended up studying HR Management at NUS. I only managed to drop one of my modules when the bidding round was almost over. Restrained by the limited time to choose any other modules, I decided to bid for HR Management, since I had friends who were also bidding for it (so I thought ‘hey, why not?’). However, this spontaneous decision happened to be the best decision I have made in NUS, as HR Management was one of my favourite modules last semester. I enjoyed every single lesson, and through it, I discovered my interest in HR.

I want a meaningful and an enriching experience from my HR career. I believe that it is imperative to be doing something that I enjoy. I want to build strong relationships with my colleagues and superiors. Positive relationships with my colleagues will allow me to build a positive working environment. I hope to be able to improve and expedite the HR processes in the firm I work for.

What aspect of HR do you hope to specialise in upon graduation? Upon graduation, I would like to assume the role of being a generalist first. I would prefer to work as a generalist to fully understand the different aspects of HR – talent acquisition, learning and development, or compensation and benefits – before I decide on my area of specialisation. As of now, I am particularly interested in the talent acquisition function due to my current internship with Neptune Orient Lines.

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What challenges do you anticipate? Even though there are different software solutions presently to expedite HR processes such as talent management and acquisition, the shift towards IT may not be easily adopted by all companies. Furthermore, it will take time to build a culture whereby HR is fully able to reap the benefits of IT and the various software applications. Additionally, smaller companies will have fewer resources and may not even be able to adopt the solutions currently available. With the increasing competition for talent around the world, it poses a dire issue for HR – how to recruit efficiently in the face of such challenges, and how to retain the talent in the company to reduce turnover rates and hiring costs. It is necessary to look at HR functions as a whole entity, rather than as individual functions, in order for those functions to complement each other and achieve the goal of retaining and attracting talent.

Vivien Lim Wen Yan Third-year Business Student, Majoring in Management and Finance, NUS Business School, National University of Singapore

Your HR career five years from now? I would like to be a specialist in the area I am most interested in. As of now, I am interested in the learning and development and talent acquisition functions. However, as I progress further, ultimately, I would like to move into a HR Business Partner role.

Hobbies/Inspiration I like to read. I always read on my way to work – be it fiction or newspapers. Also, I enjoy outdoor activities. I especially love trekking and participating in adventure races.

How Employer Branding allows firms to triumph in the war for talent By Vivien Lim Wen Yan

he strong competition for top talent worldwide has led to the war for talent. It is particularly important to triumph in this war as intellectual and human capital are the foundation of competitive advantage in this modern era of globalisation. With the increasing demand for talent sought by companies worldwide, employer branding is the key to attracting and retaining talent. Moreover, employer branding could be the solution as to how firms triumph in the war for talent. A strong external employer brand is essential in attracting talent. An external employer brand image shapes potential recruits’ perceptions of the firm. A strong image would facilitate the process of attracting talent, as it allows the firm to differentiate itself from its competitors and speed up its hiring processes. Furthermore, the majority of top talents are passive. Hence, companies have to actively invest in recruitment efforts and strengthen their external employer branding to attract these talents. This then, brings me to how firms are able to strengthen their external employer brand image: • Firstly, firms need to proactively search for their talent through a range of recruitment channels. Social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn pages have to be kept up-to-date in order to continually engage candidates. University career fairs and campus

recruitment presentations can also be held to engage undergraduates. This creates a ready pool of talent which can be tapped upon when job openings are present, and which may speed up the hiring process and lead to cost savings for the firm. According to LinkedIn’s 2015 Global Recruiting Trends Report, digital and social platforms have become the most effective method in spreading employer brand messages. • Secondly, firms need to ensure a positive candidate experience right from the point where the candidate is exposed to the firm’s recruitment efforts. If the candidates are positive about their recruitment experiences, the firms’ employer brand image could be indirectly improved through word-of-mouth. Such signalling could result in a significant influence on the employer brand. A strengthened external employer brand image can expedite the recruitment process and aid in talent acquisition, particularly recruitment from the large passive talent pool which is a significant source of talent. The improved recruitment process may also help in reducing hiring costs. Even though a strong external Employer Brand image may be able to attract talent and aid in talent acquisition, it is not sufficient to retain the talent if the firm does not possess a strong internal employer brand image. This stems from aspects such as purpose, culture, and opportunity. • Having a purpose is necessary for

the employees to feel convicted and dedicated to the firm. The positive images formed from global citizenship programmes would also create a competitive advantage for the firm against its rivals. • Having a positive culture in the company, such as a talent-centric or a meritocratic culture, helps build up a strong internal employer brand that in turn builds loyalty. • Opportunities for employees to grow, develop, and progress have to be present in the firm as well, in order to enhance the employees’ skills. A strong Internal Employer Brand image is formed when the dimensions of employer attractiveness, like interest, social, application, economic and developmental values are fulfilled. The crucial factor to building a strong employer brand inside and out is having a consistency between the internal and external images. Twoway branding is required and a clear employee-value proposition has to be developed and marketed to potential candidates. The firm’s commitment to its employees should be publicised to potential candidates via strategies such as recruitment marketing and publicity through social media and word-of-mouth. By building a strong employer brand, the firm will be able to attract and retain talent, expedite the talent acquisition process, reduce turnover rate, decrease hiring costs, and ultimately, triumph in the war for talent.

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HIGH

IMPACT HR

Hootsuite:

Social is in its DNA How did Hootsuite grow from a 20-person startup to a more than 600-strong workforce in just three years? By using social media of course, says Ambrosia Humphrey, Vice President of Talent

Shalini Shukla-Pandey shalini@hrmasia.com.sg

From left to right: Sabrina Jaksa, head of HR – APAC, Hootsuite Ambrosia Humphrey, VP – Talent, Hootsuite 60 ISSUE 15.7

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hen Hootsuite, now the world’s most widely-used social media relationship platform, was created, its workforce was just 20-strong. “We had to put on more than one hat at multiple junctures to achieve the hyper-growth trajectory that lay before us,” says Ambrosia Humphrey, Vice President – Talent, Hootsuite. “People would think stereotypically that we are a Silicon Valley start-up with over 200 people but we’re really a Canadian start-up that began with just 20-odd people,” says Humphrey, personally overseeing four different functions in addition to Hootsuite’s HR at one point. “We always had this unique vantage point of being global online before we became a global business.” That also meant that Hootsuite was always catching up to its own social footprint, having to align its HR strategy with what its customers were experiencing in the social media space. “We would get applications from Germany, Indonesia and other countries, and we’re only 30 people. So globallyminded practices and social media were in our DNA from the very beginning,” Humphrey explains.

Hootsuite then made the conscious effort to continue to have social media within the organisation because it was attracting people through that same space. This resonated well with millenials in particular. “We started partnering with enterprise individuals from around the world,” says Humphrey. “We scaled from 20 to 800 people over four years, while our partners scaled from 60,000 to 100,000.” How do you grow at that sort of scale? Humphrey says that Hootsuite had to be an organisation that had social media in its DNA. From an HR perspective, that meant bringing in performance management, employee engagement, culture and employer branding. “We then had to put together our own best-use case that we turned into open source information that could scale at the enterprise level,” she says.

Practising what you preach In recruitment for instance, Hootsuite practises what it calls a “leave no social stone unturned” philosophy. “We take what our employee value proposition is on employer branding globally and then we use social media to amplify our global message and hyper-localise the content and storytelling through different tools and channels,” Humphrey explains. “We use a hashtag called ‘#HootsuiteLife’ which is our global channel to communicate with past, present and future employees, building brand ambassadors out of them,” she describes. “We run various campaigns to build amplification and extend our reach in markets that we’re going into.” For example, in Latin America, Hootsuite partnered its own hashtag with another locally popular one and started saturating that market with information about its employer brand. This allowed Hootsuite

to get into a market before requiring recruitment agencies to help its HR team. It’s a competitive advantage to use a global hashtag that has a big reach, and then find ways to segment and localise it by partnering the tags together, Humphrey says. This is a much faster process than trying to come up with collaterals, such as videos, to aid in talent acquisition. “We also use emerging technology, such as Periscope from Twitter, and we create campaigns that can give global reach and tell the stories of our employers,” she says. “One of our biggest aims in using social media is telling the story of our employees. HR is very good at creating the careers page that sells the HR story. Everybody wants to hear from the people who work there.”

Social HR One of the initiatives the talent team, whose responsibilities include building social competency within Hootsuite, has rolled out is Operation #FollowTheSun. The aim of this campaign was to introduce Hootsuite employees around the world, and provide a glimpse into the company using Periscope. “Over a 24-hour period on April 16 this year, we started in Singapore, and worked our way through our offices around the world, ‘following the sun’, and ending in Vancouver,” Another initiative that Hootsuite championed was #HootHire, essentially an online career fair that trended across North America. “Through this platform, we tell our employees, ‘why we do what we do’, and ‘what we want to get out of it’, giving them something that is of value to share,” Humphrey elaborates. “So instead of just telling staff to tweet a particular job, which might end up making them feel like they’re just a free billboard,

#HootHire event in the US

Interesing interview session. #HootHire we give our employees content that they care enough to share,” she adds. “We used Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, any channel we could utilise to connect with the community to find out what was going on, and market our career fair.” Hootsuite was able to get independent news coverage for the event because it gained such traction amongst the masses. “Utilising community involvement will go a longer way to hiring great talent,” says Humphrey. On the performance management front, another way Hootsuite has brought social media into its business is through gamification. “Through our performance management tool, one can recognise their colleagues through badges,” says Humphrey. “Those people are then able to take that internal recognition and share it on multiple social media platforms. “Instead of recognition being filed away in some document in the HR office, it’s now out there in a public space,” she explains. “This has created a stronger sense of empowerment and engagement amongst staff, allowing them to become even better brand ambassadors for Hootsuite.” Hootsuite also integrates social media into its leadership development strategy. It uses Yammer, an internal communications platform, to share resources and learnings, creating a collaborative real-time process for its people. In this way, talent can be happy or critical of training that’s being given to them, and they can give real-time feedback about it, says Humphrey. “It is our commitment to making sure our employees are educated and empowered with social media,” she concludes. “That makes us unique in providing skillsets that will be imperative for future generations.” ISSUE 15.7

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E a Re On ar v gi ly ly e st B er S$ ir $ be 9 d 5 fo 95 Sp 0 re e 0 28 + G ci Ju S al ly T* 2

Reinventing Rewards in Winning the War for Talent in a People-Led Economy 18-19 August 2015 | Singapore

Accordingly to Mercer’s 2015 Total Rewards Survey, more than half of the organisation made a significant change to their total rewards strategies in the past three years. However, merely less than one-third of them think that their total rewards and business priorities are fully aligned. The missing link to effective total rewards strategy is the lack of acknowledgement of the business needs, the changing environment, the employees’ demographics, the local culture and the current and future cost constraints. The Smart Total Rewards Asia 2015 has been developed in collaboration with the industry to address critical issues around total rewards, benefits planning, benchmarking and optimising your employee value proposition. It is the first of its kind in the region, showcasing a range of best practice case studies from award winning companies that adopted a holistic approach to reward management by incorporating everything employees value in their employment relationship – compensation, benefits, recognition, development and the work environment, in winning the talent of war.

Esteemed Speakers Include: Edmond Ang Former Vice President of Regional C&B PHILIPS ELECTRONICS

Josephine Chua Director of Human Resource & Quality RAMADA & DAYS HOTELS SINGAPORE AT ZHONGSHAN PARK

Boris Biryukov HR Project Manager (Project Constellation) GSK

Mayur Chaturvedi Associate Director, HR ZIMMER

Dushyant Ajwani Manager Compensation & Benefits, Southeast Asia AMERICAN EXPRESS

Shalin Ho Reward & HR Operations Director (APAC) NBCUNIVERSAL ASIA PACIFIC

Contact Me to Register: Karen Soh | Tel: (65) 6423 4631 | Email: karen@hrmasia.com.sg

HRM CONGRESS POST EVENT REPORT

HRM CONGRESS HIGHLIGHT

Malaysia gets savvy T

he first ever Business Savvy HR Leader Workshop in Malaysia took place in May, and saw active participation from Malaysian and Indonesian conglomerates including CIMB Bank, DHL, Envap Sabun, Felda Transport, Mass Rapid Transit Corporation, PLUS Malaysia, VF Brands, and PT HM Sampoerna Tbk. Centering around five core pillars of strategic business topics: Business Acumen: Political Savvy; Financial Literacy; Meaningful Analytics; and Project Management Skills, this workshop helped senior HR leaders to strengthen their understanding of their stakeholders’ agendas, key financial reports, metrics and the tools required to build robust business cases and inspire management buy-in. Highlights of the event included its timely, thought-provoking dialogues and the exclusive on-site business clinic led by C-suite leaders. This helped participants to understand how HR can better lead the alignment of talent with the future of the business. This was followed by an intensive workshop led by Dirk Rossey, former Vice President of JP Morgan. He helped participants understand the language of business, leading them to make the connection between their work and real business outcomes.

Communication skills trainer Marianna Pascal offered her insights on how HR can deliver impactful presentations, how to handle “hot seat” question-and-answer sessions, and how to establish influential relationships with senior management. From annual financial statements to industry analyst reports, James Leong, founder and CEO of Visions One Consulting equipped participants with a thorough understanding of budgets, financial statements, profit and loss reports, and productivity metrics. These define the health of an organization, he says, and it’s vital that HR can read and understand them. Hari Nair, Head of HR Transformation from Maxis used

his session to teach some effective and efficient tools and techniques to analyse workforce data. He provided a strategy for using these to present strategic workforce issues to senior management or boards of directors. A very special ‘Thank You’ to our workshop facilitators and C-suite guests who took time out of their busy schedules to share their experience and thoughts. It is through their support that we are able to continue to strengthen our programme. Stay tuned for our third round in Singapore on 22-23 September. We also ask that you keep in touch with the contacts you made and continue to participate in our upcoming HR congresses.

Mark your calendars with these events now! • Conducting Workplace Investigation Masterclass, 21-22 July 2015, Singapore • Strategic Crisis Management & Communication Masterclass, 29-30 July 2015, Singapore • HRM Awards Best Practices Seminar, 30 July 2015, Singapore • Smart Total Rewards Asia 2015 Congress, 18-19 August 2015, Singapore • Conducting HR Compliance Audits, |26-27 August 2015, Singapore

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SME SPOTLIGHT

HR refresh A

lack of expert care for bags and shoes in Singapore led Korean expatriate Gemma Gil to establish ColorWash in 2003. Using the latest technologies, ColorWash specialises in cleaning bags and shoes. The SME also provides additional services, such as touch-ups and fullcolouring, to give old items a second life. Staff hiring and retention were the key HR challenges faced by ColorWash, which has a workforce of 17 in Singapore and 25 employees in its three overseas outlets. “Some time ago, staff members were leaving even before completing 64 ISSUE 15.7

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their three-month probation. It was time-consuming to constantly recruit and induct new staff,” shares Gil. During their exit interviews, these employees cited “long working hours” and a “stressful environment” as the key reasons for their departures. After identifying the source of the problem, ColorWash started creating a more sociable environment for staff and became more supportive of staff interactions. It restructured job scopes to ensure work was still interesting, but not too difficult, shares Gil. Employees are no longer

Re-thinking its workplace policies has helped ColorWash emerge out of a hiring rut and become an employer of choice, especially among mature workers

Sumathi V Selvaretnam sumathi@hrmasia.com.sg

SME SPOTLIGHT under pressure pick up multiple skills within a short time frame. In the past, outlet staff members were supposed to be able to manage customer service, outlet operations, and also some minor technical cleaning when there were no customers. For one staff member to be trained in all three areas proved to be stressful to both the employee and the business, says Gil. Under the new system, each outlet has a reporting manager who manages a staff roster, supporting marketing initiatives and sales reports. Customer service is handled by another employee who communicates with customers with service updates on their items, and tackles questions on price, length of time required and other issues. They meet the customers when the items are picked up, ensuring they have a seamless experience. Technical work is now undertaken by various specialists at the factory. The company’s duty roster and part-time arrangements are now more flexible. “Staff can choose to work more or fewer hours per week, and have a say in their roster timing,” says Gil.

Career progression Despite its small size, ColorWash believes in career progression for all its employees – regardless of their age or experience. It offers three career tracks: Retail and Operations Management, Customer Relations, and Technical Services. After a month-long orientation course called “Understanding ColorWash’s Basics”, employees choose one of the three career tracks offered. They are then given on-the-job training and specialised classroom training for another three months. Employees under the Customer Service track, for example, undergo training on developing a service mindset as well as areas such as complaint handling and service recovery. ColorWash employees are also given a clear sense of their career prospects at the organisation. For example, a retail assistant on the Retail and Operations Management track may be promoted to outlet manager, area manager or even regional retail operations manager, says Gil. A customer service representative may be promoted to customer service manager, head of department, or even have their role expanded regionally.

A junior technical specialist at ColorWash may start with mastering cleaning. In time, they can move on to learn other technical skills like coloring and coating, and may grow to head the technical services department.

Mentoring programme ColorWash’s mentoring programme focuses on the social induction of new employees. New employees are matched to existing staff. They are rostered on the same shifts, with a common lunch hour to allow them to socialise. “Often, the mentee quickly picks up behavioural cues from their buddies. This allows new staff to form close social bonds and assimilate into ColorWash’s culture with ease,” says Gil. “Our buddy system creates social mentorship, allowing staff to let off steam on issues bothering them,” she adds. The management team checks in with the mentors periodically to understand challenges faced by the new staff. “Once, we learned that the family member of one staff member was undergoing cancer treatment and quickly rearranged our roster to ensure she was able to care for her family member during that challenging time,” Gil says. Mentors are not given specific guidelines except to bring issues to management attention and to work with leaders to improve the workplace experience for their mentees.

Staff motivation scheme ColorWash ties its performance bonuses to

customer service levels. “We reward our staff based on desired behaviour instead of just business results. We believe that committed and happy staff will act in the best interests of the company and will be the right brand ambassadors of ColorWash, especially towards our customers,” says Gil. Some of the key behaviours the management looks out for among staff include good interpersonal communications, great customer service, and punctuality. “We do share bonuses when business results are good, but we are also known to issue bonuses even during low sales seasons. “Receiving customer compliments and working in a friendly, sociable environment motivates our staff. The cherry on the icing is additional cash bonuses for them,” says Gil. Gil feels that the company’s renewed focus has been spot-on so far this year. To date, the number of customer compliments increased by 30%. ColorWash also believes that small gestures can go a long way in engaging and retaining staff. “We believe in the simple act of having a meal together – to bond as a ColorWash family. Even during busy periods, we still make it a point to order takeaway meals and dine together in the back room. “On special occasions such as a staff member’s birthday, we will enjoy a celebratory meal together. This may seem like a simple initiative, but it forms a special bond among staff that no monetary incentive is able to cultivate,” Gil says.

Attracting mature workers Half of the employees at ColorWash are aged over 55 years’ old. Founder Gemma Gil says there are some special ways in which the company is attracting and retaining this valuable silver talent: • Referral – “We encourage older workers to recommend friends. The friendship between staff creates good rapport and allows them enjoy a social environment at work.” • Flex-time – “We roster our staff according to how much, how often and when they want to work. We have a staff member who is a 70-year old grandmother. We nicknamed her ‘Zumba Queen’ as she loves dancing. We roster her work hours such that she does not miss any mass dance sessions at the local community centres.” • Adjusted job scopes – “We adjust job scope to suit physicality of some staff. For example, some cleaning is done sitting down which is less taxing for some staff members.” Gil says the company has benefitted from some excellent interpersonal skills among its older workforce. “Customers expressed that they began associating ColorWash with the friendliness of our older workers, forming a deep connection with our brand,” she says.

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Senior Manager, Rewards, Asia

Senior HR Business Partner

Regional Learning & Development Manager

› Industrial MNC › Highly hands-on and challenging role

› Healthcare and life science MNC › Strategic and operational focused

› Stand-up training delivery required › Challenging and hands-on regional role

A global industrial player, our client is seeking for an experienced Total Rewards subject matter expert to join and perform an integral role within its Centre of Excellence team.

A leading player in its fields, our client has an established presence in Singapore and globally. It now seeks a dynamic and consummate HR Business Partner to be part of their Singapore operation.

With global presence, our client has an immediate need for a dynamic and hands-on Learning & Development Manager to play a key role in their regional team.

Degree qualified with Compensation & Benefits professional certification, you have minimum 8 years of relevant experience including Asia region exposure with strong knowledge of China and India. Ideally you have experience integrating related programs and policies, and merger & acquisition related activities, and HRIS management. You are a hands-on team player with high influencing ability, have strong analytical, project management and presentation skills, and have worked in a highly matrix and fastpaced environment. Reference number: MH/JD50964 Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

You will partner closely with Business Heads to ensure HR goals are aligned with the organisational plan for the assigned business units. You are responsible for the development and application of policies and programs in the area of recruitment, HR planning, compensation & benefits, talent development and management, performance management, employee and labour relations. Degree qualified, the successful candidate should have at least 10 years experience as HR generalist including 5 years HR business partnering experience with MNCs known for HR best practices. Preference will be given those with experience as site HR in a manufacturing environment. You possess high adaptability, are hands-on and possess excellent interpersonal, communications and influencing skills and ability to work in a diverse culture environment. Reference number: MH/JD51255 Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

You will design, implement capability development programmes for frontline sales and management teams, partner business leaders and internal customers in building capability by generating solutions, facilitate talent development through coaching, leadership programmes, psychometrics and assessments, etc. You will also lead the performance management and employee development processes by formulating initiatives to build and sustain a performance-driven culture, and participate in rolling out employee engagement related activities. Degree qualified with professional certifications in training, you have minimum 6 years of relevant work experience including 2 years in regional capacity in MNCs. You are highly energetic and hands-on, able to work independently in a fast-paced and lean environment. You are a team player who is willing to share knowledge, develop others, and work in a cooperative and collaborative style to ensure delivery and quality of service. Excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills are key success factors. Reference number: MH/JD47740B Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

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

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

1143/05_15

You will be lead in the development and review rewards strategies, policies and programmes to ensure competitiveness. You will recommend and enhance related plans, programs and initiatives to contribute to the overall success of the business through its people agenda. You will participate and may lead region wide program and projects, and ensure compliance with local laws and governance processes.

MICHAEL PAGE C&B Manager, APAC

HR Shared Services Manager, APAC

HR Vice President

› Support global C&B initiatives › Stability and career growth opportunity

› Strategic position with high exposure to senior stakeholders › Career growth opportunity

› European multinational › Global reporting matrix

A pharmaceutical leader is looking for a C&B Manager to support the Asia Pacific Markets and roll-out regional initiatives. You will work closely with HR Business partners to implement and support variable pay & benefits plans, total rewards initiatives and compensation harmonisation. You will also support during M&A projects conduct a market analysis to maintain competitiveness. You come with 6 years of experience in C&B, ideally in an HR Consulting firm or a multinational environment. You are results-driven, strongly analytical and look forward to being working in a high energy and fast-paced environment.

Our client is a US listed conglomerate in the Oil & Gas industry. In order to streamline processes and to ensure higher operational excellence, they have newly-created the shared services in late 2014. Hence, they are currently looking for an HRSS Manager who will erect the structure, provide guidance to the team and be a strong business stakeholder. Apart from the HRSS portfolio, this incumbent will also take on functional responsibilities as the deputy head of HR. They are currently looking for someone who believes in change and possesses the leadership to lead the team forward.

A global leader in the Financial Services industry, our client is looking for the VP of HR to drive HR initiatives in the region. A key member of the management team, you will translate business strategy into achievable HR objectives. Responsible for full spectrum HR, the key to your success will be your ability to engage the senior leaders on a strategic level and have the ability to advise senior management on HR initiatives. You should come with solid HR experience and solid academic background from a top university. In the role, you will grow the business across Asia.

Please contact Domi Marco (Reg. no: 1439720) quoting ref: H2802080 or visit our website.

Please contact Sheldon Toh (Reg. no: R1438671) quoting ref: H2820540 or visit our website.

Please contact Domi Di Marco (Reg. no: 1439720) quoting ref: H2819330 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

Michael Page International Pte Ltd (EA Licence No.98C5473) is part of the PageGroup. Registered Office: One Raffles Place, #09-61 Office Tower Two, Singapore 048616

WORLDWIDE LEADERS IN SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT

www.michaelpage.com.sg

EMPOWERING YOUR CAREER Manager, HR Shared Services

Payroll Manager

Growing consultancy group Hands-on role dealing with Payroll, Recruitment & Benefits Work with internal stakeholders and external vendors

Leading MNC Stable work environment Supervisory responsibilities

Our client, a professional consulting group with offices across Asia, is seeking a Manager of HR Shared Services. Reporting to the Senior HR Manager, you will lead a team performing operational roles across various HR functions. You should be highly organized and adaptable, and able to develop strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external vendors. To be successful, you should hold a degree in Human Resources or a business-related degree. A first class degree, or further qualifications such as an MBA, would be advantageous. You should have at least 8 years’ experience across HR functions, with good knowledge of payroll and tax issues. You may also have a background of working with HRIS technology and have led or been involved in the implementation of new HRIS technologies. If you meet the above criteria, please email your detailed CV in WORD format to jon_williams@kellyservices.com.sg. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Robert Jonothan Williams EA Personnel Registration No. R1439599

Our client, a leading MNC in the healthcare industry, is currently in search of a Payroll Manager. Leading a small team, you will be actively involved in the full cycle of payroll processing for both Singapore and Malaysia. You will ensure accuracy and promptness in statutory claims i.e. Maternity, Paternity, Shared Parental, Childcare and NS claims. Working closely with the HRIS team, you are also required to ensure data cleanliness and perform UAT for payroll system. To be successful, you should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy/ Finance with at least 6 to 8 years handling high volume payroll transactions in MNC environment. Current/prior experience supervising a team of at least 3 staff and proficiency in SAP are required. You should also possess strong communication skills and be effectively bilingual. If you meet the above criteria, please email your detailed CV in WORD format to maggie_ong@kellyservices.com.sg. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Maggie Ong Ai Leng EA Personnel Registration No. R1105973

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 21,000 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

HRBP – Global Engineering Organisation

Group HR Director – FMCG Industry

Regional Manager – Talent Development

Global Prominent Engineering Organisation Local Scope Attractive Remuneration

Prominent FMCG Organisation Senior HR Leadership Role Regional Exposure

This prominent organisation has recorded impressive business growth in the region. In this role, you will provide HR advice and services to the Oil and Gas engineering segment of Singapore. You will work closely with the regional HR team and HR product specialists to engage the business leaders and functional managers in delivering a HR agenda. You will also provide support on diverse matters, including performance management as well as reward and talent management, in order to achieve people objectives and business strategies. In addition, you will participate in strategic HR projects.

This leading player in the FMCG sector has a strategic focus on Asia Pacific that is becoming increasingly important for the organisation, as further growth is planned for this global hub. Reporting directly to the Global VP HR, you will manage a small team and be responsible for all aspects of human resources business partnering of a high-performance commercial organisation with complex operations, where some markets are undergoing double-digit growth rates. In this role, you will gain wide exposure throughout the HQ and a clear path for advancement into a global role as you focus on areas such as learning and development, talent roadmapping, and performance evaluation best practices.

High-Profile, US-Headquartered Apparels Company Regional Role with APAC Responsibilities Dynamic Environment with a Strong Learning Focus

To apply, please submit your resume to Finian at ft@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

This high-profile apparels company has strategic plans to attract, groom, and retain talent. In your role as a Talent Development Manager, you will work with global teams, business partners, and business units to plan, strategise, budget for, and establish best practices in talent development and management across APAC. In addition, you will work closely with internal stakeholders and external vendors to drive the alignment of HR strategy and processes as well as create sustainable talent solutions that are specific to the region.

To apply, please submit your resume to Finian at ft@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Reg No: R1104310

HR Manager – Prominent Luxury Retail Organisation

HR Analyst – Commodity Trading Organisation

HR Executive – Manufacturing (Contract)

Prominent Luxury Retail Organisation Newly Created Role Excellent Career Platform

Newly Created Role Growing Organisation Excellent Career Opportunity

Global Manufacturing Leader Dynamic Environment Contract Completion Bonus

This prominent luxury retail organisation, which serves as a hub for the regional business in Asia Pacific, is now seeking a dynamic and seasoned HR Generalist (Manager Level) to support its growing business in the region. Reporting to the Regional Head of HR, you will work closely with senior business leaders to align business and people strategies through appropriate advice and intervention. You will influence and coordinate the development of a performance culture through the effective implementation of integrated people management strategies and plans that cover aspects of performance management, talent acquisition, rewards, and talent management.

This prominent organisation has recorded impressive business growth in the region. In this role, you will provide HR advice and services for the commodity trading segment of Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. You will assist in diverse matters, including recruitment, payroll, performance, and management, in order to achieve people objectives and business strategies. You will also participate in strategic HR projects.

This global leader in the manufacturing industry has a strong presence in Singapore. Due to evolving business needs, it is now seeking a HR Executive to perform a generalist function on a 1-year contract. Reporting to the HR Manager, you will be involved in areas of work that include training programmes, internal communication, and recruitment activities.

Reg No: R1104310

To apply, please submit your resume to Junchen at junchen@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

To apply, please submit your resume to Junchen at junchen@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Reg No: R1328933

Reg No: R1328933

Licence No: 03C4828

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HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS SPEAK TO THE HR EXPERTS Assistant Director, Group Talent Management Develop Leadership Competencies

Regional Learning Consultant, VP Spearhead Regional L&D Requirements

Due to portfolio growth, an exciting opportunity as Assistant Director, Group Talent Management has been created within a leading healthcare cluster in Singapore. You will lead internal teams in talent and scholarship management. You will be a Master’s/ Bachelor’s degree graduate with 12 years of relevant experience. You’ll be resourceful, analytical and strategic and have excellent spoken and written English communication skills to liaise well at all levels. Contact Sean Wong (Reg ID: R1101782) on the details below.

An exciting opportunity has arisen within an established and reputable MNC within the corporate and investment banking world. As Learning Consultant you’ll support the business’ needs across the Asia Pacific region. A key member of the learning team, you will be working closely within your specified business unit in providing analytical and consultative learning needs’ support. Working with instructional designers and senior stakeholders, you will play an active role in designing and implementing training initiatives. Contact Edwin Lee (Reg ID: R1546591) on the details below.

L&D Manager (Tourism & Hospitality Sector) Drive Talent Development A vibrant leisure group is looking for a Learning & Development Manager to plan, design, develop, source, implement and evaluate training and development programmes and initiatives. Reporting to the Senior HR Manager, you will oversee the full cycle of learning, including training needs’ analysis, vendor management, budgeting and negotiations for sponsorships and accreditation programs. You’ll also have the opportunity to spearhead organisation-wide interventions pertaining to change management and welfare. Contact Divyaanshi Malhotra (Reg ID: R1324897) on the details below.

VP, Business HR Partner - Regional 6 - 12 Month Contract Position As VP, Business HR Partner in this regional bank, you’ll proactively partner with senior managers and stakeholders from the Consumer Banking Group. You’ll provide strategic advice and initiatives to achieve business goals, people management solutions, deliver cultural change plans and interventions, and oversee the application of HR policies. You should have a Bachelor’s degree with 8 years of relevant experience, be conversant with the full spectrum of the HR function and be proficient in working with data. Contact Keith Lim (Reg ID: R1106673) on the details below.

Please contact our team of recruiting experts at hr.singapore@hays.com.sg or on +65 6303 0721.

hays.com.sg

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ISSUE 15.7

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HR Management Solution (HRMS)

Cutting-edge solution with world class service.

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$10 per staff monthly (Payroll + Leave)

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