SOUTHEAST ASIA July-September 2022The smart HR professional’s blueprint for workforce strategy EMPLOYEE E XPERIENCE KEEPINGEMPLOYEES ENG A G ED IN A HYBRIDWORLD PAGES12-15, 16-23&24-27 Dato ’KhalisRahim Aileen Tan Su n i l S e tlur Amanda Gervay JoleneHuang
1624
Interview Under the people stewardship of Dato’ Khalis Rahim, Chief Human Capital Officer, Malaysia Airlines, the workforce has braved turbulent times, and emerged more united, passionate, and appreciative. Here’s the full story, as the leader shares with Lester TanTo subscribe call: (65) 6423 0329 or subscriptions@humanresourcesonline.netemail:
34 People issues
Singapore: Lighthouse Independent Media Pte Ltd 100C Pasir Panjang Road, #05-01, See Hoy Chan Hub, 118519 Tel: +65 6423 0329 Fax: +65 6423 0117 Hong Kong: Lighthouse Independent Media Ltd Unit B-D, 16/F, Yardley Commercial Building, 3 Connaught Road West, Sheung Wan Tel: 852-2861-1882 Fax: 852-2861-1336 publisher Naomi Cranswick editor-in-chief Aditi Sharma Kalra senior journalist Priya Sunil trainee journalist Arina Sofiah sub editor James Foster creative director Mohd Ashraf subscriptions Deborah Quek event production Prassana Pillay head, project management Renamel Torres delegate sales Paul LeshkaAbigaelAgdeppaAyerdiDeLeonSeraphineNeohReggieOlaCarizaRatinAdrianRaySandraRones marketing Cyrus Ching regional head of event services Yeo Wei Qi group managing director Evelyn Wong
33 Unconventionalwisdom
Human Resources is published 4 times per year by Lighthouse Independent Media Pte Ltd. Subscription rates are available on request, contact the Circulation Manager by telephone: (65) 6423 0329 or by email to: subscriptions@humanresourcesonline.net
Interview Sunil Setlur, Chief People Officer, Gojek, tells Priya Sunil how he and the team amplify aengagementemployeethroughheavyemphasisonactivelistening.
Regulars 2 Suite Talk 3 HR by numbers 4 Whitepaper 6 Snapshot 10 Spacial Awareness 32 TAFEP Talks 28 Upwardly mobile A virtual amazing race, capability transfer programmes, and even complimentary attraction tours: MatchMove, Rohde & Schwarz, and Merlin Entertainments share how they are committed to developing engaged and wellperforming workforces. CONTENTS July-September2022 Feature Arina Sofiah and Tracy Chan speak to HR leaders across industries to bring you this complete employee experience guide in the wake of the new working landscape.
COPYRIGHTS AND REPRINTS. All material printed in Human Resources is protected under the copyright act. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the prior written consent of the publisher and the copyright holder. Permission may be requested through the Singapore office.
12
FLEXIBILITYPLACINGATTHEHEARTOFTHEEMPLOYEEEXPERIENCE
DRIVING A CULTURE CURIOSITYENCOURAGESTHAT
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in Human Resources are not necessarily the views of the publisher.
“Employees today are not just seeking a good environment, but also want to feel a sense of purpose at the workplace,” says Susan Tang, HR Director for APAC, Meltwater.
RESTORING PRIDE AND PURPOSE INTO THE WORKFORCE
To reach sustainability goals, HR professionals need to ensure that employees are fully on board, and are equipped with the skills to transform sustainability aspirations into reality, says Nathalie Huynh, Country HR Director (Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei), Schneider Electric.
Aditi Sharma Kalra Editor-in-Chief
Rebuilding the employee value proposition is something our Q&A interviewee – Dato’ Khalis Rahim, Chief Human Capital Officer of Malaysia Airlines – has become familiar with, albeit amid a path ridden with turbulence. When he joined the team in 2018, he witnessed a “very tired, fearful, and disillusioned workforce”. “I knew I had one massive task, and that was to restore pride and purpose into the workforce,” he tells us. As he set out to review and course-correct the transformation road map, he ensured that empathy was never overlooked in retaining the “soul of the organisation”. There’s a lot to learn from that inspiring conversation that you’ll find on page 24. As always, we’ve greatly enjoyed putting together this EX special edition for you, and we look forward to your input for 2023. Please write to us at editorial@humanresourcesonline.net with your Enjoyfeedback.theread.
Knowledge-driven employees want an employer who genuinely cares for their wellbeing (where health and safety is, but one pillar), as much as they demonstrate care for the environment and the community in which they operate. Every leader we spoke to this past quarter is doing just that. “A lot has been said about the ‘Great Resignation’ in the last couple of years,” says interviewee Amanda Gervay, Senior Vice President, People & Capability, Asia Pacific, Mastercard, on page 22. “But I think of it more as a ‘Great Re-evaluation’ – a moment in time where people are questioning just how they want to spend their working lives.” This, to us, signals an upheaval equally for HR professionals, most of whom are embracing the new trends as an opportunity to rebuild and re-look at their employee value proposition. This is why this edition comes to you as an Employee Experience Special, where we’ve pooled views from HR leaders across Asia on how they are revamping initiatives to engage and energise the workforce as hybrid goes mainstream.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Take for instance, Jolene Huang, Chief Talent Officer – Singapore and Southeast Asia, Publicis Groupe, who believes in “being intentional” in the opportunities for creative and purposeful engagement – both virtual and in-person. That “intentional” approach translates into encouraging new hires to start their first day by being physically present in the office to meet the team, while also offering the workforce choices to work flexibly, which unlocks access to untapped talent pools, such as mothers. “We see this as a partnership that is based on trust, and we want our people to be able to manage and integrate their professional and personal priorities without compromise,” Huang tells us. Read the full feature on page 16.
July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 1
THE BIG HR REAWAKENING IS HERE
Owing to these mega trends, organisations are pulling out all stops to secure the loyalty and engagement of the talent they wish to retain as a priority. What talent value today goes beyond the traditional employment proposition of role, rewards, and recognition. Into the talent equation, you’ll now find flexibility, freedom, and trust firmly implanted.
Call it the brain drain, a new wave of emigration, the globally cited ‘Great Resignation’, or the latest phenomenon borne from TikTok titled ‘quiet quitting’ – one thing is amply clear – the world of talent has been overhauled. We’re seeing a mammoth shift in employees’ priorities and what they value.
What talent value today goes beyond the implanted.trustfreedom,findyou’llequation,Intorecognition.rewards,ofpropositionemploymenttraditionalrole,andthetalentnowflexibility,andfirmly
• Fresh, new perspectives: Do not be afraid to get your feet on the ground and learn from your juniors. Being authentic and vulnerable in front of your employees grows your image beyond a figurehead.
WORK LIFE Leadership Human Resources Online July-September 20222
The leader also encourages employees to ‘speak up’, and leaders to listen and acknowledge their teams’ Whetheropinions.you’reon the go, or winding down for the day, join us as she shares more about:
Jo Feng, Asia Area Senior Vice President, AstraZeneca Welcome to this very special edition of HR OnScreen! In this edition, HRO catches up with AstraZeneca’s Asia Area Senior Vice President, Jo Feng .
Check out the interview here
• Why AstraZeneca’s leaders (including Jo herself, despite some initial concern!) love the organisation’s reverse mentoring programme.
What many may not know is AstraZeneca, which is now synonymous with COVID-19 vaccines, did not start off in the vaccine business. Despite this, when demand rose for vaccines in the early stages of the pandemic, AstraZeneca’s team banded together with a common goal, even amid remote working and international late-night meetings. Spurred by their shared purpose, the group has now supplied more than 2.9bn doses of vaccines globally. In this interview, Jo shares all about the move and, overall, how DEI is embedded into AstraZeneca’s culture of innovation – where culture is decided by the leaders. She encourages leaders to put DEI not just on the HR agenda, but the company’s agenda as a whole.
• How Jo’s leap of faith to move to the US global headquarters shaped the leader she is today. Key takeaways you can look forward to:
Leading more than 3,000 employees, Jo Feng is responsible for the growth and performance of AstraZeneca’s business in Asia, which includes Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the Asia frontier markets.
• How AstraZeneca rose up to the challenge in the face of the pandemic and delved into the vaccine business.
Among her various leadership engagements, Jo has notably led the supply and demand of vaccine doses from AstraZeneca for Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• You’ll never know if you don’t try: Stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risks unlocks opportunities and your potential.
• Small wins: When introducing a new initiative, if employees don’t feel good about it from the very beginning, it will be hard to move on from that. So start light, and take things forward once employees get to see what’s in it for them.
Having joined AstraZeneca China in 2003, she has accelerated to several leadership positions.
The study observed the most cited reasons for organisations reporting higher 2022 actual salary budgets versus projections made last year were:
projected increases in the region: MARKET 2022 ACTUAL SALARY INCREASES 2023 SALARYPROJECTEDINCREASES Australia 3.0% 3.0% China 6.0% 6.0% Hong Kong 3.8% 4.0% India 9.5% 10.0% Indonesia 6.7% 7.0% Japan 2.5% 2.6% Malaysia 4.8% 5.0% New Zealand 3.0% 3.0% Philippines 5.5% 5.7% Singapore 3.9% 4.0% South Korea 4.3% 4.5% Taiwan 3.7% 3.9% Thailand 4.8% 5.0% Vietnam 7.8% 8.0% Are budgetingemployersAPAC for pay increases?
Companies are taking non-monetary actions for talent attraction and retention As observed in the report, attraction and retention challenges continue to plague organisations across the Thatregion.being said, fewer respondents expect those difficulties to remain at the same level the following year – over eight in 10 respondents (89%) are experiencing difficulties attracting talent this year, but only 39% expect difficulties in 2023. Similarly, while 86% of companies reported difficulties retaining employees this year, that number is expected to drop to just 54% next year.
a
• Concerns over a tighter labour market – 63%.
HR by numbers WORK LIFE July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 3
• Anticipation of stronger financial results – 31%.
According to Willis Towers Watson’s Salary Budget Planning Report, salary budgets for employees in the Asia Pacific region (APAC) are projected to increase in 2023. This increase will be particularly influenced by a continuation of the “tight labour market” and rising inflation concerns in APAC.
In response to these issues, many organisations have taken or plan to take non-monetary actions to attract talent. For example, 67% of respondents have increased workplace flexibility, and 20% are planning or considering doing so in the next couple of years. At the same time, more than half of the respondents (58%) have placed broader emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and 24% are planning or considering doing so in the next few years. Additionally, 43% of companies continue to enhance recruitment offers with sign-on bonuses and equity/longterm incentive awards, while more than 22% are planning or are considering doing so in the next few years. Here’s snapshot 2022 2023
of the
• Employee expectations for higher increases driven by inflation – 40%.
actual increases and
In fact, companies studied across 14 markets in APAC are budgeting for an overall median increase of 5.1% for 2023, compared with the actual 4.9% increase in 2022 –the largest increase since 2020. Particularly, more than half (56%) of employers in the region have budgeted for higher employee pay rises than last year; one-third (33%) have increased their budgets since original projections were made earlier this year, while 51% of companies are still sticking with the pay budgets they set at the start of the year.
Looking at the skills needed in talent attraction –per the report, information technology skills are most sought after by companies. For example, more than half (53%) of the organisations surveyed in Singapore are looking to recruit digital talent in the next 12 months. Yet, professionals with these skills are “some of the most difficult to attract and retain”, as three-quarters of companies experienced problems in attracting (75%) and retaining (70%) them.
• Creating new global bands for remote workers (40.5%).
“Contrary to early pandemic predictions, remote and hybrid work have not permanently reduced travel and mobility. Organisations realise the need for balance between in-person collaboration and remote communications, as well as re-emphasising the value of the international work experience – and employee mobility professionals are the experts at building compliant and cost-effective programmes that drive employee acquisition, engagement, and retention,” said Karen Cygal, SVP at Worldwide ERC.
Global – As the world settles into the way of work as we know it today, a new study involving 500 senior HR leaders globally has found that remote work may not necessarily be a full-time arrangement for many companies.
Remote work is hybrid work for ‘established’ organisations Senior HR leaders at established organisations report a small minority of their workforce will be permanently full-time remote in the future. The vast majority of the workforce will be tied to a location and office, either as a full-time office or hybrid worker.
THREE TRENDS ON THE FUTURE OF REMOTE WORK
Core HR policies, including compensation and benefits, are remaining the same
• Tying it to their current compensation model (65.5%).
WHITE PAPER Workforce management Human Resources Online July-September 20224
Additionally, for the average respondent, just 5% of their workforce at the moment are working full-time remotely at home; 45% are working hybrid in the office or on-site, and at home; and 39% are working full-time in the office or Overall,on-site.among its key findings, the study derived the following trends around remote work.
With the emerging consensus that the vast majority of the workforce will continue to be location-based (either full-time in the office or hybrid), organisations are returning to previous practices, with leaders reporting that core HR policies such as compensation and benefits are not radically changing.
In particular, the study, conducted by Worldwide ERC, found that for the average respondent, just 53% of their workforce will be fully remote or partially remote in the future – a big shift from a year ago, where a similar respondent base had believed 96% of their workforce would be fully or partially remote.
Specifically, many companies have tied traditional payment structure models to remote and hybrid positions, and few companies altered benefits packages based on the locations of remote workers.
Remote work is driving employee mobility
• Creating new bands for specific locations and markets (37%).
In that vein, more than half of the respondents (61%) are more likely to send employees to new locations, either for business travel or longer term relocations and assignments, than before the pandemic. At the same time, 33% reported no change intended, and 6% said they are less likely to do so.
Per the study, the experience with remote work over the past two years has made leaders realise that teleconferencing may not be a substitute for in-person interactions.
Organisations are determining their remote workers’ compensation by:
THE MOST EXPENSIVE APAC MARKETS TO HIRE AN EXPAT MIDDLE MANAGER
Workforce management WHITE PAPER 5July-September 2022 Human Resources Online
APAC –
Read here for the remaining three bullet points covering job security and business ethics; pay and benefits, and remote work arrangements Image source: ECA International Asia top 10 – Expatriate Package Breakdown Middle Manager (US$) 450 000 400 000 350 000 300 000 250 000 200 000 150 000 100 000 50 0000 Japan India China RepublicKorea Hong Kong Taiwan Philippines Singapore Indonesia Thailand
“While all locations in the region saw an increase in the pay packages for expatriate staff, many still fell in our rankings as their rates of growth were lower than those experienced elsewhere in the world,” Quane said. “Japan, for example, saw the value of expatriate packages increase by 4% in 2021. Nevertheless, it is no longer the location with the highest expatriate packages worldwide, having been overtaken by the UK, where the overall value of an expatriate package rose by over 9% in USD terms.” Further up the globe, Mainland China “remains” the market with the “thirdhighest” expat package cost behind Japan and India. It is noteworthy the bulk of the package cost in Japan and India is attributed to tax, instead of salary and benefits.
The survey looks at pay levels for over 10,000 international assignees from more than 300 companies across 130 countries, and more. The data also includes information on benefits, allowances, salary calculation methods, and tax treatment. Figures used in this release were collected in the later stages of 2021, and refer to a middle manager position.
The cost of hiring an expatriate middle manager in Singapore is relatively cheaper than in other markets such as Japan, India, and Mainland China, according to ECA International’s latest MyExpatriate Market Pay Survey This is despite the cost of an expatriate package – comprising salary, benefits, and tax – in Singapore (in SGD) witnessing a 4% rise in 2021. Report analysts dubbed this as a “modest” growth, considering the local market is the 13 th most expensive city in the world for overseas workers. That said, Lee Quane, Regional Director, Asia, ECA International, explained once the package value is converted into USD, the cost rose by a total of 10% – which is considered “significant” compared with the year “Salariesbefore. recovered after falling by an average of US$1,000 per annum in 2020, while benefits costs, such as those around accommodation expenses, also rose as many employers provided financial assistance to their expatriate staff in meeting rising accommodation costs as the rental market bounced back in 2021,” Quane said. “Overall, the cost of employing an expatriate in Singapore rose by approximately 10% to just under US$250,000 per annum, with cash salaries seeing increases of about 9.5% in USD terms.” For clarity, the salary portion of the package is calculated according to home and host-based salary systems, as well as locally hired and localised expatriates, and expatriates on indefinite contracts. Benefits, in this case, refer to the actual costs or allowances paid to cover the benefits offered. For the taxes portion, it takes into account employee taxes, and not company contributions. Regional analysis Malaysia “remains the market in the region” with “the lowest” expat package cost, even though analysts found that cash salaries rose by 11% in 2021. “Expatriates in Malaysia saw their cash compensation rise at a rate which was higher than the regional average,” analysts revealed. “Despite this, Malaysia remains the location in the region with the lowest salary and benefits packages for expatriate staff.” Markets such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan also witnessed relatively cheaper expat packages for hiring middle managers.
Salary Benefits Tax © Employment Conditions Abroad 2022
Looking at today’s rapidly evolving environment, what do you believe is HR’s No.1 responsibility? Building critical skills and competencies for the organisation.
How do you and your team support all employees in upskilling and reskilling to remain relevant in, and outside, of the hospitality sector? Why is this important in today’s modern workplace? One of our five core values is ‘people development’, and as such, our people are given the opportunity to unlock and maximise their potential, rise to the challenge, and go beyond – even before COVID. The crisis forced us to be more creative and resourceful in our offerings.
And aside from all of that, it is great fun to learn, and it guarantees growth opportunities for our team members. Internal mobility is another pet passion of mine so what better way to accelerate this than by ensuring the skills of our team members are a top business priority.
What was the most innovative HR campaign that you've worked on?
CAROLINESTEVENSCHIEFPEOPLEOFFICER,MINORHOTELS
Why is this important? Verifiable skills are now becoming as important, and may very well likely, replace the traditional benchmark of just a four-year degree. Skills will become the currency for employability, performance, and mobility.
It is important to retain the best talent, and to retain them we need to provide the best opportunities for personal and professional growth and Thedevelopment.worldisevolving quickly with many factors, including technology, the increasing demand for new skills and competencies, and the need for strengthening the critical humanistic and leadership skills. It is essential to upskill and reskill team members to cope with these changes to keep the business sustainable and successful.
Human Resources Online July-September 20226 SNAPSHOT
Here are some examples of the opportunities we provide for upskilling and •reskilling:Aninternal online learning platform which houses both internal programmes and skills programmes from HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International), and eHotelier (e-learning for hotels).
It is important to retain the best talent, and to retain them we need to development.growthprofessionalandforopportunitiestheprovidebestpersonaland
• Partnerships with content experts and providers, including Skillsoft and Lobster Ink, to offer the most current and relevant skills content.
It’s hard to stand out and compete for talent against larger and more established players –not only in the same industry. It was critical for us to differentiate our offering from others. We needed to share how our team members felt about working for us and match this with what the job market was/is looking for. To lead this transformation, support the rapid growth of the company, and deliver value to the business, we developed a memorable HR campaign rooted in Minor’s history and culture: ‘Minor is More’. And “More” means so many things – “more growth”, “more opportunities”, and “more belonging”. Just like William E. Heinecke founded the company when he was only 17 and transformed Minor into so much more than anyone expected, likewise professionals in Minor can find the ideal environment to transform their career path into so much more than they would have ever dreamed of.
It’s tough to predict future skill needs and HR leaders are under pressure to ensure their workforce has the skills it needs when it needs them. Without a crystal ball, however, this predictive approach to skills management often results in organisations investing in the wrong skills.
Research shows that employees need on average 6.3% more skills for a single job compared with 2018, and nearly one in three skills needed for a job in 2018 will not be needed by 2022.
A new imperative to overcome this challenge is to structure talent management around skills, not roles, resulting in a more adaptable and agile workforce. Read on here as Stevens talks about Minor Hotels’ corporate goals, and the one thing she wishes to see invested in HR’s future. minutes with ...
To overcome the challenge of being irrelevant in the workplace, we need to structure talent management around skills, not roles, Caroline Stevens tells Lester Tan. This will result in a more adaptable and agile workforce.
15
Globally, Singapore ranked among the top five in fourth place, with the Netherlands leading the way, and Austria (second), Denmark (third), and Norway (fifth), rounding up the top five. A total of 112 countries/regions were analysed. Read on below for a breakdown of the Asia findings.
#3 Malaysia (28 th globally) English proficiency score: 562 Malaysia was rated high on English proficiency in 2021, a move up from its ‘moderate’ rating the year before. The country also saw a move up the rankings, coming in 28 th globally (2020: 30 th out of 99 countries/regions analysed). Malaysia maintained its position in third place among Asian countries/regions ranked.
NEWS July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 7 Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Korea have emerged as the top five countries/regions among 24 Asian markets ranked in Education First’s 2021 English Proficiency Index
Asian markets with the highest English proficiency
The Philippines continued to be deemed as having a high proficiency in English to stand in second spot in Asia, even recording a better ranking than in 2020 (18 th), where it ranked 27th out of 99 countries/regions analysed in the Index – entering the top 20 once again.
Hong Kong’s overall English proficiency maintained its ‘moderated’ rating. Other notable rankings in the region: #6: India (48 th globally) #7 China (49 th globally) #12 Vietnam (66 th globally) #13 Japan (78 th globally) #14 Indonesia (80 th globally) #22 Thailand (100 th globally)
In the workplace, English follows job functions
#1 Singapore (fourth globally) English proficiency score: 635 Singapore was the only Asian nation deemed to have a very high proficiency in English. Overall, the city-state saw an improvement in ranking, up from 10 th place (out of 99 countries/regions analysed) in the 2020 results.
#2 The Philippines (18 th globally) English proficiency score: 592
#4 Hong Kong (32nd globally) English proficiency score: 545 In 2021, Hong Kong overtook South Korea to rank in fourth place on the rankings in Asia, also moving up one spot globally (up from 33rd place in 2020).
Globally, seven Asian markets made it to the top 50: Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, India, and China.
There is strong evidence that English is increasingly a job requirement in all industries, and at all seniority levels. The English skill gap between the highest and lowest proficiency industries has narrowed by 20% since 2012, and there is no longer any real proficiency difference between executives, managers, and staff. However, the gap in English skills between those in clerical and maintenance roles and those in marketing, strategy, and legal ones, is as large as ever. Of course, not all jobs require the same level of English, but people do not usually want to stay in the same job forever. And when things change, professional mobility is a key determinant of resilience for individuals, companies, and economies.
ROVING REPORTER
Work-life Harmony is achieved when an individual is able to e ectively manage both work responsibilities and personal Byaspirations.adopting the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony you can help your employees manage their work and personal lives, leading to more motivated sta with higher morale and better performance! You will also gain a competitive edge in attracting and retaining your talents.
HARMONYWORK-LIFETOPRACTICESENHANCEAT YOUR to adopt this Tripartite Standard, visit tafep.sg
Establish HarmonyWork-Lifecommunicateandpolicy
7
ToWORKPLACEfindoutmore and
(TSWorkStandardAdopt FWAsTake
Support employees' mental well-being, prevent potential work burnout, and improve productivity. Review the e ectiveness of programmeswork-life on a regular basis Conduct regular surveys or focus group discussions to gather feedback and areas for improvement.
Put in SchemesEmployeeplaceSupport(ESS) ESS may include Family Day, subsidised health screening and sta recreation areas. Adopt the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements (TS on FWAs) Take the first step to provide FWAs for employees. leaveEnhancepolicies Provide at least two leaveenhancedbenefits, childcareleave,compassionatee.g.extendedleave. productivity.prevent Appoint a member of senior management to champion Work-Life Harmony A member of senior management is appointed as Work-Life Champion to advocate adoption of work-life practices at workplace.the caregivingforsuitableDiscussarrangementsemployeeswithresponsibilities This could include the option to reduce work hours, other forms of FWAs, additional leave provisions, or flexible benefits for caregivers.
Read more as Tom Karemacher, Vice President, APAC, Procore Technologies, shares with Arina Sofiah how the space creates an environment suited for employees’ needs with the future of hybrid work and sustainability in mind.
Walk us through the thought process when conceptualising this office space – what sparked the decision, and what was your vision for this new space?
While the bustling office we were used to in the past has become a ghost of its former self, it does not mean the office is getting smaller. This is a misconception and many organisations prematurely downsized their offices without assessing their long-term requirements. While it is true that employees today can work productively and effectively without ever stepping foot into the office, many still yearn for a space where they can collaborate and brainstorm in-person, and build stronger connections with one another. The redesigning of offices needs to take into account the new demands and needs of the employee and customer. Organisations can look at reducing the number of fixed desks and seating, instead opting
With the understanding that most employees now prefer a hybrid working style, we made a conscious decision to allow one desk for every two employees, and ensuring all meeting and event spaces could provide a great experience both in-person and virtually. Our investment in a new larger space demonstrates Procore’s ongoing commitment to Sydney as its regional headquarters.
Located in the heart of Sydney’s central business district, Procore Technologies’ recently opened office space spans 15,000 sqft over two floors. In the move, the construction management software firm revitalised two adjacent historic Sydney buildings into a commercial and cultural space – complete with a life-cycle assessment study.
How involved were your employees in this process?
At Procore, we have a huge focus on sustainability – not just in the building process of ensuring the redevelopment project produces less carbon footprint, but also in ensuring that building operations are sustainable and energy-efficient in the long run. Across the entire 15,000 sqft, we have outfitted motion sensor lighting systems to ensure that no excess energy is wasted unnecessarily.
What advice would you give other companies that are planning on redesigning their office spaces to cater to the new way of work?
Procore’s investment in the region follows significant local demand, with business nearly doubling across Asia Pacific from 2020 to 2021. At the same time, we are rapidly expanding our local teams in response to sustained customer growth across the region. With the business and team rapidly expanding, we needed a flexible and collaborative new working environment that is built for true scale.
You have introduced new facilities in this workspace. How do you plan to sustain these facilities in the long run?
SpacialAwareness PROCORE TECHNOLOGIES BRINGS HISTORIC SYDNEY BUILDING TO LIFE
We pride ourselves as a people-first company, and the foundation of our guiding principles is to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone as we adopt a hybrid work model. We had feedback sessions from the employees, as well as consultations with our leadership team to ensure the best use of space that reflects our organisational culture - openness, inclusive, and collaborative.
WORK LIFE Places Human Resources Online July-September 202210
Places WORK LIFE July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 11 for a hot-desking model. The additional space that is freed up can be transformed into team-working spaces that encourage collaboration and inspire creativity. Technology also needs to be adopted to allow for seamless videoconferencing with remoteworking employees.
What stands out to him, he shares, is the longer he works in HR, the more he realises how vital a role the function plays in helping organisations meet their goals and be successful.
“When I learned all this in school, it felt very theoretical, and it was very hard to see, but the longer I’ve been doing this, the more evident it’s become, and it’s been super evident in Gojek because as a company, anything we do has either an indirect or a direct impact on our partners, customers, and employees.”
PROFILEHumanResources Online July-September 202212 STATSVITAL
Global Chief People Officer, Gojek
And all of that pays off when you not only see the positive impact you’ve made across many different cultures, but also being that voice of reason. “It has changed me as a person. It has made me listen a lot more, and made me much more dependent on observing behaviour – while I would usually tend to speak more in the past, I now tend to observe a lot more.”
Having worked in HR for nearly two decades – a career that has taken him across most countries in the Asia Pacific, and even the US, Sunil’s learnings and growth are aplenty.
Lesson No.1: You have to listen. “My preferred style of communication is to be direct, and it’s a two-way street – I also appreciate it when people are direct with me. However, that’s not going to work in all contexts everywhere. So you really have to listen and adopt active listening as a way of life, not as a coaching technique or as a meeting tactic.”
Sunil Setlur joined Gojek in 2019 and leads all aspects of HR management, supporting thousands of employees around Southeast Asia. A seasoned HR leader, Sunil has more than a decade of experience in the industry. Before joining Gojek, he led HR for Google’s Partnerships business in APAC, and has also been a Senior HR Business Partner with Amazon. He started his career at Accenture where he took on a number of leadership roles, including leading HR for Accenture’s Healthcare Management Operations group in the Philippines.
Essentially, a way of life he tries to imbibe every day.
“Fundamentally, the role of HR is to organise people around missions and goals, and to create systems of incentives and disincentives, as well as amplify culture,” he says.
By PRIYA SUNIL
Sunil Setlur
All this has translated into the two key lessons the journey has taught him.
“Curiosity is a superpower. Don’t crush the side of yourself that wants to explore and be curious and try different things – be it at work, a little bit outside of work, or totally outside of work.”This is something Priya Sunil learnt in a recent conversation with Sunil Setlur, Chief People Officer, Gojek – a trait the leader and his team are embodying in everything they do for their workforce of thousands.
Driving a culture
“Youeverywhere”.can’thave a one-size-fits-all approach. There’s this element of customisation and nuancing that you have to do that’s relevant to the region.”
curiosityencouragesthat
On a personal front, the journey has altered the way he sees and explores the world, and even processes information, which Sunil attributes to “the privilege of working among so many different cultures and learning that things are not the same
Importantly, working in the region – not as a stint, but living in it – has made the stakes of some of the things he has done “very real,” he points out. “If I make a mistake, I’m living with that mistake. I’m not making a mistake and going off to another country. But if I make a good decision, then I live with the consequences of that good decision.”
Lesson No.2: Understand that while people largely have similar things that make them tick, what’s important to each person is different. “I like comparing it to having a tailored
PROFILE July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 13
It has changed me as a person. It has made me listen a lot more, and made me much more dependent on observing behaviour – while I would usually tend to speak more in the past, I now tend to observe a lot more.
“We are a purpose-led organisation that cares a lot. You might have seen recently that we care so much that we want to include our driver partners in our success, by giving 600,000 eligible driver partners equity as part of our public listing, which is a first-of-its-kind programme in the region. We care a lot, but this did not happen automatically. It is the product of a culture that genuinely cares about the impact it is having,” he says.
“We do everything we can to connect people to the impact of their work. Especially when you’re working from home, everything can feel a little video game-y – you don’t know what’s happening, you are just interacting on the screen.”
“And it’s having an impact. I recently had an opportunity to visit Jakarta for the first time in two years. In Singapore, we currently only have the ‘ride’ version of the product. But
“It was fun, but there was also the science behind it,” he explains. For example – many employees had shared about their stresses as parents and caregivers. To help them cope, Sunil and his team created dedicated activity sessions for the employees’ children – on top of other online activities it had introduced for employees such as virtual workouts – so parents could enrol their children in a Zoom session and get an hour’s break for themselves. This, he affirms, is a huge testimony to how much the leadership team listens.
It all boils down to a culture that cares, we learn.
Among the many ways the company adapted, it was one of the first in Indonesia to go fully remote, and one of the first in Southeast Asia to give employees an allowance to work from home, Sunil notes.
Apart from that, he adds, Gojek was also among the first companies to progressively have Zoom-based ergonomics and movement intervention.
“That was a big part of our culture – we have a very strong bottom-up culture, and the pandemic allowed us to give our employees even more authorship and voice in how they craft their own experience at work.”
As part of this, the company ran (and still runs) monthly town halls inviting drivers and merchants to share about how Gojek has changed their lives, and how it has changed society or families. “When the pandemic hit, we made a whole bunch of choices that kept millions of people resilient throughout the pandemic. People were able to feed their families because they were a part of the Gojek family,” Sunil proudly shares.
PROFILEHumanResources
Online July-September 202214 suit. Everyone’s wearing a suit, but your suit is your suit. It only fits you,” he aptly describes. It all boils down to a culture that cares Taking all his life lessons with him, Sunil joined Gojek in 2019, where he has since been part of its large-scale transformation over the past three years into what he fondly calls a global technology company that was born in Indonesia. When asked about any specific initiative he felt passionate about, Sunil notes it wouldn’t be one, but rather a collection that has stood out. He elaborates: “One of the more memorable moments was when COVID-19 struck. During that time, instead of being in reaction mode, Gojek went a step further by analysing the opportunities that the pandemic created for selftransformation. We looked at it and asked: what inner ways of working needed to change in order to keep our culture alive or even amplify our culture? “And that has been the journey. We’ve set in place a lot of employee listening programmes – and they are truly listening programmes because employees have a voice in multiple channels and they get responded to very quickly. We’ve become a deeply product-focused company. We’ve brought in world-class talent. The pandemic and remote working have had a very democratising effect because everyone is operating with the same level of access to information and resources.
“Again, those decisions don’t happen automatically. They’re a product of a culture that cares. And it’s been a joy to put in place mechanisms, initiatives, rewards, and incentives that focus everyone on the impact they’re having. And that journey of becoming even more impact-led, and even more impact-driven, has been great!”
Keeping employee engagement and productivity at the forefront With employees at the heart of it all, the results have been positive for Gojek. Not only has the employee engagement score gone “northwards”, but the average tenure in the company has also improved with employees staying longer and remaining “highly energised” by their work.
“Your employees know more about the guts of your company and the opportunities in the market than anybody else – so how can you create the avenues to listen to those voices and get those inputs in a very serious way?” Sharing an example, Sunil talks about mental wellness and inclusivity at Gojek. In addition to virtual mental wellness talks, the company introduced an initiative called Yoda days –because Yoda is wise and likes to think, he says – where there are no large meetings on the first Friday of every month, and no meetings at all on the third Friday.
“First, we have strengthened our focus in learning. We are also working on a virtual reality intervention, where we will help employees experience what it’s like to be a driver for a day, through the eyes of a driver. We are recording that experience and hope to make it available to employees imminently,” he says. “Essentially, we are experimenting with a whole bunch of avenues that will generate product empathy – for instance if you know what a day in the life of a driver in Jakarta is like, what choices are you going to make that can make a difference?”
Gojek has also adopted two new values in addition to its existing 10. This reflects how the organisation has evolved and the impact it has made.
The company also has in place diversity-driven programmes, taking into consideration that employee resource groups (ERG) post-pandemic are very different from what they were“Sopre-pandemic.howdoyou enable a virtualised employee resource group, and how do you energise them? We’ve focused a lot on helping set those up. We’ve got great success and traction with the women’s ERG, and we have many more coming up.”
Keeping all of the above learnings in mind, we asked Sunil if there were three things HR leaders should take note of when building an engaging workplace culture, and what they were.
Words of wisdom Rounding up the conversation, we asked Sunil for the best piece of advice he has ever received, and what he would like to share with his own employees. His response is one we found ourselves bookmarking – and we’re confident you will too.
No.3: The current fad is to say all companies are tech companies, but there’s an old saying which is that all companies are employee-led. How can you be more employee-led versus leader-led?
“For employees or even for anyone else, I would say: curiosity is a superpower. Don’t crush the side of yourself that wants to explore and be curious and try different things – be it at work, a little bit outside of work, or totally outside of work. Curiosity is a superpower, so use it and let it lead you to wonderful things. You never know what amazing things you will end up doing, because you followed your curiosity. So that’s my one piece of advice to everyone.”
seriousinputsandtoavenuesyouelsethaninopportunitiescompanytheknowemployeesmoreaboutgutsofyourandthethemarketanybody–sohowcancreatethetolistenthosevoicesgetthoseinaveryway?
PROFILE
“It was hard to get the discipline in, but now we have the discipline and most Yoda days have no meetings.”
It is also about access to tools and productivity, where everyone in your company has access to all the right things, for example, the basics such as the right laptop or the right machine, all the way to having all the software licences you need to do your work, and understanding and respecting that everyone’s time is valuable, he adds.
“I’ve received a lot of advice that has been relevant at different points in my career, but one thing that’s held true always is: listen more, talk less, pay attention. That has never gone away as advice, and that’s the best piece of advice for me,” he says.
In driving this, the company is aiming to amplify its learning culture; create a culture that emphasises product empathy, where people feel connected to the company’s products, and “again reinforce the fact that our values have led us here and these values will lead us into the future”, ensuring decisions made, and the way employees work, are truly value-led.
He shares: No.1: One size does not fit all. You have to, as an HR person, be a good tailor and see what organisational processes make sense for your workforce in your company. No.2: As a huge fan of working in an agile way and being able to pivot very quickly, Sunil notes the way to do so is to listen to your employees to see what the impact of work is for them, and what transformative things you can do to make work easier for them. This is less about doing things a certain way, and more about helping people achieve the flow they need to achieve to give you the best outcome as an organisation. It includes being inclusive and adapting yourself to many different styles – a working parent, versus a fresh graduate, versus someone with maybe two to three decades of experience – they all have different drivers and different life stimuli, so you have to build an organisation that is able to bring all of those things together.
Your
Summing it all up, Sunil says: “First, personalisation and customisation are here to stay. Second, being able to experiment, be iterative, try things quickly, and move on to the next thing, is necessary because even if the pandemic is somewhat predictable now, there’s a lot more happening in the world that will change the way we work. And lastly, how leaders can tap on the collective wisdom of the people who work in your company to have true oversight of sentiment from the ground up.”
Those are the three big pillars that are differentiating elements, he adds, and each comprises a series of initiatives.
July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 15 in Jakarta, you get over 20 services on the Gojek app,” he says. “I looked at it and realised, this is more than two years’ worth of work because the last time I used this product was in 2019, and the next time I’m using it, it’s 2022. I was so proud of how amazing it was because this was something that happened while working from home and it’s a world-class experience born right here in the region. “It was a moment of pride, and realisation for me, personally, as a customer as well.” Looking ahead, the leader tells us, the journey is an iterative“Weone.dohave a longer horizon vision statement, which is that we want all our employees to feel inspired to do their best work with us every day. That’s our North Star – how you show up to work and how you feel like you can do your best work.”
FEATURE Employee Experience Human Resources Online July-September 202216
This special feature explores the question in two parts: first we take a look at how leaders at Publicis Groupe and AIA Singapore are driving employee engagement in a hybrid work setting; and next, we hear how a leader at Mastercard is carefully tackling the talent shortage. The biggest learning we walked away with from these interviews? That flexibility plays an even more important role in today’s workforce than it ever has before – and that cannot be stressed enough. Enjoy the read!
PLACING FLEXIBILITY AT THE HEART OF THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE
We now live in a (working) world driven largely by two things: the desire for a hybrid work environment; and, on a more sombre note, the shortage of talent supply. While the former calls for employers to explore a work arrangement that blends varied employee needs, the latter has shed light on a phenomenon we are all too familiar with – the Great Resignation. And through it all, leaders are faced with new opportunities and challenges to recreate, revamp, and re-engineer the employee experience for a new-age workforce. How exactly are these playing out?
Keeping employees engaged in a hybrid world
It’s official: we are in the new era of flexible and hybrid work, and there’s no going back. As such, how can employers and HR leaders keep a culture intact amid all the moving parts that impact employees – such as shifting wellbeing needs, increased avenues for collaboration and communication, and more? Let’s find out in this series of interviews.
However, the leader also recognises that with a hybrid work model comes the need to “work that much harder to preserve the tight-knit culture and identity, which has been painstakingly cultivated and nurtured over the years”.
Arina Sofiah speaks to Publicis Groupe’s Jolene Huang, and AIA Singapore’s Aileen Tan, to learn how they are keeping their organisation’s culture intact, and employees engaged, as workforce models continue to evolve.
As such, Huang and her team have invested in tools, programmes, and leadership coaching to enable not just team leaders, but also future leaders. Marcel, the group’s internal platform that connects staff to everyone across the company, enables its people to learn, keep updated with trends, or even just ask for help directly from a global network of leaders.
“We see this as a partnership that is based on trust, and we want our people to be able to manage and integrate their professional and personal priorities without compromise,” Huang explains.
Jolene Huang Chief Talent Officer – Singapore and Southeast Asia Publicis Groupe
The upside of this? Huang and her team feel encouraged to be more innovative, creative, and flexible in designing the employee experience, and have also started tailoring the employment packages to suit the different seasons in people’s lives. This not only helps to win and retain talent, but also helps to attract talent who do not have the capacity to work full-time, such as mothers, she shares.
Case study: Publicis Groupe
“So, being intentional in the opportunities we provide for creative and purposeful engagement and initiatives – both virtual and in-person – are not only key to maintaining that sense of belonging to the agency, but it also supports personal growth and mental wellness,” she affirms. Being targeted, but not overly ambitious Keeping the above in mind, Huang has adopted a “do less, but get more yield” approach to her people strategies. As she explains: “It’s not about quantity, but the quality of what we are putting into place.” In line with this, Publicis’ approach to talent development is to be targeted and get the most value out of the group’s investments. For instance, the most common complaint Huang and her team have received from employees is they have no time to learn new things because of their busy schedules. So instead of piling on heaps of programmes, the team dedicates an entire day per quarter to learning as an agency.
According to Jolene Huang, Chief Talent Officer – Singapore and Southeast Asia, Publicis Groupe, although Publicis has had to rethink many of its processes, policies, the way it communicates, and ways of working, there are some things it does not compromise on. For example, the team recognises the value of face-to-face interactions, and thus, tries to have new hires start their first day by being physically present in the office to meet the team. It also encourages more in-person collaborations, while still offering the choice to work flexibly.
Employee Experience FEATURE July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 17
Another big focus is Publicis’ investment in the mental wellbeing of its people. “We want to make learning fun – it’s not just about the functional or job-related skills, but also equipping our people with life and mental wellness skills that can help them cope and/or adapt better in challenging or stressfulClearly,situations.”Huangis playing her part in taking the organisation into the future by “taking an active interest in every single employee touch-point” – from being part of the team that contributes to designing the look and feel of the office, to creating dedicated talent mobility programmes and opportunities for employees. She adds: “In keeping with my ‘do less, but get more yield’ approach, I’m using and integrating a lot more digital technology to not just run the HR function, but also in my daily life!”
Moving forward, Huang believes the power of choice is very important to people regardless of their age, gender, or seniority level. And that power of choice – to decide where they work, what they do, and how fast they evolve and progress within the organisation – should be factored into all talent strategies.
“Which is why, at AIA Singapore, we provide trainings to help these employees adapt to the new working arrangement and ensure they are digitally savvy so that they can perform effectively.”
Aileen Tan Chief ResourcesHumanOfficer AIA Singapore
FEATURE Employee Experience Human Resources Online July-September 202218 Case study: AIA Singapore
“Instead, what’s important is giving employees a choice in where they could work, and by doing so, improve employee morale and productivity. We want our employees to want to come to the office, not because they ‘have to’.”
Tan continues: “On the other hand, organisations should keep in mind the hybrid working model may affect employees who lack sufficient digital skills and end up spending considerable time and energy manually compensating for their skill gaps –which impacts both productivity and level of job satisfaction.” This, she advises, can even affect their perceived value to the company and make them question their job prospects, as the pace of digital transformation continues to accelerate.
For instance, those who are parents prefer the flexibility in their schedules to take care of their children. Further, whether single or married, employees prefer having the flexibility to accommodate personal errands where needed (for example, taking care of their aged parents or picking the kids up from school) while working.
One advantage this approach has brought about is flexibility.
In the process of finding a suitable workplace model, the firm zoomed in on the “why” of its workplace value proposition, and the real purpose of calling employees back to the office. “This is because, with hybrid working, there is no one-size-fits-all solution – some employees may prefer working at home, and others in the office,” Tan says.
Taking a blended approach to engagement When hiring talent, it “may not necessarily be a bad thing” if they don’t have domain knowledge, we learn from Tan. The group takes pride in hiring employees with different backgrounds, and encourages them, each with their own distinctive edge and skill sets, to bring their perspectives to the table.
With employees having the opportunity to split their time between working in the office and working from home, they are able to get work done when and where they are most productive – and this, in turn, makes face-to-face meetings more efficient.
In the era of hybrid work, it is essential for organisations to rethink their deeply entrenched approaches and beliefs, and adapt to become more flexible, says Aileen Tan, Chief Human Resources Officer, AIA Singapore. It is with this mindset that Tan and her team have implemented a hybrid work model that prioritises employees’ wellbeing.
The HR team works closely with teams across various departments to implement a sharing culture where individuals with different skill sets come together to share their knowledge and expertise to inspire and encourage oneAdditionally,another. the evolving talent landscape has driven the demand for tech-savvy talent who can also adapt their skills to an ever-changing world. In that vein, one of Tan’s top priorities centres around responsive upskilling and reskilling of employees, catered to their specific needs to improve overall digital fluency and productivity in the Whileworkplace.continuing to evolve as a business, it is important to pause and reevaluate the strategies in place to support employees in their learning journey with the organisation, the CHRO affirms. thatalsoEmployeesfindhaving a flexible wellbeing.personalandcommunity,work,areasbetweensynergythat–lifebettercanarrangementworkleadtowork-integrationanapproachcreatesallacrossfamily,their
Employees also find that having a flexible work arrangement can lead to better work-life integration – an approach that creates synergy between all areas across work, family, community, and their personal wellbeing, Tan adds. This approach, she believes, moves away from hard boundaries and allows employees to shape their work and personal life to “have it all”.
“Human beings are, at the end of the day, social creatures and while they have a plethora of e-learning modules at hand, what we have found are two things – first, is that people learn best when they want to learn something.” To illustrate, a person may be more inclined to learn about behavioural interviewing skills when they are looking to hire someone. Timing and curation of the courses is critical as it caters specifically to an individual’s needs in that moment; and learning needs to be in the flow of work, she explains.
All in all, how do Tan and her team ensure they are on the right track in their talent strategy? For one, the team measures employee satisfaction through surveys and interactions, and based on these, is able to strategically implement feedback across the organisation.
Employees also have the opportunity to be mentored by the executive committee (including Wong Sze Keed, AIA’s Chief Executive Officer) through its EXCO Mentorship Programme, where they can get advice on everything from career guidance to personal growth.
In her experience, a lot has changed in the past three years. Tan says: “Amid the emotional strain and the physical exhaustion that has invaded the workplace as a result of the pandemic, we have introduced more employee-centric initiatives to build resilience within employees and prioritise their wellbeing above all. This includes introducing flexible working arrangements, enhanced telemedicine benefits, and programmes to keep employees motivated.”
Tan notes: “As a people-first organisation, we continue to revamp our work structures and re-evaluate our strategies to constantly improve employee engagement and prioritise employees’ wellbeing and growth.”
All this can only be made possible when line managers are wellequipped for cross-collaboration and communication, so as to retain the firm’s culture and continue to engage employees. In ensuring this, AIA has in place employee town halls, coffee sessions with the CEO, and a series of catch-up sessions with the firm’s 80 senior leaders. “Through these communication touch-points between the management, senior leadership, and employees, we are better able to understand and engage employees.”
She talks about the hurdles faced in the process: “At the start of the pandemic, and as we evolved to digital learning, one of the things that has been challenging was to pivot completely towards e-learning.
In her role as CHRO, Tan makes it a point to work with employees of all levels – through seeking feedback and speaking with the relevant team leads – to improve their employee experiences, and “create an even more collaborative and knowledge-sharing culture where employees feel safe and valued”.
• As part of its ‘Feel Well’ initiative, staff have the option of clocking off at 3pm every second Friday of the month to have me-time or family time to engage in wellbeing activities.
Co-creating the future of work
“HR professionals must continue to remain flexible in order to adapt to the fluidness of the industry and workplace, and build a successful organisation that incorporates diversity, equity, and inclusivity in its culture, Tan concludes.”
Employee Experience FEATURE July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 19
Second, Tan and her team also found that a blended approach “seems to work best” as employees are drawn in when there are social interactions in a group or within a classroom. Therefore, she points out, strategic workforce planning is crucial to ensure the organisation has sufficient access to the skills and knowledge to thrive.
At the start of the pandemic, AIA provided each staff member with S$1,000 as work-from-home support, and activated a “reset day” option each week for self-learning or wellness activities. Other initiatives included:
Looking ahead, she notes, the future of work, including pandemicdriven changes in work models, have presented many challenges and opportunities. Employees today are increasingly looking for jobs that offer them “intangibles” – a job that aligns with their values, and prioritises wellbeing and purpose.
“With proper planning, we can pinpoint talent needs or relevant skills that are necessary, and determine which reskilling and upskilling programmes are vital to build a resilient future-ready organisation.”
• The ‘Resilience Mindset’ training programme for all its employees, which takes a deep dive into workplace mental health issues and provides strategies to better manage stress.
Going, going, gone! How Mastercard is coping with Asia’s great talent shortage
The COVID-19 pandemic, as we know, has significantly shifted the way people live and work, with people rethinking and reshaping their priorities and career choices, and, as Gervay says, “triggering an upheaval in the workforce”. “A lot has been said about the ‘Great Resignation’ in the last couple of years,” she says. “But I think of it more as a ‘Great Re-evaluation’ – a moment in time where people are questioning just how they want to spend their working lives.”
In a highly competitive market such as Asia, what are the approaches adopted by HR leaders to tackle the outflow of talent and the fiercer-than-ever war on talent? Tracy Chan speaks to Amanda Gervay, Senior Vice President, People & Capability, Asia Pacific, Mastercard, to find out.
By self-care.ornewontimeuninterruptedcanemployeesfreemeeting-quarterlyflexend-of-weekprovidingtimeanddays,alsoenjoytofocuswork,learnskills,practise
According to a recent survey by Michael Page, nearly three-quarters (73%) of Singaporeans surveyed are looking for new career prospects this year. Rather than leaving the country, employees in the Lion City tend to resign to look for a work style that better aligns with what they value.
FEATURE Employee Experience Human Resources Online July-September 202220
As the name suggests, a great deal of talent, for various reasons, are resigning from their current positions or even relocating from where they live in search of something that matters to them, and employers who can provide that.
Call it the brain drain, a new wave of emigration, or simply the ‘Great Resignation’, but what’s clear is that talent is in short supply. In this exclusive, Tracy Chan talks to Mastercard’s Amanda Gervay to find out the challenges and best practices amid a global exodus of talent.
The situation has undoubtedly been further magnified by the global pandemic. Health concerns, social distancing, and a change of working styles arising from the public health crisis, all drove people to reflect and reshape their personal priorities, leading to the phenomenon called the Great Resignation.
From manufacturing to marketing, transport to trade, employers globally cannot find the people they need with the right blend of technical skills and human strengths. Talent shortage has been haunting employers, as the latest ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage survey shows three quarters (75%) of companies have reported talent shortages and difficulty hiring – a 16-year high.
In Gervay’s view, some of the trends and expectations that have surfaced over the past two years aren’t going to go away, such as the demand for flexibility and life-work balance. This is echoed by a recent Mercer report, and the aforementioned Michael Page survey, as both showed that people are willing to forgo pay increases or promotions for being able to work flexibly and have a better lifework“[Webalance.need to] continue to offer the flexibility and tools that allow our employees to balance their work and personal lives, and to do their best work,” she says. At Mastercard, under its ‘Flex Work’ programme, all employees are allowed to choose when to come into the office, and “work from elsewhere” for four weeks annually. By providing end-of-week flex time and quarterly meeting-free days, employees can also enjoy uninterrupted time to focus on work, learn new skills, or practise self-care.“[Byimplementing such measures,] we’ve sought to give our employees greater autonomy over their time,” Gervay says. She believes in supporting the right balance of being together, while empowering employees with flexibility in work locations and work options that are best suited to them. This, she is clear, will “contribute to fostering an environment of trust, job satisfaction, andAsretention”.hybridworking is here to stay, she encourages businesses to look at new work models as an opportunity for attracting and retaining talent, rather than as an inconvenience. “It might require more careful management of human resources, but it also promotes a more resilient, engaged workforce,” she affirms.
Embrace the change for flexibility and balance
To cultivate a culture of collaboration, Mastercard has put in place formal ways of evaluating and rewarding employees for demonstrating a “Decency Quotient”, a term coined by Mastercard chairman Ajay Banga to tell employees to treat their co-workers and community the way they would want to be treated.
“It has become critical for employers to invest in working environments conducive to wellbeing so that employees are not at risk of burnout, presenteeism, or low productivity,” sheTosays.ensure employees feel included and connected, Mastercard conducts regular climate checks to monitor its workplace culture and has launched a programme called ‘Thrive’ to provide mental health resources, including paidfor therapy sessions, for employees.
Meanwhile, today’s employees are also reflecting on the meaning of their work, and looking to contribute to society outside of a pure business context – be part of something bigger than themselves. To engage employees in that sense, companies have to find ways to give them a greater sense of purpose.
Gervay also points out that, among many factors that drive employees to quit, a not-so-uncommon driving factor is internal competition, which can breed unhealthy work“Aenvironments.desiretocompete is a natural human trait, but let’s not forget, so is co-operation,” she says. “Unfortunately, the nature of many workplaces is such that we focus too much on the former and not enough on the latter.”
Employee Experience FEATURE July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 21
Build a healthy and meaningful workplace
AmandaGervay Senior Vice President, People &AsiaCapability,Pacific Mastercard
Gervay believes this approach helps “discourage sharp elbows, and promotes the type of trust and teamwork that leads to innovation and impact on the business, our partners, customers, and, of course, one another”.
In the new normal, the lines between work and home are increasingly blurring and people are becoming more focused on wellbeing. The working environment and culture, therefore, have become critical factors that influence employees’ stay-or-go decisions.
To raise employees’ awareness of the internal development opportunities, Mastercard held its annual career month across Asia Pacific to discuss performance and internal mobility, and to help employees plan their next step in theClearly,company.upskilling is key to enabling talent retention and development. This not only helps employees to be better prepared for career progression, but also allows them to connect to the business future, which in turn, brings more sense of fulfilment at work. We also communities.broaderandoneandcanbackgroundsidentitieswithemployeesgroups’,resource‘businesshavewherecommonorconnectsupportanothertheir
FEATURE Employee Experience Human Resources Online July-September 202222
“There are two key parts to making internal mobility sustainable,” she explains. “Obviously, you need to give employees the ability to grow and progress internally, but you also need to give them a sense that these opportunities are within their reach.”
Provide a clear internal development path with proper upskilling Gervay indicates that companies which can connect their employees to their desired career paths within the organisation, and equip them with the skills they need to grow, are likely to see better retention rates and build a more sustainable talent pipeline.
“We provide opportunities for them to get involved in social justice issues and dedicated time off for volunteering work,” she shares. “We also have ‘business resource groups’, where employees with common identities or backgrounds can connect and support one another and their broader communities.”
“This new-found flexibility means we’re less constrained by geography in finding new talent,” she says. “So we can cast a wider net when we’re seeking to find the best employees for roles, while at the same time building more diverseApartteams.”fromsearching for talent beyond borders, companies can also tap into untapped or under-represented pools to fill up the gaps caused by the talent exodus, such as parents on a career break. Through a series of initiatives, such as ‘Relaunch Your Career’ and a collaboration with Mums@Work, a social enterprise working towards women’s career development in Singapore, Mastercard strives to bring these parents back into the workforce and empowers them in re-establishing their careers by providing them structured trainings.
“Upskilling helps individuals to tackle their work more effectively, and it gives them the ability to play a genuine role in helping to move a business forward.” Through its AI-powered digital opportunity marketplace called ‘Unlocked’, Mastercard’s employees can take control of their career planning and progression by exploring potential career paths, developing new skills, receiving mentorship, and gaining more exposure within the Alongorganisation.withother dedicated programmes such as ‘Women Who Lead’, ‘U Future Leaders’, and company-led training, Gervay says the company aims to support front line, mid-level, and senior leaders to develop skills and unlock their potential.
Employee Experience FEATURE July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 23
The pandemic has proven how technology can help break geographical constraints, allowing people to work anytime, anywhere, and everywhere. While it may not replace a face-to-face conversation, Gervay agrees that it does help companies to easily reach and recruit suitable candidates in other parts of the region or the world.
“We make sure everyone, from an intern to an executive, has the opportunity to be the best version of themselves by providing them with the resources they need to unlock a lifetime of learning and growth,” she affirms.
While governments and educational entities have a clear role to play in terms of providing skills, Gervay believes employers can get involved more actively. “Companies –where much of this change is being seen first-hand – really can help to lead the charge on upskilling.”
“We believe in providing everyone with fair and equal access to opportunities, regardless of where they are in their careers.” What we’ve learnt here is that being agile and adaptable is a winning recipe for addressing talent challenges. As most parts of the world arereopening, the war for talent will only exacerbate. Companies need to respond and act swiftly, or be at risk of losing their best talent in the intensifying competition. We growth.learninglifetimetotheythethembythemselvesversiontoopportunityhasexecutive,internfromsuremakeeveryone,antoanthebethebestofprovidingwithresourcesneedunlockaofand
“L&D needs to be considered a crucial element of talent retention because it impacts so many facets of the employee experience. L&D provides variety and mental stimulation, a greater sense of purpose, and bolsters an understanding that the business is investing in their workers – all of which contribute to employee satisfaction.” Expand the talent pool beyond boundaries
“I simply repurposed him. He was to walk the shop floor, meet the people and remind them – despite facing adverse conditions – to be thankful and count their blessings. To share a universal message regardless of one’s religious or spiritual background: ‘Be thankful you still have a job under these challenging circumstances whilst many of your friends have been laid off in 2015. The company is not in a healthy state yet, so stop demanding, stop whining, and start working’.”
Dato’ Khalis Rahim oversees human capital management for the Malaysia Airlines Group of companies. He has extensive exposure in human capital management, having served in several multinational companies over 20 years across different industries. He has been involved in various disciplines of the profession from organisational development and change management to performance management, industrial relations, HR re-engineering, as well as talent development.
Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Airlines’ proverbial flight has not been short of turbulence. So, when Dato’ Khalis Rahim, the airline’s current Chief Human Capital Officer, joined the team in 2018 having experienced work-life at Colgate-Palmolive and Telekom Malaysia, he witnessed a “very tired, fearful, and disillusioned workforce”.
The MH Song, as it is called, was launched on 5 September 2018 and spread like wildfire among the employees. “It rallied the employees to break the silos and work together towards a shared vision of success. Today, it has become our anthem and value call.”
But how would an Ustaz help turn the company around?
Dato’ Khalis Rahim
With that end-goal in mind, he set out to review the transformation road map that came with the Malaysia Airlines Recovery Plan. He immediately realised something was amiss.
Group Chief Human Capital Officer
It was around that time, Dato’ Khalis and his team embarked on a series of workshops based on neuro-linguistic programming, called ‘Winning with MH Passion’.
“This programme unleashed something that was already in every one of the employees. We started to see stories coming in, and people were volunteering to try different ways to resolve
“When it came to the people agenda,” he shares, “I discovered the plan was written by experts who had an abundance of theory and benchmarked practices, which are needed, but the plans overlooked the importance of empathy. They focused little on the soul of the organisation.”
“They had undergone five or six high-profile transformations with minimal success, and more failures as the organisation continued to make losses. There was a lot of blame game as to who was at fault,” Dato’ Khalis explains. “I knew I had one massive task, and that was to restore pride and purpose into the workforce. I decided that if I fixed this one massive task, the rest would be by-products that would fall into place.”
While some shrugged, and others were amused, they sang nonetheless (albeit some off key), and the impact was “amazing”, with some citing they had goosebumps. “I told them: ‘Now you know why you are here. You have a duty to the 33mn people of this nation. We are the national carrier, we represent them.’”
By LESTER TAN
Dato’ Khalis followed this up by requiring everyone to sing Malaysia’s national anthem at the town halls, as well as introducing the airline’s corporate song, the MH Song.
PROFILEHumanResources Online July-September 202224 STATSVITAL
This, he explains, was crucial because when transformation plans “do not fully achieve the desired outcome, it is easy for the people or the public to push the blame to the employees”. Adamant to do better, he decided to start with the unconventional. “The first person I hired into my human capital team was not an HR expert, but an Ustaz (religious teacher),” he shares. “My boss thought I was insane, but he allowed me to carry on with my plans.”
thepurposeprideRestoringandintoworkforce
PROFILE July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 25
The first person I hired into my human capital team was not an HR expert, but an Ustaz (religious teacher). My boss thought I was insane, but he allowed me to carry on with my plans.
Take us through the thought process on charting the upskilling and reskilling flight path for the workforce.
PROFILEHumanResources
The clarion call was ‘do more with less’, and ‘agility’ was the way to go. We started to challenge our existing processes.
To provide our employees with the experience of how digitisation or automation can elevate the efficiency and quality of our deliverables, I organised the first ever in-house digital conference. We invited some of our renowned industry partners, namely Microsoft, IBM, PwC, Facebook, and Google, to be part of this conference. Through a week-long series of workshops, exhibition booths showcasing the power of automation, design thinking work groups, forums, dialogues, and such, our people began to immerse themselves in the digital experience.
To reinforce the right renewed behaviours, a quarterly WoW (Way of Working) awards programme was introduced to recognise employees who demonstrate the company’s values in the course of their duties. “We began to see the impact of the initiatives. Our employee engagement scores shot up from a low 51% in 2018 to a high of 77% in 2021 with a participation rate of 93%! Our other qualitative corporate scores correspondingly shot up in 2021. For instance, the customer satisfaction index was at 84% (from 74% in 2018), the net promoter score was at +54 (from +3 in 2018), on-time performance at 89.4% (from 74.9% in 2018), and mishandled baggage at 3.42 /1000 pax (from 7.32/1000 pax in 2018),” he reveals. Under his people stewardship, Malaysia Airlines has steadied itself and never looked back since. Let’s find out more about this journey. Despite all the ups and down, the airline managed to get through – hitting financial targets for 2019, breaking even for 2020, and even avoiding retrenchments. How did Malaysia Airlines manage it? We have had a rather chequered history. Our people are quite used to the pain, hardship, trials, and tribulations. Even prior to the global pandemic, we had already embarked on workforce optimisation – and this has been a continuous journey. We shed almost 2,400 employees through natural attrition. Replacements were hired with extreme prudence.
In 2019, the organisation started to pivot towards building a digital workforce. A five-year ‘Digital Workforce Roadmap’ was designed to complement the business plans. The roadmap aimed to upskill and reskill the workforce. At that time, awareness of digitisation and digitalisation among the people was minimal, save for the small digital and IT team which was instrumental in building and developing platforms, systems, apps, and such, for the business. We knew our task of upskilling and reskilling the 11,000 workforce was insurmountable.
In 2021, we organised our maiden in-house learning and development conference, aimed to provide more opportunities for people to work alongside industry practitioners to improve their skills. We also started to seed the need to drive innovation by creating a safe space for them to fail fast and learn fast.
While many talked about people being their best assets, champions, stars, and what have you, more often than not, they had no choice, but to reduce their workforce when faced with extreme adverse business conditions. We were not spared from that pressure. Call it counter-intuitive, but we felt that our people helped bring us back on track; they have given us toil, blood, sweat, and tears to lift us up from the depths of the doldrums to the cusp of success. Ain’t no way were we going to leave anyone behind.
Online July-September 202226 issues. There were tangible discretionary efforts. Suddenly, people were proud of the country, and of the airline,” he says.
To sustain the workforce, we instituted differentiated pay cuts ranging from 10% to 40% depending on the salary bracket. Lower income employees, who formed the bulk of the workforce, were untouched. The salary cuts were done with the consent of the affected employees. They knew this was a necessary pain to ensure their lower-income colleagues were able to keep their jobs. Even the board members participated in this exercise by taking a hefty cut. The employees were appreciative. We were barely flying during the pandemic, and hence, there were no related variable pay nor allowances to be earned by operations staff, which typically formed a significant part of their take home pay.
Cost containment and productivity were always top of mind. We even started to experiment with flexible work arrangements (FWAs) and work hours for the non-operations workforce. It was imperative for us to remain nimble and agile, and make digital our enabler. Our initiatives, philosophically and operationally, somewhat postured us to embrace a VUCA world. Then, of course, COVID-19 reared its ugly head in late 2019. Call it conditioning or memory muscle if you will, but we just kicked into action.
As the saying goes, ‘Never waste a crisis’. We used this opportunity to reset our rewards structure to make it more sustainable, reflective of market, and driven by productivity. This included resetting the salary policy and productivity allowances for pilots, introducing the productivity efficiency incentive to replace overtime in engineering and maintenance, and offering a 10% quarterly variable component of the base salary for selected support staff.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, we had started to gain momentum in our digital efforts. Our industry partners continued to be very supportive, and provided virtual training for our people. Our businesses started to take charge of automating and digitising their respective processes and workflows. We saw many employees drive the digital agenda for their respective businesses. It was exhilarating to say the least, where at least 300 processes were digitalised across the Group. Not wanting the momentum to halt, we organised our second digital conference.
Hence, the birth of the ‘IDEABOX’ project at the start of 2022, which focuses on encouraging people to contribute their innovative ideas to improve our products, services, processes, and even culture. Another key initiative was the setting up of the School of Digital Business by our very own Malaysia Airlines Our people are quite used to the journey.aandoptimisationonembarkedweglobalEvenandhardship,pain,trials,tribulations.priortothepandemic,hadalreadyworkforce–thishasbeencontinuous
The management made a conscious decision to bring everyone over the line. We also knew that skill sets such as digital, IT, eCommerce, and digital marketing will be critically needed when the borders open up eventually. It was pertinent to avoid being dragged into a talent war which would distract us from achieving our ‘Long-Term Business Plan 2.0’. We will not lay off anyone in active employment.
In short, there must be a compelling reason. You can have all the world-class processes and practices in place, but remember, it’s the people that will make or break them.
As with any new initiatives that disrupt the norm, there will be teething problems. We just have to be open to feedback and to continuously improve. People need to know why we are doing it, and that it’s a part of a bigger strategic direction. In our case, FWAs are a part of our culture change process towards becoming an agile organisation that focuses on productivity.
The future is ever-changing. An HR leader needs to be able to adapt and do so very fast. Driven by the right values and purpose, the HR leader needs to be able to build a compelling case, then challenge and disrupt the norm without appearing as a threat to the people within the organisation.
July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 27 Academy. The baton of building a future-proof digital workforce has now been passed on to the Academy, which has the right resources to curate a sustainable curriculum for the workforce. The multiplier effect of this journey has gradually built a digital way of working and mindset across the organisation. Today, papers and forms are frowned upon naturally. Everything we do, or work on, is in the cloud, properly secured. To sum up, the key success factors to ensure learning sticks is to provide learners the opportunities to put to use what they have been taught, and a safe space to fail fast and learn fast. Most importantly, ride on the momentum of achievements. Celebrate successes, big and small. Here we are today: life is (somewhat) back to normal, business as usual. Workloads are bound to increase. What is the team actively doing to help manage the work-life conundrum? We introduced FWAs even before the outbreak of the pandemic. Using HR analytics, we found that a number of our employees spent non-productive time commuting to-andfrom work due to the heavy traffic and the distance to the workplace, leaving them very little time for themselves and their family. Some had to resort to applying for time-off to attend to personal matters, which, in actual fact, may only take less than an hour to settle.
As for the future of the office space, I believe it will continue to evolve. To what? I wouldn’t know exactly. There will be new ideas or concepts. Most importantly, we must know what we want and why we want it. We need to have a problem statement to resolve it. Out of FOMO (fear of missing out), many HR practitioners today would recommend ‘best practices’ to the business without really establishing that compelling need.
To effectively disrupt, HR leaders will need to be able to manage ambiguity, connect the dots, fly below the radar, and do what they need to do, stealthily. Humility is key.
Today, everyone is
First, engage the people. Get their feedback on how you can improve the workplace, and at the same time, achieve superior business results. In our case, we started this initiative in responding to our people’s feedback about the travelling distance and massive traffic jams they had to endure daily which impacted their work-life balance. We also engaged the business units to see what we could do without impacting operations.
integrate.willandascompromisedrightswellbeingemployees’toWeonlineormessagingeitherconnected,viaemail,apps,someotherplatforms.justneedensurethatandarenotwork-lifesocial-lifeinevitably
Today, I don’t have a physical office, and neither do my fellow CXOs. We all do hot-desking, including our GCEO. We found that our productivity levels shot up. Issues were resolved at a much faster pace. Our online town halls had better reach. Trainings were done online. We even ran a few large events such as conferences and seminars virtually. Work-life and social-life will integrate. There is no stopping it. It is just a matter of how far that integration goes. Today, everyone is connected, either via email, messaging apps, or some other online platforms. We just need to ensure that employees’ wellbeing and rights are not compromised as work-life and social-life will inevitably integrate. Malaysia Airlines has proven that the idea of FWAs is not difficult to implement, even in such a bustling industry. How do you see it evolving from here?
So, we decided to give our employees the flexibility of working remotely. We started with baby steps so as not to shock the system. We initiated work-from-home on Fridays. At first, there was pushback from some of the bosses, but we persevered. We were fortunate that our GCEO was fully supportive of this. Then, when COVID-19 hit our shores, we started to work in the office on a rotational team basis and this quickly evolved into a full-blown work-fromhome arrangement. We practically closed down our HQ and created hot-desking spaces, should anyone really need to physically come to work.
PROFILE
Second, always ensure you make decisions based on data. In our case, we relied on quantitative and qualitative data. We had numerous touch-points to collect data before we formulated our models. We then stress-tested those models before recommending for implementation. Third, and I cannot over-emphasise this, is the importance of having feedback channels or constant engagement with the people and the business units to tweak the model if there are requirements to do so. Be open to improve continuously. With regard to issues like engagement and proximity bias, my opinion is that it is not a process or systems issue. It is a leadership issue, or lack of it, to be precise. It is incumbent upon the leaders to know their people and spend time with them either by walking the shopfloor physically or virtually. Hence, in our case, we measure and rate leaders not only by just their operational KPIs, but also by how they manage their people.
As we conclude the interview, what are some key skills you believe HR or people leaders will need to possess in order to be relevant for the future? Buffing up one’s profile on social media is certainly not one of them. I am not sure about other locations, but here in Malaysia, there are too many of these kinds of self-proclaimed HR professionals nowadays, who are unfortunately, more form over Whilstsubstance.social media is important in this day and age to quickly share and obtain information, it is a doubleedged sword. One can, and quickly, be misinformed and disinformation can be disseminated easily. It can also create a generation of narcissistic HR practitioners (it may already have). Unfortunately, narcissism and empathy don’t rhyme.
Ultimately, the management and HR team live by one core message – One MatchMove – that permeates across its
So when the pandemic hit, Poon and the team agreed to look beyond business continuity planning – and into ways to improve the employee and job candidate experience. For instance, to increase collaboration and innovation while employees worked from home, the company introduced biweekly learning sessions, built up the learning library, adopted a new HRMS, and enhanced digital tools, in addition to new virtual team activities such as its very own ‘Virtual Amazing Race’, ‘MatchMove Got Talent’, tech hackathons, and more.
In fact, MatchMove is also working with agencies such as the Singapore FinTech Association, Institute for Human Resource Professionals, and Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore to groom and grow Singapore’s local talent pool.
MatchMove also re-looked at its talent strategies to align with the new way of work and expectations. “We understood that our employees faced COVID-19 and work-from-home challenges, so we placed high importance on empathy and extending our support to them. We increased their insurance coverage and provided extra allowances,” Poon shares.
“Having a diversified team has helped the group grow the business through local expertise and language, and made it more inclusive and respectful of cultural differences.”
MatchMove team
Case study: Matching and moving talent into the right roles with the right support MatchMove’s Chief of People, Nicole Poon, believes in consistently improving collaboration and employee engagement, especially in a virtual-driven environment.
What also helped the employer branding was MatchMove’s promise to “cultivate an innovative and knowledge-sharing environment”, driven by biweekly learning sessions that activated cross-departmental learning opportunities.
“By doing so, our employees are more aware of the functions of various departments, but more importantly, we want to build up understanding, empathy, and collaborative spirit across teams and departments,” Poon elaborates.
At fintech company MatchMove, hybrid working was in place long before COVID-19 hit to cater to varied workforce needs impacted by traffic, time differences, and more, across all its offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. In addition, flexi hours allowed employees to attend to home matters when needed, says Nicole Poon, Chief of People, MatchMove. As such, videoconferencing was frequently used to conduct meetings, interviews, and employee activities.
Navigating into the future According to Poon, “the pandemic has taught us different lessons, but what stands out the most is the need to be agile, timely, and flexible in our arrangements”. “As we grow and expand to different geographies, talent acquisition becomes even more crucial. While our headquarters will remain in Singapore, we are looking to expand our product offerings and offices in multiple geographies globally,” she adds.
Nicole Poon, For some organisations, being progressive means a deeper focus on employees’ wellbeing, for others it is a greater emphasis on career development. We find out exactly what it means to three Singapore employers, in interviews led by Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP).
EMBRACING PROGRESSIVE TALENT DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES
All these interventions bode well for MatchMove, allowing its diversified teams to “go global and act local”, Poon says.
This was good impetus for MatchMove to review its talent acquisition strategies to ensure it could attract the top talent for its business expansion needs, while standing up to other industry players. The newly launched HRMS came in handy, enabling Poon and team to study the data and analyse gaps to help with better and timely recruitment strategies.
OPINION Upwardly Mobile Human Resources Online July-September 202228
Next up was employee retention, for which its ‘Marvels Appreciation Programme’ recognises employees with a choice of a gift that is commensurate with their tenure, starting from one-and-a-half years. Further, growth opportunities are provided for both horizontal (multi-skills) and vertical growth.
A virtual amazing race, capability transfer programmes, and even complimentary attraction tours: MatchMove, Rohde & Schwarz, and Merlin Entertainments share how they are committed to developing engaged and well-performing workforces.hiring,recruitment, and selection strategies. “If a talent has the skills and is the right fit for the company, we want them to work with us.” Lessons learnt in the process As with every journey, MatchMove’s was not short of its own challenges – and during the pandemic, talent attraction was one of them. With high demand for tech and digitally savvy talent all around the region, the talent war was well and truly underway.
“Recent survey results on our learning sessions also showed that about 94% of staff have acquired new knowledge, and more than 87% found these sessions useful.”
Merlin Entertainments
“The fact that there were few German speakers in Singapore also made certain business aspects – bridging cultural gaps, earning trust, interpreting documents, and fostering good collaboration within the organisation – a challenge,” says Zhang Zhixiang, Director of Human Resources, Rohde & Schwarz Asia.
Zhang
1. Employer branding: Current employees are encouraged, and even provided with platforms, to share their experience working with the attraction to help create a stronger employer branding.
2. Candidate experience: The organisation adopted a mobile-friendly recruitment platform to simplify the job application process, from four steps to one. Candidates are also invited on complimentary attraction tours to get a firsthand experience of their potential workplace and colleagues.
Rohde & Schwarz Technology solutions provider Rohde & Schwarz set up its first R&D lab in Singapore in 2008, with an aim to strengthen its R&D capabilities and develop new cutting-edge technologies and solutions for its customers. At that point, the organisation was admittedly facing a challenge in attracting talent with the right knowledge, skills, and mindsets suitable for R&D.
Recognising the need to address these gaps in existing and future talents, the group developed and implemented the following programmes: 1. A capability transfer programme: 28 engineers from the Singapore office were sent to Germany for training, which would last anywhere from three months to two years, from 2008 to 2015. There was also a global attachment programme in Singapore from 2016 to 2019, where R&D engineers from the head office were sent to the Singapore office to co-ordinate internal development efforts.
3. Career development: The group looks to develop its staff at Madame Tussauds through cross-functional training and job posting opportunities. It encourages knowledge transfer and talent retention by developing team members’ skill sets in other functions, and empowering line department leaders to train or nominate employees to be developed into trainers. Apart from that, Madame Tussauds also hires six to eight interns in hospitality yearly through its partnership with various institutes of technical education.
Upwardly Mobile OPINION July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 29 MatchMove, Rohde & Schwarz, and Merlin Entertainments are part of the Human Capital Partnership (HCP) Programme. The HCP Programme is a tripartite initiative that brings together a community of exemplary employers in Singapore who have progressive employment practices in their organisations and are committed to developing their human capital. Visit tafep.sg to find out more about the HCP Programme. Incorporating this multi-fold growth, MatchMove is ensuring the human capital challenges of growing into a multinational company globally are identified and addressed. Thus, the employees in Singapore can look forward to gaining more exposure to the new growth initiatives in existing and new markets as the organisation expands overseas.
3. Other student engagement programmes: Rohde & Schwarz offers other scholarship opportunities in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich, and through the Singapore-Industry Scholarship to groom future engineering talents. The organisation worked with the Institute of Technical Education for student industrial exchange programmes in Singapore and Germany, as well as organised an annual engineering competition involving global student teams, where the winning team from Singapore would get a free trip to Munich to compete with teams there. These efforts became the strong foundation on which Rohde & Schwarz tackled the 'Great Resignation'. Capability transfer programmes were restarted with international travel resuming, albeit on a smaller scale. The team also worked closely with various local tertiary institutions on integrated work or dual study programmes in addition to scholarships –some of these to be more clearly announced in the near term. It is hoped such efforts will help Rohde & Schwarz remain competitive in the new playing field for talent, Zhang affirms.
Today, these efforts have paid off for the team. With the new strategy in place, Madame Tussauds has seen 13% of its current headcount return to work for the business after having left for six months or less. At the same time, more than 60% of its interns moved into permanent part-time positions, with about 8.3% of the attraction’s current headcount comprising former interns.
“The pandemic has not only accelerated digital adoption, but also brought a shift in traditional job descriptions and work profiles to modern-age roles, with a need to adapt to the new norm. It would be important to identify this shift and modify the hiring strategy accordingly that aligns with the company’s growth plans,” she concludes.
Insights: What it takes to attract the right talent With capability transfer programmes and complimentary attraction tours, two organisations share how they are keeping the best talent in their pipeline. Despite both organisations being in two vastly different fields, let’s hear how the teams at Rohde & Schwarz and Merlin Entertainments are buckling down on talent acquisition.
2. ‘Poly Goes UAS’ programme: This initiative aims to build practice-oriented engineering talent for Rohde & Schwarz operations in Singapore. It provides eligible diploma holders a bond-free scholarship to obtain a degree at the University of Applied Sciences (UAS) in Germany, relevant work experience through apprenticeships, and a job in Singapore. To date, the organisation has groomed five scholars who have started work, and has six more in the pipeline.
MerlinRohdeHumanDirectorZhixiang,ofResources,&SchwarzAsiaYasminTaylor-Tuma,HRManager–Singapore,Entertainments
The team at Merlin Entertainments found itself in a similar situation. Merlin Entertainments’ Madame Tussauds first opened its doors in Singapore in 2014. As part of a global leader in location-based family entertainment, the group had established its presence in more than 25 locations. As such, talent acquisition was not a challenge given the “steady and high number of job applications to fill its roles”, says Yasmin Taylor-Tuma, HR Manager – Singapore, Merlin Entertainments. However, in 2017, the organisation saw an increase in employee turnover – a result of slow career development, particularly in operational functions; as well as a decline in job applications because of increasing competition in the tourism industry as more attractions popped up. Faced with this, the leadership team knew it was time to review the company’s talent acquisition strategy – not just to continue attracting talent, but to also remain competitive amid a tight labour market. It focused on three areas:
The second day saw the attendees get up close and personal through personalised roundtable discussions across six different topics ranging from the workforce’s mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, to managing its segmented needs. Here are some key highlights from the conversations.
The framework, she noted, covers five Cs (compliance, competitiveness, cost containment, consistency, and consolidation) across four pillars of work (engagement, rewards, infrastructure, and jobs).
Human Resources Online kick-started August 2022 with the Total Rewards Asia Summit 2022, Singapore, held at the Shangri-La Hotel on 2-3 August. The summit, or TRAS as we like to call it, hosted more than 200 HR professionals across two days of conferencing, networking, and roundtables.
The first day saw HR leaders from The Coca-Cola Company, Greenpac, TechnipFMC, Singapore Pools, and many more, take the stage for keynote sessions and panel discussions to highlight the latest trends in the rewards space.
Think far Presenters such as James O’Reilly, Head of Sales, Unit4 Prosoft; Patrick Tcheng, Director of Total Rewards, South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, L’Oréal, and Michele Loh, Global Compensation Director, TechnipFMC all affirmed the need to have conversations around benchmark salaries and transparently letting employees know where they stand; removing performance ratings, but not performance conversations; considering pay transparency more seriously, and giving a budget to people/line managers so they have the autonomy to differentiate rewards among their talent. Those are the more “personalised” elements of C&B.
One stagethebundles”,point”C&Bwhichgratification,practiseprofessionalssuggestedpanellistHRdelayedistooffer“attherightand“inbasedonemployee’slifeorfunction.
Four things we learnt at the Total Rewards Asia Summit 2022, Singapore
In a panel discussion led by Steve Lim, Head of Group Human Resources, Greenpac, panellists – Laura Ann Yeo, Head of Sales & Marketing, AIA Singapore; Derick Khoo, Director of Human Resources, Asia Area, AstraZeneca, and Aaron Lim, Group Director of Human Resources, Park Hotel Group – urged HR professionals to be aware of rewards execution. One panellist suggested HR professionals practise delayed gratification, which is to offer C&B “at the right point” and “in bundles”, based on the employee’s life stage or function. This is so employees are more aware of what the organisation has, so that they have what they need when they needAnotherit. panellist reminded employers to treat talent through the “five love languages”, that is, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, words of affirmation, and physical contact. This is important as it creates a level of personalisation and intimacy with the needs of employees – understanding what they genuinely value in terms of BeyondC&B.that, the discussants concurred there is a need for “social contracts” to be established, a work discipline to not schedule a meeting during lunch hour, for instance, or sending an email after working hours, to be considered and abided by at the workplace.
Innovativeness, in the form of employee participation and contribution, she believes, plays a vital role in the battle for talent retention, especially in today’s era driven by fears of the the Great Resignation.
Be innovative Ng Zhao Yang, Local Principal, Employment Practice Group, during the summit’s opening keynote session, said it was time for HR professionals to do away with traditional compensation and benefits (C&B) frameworks, and think beyond fixed compensation, bonuses, and sales commissions. Ng sees a gaining popularity in rewards such as stock option plans, phantom shares, and cryptocurrencies, but also in “tokens” which employees can “earn by the side”, and redeem benefits they desire from the organisation’s own marketplace.Puttinghis advice to good use was Cris Ponce, Total Rewards Director – Bottling Investments Group, The Coca-Cola Company. She shared how the beverage bottling company involved all employees to develop a C&B framework called the Special Measures Framework, which has proven to be relevant in today’s economic situation, and competitive in today’s inflated market.
Time the rewards That said, having a full suite of rewards should not be the end-all solution.
EVENT Total Rewards Asia Summit Human Resources Online July-September 202230Go beyond fixed compensation, bonuses, and sales commissions, and think about stock option plans, phantom shares, cryptocurrencies, and tokens. Event report by Lester Tan.
Total Rewards Asia Summit EVENT July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 31
Platinum sponsor • AIA Gold sponsors • Intellect • Naluri • Unit4 Prosoft Silver sponsors • LifeWorks • Virgin Pulse Exhibitors • Afeli • Giftano • GrabForBusiness • HSBC • Prudential Assurance Company Singapore
For example, linking existing – and future – C&B frameworks to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals around good health and wellbeing, gender equality, as well as responsible consumption and production. This way, it will “reduce inequality, and spur economic growth”. Be inclusive As the summit drew to a close, the presenters and panellists expanded that C&B should not be limited to monetary terms. Suppose we look at the workforce’s state of mental health, more can be done to “establish a strong employee wellness system”, especially with more workplaces featuring a multigenerational workforce with different needs and support required. In his session, Theodoric Chew, Co-Founder and CEO, Intellect, explained how mental health is “not black and white, not yes and no”, but “usually a spectrum, circumstantial.” As such, it is important HR professionals and business leaders learn to openly address mental wellbeing at work, authentically, and empathetically. Only through such an approach will it be possible to create “a supportive, inclusive workplace with clear leadership opportunities for growth and good communication channels that can contribute to good mental health in employees”.
Alvin Fu, Chief Corporate Solutions Officer, AIA Singapore, in his presentation, called upon HR professionals to add more “purposeful” elements to their rewards offering.
Be that as it may, Dr Tiffanie Ong, Chief Product Officer, Naluri, warned employers not to neglect their own mental health in the process – because “each one of us cannot pour from an empty cup”. Human Resources Online would like to thank all speakers, panellists, moderators, and roundtable hosts for their immense time and mind space invested into leading the industry conversations. We would also like to thank all sponsors and partners for putting their innovative might behind this event and supporting HRO all the way.
3. Share about your organisation’s inclusive workplace culture Check if the candidate requires any workplace adjustments. Not all persons with mental health conditions need accommodations to do the job. If workplace adjustments (e.g., flexible working hours, employee assistance programmes, and wellness ambassadors) are available, interviewers could state them. This helps to communicate the organisation’s commitment to hiring persons with mental health conditions (and any other disabilities), and encourages candidates to share if they need any accommodations. If in doubt, let the candidate know that you need to check on their request for workplace adjustments, and this can be discussed further at a later stage. If their request cannot be met, help the candidate to understand the organisation’s considerations (e.g., the adjustment will incur excessive costs or will fundamentally change the nature or operation of the business, etc.), and explore other options with them.
New role: Chief People Officer, DDB Asia d DDB Asia has appointed Peter Lewis as its new Chief People Officer. A talent management expert renowned for his empathy, intelligence, and sensibility, Lewis brings more than 25 years of experience working both client and agency-side, including over 10 years at the Financial Times. He also spent a combined 14 years at DDB in London and Singapore, managing teams across multiple offices.
Who: SivanandRajalakshmi
Interviewers must know how to navigate the conversation appropriately to avoid being discriminatory or disrespectful.
This article was developed by Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) in partnership with the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). For more resources on how to conduct interviews in a non-discriminatory and respectful manner, visit tafep.sg.
New role: Head of Talent Acquisition, Compass India Development Centre d The newly appointed industry veterans at Compass India Development Centre (IDC) are Rajalakshmi Sivanand (above, left), and Manik Banga (above, right) They will head Compass IDC’s people strategy, including talent acquisition, engagement, and ensuring organisational development.
Tracking HR’s industry moves
1. Thank the job candidate for their openness Due to the stigma associated with it, it takes a lot of courage and trust to talk about one’s mental health condition. How interviewers respond is critical and can represent an organisation’s attitude towards hiring persons with mental health conditions. Avoid over-reacting, making insensitive comments or posing questions such as: “You don’t look like you have (mental health condition)”, “How did you get (mental health condition)?”, etc. Assure the candidates that the interview would focus on drawing out their abilities to do the job.
Who: Peter Lewis
The IDCs comprise a team of over 200 engineers across India with intent to further ramp up their hiring.
Their remit includes the three Compass IDCs located in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Gurugram, which represent the only three overseas development centres of Urban Compass Inc, a US-headquartered technology platform.
In general, employers should exercise care and diligence in collecting sensitive and/or personal information. Organisations should not ask job applicants to declare personal information such as their mental health condition unless there is a job-related requirement. If you require information that may be viewed as discriminatory, state your reasons clearly why you are collecting the information.
2. Be upfront about the job expectations It is important not to disregard a candidate’s application based on their disclosure. Make your expectations clear, allow the candidate to share how they would perform the tasks required for the position they applied for, and listen attentively for evidence of their abilities. To assess their abilities objectively, frame questions directly related to the selection criteria that is applied consistently to all candidates using techniques such as competency-based questions. Avoid making assumptions about their abilities due to their condition.
INTERVIEWERS’ GUIDE: WHAT TO DO IF A JOB CANDIDATE DISCLOSES A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION
Who: Manik Banga
New role: Head of People & Culture, Compass India CentreDevelopment
Human Resources Online July-September 202232
Based in Singapore, Lewis will lead talent development, collaboration, training, and agency culture, including the region’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy in his new role. He will also support DDB Asia’s office leaders to develop talent and build thriving, diverse teams that epitomise the network’s core values – the Four Freedoms, and the Unexpected Works promise.
When a job candidate discloses a mental health condition at the interview stage, it is important that interviewers know how to navigate the conversation appropriately, to avoid being discriminatory or disrespectful. Here are three simple steps that interviewers can take to demonstrate respect and sensitivity when communicating with such candidates.
Lewis will work closely with Roisin Rooney, DDB’s Global Chief People Officer, and DDB Asia’s CEO David Tang, to “support the group’s teams to build a highperformance and high-happiness culture in every agency”.
Employees based out of this office have been actively encouraged to take time outside of work to pursue non work-related hobbies and interests, as the company aims to help them lead more meaningful and well-rounded lives.
In this interview, Priya Sunil speaks to Susan Tang, HR Director for APAC, Meltwater, to go back to how it all began – what gave her and her team the idea to introduce this concept, how it’s being driven, as well as plans to roll out the initiative in Meltwater’s other markets.
Meltwater believes in providing an inclusive, equitable, and meaningful environment for our team.
Employees in the APAC HQ are actively encouraged to pursue meaningful opportunities outside of work. Tell us about this. What has the employee response been like?
“Employees today are not just seeking a good environment, but also want to feel a sense of purpose at the workplace,”
One of our top considerations in implementing this was to make sure that productivity didn’t get impacted. To that end, we encourage our managers and functional heads to stay connected with what employees in their team are pursuing outside of work, and factor that into their planning. Beyond this, our flexible working schedule also allows employees to manage their time better and make space for our team to pursue their passions.
What has the employee response been like? Organic participation is always heartfelt, better, and more meaningful. A recent employee survey we conducted across APAC saw us score 75% on employee engagement, 83% on enablement, 80% on social connection, 80% on work-life blend, and 82% on opportunity and inclusion – all of which are higher than the industry standard.
Unconventional wisdom OPINION July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 33
Susan Tang, HR Director for APAC, Meltwater says.
It’s not every day you see employers encouraging their employees to pursue further interests outside of work, but at online media monitoring company Meltwater’s Singapore office (also known as the APAC headquarters), you’ll see just that.
Employees today are not just seeking a good environment, but also want to feel a sense of purpose at the workplace. This is what drove us to encourage teams to explore projects outside of work that spark joy and inspiration for them. Our employees are now actively pursuing their passions in philanthropy, community services, fitness, music, and arts. We believe these enriching experiences not only improve the overall employee wellbeing and performance of our team, but also help them gain a unique perspective on situations at work.
In conjunction with volunteer leave, we have also launched a ‘Work with Balance’ programme in APAC which enables our people to follow a hybrid work model to get the best of both worlds, and gives different groups (such as parents, caregivers, disability groups, people who need medical care, etc) more flexibility. Continue the conversation here as Tang advises employers to consider such initiatives, shares her own pursuit of a work-life blend, and more.
How does this initiative convey what Meltwater stands for as an employer and a brand? At Meltwater, we don’t just want to focus on the ‘job’ that someone has to do, but on how we can make the lives of our employees more meaningful and fulfilling. We don’t just want to stop at being a leader in the SaaS space – we aspire to become an industry leader in people practices and social responsibility, and we act accordingly.
WHY MELTWATER IS EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES TO PURSUE THEIR PASSIONS OUTSIDE OF WORK
The results? Higher engagement, better enablement and social connections, and a clearer work-life blend.
The aviation and energy sectors are more closely related than one would expect, and both industries have similar aspirations to build a more sustainable future. I had my first exposure to the concept of sustainability when I was working for an international airline. As we know, airlines have long sought to reduce their environmental footprint, and become more fuel efficient.
Just as important as environmental sustainability is social sustainability. During my time with the airline, I was part of the team that managed post-merger integration projects where I learned to bridge [the gap] between different work cultures and practices, boost the morale of employees, and define common values through management training programmes and various initiatives.
“We in the HR sector must therefore be cognisant of these [sustainable] developments in order to better support our companies and employees. This includes looking at ways to attract and retain the right talent,” she says.
HR’s role in helping the organisation to achieve its sustainability goals
To reach sustainability goals, HR professionals need to ensure that employees are fully on board this journey, and are equipped with the skills to transform sustainability aspirations into reality, says Nathalie Huynh, Country HR Director (Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei), Schneider Electric.
As working members of society, more has to be done than saying ‘no’ to non-biodegradable materials, and using every drop of water effectively.
More, according to Nathalie Huynh, Country HR Director (Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei), Schneider Electric, can be done through HR professionals via what is called the ‘green workforce’. This is what Nathalie, who has been in HR for more than a decade, sees as an opportunity to “empower people to reach their greatest potential”, and be in “a unique position where we can effect change”.
OPINION People issues Human Resources Online July-September 202234
To put it this way: the perfect starting point to lead the fight against climate change.
Tying the HR function to sustainability objectives, she affirms that sustainability is “becoming the new norm in business operations”. In her day-to-day at Schneider Electric, she draws from that connection – sharing how the organisation has been pursuing sustainable business operations for more than 15 years. “It gives me great satisfaction and pride that we are an impactful company that is hiring and nurturing individuals to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress, and sustainability for all.”
Read on for the interview, as Nathalie shares more with Lester Tan.
Before your time at Schneider Electric, you used to be in the aviation sector. What are some learnings you brought over to the sustainability and manufacturing side that continue to be relevant?
From your point of view, how different – and challenging – is the role of HR between such contrasting fields (one serving the environment, and another serving in it)?
Continue here as Nathalie has more to say about why a
This continues to be important in my current role with Schneider Electric where we champion a diverse and inclusive work environment. My years of experience in the sector have also shown me that HR plays an irreplaceable role in empowering employees to be confident, and to realise their full potential. When employees feel at their best, brilliant ideas emerge, and this is to the benefit of everyone and the company. There’s a recent article about how Asia’s green workforce needs to improve. Share with us briefly what a green workforce is, and why there is a stronger urge – and need – to boost it. What does a truly green workforce look like? What investments are needed to build green talent, and how important is the HR function in achieving them?
We in the HR
July-September 2022 Human Resources Online 35
Achieving these goals will not be easy, and therefore a successful HR strategy will be instrumental to achieving our sustainability ambitions. To get there, we need to ensure that our employees are fully on board this sustainability journey, and are also equipped with the skills to transform these aspirations into reality. Lifelong learning is very much a part of our culture and employees are encouraged to go for training courses. For example, Schneider Electric partnered with leading business school INSEAD to formulate a series of programmes to drive purposeful leadership in this digital world. Beyond refreshing the skills of current employees, we also look to inculcate the values of sustainability right from the start when someone first joins Schneider Electric. As part of our graduate programme, we have begun to include sustainability modules in the various job rotations. This allows our employees to combine the technical skills they have in areas like finance and law with knowledge of how they can contribute to our sustainability goals within their functions.
With that, what has Schneider Electric’s own sustainability journey been like, and how is it now a part of the corporate culture and employee engagement? Where does the HR function fit into all this? Sustainability underpins everything that we do, and we have been at the fore of implementing ESG practices in our business for over 15 years. Schneider Electric’s goal is to be carbon neutral by 2025, with net zero operational emissions by 2030, and a net zero supply chain by 2050.
People issues OPINION
sector rightandwayslookingThisandourbetterindevelopments[sustainable]ofcognisantthereforemustbetheseordertosupportcompaniesemployees.includesattoattractretainthetalent.
Sustainability-related jobs are indeed gaining traction in recent years as more businesses consider sustainability a key pillar in their business strategy. To me, a truly green workforce is created by employers who not only actively hire talent for green jobs, but also look to implement programmes that equip current employees with the skills to see their existing remit through a sustainability lens. For example, our engineers are incorporating sustainability into their existing workflows by studying how automation can result in more energy efficient processes. Similarly, our procurement teams are taking deep-dives into the operations of our suppliers to ensure that they are likeminded in adopting sustainable business operations. Partnerships with schools and educational institutes also play a vital role in creating a strong pipeline of future green talents. At Schneider Electric, we have the opportunity, the capability, and the commitment to invest in shaping the future of the next generation. Earlier this year, we launched a Sustainability Experience Centre with Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Engineering with the aim of developing interest among students in green technologies. By investing in the value of learning, we can better deliver on our promise for a more sustainable and equitable future.
OPINION Unconventional wisdom
However, it now seems to be the right time for large-scale adoption to replace the traditional career paths that are rigid and too siloed to meet today’s business and employee needs.
One theme I do want to talk about is the opportunity to really make talent mobility frictionless. Today, talent mobility continues to be plagued by high search costs, long lead times, and often, a mismatch in the skills of the candidates and the job.
Even as I say this, relying on traditional talent mobility to create a pool for future succession is likely to continue, but there is an opportunity to add two new models to get work done at Firstscale.isthe internal marketplace where employees can try gig opportunities to either pick up a new skill or hone existing skills. Exemplary organisations already implementing this include Schneider Electric and Unilever, who are “using talent marketplaces to facilitate an internal rebalancing of their talent, helping employees find work within the organisation where it is most needed” – (Bersin and Enderes 2021).
This is an excerpt of the full article. Find out what the rest of the opportunities are here, where Verma also talks about the challenges HR professionals have to look out for. A good mix of gigemployeespermanentandworkershasthepotentialtooffertheagilitythatorganisationsaredemandingtomeettherapiddigitalisationneeds.
space, there are four triggers that have led to a massive rethink in talent management.
None of these triggers are new. But it’s like our tendency to stick to fossil fuels despite the availability of alternate fuels. Societies, organisations, and humans often need a crisis to change course. I believe that COVID-19 has provided the stimulus that has the potential to fundamentally change how we define and manage talent at a workplace.
Interestingly, the change is not just about working from home. In many cases, our fundamental beliefs about why we work have changed, such as many parents spending more time with their children for the first time during work-fromhome. We have discovered a new way of working, and it seems to be working for the most part.
By ‘frictionless’, we mean removing HR as an intermediary between the hiring managers and the candidate, says Vikas Verma, Executive Director, Head of Strategic HR and Digital HR, United Overseas Bank Singapore. TALENT MOBILITY THE POST COVID-19 WORKPLACE: ARE YOU READY?
With business needs, a change in employee expectations, and the acceptance of platform workers, it’s the perfect time to make the talent market frictionless by democratising talent mobility both inside and outside the organisation. By frictionless, I mean removing HR as an intermediary between the hiring managers and the candidate.
IN
3. Jobs became mobile. With borders closed and the pressing need for the right talent to meet digitalisation needs, businesses started to move jobs to the locations where the talent was, rather than expecting the talent to move to the location of the job. With outsourcing, we also knew that jobs can be moved to a cheaper location with abundant talent for cost arbitrage. What’s different now is that organisations don’t need scale. With platform workers, even one job/task can be made location-agnostic.
Second is the addition of new forms of employment along with traditional hiring: that is, adding platform workers (gig workers) to the sourcing strategy. Job sharing and location-agnostic jobs will give the speed and cost efficiency that organisations expect in this era of rapid changes.
FRICTIONLESS
4. Changes in employee experience and expectations. A lot has already been written about it, even as we deal with The Great Resignation. “It’s a candidate’s market, and employees are going to go elsewhere if your organisation is not meeting their expectations” – (Advisory Board, 2022).
Human Resources Online July-September 202236
2. The rise of the platform worker. To begin with, the gig economy was already growing. It was the pandemic that made it mainstream. According to Brian Kropp, the Distinguished Vice President of Gartner: “Our research finds that 32% of organisations are replacing full-time employees with contingent workers as a cost-saving measure” – (Baker, 2021). A good mix of permanent employees and gig workers has the potential to offer the agility that organisations are demanding to meet the rapid digitalisation needs.
1. Digital transformation on steroids. The pandemic made it very clear that organisations had two choices: perish or digitalise. The unprecedented adoption of digitalisation led to a surge in the need for newer skills at the workplace, which in turn, led to a greater need for reskilling, redeployment, and hiring with shorter lead times. “Companies need to quickly rebalance workloads from areas that see decreased demand to others with increased need” – (Bersin and Enderes 2021).
What does this all mean for organisations, and what are some of the new talent management practices we will witness in times to come?
When planning an effective wellbeing strategy, M1 looks at wellbeing in a holistic manner –spanning the physical, mental, social, and financial health of its employees, Gerald Lau, Deputy Director, Human Resource, M1, tells Arina Sofiah.
Moving forward, “we can expect to see a continued emphasis on work flexibility, as it becomes the norm for most organisations”, the leader says.
Leaders are encouraged to explore more team activities to foster relationships, while employees are also encouraged to sign up for in-house volunteer activities as a way to give back to the community.
“In partnership with HR, we believe that our people managers play a significant role in determining the overall employee experience, and we continue to tap on their leadership to ensure the overall wellness of every individual of the company,” Lau says.
However, with Singapore easing its safe management measures, M1 has gradually opened up opportunities for social engagement within its teams, and rebuilding these crucial relationships. For instance, the group organised its first faceto-face town hall session and celebrated its 25th anniversary together as a group.
As part of the Keppel Group, M1 also collaborates on a broader health and wellbeing strategy, which includes thematic engagements each month and frequent employee surveys to measure and monitor the health of those in the organisation.
Managers who can effectively establish psychological safety and trust within their teams are far more likely to be able to create a healthy team culture, respectful workplace, and inspire their teams towards purposeful and fulfilling work.
“With this, our employees are able to reach out and receive emotional or psychological support or second opinions on medical, financial, and career issues from professionals,” he elaborates.
Our employees are able to reach out and secondpsychologicalemotionalreceiveorsupportoropinionsonmedical,financial,andcareerissuesfromprofessionals.
Pandemic-brought struggles
With that in mind, M1 has, in recent times, implemented a few initiatives to support its employees’ wellness and wellbeing. For one, it partnered with Enterprise Singapore to introduce the Wellness Series webinars to improve the mental and physical health of all its employees.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE TEAM TO CONNECT: AN M1 CASE STUDY
As Lau admits, perhaps the biggest hurdle through this journey was not being able to physically gather and socialise with the company’s teams and partners – with the pandemic impacting the connective social fabric through which relationships are built, M1 was no exception to the challenges faced by companies.
As he points out, digital change and the pandemic have disrupted the telco industry in recent years, making it a difficult time for many. Importantly, the pandemic posed a direct threat to the physical safety of the company’s frontline teams in retail stores, and engineers maintaining the networks.
It also opened up its on-premise gym and organised fitness challenges in hopes to bring back an element of physical wellness and fun, he adds. To take things further, the firm is encouraging its leaders to explore more team activities to foster and build team and cross-departmental relationships, while employees are also encouraged to sign up for in-house volunteer activities as a way to give back to the community.
Recognising this, physical safety has been M1’s highest priority throughout the pandemic, and the group has ensured this through the proper implementation of all safe management measures for all employees, he shares. Beyond that, Lau and his team continue to explore hybrid working models and flexible work arrangements to help employees achieve better work-life harmony for higher engagement and productivity.
Second, it is also working with employee assistance programme provider Workplace Options to provide a range of professional services and consultation sessions to employees across the full wellness spectrum.
Unconventional wisdom OPINION 37July-September 2022 Human Resources Online
“Creating opportunities for our team to connect (while still remaining vigilant) is a key goal for the next several quarters,” Lau says.Sharing more, one of the main paradigm shifts he has seen so far is the misconception that wellness is owned by HR, and mainly about company-organised activities or better perks and benefits. “On the contrary, there is now an increasing realisation that effective people management plays a much more significant role in the employee wellness proposition.”
While finding each company’s unique steady state, it is important for HR teams to facilitate open dialogue, coach stakeholders towards a growth mindset, and help businesses adaptLauaccordingly.alsoexpects an increased emphasis on effective people leadership skills, with a focus on generating psychological safety and trust with teams locally and remotely. Correspondingly, HR will have to play a more consultative role as trusted business partners to coach people managers on how to build effective and motivated teams with wellness at the forefront.
• Instead of pointing out something on our computer screen, whiteboard or in your notebook, there’s the extra step of screensharing – and it’s not always easy to convey or understand what we need to this way.
• Foster regular, clear, and open communication: We make a conscious effort to check-in with one another regularly. And in instances where we work closer together on certain tasks, we set clear timelines/calendar invites/task trackers to keep everyone on the same page, so everyone can check on the progress/status of the task at any time.
• Cultivate a culture of encouragement and trust: Respect is possibly the most important element of boundaryless communication. Expressing gratitude, empathy, compliments, and rants helps break down technological walls, and show that we can count on one another any time. We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders!
Thecross-borderMakingcollaborationworkvaluethatface-to-faceinteractionsbringtothetableismuchmorethanvirtualinteractionsevercould.Thatsaid,theHROteampridesitselfonteamspiritacrossborders–andherearethreethingswe’dliketoshare.
• Because sometimes we can’t see what a colleague is doing at their desk, we might be wary of messaging them without knowing if they are in the middle of something that needs their full attention, or simply if they prefer a late lunch.
The value that face-to-face interactions bring to the table is much more than virtual interactions ever could. That said, I must say, despite the distance, our team never fails to find ways to make things work, even if we’re working on different product portfolios and priorities. We may not be able to chat and share laughs as much as we would like, but we do still pride ourselves on a strong team spirit. Here are three things we do, and we hope they serve as some food-for-thought:
priyas@humanresourcesonline.net
Instead towhatunderstandtoalways–screensharingextrathere’snotebook,orwhiteboardscreen,oursomethingpointingofoutoncomputerinyourthestepofandit’snoteasyconveyorweneedthisway.
As much as we’re all growing accustomed to working in a hybrid setup, we can’t deny there are times we’ve wished our remote colleagues were sitting right here next to us, having spontaneous brainstorming sessions, catching up over a five-minute tea break, or simply, working in companionable silence. With my own team distributed across the region, we’re no strangers to a number of issues facing such teams.
• Nurture a positive work atmosphere: We share what we know with one other, are not afraid of asking questions and making mistakes, and always look on the bright side. We focus on what we can achieve together rather than what we can’t do, and find solutions together if things don’t go well. All in all, challenges will always be there when working in a team across borders, but when everyone puts their heart into it, the experience will be even sweeter.
• Not to forget, internet connectivity! We can’t count the number of times we’ve “lost” our teammate during a call (or vice-versa) due to a frozen screen (cue the weirdest facial expressions!), broken sentences, or a lag between the video and audio, which can potentially slow down communication.
LEARNING ASIADEVELOPMENT& 2022 MAKING A BUSINESS CASE FOR A LEARNING REVOLUTION Human Resources Online is pleased to announce that the 7th edition of Learning and Development Asia is back this 27-28 September 2022, taking place IN-PERSON at Regent Singapore. Across two days, the panel of inspiring L&D leaders will come together to show you how they are knocking down traditional silos to collaborate on a more holistic vision for the HR DISCOVERSCANfunction.ANDMOREREGISTER ME NOW! REGISTRATION AND GROUP DISCOUNT ENQUIRIES Tel: +65 6423 0329 Email: LDAsia@humanresourcesonline.net SPONSORSHIP AND PARTNERSHIPS For general advertising and sponsorship enquiries: Email: partnerships@humanresourcesonline.net Date: 27 – 28 September 2022 Time: 9AM - 5PM (GMT+8 / SGT) Venue: In-Person, Regent Singapore #LDAsia WHERE THE REGION’S MOST INSPIRING L&D PROFESSIONALS CONNECT IN-PERSON. Join 150+ L&D innovators in the region and learn how you can create more robust, sustainable learning programmes by exploring new frameworks and identifying new learning technologies and tools. Tickets are selling out fast. REGISTER NOW.
