HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR HRDMAG.COM.SG ISSUE 2.3
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BANKING ON LEARNING A behind-the-scenes look at leadership development at OCBC
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EDITORIAL www.hrdmag.com.sg ISSUE 2.03 EDITORIAL
SALES & MARKETING
Editor Iain Hopkins
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PERFECT CANDIDATES FOR THE TOP JOB? DO HR professionals make good CEOs? Research from the likes of Dave Ulrich indicates that CHROs can move to the top position. In fact, of all the executive roles, the CHRO shares most of the traits of the CEO. There are of course quite a few global precedents. Lisa M. Weber was president of MetLife (2004-2010), Anne Mulcahy was CEO of Xerox (2001–2009), and more recently Mary Barra became CEO of GM. All three previously held VP roles in HR. Barra’s story is interesting. Having spent most of her adult life working at GM, starting with an engineering internship at a manufacturing plant, she eventually became VP of global HR from 2009 to 2011 and was named CEO in January 2014. When asked about what she learned from her time in HR, Barra told the LA Times: “I try to create an environment where people feel they [can] voice their concerns and that we can get the best ideas on the table and then make the right decision. But at the end of the
CHROs can move to the top position, and in fact of all the executive roles, the CHRO shares most of the traits of the CEO day, when the decision has to be made, if we don’t have complete unanimity, I have no qualms about making it.” A quick glance at some of the skill requirements for a successful CEO shows they must have the ability to trust, the ability to listen, the ability to sense, the ability to observe, and the ability to collaborate. The modern-day HR professional thinks and operates this way. CEOs must also of course have business nous, which today more and more HR professionals have. Today’s HR professional is collaborative, strategic and understands not only the world of HR but the business needs of their organisation. They can be instrumental in helping to create the link between business strategy and talent development. They are in the somewhat unique position of operating across all business functions. And with the majority of financial resources spent on talent, who better to lead an organisation than someone who has led the HR organisation?
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Iain Hopkins, editor
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ISSUE 2.3 - SEPTEMBER 2016
CONNECT WITH US Got a story, suggestion or just want to find out some more information?
CONTENTS
HRDMagSG +HrdmagSg HRDSingapore
UPFRONT 01 Editorial
Do HR professionals make good CEOs?
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04 The data
A ROLE MODEL FOR DIVERSITY
08 Upfront: Legal
PROFILE
SAP’s Brigette McInnes-Day explains how her company is embracing diversity
19
50
HRD’s second annual Employer of Choice Awards have been voted on by the people who matter most: employees. Find out who’s leading the pack in Singapore
PROFILE
A THINKER IN A WORLD OF TALKERS
06 News analysis
Downsizing best practice Doctor-employer relationships are in the spotlight – here’s why
10 Upfront: L&D
Could reverse mentoring work for your organisation?
12 Upfront: Technology
Can HR help ‘technophobes’ adjust to the modern workplace?
14 Head to head
Should HR rethink how it delivers its services to businesses?
COVER STORY
HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
CEO succession
FEATURES
BANKING ON LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP
Singapore’s longest-established bank, OCBC, reveals how it has thrived for more than eight decades thanks to its highly skilled workforce
PEOPLE 56 Other life
From pups to pooches, Sapna Saxena, head of country HR for APAC at Telstra International Group, has offered her time to help Singapore’s least fortunate canines
LinkedIn’s global head of talent, Pat Wadors
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54 FEATURES
DON’T MISS THE DIGITAL TRAIN As businesses struggle to keep up with digitalisation, what can HR leaders do to ensure their organisation remains relevant?
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UPFRONT
STATISTICS
CEO SUCCESSION
US/Canada: Outsider CEO hiring (%)
A new global study reveals the growing prevalence of ‘outsider CEO’ hires, disappointing figures on female CEO hires, and why the ‘global CEO’ might be a myth THE GLOBAL turnover rate for CEOs reached an all-time high in 2015. However, the average tenure of a Singapore-based CEO is 9.6 years, based on their tenure as executive director – appointments to both positions typically occur simultaneously. This figure is higher than the global average of five years. On the matter of gender diversity, a Credit Suisse study in 2014 reported that Singapore had the highest percentage of female CEOs in Asia and third-highest in the world, at 15%.
22%
Percentage of companies during 2012–15 making a deliberate choice to hire an ‘outsider’ CEO, up from 14% in 2004–07
16.6%
Percentage of CEO turnover at the 2,500 largest companies in the world, an increase from 14.3% in 2014
10
18 2012–15
Western European companies in general are hiring outsiders more reactively than proactively. Western European companies hire almost double the share of outsider CEOs compared with companies in the US/Canada. Additionally, outsider CEOs in Western Europe are significantly more likely to be appointed to low-performing companies and more likely to be forced out. Global (%)
28%
Percentage of incoming CEOs who had international work experience (down from 45% in 2012)
21
21
24
2004-07
2008-11
2012-15
COMPANY PERFORMANCE AND CEO TURNOVER
INSIDE OR OUT?
Low-performing companies are more likely to hire outsider CEOs than high-performing companies, except in forced turnovers. Interestingly, the longer the tenure of the former CEO, the less likely an outsider CEO is to be hired.
More outsider CEOs now join a company via planned successions, showing that hiring an outsider is more of a deliberate choice than a necessity. Industries experiencing the most disruption have brought in a higher than average share of outsider CEOs.
40 35 30 25
36
38
32%
Utilities
26
22
10 5
Forced and planned turnovers (%)
29%
Healthcare
18
15
0
38%
Telecommunications
30
20
4
20 2008–11
HIRING OUTSIDER CEOS (GLOBAL TRENDS 2004–15)
Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2016 report suggested that the traditional pyramid leadership development model used in many Southeast Asia-based companies prevents leaders from being produced quickly enough to keep up with rapid growth. Only 6% of respondents to that survey have a strong succession planning program. Here are some key findings from PwC’s 2015 CEO Success Study of the 2,500 largest companies in the world.
Number of women (2.8%) among the 359 incoming CEOs at the world’s 2,500 largest companies in 2015 – the lowest share since 2011
21 2004–07
Forced turnovers (%)
Planned turnovers (%)
Low-performing companies
High-performing companies
28%
Energy
0
5
10
Outsider CEOs were more likely to be hired if the: • chairman did not have CEO experience in the same company • former CEO was also an outsider
15
20
25
30
35
40
Outsider CEOs were less likely to be hired if the: • chairman was hiring their first CEO at the company • company was large
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Western Europe – Outsider CEO hiring (%)
27
32
30
2004-07
2008-11
2012-15
Japan – Outsider CEO hiring (%)
3
2
4
2004-07
2008-11
2012-15
China – Outsider CEO hiring (%) Brazil, Russia, India – Outsider CEO hiring (%)
9
25
38
2004-07
2008-11
2012-15
14
14
17
2004-07
2008-11
2012-15
Other mature^ – Outsider CEO hiring (%)
30
23
36
2004-07
2008-11
2012-15
Other emerging* – Outsider CEO hiring (%)
35
26
30
2004-07
2008-11
2012-15 *Egypt, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Vietnam ^Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Hungary, New Zealand, Poland, Korea, Singapore
CEO SNAPSHOT
CEOS BY GENDER (2004-15) Over the last 12 years, US/Canada-based organisations have hired the largest share of women CEOs. In 2015, the share of incoming women CEOs fell to 2.8% globally, the lowest since 2011.
3.0% Global
4.0%
3.7%
2.3%
0.9%
US/Canada
China
Western Europe
Japan
77% 23%
Insider CEOs 68%
Women
Outsider CEOs
32% 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Western European companies are most likely to hire a foreign CEO, with 30% of incoming CEOs having a different nationality than company headquarters (16% in US/Canada and 17% globally) US/Canadian CEOs were most likely to have an MBA (41%). Japan had the lowest percentage (3%). Globally the figure is 30%
Women CEOs are more often hired from outside the company than men CEOs are. Men
The median age for incoming CEOs globally was 53, with CEOs in Japan being the oldest (median of 60)
80
Chinese CEOs are the least likely to have had international work experience (97%) – globally the figure of CEOs who have had international experience is 28% Source: Strategy& 2015 CEO Success Survey
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UPFRONT
NEWS ANALYSIS
DOWNSIZING BEST PRACTICE Economic turbulence has resulted in widespread job losses in Singapore – but tough times do not mean an employer’s duty of care to employees must slip by the wayside SOFTER ECONOMIC conditions have created tough times for Singapore businesses – a trend that has led to an increased number of redundancies in almost all sectors. With global events such as China’s economic slowdown colliding with local matters such
preliminary estimates of 5,500 redundancies in Q2. The softer economy has hit Singapore’s biggest companies on a global scale. In February, Sembcorp Marine announced it had let go of between 3,000 and 4,000
“Just because an employee no longer had a role in Aviva didn’t mean that we couldn’t work to find one for them elsewhere” Anuradha Purbey, Aviva Singapore as tighter rules for foreign workers, what can be done to bring light to a dark situation?
A rising tide Government figures show that annual redundancies have risen annually since 2009 (see Table 1). From 2014 to 2015, this number increased by over 2,600 – the highest jump since the global financial crisis. This trend looks set to continue in 2016, with 4,710 workers made redundant in Q1 and
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workers – mostly foreign subcontracted staff – during 2015. Keppel Corporation let go of 17% of its directly employed global workforce in the same period. Smaller firms were also hit. BW Offshore let go of 100–300 in its Singapore office and Chicago Bridge & Iron reduced its local workforce to less than 100. This was in addition to the 160–170 jobs lost as a result of the liquidation of Dolphin Geophysical. In Singapore’s financial sector, a global
restructuring effort saw Barclays Bank exit multiple Asian businesses. Around 100 people were made redundant in Singapore, including investment bankers and equity professionals. Standard Chartered also went through a massive upheaval, announcing 15,000 job cuts globally before 2018. This included almost 1,000 senior banking staff. Further casualties have been Goldman Sachs, which reduced its Singapore staff by 30% in Q1 2015; Royal Bank of Scotland, which cut “hundreds” of jobs last year; and HSBC, which announced it would freeze hiring and salaries for its 3,000 Singapore staff in 2016.
Help in a crisis In these tough times, certain firms have been excellent examples of how to deal with a major restructuring. In 2015, Aviva Singapore learned that a major bancassurance deal with DBS Bank would not be extended past the end of the year. “When we got to know that the deal wasn’t to be renewed with Aviva, our CEO, Nishit Majmudar, announced that we would go to every floor and talk to employees as authentically as we could,” said HR director Anuradha Purbey. By avoiding false hopes through honest conversations, the firm’s engagement score stayed above the Singapore and global financial services norm, she said. Aviva also strove to help as many affected workers as possible by transitioning them over to Manulife or the Affinity Channel, in which staff sell products directly. “Just because an employee no longer had a role in Aviva didn’t mean that we couldn’t work to find one for them elsewhere. “We invested in our people – even those who didn’t have the skills to sell direct because they had been selling over the phone. We still moved them into the Affinity Channel and, although we took our chances
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in that sense, some of them are doing really well,” Purbey said.
New and improved guidelines To clarify matters, the Tripartite partners released revised guidelines on managing excess manpower, and responsible recruitment. These encouraged employers to avoid retrenchment if possible, instead focusing on retaining current workforce numbers through: • the redeployment of staff to alternative areas within the organisation • flexible work arrangements such as shorter work weeks, temporary layoffs, part-time jobs, or job sharing • flexible wage components, such as variable bonus payments, annual wage increments, monthly variable components, or annual wage supplements “SNEF [Singapore National Employers Federation] would like to encourage employers to retain their manpower through appropriate adjustments in their work schedules … and to use their lull periods to upskill their workers,” said Koh Juan Kiat, the executive director of SNEF.
“We urge employers to take a longerterm view of their manpower needs and make efforts towards strengthening their competencies and maintaining a strong Singaporean core.” If retrenchment is unavoidable, the Tripartite urged employers to conduct the
“We urge employers to take a longer-term view of their manpower needs and make efforts towards strengthening their competencies and maintaining a strong Singaporean core” Koh Juan Kiat, SNEF exercise in a responsible, sensitive manner. Selection should be conducted fairly and non-discriminately, while considering which staff could contribute the most to future business needs. Affected staff should be notified according to the employment contract or Employment Act (see Table 2). Additionally,
TABLE 1: TOTAL ANNUAL REDUNDANCIES IN SINGAPORE
23,430
Number of redundancies
employers should notify the relevant union (if applicable), the Ministry of Manpower (Labour Relations and Workplaces Division) and/or the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices. “If retrenching is inevitable, employers should do so responsibly and render the
necessary assistance to their workers,” said Koh. Suggested ways of doing this included helping staff find employment in associate companies or other firms, or through outplacement assistance programs or agencies like the Workforce Development Agency and the Employment and Employability Institute.
TABLE 2: NOTICE PERIOD FOR REDUNDANCY UNDER EMPLOYMENT ACT Length of service
Notice period
Less than 26 weeks
1 day
26 weeks to less than 2 years
1 week
2 years to less than 5 years
2 weeks
5 years and above
4 weeks
15,580
9,800
2009
2010
9,990
2011
11,010
2012
11,560
2013
12,930
2014
2015
Source: Labour Market Survey, Manpower Research & Statistics Department, MOM
Source: Ministry of Manpower
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UPFRONT
EMPLOYMENT LAW UPDATE NEWS BRIEFS Ex-HR executive jailed for $1.2m fraud
A former HR executive has been jailed for over six years on various charges of cheating, forgery and theft. While managing payroll at GMC Global, Jaslyn Chen Xiaohong used her position to make a series of fraudulent payments to herself, totalling $1.2m. When her offences came to light in December 2015, she was terminated. Police seized more than $270k from her account; however, more than $970k is still outstanding. She claimed she took the money because she had not received a pay increase, said deputy public prosecutor Eugene Sng.
MOM raises minimum salary for EP
The Ministry of Manpower has raised the minimum qualifying salary for employment pass applications from $3,300 to $3,600. The change will apply to new applicants as of 1 January 2017. Existing EP holders will be able to renew their passes based on current criteria up until 1 January 2017 for a duration of up to three years. Between 1 January and 30 June 2017, this renewal period based on current criteria will be reduced to up to a year, and after 1 July 2017 the new criteria will come into effect.
Rehiring of workers aged 65+ doubles
The number of unionised companies rehiring workers over the age of 65 has almost doubled since last year, ahead of the law change next July, which will see the re-employment age in Singapore raised from 65 to 67. The change in law, which was announced by the government in April and comes into effect on 1 July 2017,
8
will mean that companies are obliged to offer re-employment to eligible workers who reach retirement age until they are 67. The labour movement said that, from 1,400 unionised firms, 1,016 are keeping on workers aged 65 plus, compared to 585 last year.
RWS under fire for ‘discriminatory’ retrenchments
The Ministry of Manpower is investigating allegations of discrimination and unfair dismissals stemming from a recent retrenchment exercise at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). In May, the resort dismissed 150 croupiers, 200 supervisors and two dozen pit managers. A number of employees have filed complaints, and MOM is now awaiting a response from RWS about how the retrenchments were conducted. “We would like to reiterate that Resorts World Sentosa has worked closely with [MOM] and the Attractions, Resorts & Entertainment Union to extend fair terms to all affected employees,” a RWS spokesperson said.
Illegal employment syndicate shut down
A 48-hour Ministry of Manpower operation has led to the closure of an illegal employment syndicate which recruited foreign workers for employment in Singapore. In total, 44 individuals were arrested, including six syndicate members and 38 foreign workers. Work permit cards, name lists and Singpass tokens were also seized. “MOM takes a serious view of bringing in foreign workers without a job and allowing these foreign workers to find their own employment,” said Kevin Teoh, divisional director of MOM’s Foreign Manpower Management Division.
DOCTOREMPLOYER RELATIONSHIPS PUT IN THE SPOTLIGHT Employer attitudes to MOM’s medical leave requirements could be inadvertently putting worker health at risk An Indian migrant worker has only been given one day of medical leave after severing his finger in an accident – highlighting how the employer-doctor relationship can affect staff. The worker, V. Anbazhaga, was working at a shipyard in September 2015 when falling debris crushed his right index finger. Although Anbazhaga lost the entire tip of his finger, a private hospital gave him just one day of medical leave and three months of light duties. His employer was unable to assign the requested light duties, however, and therefore Anbazhaga was unable to work. He then hired a lawyer and has sought injury compensation for the accident. His case may be strengthened by a recent decision in which the courts suspended Wong Him Choon, an orthopaedic surgeon at Raffles Hospital, for six months. It was found that, in 2011, Wong operated on the broken hand of migrant worker Fan Mao Bing. The patient was given two days of medical leave and a month of light duties. In his decision, Judge of Appeal Andrew Phang slammed the doctor’s actions. “It should not be the case that a patient has to ‘kneel and beg’ (as the patient in fact did, according to Dr Wong) for medical leave that he was in any case entitled to on proper clinical grounds.”
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This judgment highlights how the courts will come down hard on doctors who fail to act in the best interests of injured staff. The success of this complaint, which was filed by the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), looks set to continue, and the organisation is pursuing further complaints against four more orthopaedic surgeons. One reason for cases such as these is that employers do not have to report an incident to the Ministry of Manpower if an employee receives a medical certificate for three days or less or they are hospitalised for less than
“It should not be the case that a patient has to ‘kneel and beg’ for medical leave” 24 hours, said former HOME executive director Jolovan Wham. By not reporting these incidents, employers can maintain their safety records and avoid higher insurance premiums, he added. As a result, employers often put pressure on doctors – typically in private hospitals or clinics – to ensure that all medical reports and recommendations fall within the limits set by MOM, warned Eric Lee, outreach coordinator at HealthServe, a migrant worker community clinic. “These doctors take instruction from the employers because they are the paymasters,” he said.
Q&A
Dayne Ho Partner SHOOK LIN & BOK
Fast fact In Singapore, 82% of the population have access to the internet in 2016. Sixty-four per cent of these use social media regularly, with each local netizen spending an average of 1.6 hours per day on social media.
LEGAL ISSUES WITH WORKPLACE SOCIAL MEDIA USE When can a worker be terminated for social media use? There are no laws which mandate when an employee can be terminated for social media use. This is typically an issue governed by the employee’s employment contract or company policy. Obvious cases where an employee can be terminated include situations where the employment contract or company policy has a clear prohibition against using company resources for social media, as this could amount to a breach of contract. The process itself would depend on the manner in which the employment contract or policies are drafted. An employer has to ensure compliance with the employment contract or policies so as not to wrongfully dismiss an employee. Another situation where an employee could be dismissed is if the social media use resulted in illegal acts. Examples include harassment or making seditious comments. Employment contracts that have clauses that allow for dismissal for cause would allow dismissal for such acts in most/all situations. What processes should HR follow in these instances? The starting point should be to follow company policy. If there is a clear process for enquiring into an employee’s misuse of social media, it should be complied with so as to avoid an eventual disciplinary consequence which can be challenged by the employee. Note that dismissing an employee governed by the Singapore Employment Act for cause requires an enquiry process to be carried out as this is provided for in the Act. If company policy is less clear, HR should consider what potential actions it intends to take. If intending to dismiss an employee, HR should consider seeking legal advice as to the best way to approach the dismissal, especially if the employee is a high-level executive. If the intention is just to warn the employee to stop using social media, properly document this in the employee’s files as it can be subsequently used for future disciplinary actions should the employee continue to disregard such policies. In what situations could a worker take action for wrongful dismissal? An employee would normally take action for wrongful dismissal if the dismissal was not properly carried out. Most commonly, this would be if the employee’s actions were not clearly disallowed in the employment contract or company policy. This is more common where a company has not updated its policies to reflect its position on the use of social media. Another scenario is where the dismissal process is not properly carried out. If the company has a process for dismissal, this should be complied with lest the employee allege that he has been unfairly treated. An unlikely scenario may be where the employee did not actually take the action that resulted in his dismissal. Online identity theft or unauthorised access to that employee’s social media accounts are examples of this. It is therefore important for employers to ensure the action was carried out by the employee before dismissing him/her.
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UPFRONT
L&D UPDATE
LEARNING FROM THE BOTTOM UP Flipping traditional L&D methods upside down, with the young teaching the old, can have numerous corporate benefits, says one leading L&D expert
The younger generation of workers – Generation Y or millennials – should be ‘‘reverse mentoring” their more senior colleagues, new research has suggested. The white paper by Cegos Asia Pacific, entitled 5 Key Drivers to Build a Successful Workplace for the 2020s, identified reverse mentoring as one of the key methods HR could use when tackling cross-generational workforce challenges. Of the 1,500 senior business, HR, and learning professionals surveyed by Cegos, 78% agreed that a new approach to L&D was needed to engage
NEWS BRIEFS
younger generations in the workplace. Through the reverse mentoring technique, the tech-savvy younger generation can pass their knowledge up the line and share their skills with their older colleagues. “A more formalised approach to this reverse mentoring idea is bringing people from the younger populations in the organisation into the boardroom, so that they can do a bit of mentoring with the senior team,” Jeremy Blain, regional managing director of Cegos Asia Pacific, told HRD. “For example, [they can teach them] about
Nine in 10 organisations to use virtual reality for L&D
Ninety-one per cent of L&D professionals say they will use virtual reality for learning within their firms, and one third of them are planning to roll this out within the next three years, according to the latest study by Kallidus. “Time will tell, but it’s possible that this exciting immersive technology could be adopted faster than previous new learning approaches and may prove to be as game-changing in learning as the advent of the PC,” said Tim Drewitt, product innovator at Kallidus. With VR, users can enjoy a virtual environment with a high sense of reality. 10
some new technologies or about how people are communicating using tools other than email.” IBM, Citibank and PepsiCo are just some of the companies currently using these reverse mentoring programs to transfer knowledge between their younger and older workers. However, when it comes to understanding what motivates the younger workforce, many organisations are often ill-informed about their expectations, Blain said. This is especially true when it comes to those just graduating from college and university, he added. “Often people that we talk to in organisations, particularly at leader and manager levels, think that Gen Y are just going to want ‘technology, technology, technology’.” This leads to a massive misapprehension of what is going on, he told HRD. “[Senior management has] got to get out there and find out a bit more. Get out of your ivory tower and start looking at what’s happening on the ground and what’s going to happen in the future. “When was the last time your leaders and managers interviewed any of your Gen Y population or went to higher education and interviewed some Gen Z people to understand what they want from the workplace and what their aspirations are?” This disconnect impacts on L&D especially, Blain said, with companies focusing on entirely the wrong teaching methods. “We’re still doing things largely in a traditional way, and [the younger generations] don’t learn like that. They’re used to more informal learning.”
WSQ training now less effective, survey finds
Despite 97% of Singapore employers supporting workforce training, the latest Workforce Development Agency (WDA) survey has reported that only 55% of employers said the Workforce Skills Qualification made their workers more productive, down from 76% in 2014. It attributed this to weaker economic conditions impacting on business performance. “We will continue to work closely with employers to build up their human resource capabilities and strengthen their Singaporean core for sustainable business growth,” Ng Cher Pong, the agency’s chief executive said.
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Q&A
BUILDING BETTER L&D Lowe Joo Yong Senior lecturer, Department of Human Resource Management NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
Fast fact Can the physical environment impact on L&D success? According to a new report, yes it can. For instance, the optimal temperature lies between 20 and 23 degrees Celsius, while the maximum desirable noise level is 40 decibels, says a report by physical facilities expert Glen Earthman.
How can HR design and develop better L&D methods? A good L&D program begins with understanding the organisation’s business goals and the capabilities needed to achieve these goals. Ascertain if such capabilities already exist and, if not, how they can be developed. This could be achieved by acquiring human resources with these capabilities or developing existing employees. As it is HR’s responsibility to diagnose the organisation’s L&D needs, always do a thorough learning needs analysis before developing any program. With these needs identified, the organisation has to determine the appropriate methodologies. The choice of programs will depend on factors such as the nature of the skills needing to be developed, the employees’ educational background, the availability of time, and very crucially budget. Hence organisations need to evaluate the various options, choosing training providers and programs that best meet their needs. It is also important to review the training evaluation of previous learning programs that have been executed to ascertain if existing programs and training providers should be retained. Post-program evaluation is, therefore, an important component when developing these programs.
How can HR secure buy-in from key stakeholders for these L&D strategies? There are three important stakeholder groups, along
New SkillsFuture CEO appointed
Chief executive of the Workforce Development Agency Ng Cher Pong will become CEO of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) once the agency is established. Two new statutory bodies – SSG under the Ministry of Education and Workforce Singapore under the Ministry of Manpower – were announced by MOM in January. “Under [the] nationwide SkillsFuture initiative, we aim to inculcate in our people the mindset of lifelong learning, from preemployment education to in-employment training,” said Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say at the 2016 G20 Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting in Beijing.
with a few others. First we need to secure the line managers’ support. Each time an employee goes away for training, the department’s functionality and operational performance is affected. Line managers can therefore block training and development programs, seeing them as interfering with department operations. HR needs to engage the line managers, address their concerns and explain how the programs will benefit the department. The next major stakeholder is the employees themselves as they ultimately are the ones at the receiving end. Will they find the programs useful? Are there incentives or benefits to attend? Will they be sufficiently motivated? Good communication is very important as employees may not understand the purpose of attending these programs. When designing your training programs, it is ideal if they meet individual and organisational needs. Employees are naturally more motivated to learn if the programs benefit them as well as the organisation. Thirdly, we have the top management and shareholders who control the budget available for L&D. HR needs to demonstrate the relevance of L&D and also that the money spent will provide a good return on investment. Also emphasise that L&D programs will also impact employee morale and the organisation’s reputation, affecting whether people are attracted to join or not. Top management needs to understand that L&D is an integral part of the whole HR value chain. It can be a good recruitment, retention and rewards strategy as well as a tool for sustaining employee motivation.
Pilot program launched to link business and university
A new program is to be launched involving the Singapore Institute of Technology, SIM University, and top local firms such as Singtel, The Ascott, and Singapore Power. It will incorporate practical work experience and undergraduate study to prepare graduates for the workplace. “This cooperative program is a fresh concept. The leaders in the universities and industries understand its benefits and that it requires a far higher level of commitment by the companies compared to the internship programs we have today,” said Acting Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung.
Training programs aim to fight money laundering
Shockwaves from the Panama Papers have prompted calls for greater training of Singapore service providers to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. Kenneth Yap, chief executive of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), said professionals such as lawyers and accountants were the first line of defence against the illicit movement of money. As continuing education is essential to maintain high standards in industry, ACRA is in talks with professional bodies to run relevant courses on a regular basis, Yap said. www.hrdmag.com.sg
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UPFRONT
TECHNOLOGY NEWS BRIEFS France takes drastic action to limit emails In an effort to cut back on the volume of emails being received, France has introduced new legislation regulating work emails and giving employees a legal “right to disconnect”. President Francois Hollande said his party was serious about the problem of “permanent connection”. Under the legislation, companies of more than 50 people are obliged to draw up a charter of good conduct, setting out the hours – normally in the evening and at the weekend – when staff are not supposed to send or answer emails.
Intellibots join the Marina Bay Sands team Singapore’s largest hotel has embraced automation, including hiring a team of Intellibots – large cleaning machines for use in the hotel’s meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) operations. “These fully automated machines are capable of cleaning large surface areas, such as carpeted floors of our banquet rooms as well as hard floors in our expo halls,” said Ian Wilson, senior vice president of hotel operations. The Intellibots typically work after hours, thus removing the need to have human cleaners working six- or sevenhour night shifts.
MOM issues phone scam alert The Ministry of Manpower has warned the public of a new phone scam involving individuals impersonating officers from MOM or the government. Typically the caller requests a money transfer to resolve work pass issues or problems
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with staying in Singapore. “This is a scam. Our officers will not make such calls to ask for fund transfers,” the Ministry said in a statement. “MOM will not ask you to make a payment through a telephone call, especially to a third party’s bank account. In such situations, you should ignore the call.”
Most CEOs fail to see value in people data Only 4% of CEOs recognise the value of predictive analytics, according to global research conducted by PwC. “A big part to this lies in the maturity of people analytics in HR functions – which is relatively low,” said Martijn Schouten, director of PwC South East Asia Consulting. While most HR functions use data to report on basics such as in-flow, turnover and L&D costs, “creating insights, trend analysis and predicting developments of human capital” using predictive analytics is unfortunately not yet commonly applied, Schouten said.
Pokémon Go rant gets employee fired An Australian employee working for a local property portal, 99.co, has been fired after leaving anti-Singapore comments on Facebook that many netizens found offensive. In the post, he complained that the country had yet to receive the popular mobile game, Pokémon Go. “We are a proud Singaporean company and do not condone such language or behaviour, hence we have since terminated his engagement once the incident came to light,” CEO and co-founder of 99.co Darius Cheung wrote in a statement responding to the online backlash.
FIGHTING TECHNOPHOBIA In today’s increasingly diverse workplace, what can HR do with those averse to new technology? With the rise of cultural diversity and rapid tech advances in today’s workplace, HR will typically find that staff have a wide range of attitudes and abilities when it comes to technology. It is highly likely that each organisation will have at least a few individuals who struggle with certain types of technology. What is HR to do with those who are either reluctant or who downright refuse to embrace new tech at work? “We are experiencing technological advancement at an ever-increasing rate of change, and the vast majority of us will have software and gadgets we are currently unfamiliar with,” said HR consultant and tech specialist Pauline Tarrant. With a variety of comfort levels among employees, technophobia exists, she said, adding that HR managers cannot simply assume that those entering the workforce are all tech-savvy. “People or organisations who fail to take an open-minded approach to technology may find themselves irrelevant in the near future. Technological advancement is not a fad, and thankfully most workplaces and most employees realise this and Luddism is not widespread.” HR must strive to fully understand what holds people back, Tarrant said, as people may have legitimate concerns that should be addressed. For instance, people learn skills at different speeds, meaning patience must be employed to gain an employee’s confidence. In some extreme cases, however, disciplinary action may be required. “Disciplinary action up to and including dismissal is something that
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is only warranted if someone is incapable of performing the requirements of their role, or refuses to use technology,” Tarrant said. “Before exploring this option, full training needs to have been offered to the employee, along with the opportunity to discuss their reasons for refusal.” The new technology may also require modification for the employee. Alternatively, reallocation of duties may be considered for certain high performers, she said. “Within a situation like this it is also important to understand how much technology has changed the role. If the nature of the role
“People or organisations who fail to take an open-minded approach to technology may find themselves irrelevant in the near future” has been substantially changed, then this may trigger a redundancy situation.” Surprisingly, those who struggle to come to grips with new technology may actually spur positive steps in the workplace, Tarrant said. She recounted an example of technophobia positively disrupting one mentoring program. Although the program started with older workers teaching their younger employees, the situation was soon reversed, with the younger employees instead ‘mentoring’ their seniors on the new technology. “This turning of the tables helped promote a new level of mutual respect in the relationship and has led to several technophobes becoming tech champions.”
Q&A
Sarah Forbes Vice president PAGEUP, SOUTHEAST ASIA
Fast fact Despite there being more than seven billion mobile phones globally, only 20% of HR departments deploy HR solutions through mobile apps. Broken down by category, only 7% use mobile platforms for coaching, 8% for time scheduling and 13% for recruiting.
HR AND TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTION In your opinion, have HR been slow or fast adopters of new technology? There are a number of factors that affect the speed of adoption of new technology, so I don’t think it is possible to say whether HR has been fast or slow. It depends on the organisation and its environment. However, we are seeing an inflection point in the market with regard to strategic human resource management. Automation is enabling HR to move out of transactional core functions such as payroll and place a greater focus on longer-term people issues, matching resources to future needs, and macro-concerns about structure, quality, culture, values and commitment. In today’s business, consumer technologies set the benchmark. New technology trends are changing the way people interact with each other and how, when and where they want to work. We are seeing many customers embracing consumer-like technologies to manage employee performance and encourage collaboration and feedback, or micro-learning and learning-on-demand that helps employees learn on the go, anytime, anywhere. Learning departments are now competing with the likes of Coursera, Khan Academy, TED Talks and Google, so HR is turning to sticky technology that people love to use to optimise their impact. How are new technological developments forcing HR to evolve? Technological developments are not forcing HR to evolve, but rather enabling HR. Many new developments are automating the transactional so HR can focus on strategic rather than core work. That means HR can concentrate on areas that add most value. Moreover, new technological developments, such as performance or learning apps, enable better engagement with employees and provide an improved employee experience. Technology is also enabling HR to meet the needs of different employee segments (eg different types of learning so staff can learn the way they learn best). Another important element in technological developments for HR is the rapid emergence of analytics. Analytics not only enables HR to track and demonstrate their impact on the organisation, but also to be more strategic, insightful, and predictive. With this, HR can deliver greater strategic foresight to the business. How can HR successfully integrate new technology into the function? The important thing with integrating new technology is to be clear on what you are trying to achieve for your organisation and find a solution that can be configured to meet your goals. Essentially, any technology is only as good as how it is used. To be truly impactful, technology requires widespread and effective use. The best way to ensure this is to select a solution that is easy to use and provides a unity of interface across different modules which makes a product easier to learn. It is also key to ensure the solution produces meaningful and well-understood benefits, whether to HR, managers or employees.
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PEOPLE
HEAD TO HEAD
GOT AN OPINION THAT COUNTS? Email hrd_editor@keymedia.com.au
Should HR rethink how it delivers its services? As businesses evolve, so too must the HR function. Is it time for newer, more agile models?
Joanna Miller
Kevin Zhang
Market HR director American Express Singapore, Thailand & Indonesia
Director of HR & talent Havas Asia Pacific
At American Express, we continually challenge ourselves to provide the best HR strategic support and delivery possible. Over the past five years, we have redefined our HR operating model. In conjunction with improved technology, we enhanced the Ulrich model by creating a new group within HR – what we call ‘Market HR’. Market HR is the team responsible for providing HR generalist support to all our employees in a particular location, providing a consistent employee experience across all lines of business. For this model to work, all parts of HR need to work together to support the business – HRBPs, COEs and HR service delivery.
In order to keep up with consistent change, HR needs to stay ahead of the curve and be agile. Before even rethinking your services, HR needs to first take a look at its organisation, its culture and its size. In order for HR to have a ‘seat at the table’ and to be a true business partner, HR must understand the business, its clients and its people. At the core, HR needs to master the delivery of the basic HR functions, from talent acquisition, compensation planning and benefits administration to developing the company culture. I call this ‘keeping the train running’. HR professionals must master the delivery of these basic HR operations so as to earn trust and respect from staff and management. Only then can HR proceed to doing bigger things such as talent management, creating a learning culture, and creating coaching and mentoring platforms.
Pallavi Srivastava Country HR director IBM Singapore
Given the fast-changing global economy and the rise of ‘uberisation’ today, every function, including HR, needs to constantly evaluate and adapt its business models. This follows Dave Ulrich’s belief that HR will evolve, moving away from transactions to strategic thinking and building economies of scale in HR operations. The key point is that everyone is a customer today, and that includes our own employees. In HR, the service delivery model needs to focus on the employee experience, not just on process delivery. This requires alignment in the mindset and skills of HR professionals, managers and leaders, who should work together to foster a positive employee experience. While we believe the core concept of this model works, there never can be a one-size-fits-all approach, and every organisation should assess the maturity of their ecosystem to deliver value.
HR SERVICE DELIVERY HR departments in many organisations globally have implemented a service delivery model in which transactional services, program design and strategic business support are carried out by three groups within the HR function: HR business partners, centres of excellence, and shared services centres. Commonly referred to as the ‘Ulrich model’, this structure improved HR performance and exceeded the capabilities of a model in which HR services were aligned purely functionally. However, in recent years it has come under fire. Are there more effective ways of structuring an HR team, perhaps to ensure more agile service delivery?
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PROFILE
BRIGETTE MCINNIS-DAY
A ROLE MODEL FOR DIVERSITY The leader of SAP’s largest organisational unit, Brigette McInnis-Day, chats with Miklos Bolza about her efforts to tackle workplace diversity for both women and the differently abled WHEN IT comes to pushing boundaries in HR, few go as far as Brigette McInnis-Day, the EVP of human resources at SAP in the US. Heading up the company’s largest organisational unit, she has been instrumental in bringing forward key strategies on the cutting edge of recruitment and development while concurrently managing a global workforce. In her 20 years in the industry, McInnis-Day has worked in all types of firms, from start-ups to large global organisations. At SAP, she moved up the career ladder by seizing every opportunity, no matter how difficult. This attitude led to exciting new challenges – including taking on a new role while eight and a half months pregnant in a country where she didn’t speak the language. “I made the move to Germany with two small children,” McInnis-Day says. “Although it was challenging, it was extremely rewarding, not only on a professional level but also for my own personal development.”
Growing women leaders
“In the corporate world, we need to work to remove the stigma of the word ‘disability’. We should work to create an environment where disabilities are viewed not as a negative description but instead as a trait”
The gender gap in leadership is one issue that McInnis-Day is passionate about, and she seeks to tackle it through a multi-year approach. “At SAP, we are committed to having women in 25% of all managerial positions by 2017 and are tracking very well against this target,” she says. To bring more women into senior positions, SAP’s
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succession planning ensures potential leaders can be promoted from within. Executive sponsorship is a proven way to ensure women receive the right support. SAP has also implemented the Leadership Excellence Acceleration Program (LEAP) to target high-potential women. By helping participants build brand visibility and political savvy, the program has achieved a 35% promotion rate in 18 months. But McInnis-Day isn’t resting on her laurels. “We have made tremendous strides toward bridging the gender gap, but we still have work to do. We cannot be complacent.” This means that staff at all levels must be willing to make the necessary changes, she adds. “Welcoming gender diversity into the workplace is a shared responsibility for everyone.”
Welcoming autistic talent
SAP also tackles diversity in the workplace by actively recruiting differently abled employees. This issue was deemed so important that SAP’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, Anka Wittenberg, made disability one of the key pillars of the firm’s people strategy. SAP’s main cornerstone of this objective is the Autism at Work program, which was established four years ago. The company’s goal is to have 1% of its workforce made up of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by 2020 – consistent with the
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percentage of people with ASD in the general population. When the program launched, Wittenberg commented: “They are employed not in spite of the fact that they are disabled but because of the strengths they bring by being autistic. People with autism excel in any repetitive task that requires a lot of attention, as well as in roles in communications, compliance, project management – and HR.” McInnis-Day says the program helped to increase the pride of SAP’s current employees and also attracted more people to the firm. SAP works with local recruitment companies and governments to help make its workplace ASD-friendly, to break down bias within the workforce and offer staff benefits tailored to those with ASD. The firm is also working with wider stakeholders and customers in the hope that they will follow this lead. “In the corporate world, we need to work to remove the stigma of the word ‘disability’,” McInnis-Day says. “We should work to create an environment where disabilities are viewed not as a negative description but instead as a trait. When someone says, ‘I have a disability’, we should interpret that to simply mean that individual works differently than we do.” When bringing the differently abled into the workforce, it is critical to do so for the right reasons, she adds. “We know that individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in the workplace, but why is it important to ensure they are included? We should not want to include them just to meet compliance standards.”
PROFILE
Juggling a global workforce
Name: Brigette McInnis-Day Company: SAP Title: Executive vice president, human resources
“One of the biggest challenges is that you can’t grow people fast enough,” McInnis-Day says in reference to her global responsibilities. “We have 22 tier-three leaders growing benchmarks for the company and solving these sorts of key issues.” One of SAP’s primary aims is to attract and retain employees through a robust rewards package. “We’ve set up a plan to prevent staff from being poached by our competitors,” she says. “To do this, we revamped our rewards package in less than a year.” Technology is also essential in managing a global workforce. After two and a half years in the role, McInnisDay can now identify every fast-tracker and quickly fill talent gaps through high-tech solutions such as the SuccessFactors platform. “For instance, if we need roles in India, we can look at the prerequisites and choose those who are most suitable. It’s much easier to cultivate our workforce.”
Years in the industry: 20 Awards received by SAP: »»Top 10, Best Multinational Workplaces in Asia 2016 »»Top 5, Best Companies to Work For in Singapore 2015 »»Top 3, Best IT Multinationals to Work at in Korea 2015 »»Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, Australia 2015
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COVER STORY
HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
HRD’s second annual Employer of Choice Awards have been voted on by the people who matter most: employees. Find out who’s leading the pack and why they’ve come out on top EVERY YEAR, nearly 20% of workers globally change jobs. This turnover can be significantly higher or lower depending on a range of factors. Every HR professional knows that an unhealthy level of turnover is costly to the business, and most will do whatever they can to halt the exodus. A key way to do this is by aspiring to gain external acknowledgement and verification as a leading employer. In the second annual HRD Employer of Choice Awards, we’ve posed a range of questions to employees (see boxout overleaf), asking about everything from their satisfaction with current remuneration through to
leadership effectiveness within their organisations. Importantly, these awards were voted on not by HR professionals themselves, but by the people within their organisations. Those companies that achieved the highest average scores from employees are acknowledged as ‘top performers’ in each subcategory. However, the Holy Grail must be the Employer of Choice winners. Gold, silver and bronze awards have been given to those employers in our three size categories that are excelling across the board. Over the following pages our winners reveal what’s worked for them.
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COVER STORY
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2016 OVERALL RESPONDENT SNAPSHOT
Company size
Gender
4%
1–99 employees 500+ employees
Male
Female
39%
45%
55%
57%
100–499 employees
How many hours do you work each week?
3%
43%
45%
8%
10–27 hours
28–47 hours
48–58 hours
58+ hours
METHODOLOGY Date of survey: May–July 2016 Method: Online survey Number of respondents: 1,354 entries from 111 companies Employer of Choice status was determined by averaging employee scores given to a range of questions/statements. Scores ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) for the following questions/statements: • “My employer provides satisfactory remuneration” • “My work provides sufficient opportunities for training and professional development” • “My work offers a clear career progression path for all employees” • “My employer has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion” • “My employer gives me access to the technology I need to do my work effectively” • “My workplace has a strong work culture and a high level of engagement” • “My employer fosters an environment of trust and empowerment” • “My employer demonstrates effective leadership” • “My employer helps me achieve a work-life balance” • “My employer supports my health and wellbeing”
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How many days of annual leave have you taken in the past 12 months?
14%
less than three days
33%
4–10 days
42%
11–20 days
8%
21+ days
12%
4%
Other
88%
Are you likely to change employers in the next 12 months?
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EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE: OVERALL WINNERS 500+ EMPLOYEES
J.P. Morgan Shell Eastern Petroleum Marina Bay Sands HRD CHATS with Ong Wei Han, senior country business manager, J.P. Morgan Singapore, winner of the gold award (500+ employees). HRD: What does this award mean for you personally, and the company as a whole? Ong Wei Han: It emphasises why I’m so proud to work for J.P. Morgan. As a firm, we really look to do the right thing, not just for our clients but also for our people. We have long understood that a successful business requires exceptional talent from multiple backgrounds and cultures, in the markets where we live and work. As our ideas and policies continue to evolve, we are definitely on the right track, as reflected by this award. HRD: What do you put your success in these awards down to? Is there anything you can highlight that you believe might have connected particularly well with employees? OWH: J.P. Morgan has an exciting, fast-paced environment and culture to work in. We place a lot of emphasis on creating a work environment where people are valued for who they are. The focus on diversity and inclusion, as well as on health and wellness, are important investments we make in our work environment. This is complemented by a wide range of internal development programs and internal mobility opportunities to fill in new roles. Our people can grow their careers and develop their skills with
us over a long period of time across a wide range of businesses and geographies. HRD: What would you classify as your biggest people-related challenge? OWH: The depth of the talent pool and wide variety of skill sets across Asia-Pacific makes it more important than ever that we continue to work on attracting the best and the brightest to begin and continue their careers with us. One common misconception is that we only focus on attracting traditional business students. Actually, we look across a much wider spectrum of students – from business to arts to engineering, science and technology – because the breadth of our business requires diverse skills and expertise. HRD: J.P. Morgan is a global company. What does that mean for the HR function – is it helpful to have connections globally? Does it help that you are a well-known brand? OWH: Having global connectivity and access to networks that cut across businesses and markets enables us to tap into fantastic resources and a diverse range of experiences and expertise within our own HR function. The brand is incredibly strong and valuable in attracting talent. Currently, an area of focus is making sure that we continue to effectively communicate the exciting opportunities presented by our company, and this industry – financial technology [known as fintech] is a good example.
Ong Wei Han, senior country business manager, J.P. Morgan Singapore
“The depth of the talent pool and wide variety of skill sets across Asia-Pacific makes it more important than ever that we continue to work on attracting the best and the brightest to begin and continue their careers with us” Ong Wei Han, senior country business manager, J.P. Morgan Singapore
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COVER STORY
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2016
EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE: OVERALL WINNERS 100-499 EMPLOYEES
Metro Drug Inc. Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore
KornFerry Futurestep HRD CHATS with Jun Obtinalla, AVP – HR, Metro Drug Inc., winner of the gold award (100–499 employees). HRD: What does this award mean for the company? Jun Obtinalla: For MDI, it is recognition that we are on the right track in continuing to deliver the brand promise – ‘Partnering Made Easy’. With a culture that considers the importance of people working on the front line, we deliver on our commitment to be the premier distribution partner of both local and multinational pharmaceutical companies in the Philippines, as validated by this award. HRD: How would you describe the corporate culture at Metro Drug Inc.? JO: It’s a service-centric culture. MDI operates a customer-focused business, proactively and passionately serving internal and external customers and responding promptly to their needs. We constantly strive for excellence and to exceed customers’ expectations. In order to achieve this, we operate our business always with continuous improvement in mind. We do our best to be flexible and adaptable, willing to learn and change for the benefit of our stakeholders. HRD: What would you classify as your biggest people-related challenge? JO: Retaining our best talents is one of our biggest
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people-related challenges. Given the company’s reputation for developing internal talents, our people become an easy target of the competition. While we may not be the highest-paying company in the market, we have a number of employee engagement programs in place. By engaging people and giving them a deeper understanding of how important their contributions are, MDI translates this into more productivity from its workforce, and at the same time higher profitability, culminating ultimately in the high employee engagement scores, as well as good financial performance indicators. HRD: Is attracting talent to your organisation a challenge? How do you recruit the best and brightest? JO: Yes, talent attraction is a challenge. However, the company applies very practical approaches and initiatives to attract and retain the key talents we need. To wit: 1. Build and grow talents from within 2. Create and develop strong talent pools and pipelines from without 3. Targeted selection 4. Internal talent pool linked to career management We also create partnerships through brand building; internally, via the Employee Referral Program, and externally, through university tie-ups and the Management Trainee Program.
AVP – HR Jun Obtinalla with the Metro Drug Inc. HR team
“This award validates the role of HR as a strategic partner in cultivating a culture, where our people actively contribute to the collective success of the company, and their values and behaviours reflect how we treat our clients and customers” Jun Obtinalla, AVP – HR, Metro Drug Inc.
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EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE: OVERALL WINNERS 1-99 EMPLOYEES
Cigna PKF-CAP Aluzinc Asia HRD CHATS with Christine Koh, senior HR manager, Cigna, winner of the gold award (1–99 employees). HRD: What does this award mean for you personally, and the company as a whole? Christine Koh: Personally, this award is timely, measuring the pulse of our employees and the effectiveness of policies that we have put in place. As a company, this marks a significant milestone for us as we’ve only been in operation for six years. HRD: What do you put your success in these awards down to? Is there anything you can highlight that you believe might have connected particularly well with employees? CK: It’s open communication, constantly hearing the voice of our employees. Employees see Cigna’s sincerity in bringing value to its customers, in improving their health, wellbeing and sense of security. HRD: How would you describe the corporate culture at Cigna? CK: Cigna, a global health service leader, is steered by strong leadership that believes that its people are the company’s strongest assets. Cigna builds a culture of collaboration and strongly encourages a growth mindset. We invest in quality people and equip them with
Cigna’s senior HR manager, Christine Koh
the necessary tools which allow them to succeed. HRD: As a smaller organisation, do you ever feel frustrated that you need more resources to do good things for your employees, or is being smaller actually a benefit, as you can devote more personalised time to each employee? CK: Being smaller is actually a benefit. We know each of our employees on a personal level and we are able to build deep connections with each of them. At Cigna, we have an open communication culture and we encourage dialogues with our employees. HRD: Cigna is also a ‘top performer’ in our remuneration subcategory. What does the company do to ensure employees are paid at or above market rates? CK: Bonuses reflect the way an employee impacts and adds value to the organisation. The rewards employees receive are reflective of their ability to reach business goals.
“Personally, this award is timely, measuring the pulse of our employees and the effectiveness of policies that we have put in place. As a company, this marks a significant milestone for us as we’ve only been in operation for six years” Christine Koh, senior HR manager, Cigna
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COVER STORY
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2016
REMUNERATION TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
Cigna J.P. Morgan Shell Eastern Petroleum
“The best talent will always have more choices in the market, so competitive performancebased remuneration is important. However, we also know that talented people also value environments that are collaborative, inclusive and innovative, while maintaining an appropriate balance between work and life outside of it. So we invest heavily in development and benefits programs that encourage these behaviours” Ong Wei Han, senior country business manager, J.P. Morgan Singapore
“I NEED a pay rise!” These words may be heard all too frequently by HR professionals, though fortunately at least 68% of the voters in this year’s Employer of Choice survey either agree or strongly agree that their employer pays satisfactory remuneration. As Ong Wei Han, senior country business manager at J.P. Morgan Singapore, points out, for most of these employees good compensation means balance and equity. One respondent says: “Pay may not be exceptionally high from a quantum perspective, but for the work-life balance and ‘pay-per-hour-worked’, it’s extremely competitive”. Another comments that their company has a “transparent bonus scheme”, and offers “purchase of equity” to its employees. Most of the employees deem their compensation to be fair as some are given a certain amount of freedom to decide how much time and resources they are willing to invest in the company, while others look at their peers in the industry and the market and find themselves in a better financial position. Some employees consider the non-financial benefits to be a critical component of their total rewards package: “The package is very comprehensive, especially for medical benefits”; “We have meals provided during duty, night transportation provided”. Even so, managers of these companies emphasise that “competitive salary packages are offered towards rank & file team members too”, recognising the importance of equitable distribution of pay across ranks through regular reviews and benchmarking. Notably, about a quarter of the respondents are neutral in their opinion on remuneration, and looking at the economic situation provides insight as to why this is so. Overall, the economy in Singapore appears stable, while there is still caution about the ripple effects of economic uncertainty and market volatility in China and in the region. Yet there are also sectors grappling with redundancies and falling oil prices that will continue to tighten budgets. These trends, coupled with the already mature market, explain the conservative outlook on salary increases and other reward schemes. One respondent suggests: “Global directives may impact on the local operation’s ability to reward on performance” – as would be the case for multinational corporations directly affected by these market conditions.
‘MY EMPLOYER PROVIDES SATISFACTORY REMUNERATION’
26%
Strongly agree
42%
Agree
24%
Neutral
6% 1%
Disagree Strongly disagree
0 24
10
20
30
40
50
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CAREER PROGRESSION SIXTY-FIVE PER CENT of employees agree that their employer communicates career path opportunities and the steps to be taken in order to be considered for promotion. In this space, Employers of Choice are crafting individually tailored career development plans with related training. Though one might expect the individual employees to define their future progression, in reality, the managers are not only expected to ensure the plans carry through but also to jump-start the process. One employee who gives their company a high rating states plainly that “yearly assessment is given, and superiors will ask for our career plans and expectations”. Another employee remarks that there’s “absolutely [a] welldefined career path and regular catch-up [with managers] to drive employees towards career progression”. These responses show that employees prefer, if not altogether expect, that management will take obvious steps to initiate career progression. This kind of expectation also explains the mixed reviews from employees of companies with more independent approaches to career progression. Some may accept the more autonomous approach, as one says: “[It’s] relatively fluid, in that most people ‘chart their own path’ ... perhaps not as structured as other firms, but each with its own pros and cons. There is clarity where there can be.” However, others respond negatively to this kind of system, with one describing it as “self-service in looking for another job within the company; [there is] no job security and only a theoretical career path”. Employers are also expected to undertake talent and career mapping, identifying key roles and suitable successors, and the development they require to move forward. Some employers offer horizontal moves and project-based development opportunities – important considerations with many of today’s flatter organisational structures. One respondent gives their employer a good rating for career progression because of “ease of development and movement within and across departments”. For global companies, promotions translate to appointments to regional roles and overseas transfers.
TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore
Jardine OneSolution PKF-CAP “The career progression is structured and the performance evaluations are transparent. We have appraisals, roundtables, and mentoring sessions to help our professional staff navigate well and stay on course in this tough terrain. In every team, there are always some who perform better than others. We always keep a lookout for high performers so as to groom them to be future leaders of the firm” Lee Engkian, partner, PKF-CAP
‘MY EMPLOYER OFFERS A CLEAR CAREER PROGRESSION PATH FOR ALL EMPLOYEES’
22%
Strongly agree
43%
agree
26%
Neutral
7%
Disagree Strongly disagree
3% 0
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COVER STORY
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2016
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
J.P. Morgan Metro Drug Inc. PKF-CAP “We consider training and development intertwined with the areas of career management, leadership and succession… To build a pipeline of leadership talent for higher roles, we work seamlessly with our regional office to establish an ‘Accelerated Leadership Course’ that connects with the regional programs for young talent, front-line managers and high-potential employees alike”
EMPLOYERS RECOGNISE the value created by offering employees access to training and development at all levels. It’s getting cut-through too – a significant 74% of respondents agree that their employer provides sufficient opportunities for career development. Many employees vouch for regular training sessions and development opportunities, with courses ranging from job-specific to leadership programs. Employers of Choice consider training as part of their regular work offerings, and understand the immediate impact this has on current work assignments. One employee writes that he is “consistently given opportunities to attend courses in order to enhance and expand my job scope”. Another praises the company for how it “prepares new joiners with numerous of trainings to get them ready to perform their job effectively and efficiently”. However, for others, training is not limited to task-oriented courses; it extends to organisational culture and practices. Here is a glowing review from one respondent: “Being part of a global company, I get to engage with my peers from all over the world, sharing best practices and expertise; plus, the company provides training and learning grants for professional courses and further studies. It is dynamic as employees take charge of their learning.” In line with this, others talk of regular interaction with overseas colleagues, learning about diversity and inclusion, and taking part in leadership development programs. Herein lies a divide in the L&D programs offered, with front-line employees taking part in regular and mandatory task-related courses, while employees in supervisory or managerial positions are exposed to cultural and leadership programs. Though this may be expected given the nature of their positions, some may feel discouraged by the lack of opportunities for leadership training. As one employee puts it strongly, “How can someone get ahead if training is not available for all levels?”
Jun Obtinalla, AVP – HR, Metro Drug Inc.
‘MY WORK PROVIDES SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT’
33%
Strongly agree
41%
Agree
20%
Neutral
5% 2%
Disagree Strongly disagree
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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION “D&I IS part of the core values, and is visible in the recruitment process,’’ says one respondent. “As a foreigner and minority in the department, I feel that my employer is always fair in granting promotions and treating the team members equally,” comments another. These responses affirm the actions Employers of Choice are taking to address issues of diversity and inclusion. A whopping 75% of respondents agree that their employer has a commitment to D&I. In fact, 39% of this group strongly agree with the statement, thus it garnered the highest percentage of ‘strongly agree’ responses out of all subcategories in the survey. Chan Yit Foon, SVP for HR, Marina Bay Sands, outlines the details of the hotel’s D&I efforts: “It is our aim to nurture an environment of openness and foster a deeper appreciation of diverse cultural backgrounds. To achieve this, the company invests in organising special events such as Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Iftar celebrations. “Our diversity and inclusion initiatives are also entrenched in our hiring strategy. Since opening, we have been working with different special needs schools to offer short-term work attachments or internships. “In addition, 10% of our workforce also consists of team members who are 50 years old and above, with the oldest being more than 70 years old.” Yet, while some respondents eagerly point to having colleagues of different ethnicities and nationalities as indicative of D&I, others speak of restrictions that management face in recruitment. One says outright that “currently, no foreigners are allowed to be hired”, while another comments that diversity does not extend to all departments as most of them “are open only for locals”. The Singapore Government is keen for employers to prioritise hiring locals over foreign workers, to the extent that the Ministry of Manpower has set up a foreign worker levy.
TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
J.P. Morgan Marina Bay Sands Shell Eastern Petroleum “Diversity and inclusion are the cornerstones of our corporate culture. Our clients, transactions, deals and projects are global, so we work hard to create diverse, inclusive teams that support this. It’s good for business and our employees because it leads to greater creativity, productivity and innovative solutions for our clients, shareholders and the communities in which we live and work” Ong Wei Han, senior country business manager, J.P. Morgan Singapore
‘MY EMPLOYER HAS A STRONG COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION’
39%
Strongly agree
36%
Agree
18%
Neutral
5% 2%
Disagree Strongly disagree
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COVER STORY
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2016
ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
Aluzinc Asia Marina Bay Sands Metro Drug Inc.
SEVENTY-SIX PER CENT of employees agree that their employer provides the necessary technology for them to perform their tasks effectively. As can be seen from the insights offered by our top performers, the technology provided for employees is geared towards improving efficiency through consolidation (placing all processes under one application/platform) and constant communication. The latter is particularly important for global companies, as evident from one remark: “I have access to the conference call facility to speak to colleagues from HK, UK and US on a weekly basis.” Another talks of how “access to mobile applications make it easy to work on the go”, which is invaluable given the increasingly fast-paced work environment today. Companies in the service/hospitality industry, in particular, understand how efficiency helps maximise resources and increase customer satisfaction. An example is given by Chan Yit Foon of Marina Bay Sands: “Technology plays a pivotal role across the resort’s operations, especially in the hotel, where for instance, housekeeping team members on the ground rely on handheld devices to retrieve information on the latest room status in real time.” In addition, employers also provide access to technology for HR-related matters, in an effort to improve accountability and transparency. One employee appreciates going digital as it creates a feeling of being “very tech savvy, reducing the use of paper”, which also makes it easier for all parties to keep records without clutter, and gives an impression of the employer being technologically up to date and environmentally friendly.
“All team members have equal access when it comes to making information readily available. In addition to an HR One counter, which is a one-stop solution provider to all HR-related enquiries for staff, we have also installed computers in the Team Dining Rooms and all around our Heart of House to allow staff to access their electronic payroll, apply for leave, participate in surveys, etc. Team members can also use these computers to access the company’s intranet, where they obtain latest updates on the company’s policies and announcements” Chan Yit Foon, SVP – HR, Marina Bay Sands
‘MY EMPLOYER GIVES ME ACCESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY I NEED TO DO MY WORK EFFECTIVELY’
34%
Strongly agree
42%
Agree
18%
Neutral
4% 2%
Disagree Strongly disagree
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WORK CULTURE & ENGAGEMENT OF ALL the categories, work culture and engagement received the highest score (4.06/5), and 76% of the respondents attest to a desirable work culture and high levels of engagement. At its roots, culture has much to do with cultivation and growth, which explains why employees say they have “good opportunities to learn”, and stay with their employers because they have “a great team environment”. The work environment and atmosphere is definitely key, and employees who are engaged in their work credit this to “a very fun and energetic culture”, where “employees are positive about their work and the company”. For employees, this is exemplified by clear values and knowing what a company stands for. As one employee puts it: “The company provides a great working culture globally and is driven by our values.” Some emphasise regular and clear communication from leaders as a sign of a strong culture and high engagement: “The open communication makes us feel secure and we are ensured of timely updates on the company’s direction. I’m happy with the environment and the quality of leadership. With the core values that the company has adopted, staff are proud to be part of the organisation.” Another writes: “We will receive messages from global CEO almost on a weekly basis, and we have regional heads updating us about the activities of the company … my company culture is highly engaging and inclusive.” These insights demonstrate how strong work culture/engagement is inextricably linked to the actions of leaders: “I’m satisfied as the leadership team is good and creates an environment where we can address our thoughts, opinions and concerns openly.”
TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
Aluzinc Asia Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore
Shell Eastern Petroleum
“We do our best to make their day happier and with enthusiasm and energy; we have initiated monthly indoor activities for our employees. We ensure full participation and maximum bonding sessions within the hotel. There are ‘monthly surprise activities’, which employees are informed about on the day itself” Derick Ooi, HR manager, Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore
‘MY WORKPLACE HAS A STRONG WORK CULTURE AND A HIGH LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT’
38% 38%
Strongly agree Agree
18%
Neutral
5% 2%
Disagree Strongly disagree
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COVER STORY
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2016
TRUST & EMPOWERMENT TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore
Jardine OneSolution KornFerry Futurestep
SEVENTY-THREE PER CENT of the respondents experience an environment of trust and empowerment with their employers. Real trust and empowerment comes from the type of culture fostered by company leaders. Trust is fostered when employees feel emboldened to express concerns about their work, because they know that management trusts their evaluation of the situation. One top performer in this subcategory, Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore, strives to ensure all processes are efficient and easy to navigate. Most importantly, employees are empowered to make informed decisions. “As a customer service provider, our employees are always reminded that we should be able to please and solve any challenges for our guests, so we are flexible in our work processes. We encourage our employees, when they make mistakes, to say that we will fix it with an honest apology and no fuss as part of our Brand Promise. This allows quicker decision-making by our employees,” says Derick Ooi, HR manager, Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore. As one survey participant says: “We have a culture of ‘check-ins’ where we will have dialogues about personal and career developments and other concerns that are impairing our work.” Another talks of how their management’s trust results in engagement: “I can feel their trust and confidence. I always go to work with excitement and positive outlook.” In a culture where seniority and tenure may be easily equated with experience, it is particularly empowering when younger employees “are encouraged to make difficult decisions”. Ultimately, the respondents say, it leads to the idea of equal opportunities for all, regardless of age or rank: “You are given the space to deliver and perform – everyone has a voice and chance.”
“Employees are given the autonomy to make decisions at work. For example, in order to simplify or streamline an internal process, employees may proactively discuss with managers or supervisors how to improve the process, and such initiations are always welcome. This creates a collaborative relationship between managers and their downline whereby ideas for improvements are always respected and taken seriously. Hence, employees feel empowered to initiate and take ownership to see to the end of streamlining a process” Lynn Pua, head of HR – SEA, JTH Group (parent company of Jardine OneSolution)
‘MY EMPLOYER FOSTERS AN ENVIRONMENT OF TRUST AND EMPOWERMENT’
34%
Strongly agree
39%
Agree
20%
Neutral
5% 2%
Disagree Strongly disagree
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LEADERSHIP SEVENTY-THREE PER CENT of respondents agree that their employer demonstrates effective leadership. Many employees consider an inclusive and open work culture as a sign of having good leadership, wherein managers are good listeners, not only “listening to input from junior staff”, but to the extent of “being there to listen to their employees in times of need”. Leaders must not only have ears to hear, but also eyes to see. One respondent gives an overall satisfactory rating because “the leaders are great and recognise good performance”. Employees also appreciate management taking initiative: “I have chats with senior management and they are always offering to help and give advice on how they can help me perform better.” In the Asian culture, the sense of hierarchy is very present, though not necessarily negative. One respondent puts it this way: “Leader-Subordinate respect is always there, that leaders lead by example & subordinates follow.” Another respondent describes their management team as “very considerate and competent in their respective capacities”, which goes to show that effective leadership requires not just skill but empathy. This attitude helps employees become more open to feedback. As always, the top performers in this subcategory lead the way. “Effective leaders must be adaptable,” says Lynn Pua, head of HR – SEA, JTH Group (parent company of Innovix Distribution). “Our leaders are not confined to strategies, products and processes of the past; they are able to get out of their comfort zone and recognise that times have changed ... Our core value, ‘Ownership’, requires our leaders to take responsibility for achieving the best results, which requires motivating their subordinates and co-workers to do likewise ... In addition, our leaders believe in recognising, attracting and developing talent so as to demonstrate that their leadership capability is effective.”
TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
Innovix Distribution Metro Drug Inc. PKF-CAP
“We are a group of people who prefer consensus over dictation. We listen, discuss and involve our people in many of the firm’s decisions. In this way, everyone feels involved and engaged” Lee Engkian, partner, PKF-CAP
‘MY EMPLOYER DEMONSTRATES EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP’
32%
Strongly agree
41%
Agree
19%
Neutral
6% 2%
Disagree Strongly disagree
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COVER STORY
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2016
WORK-LIFE BALANCE TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
Cigna KornFerry Futurestep Marina Bay Sands
SIXTY-NINE PER CENT of employees agree that their employer helps them achieve work-life balance, although the term for Employers of Choice should perhaps be ‘work-life integration’. This subtle redefinition reflects the ongoing intrusion of work into personal life. Employees are expected to be ‘on’ and contactable long after completing their nine-to-five day. The upside is that employers are working to extend all kinds of non-monetary on-site benefits for staff, and to accommodate flexible work arrangements. It’s ultimately a give-and-take relationship, flowing in both directions. Flexibility means not only freeing up work from the office space but also allocating more free time to people. One employee says: “The company makes sure that our colleagues enjoy work-life balance by giving us a couple of hours to go home early on Fridays, and having an electronic dart board in our pantry for us to enjoy time off with our colleagues.” Another talks of the “opportunity to maintain a well-balanced working and family lifestyle”; yet another appreciates getting to “work from home if there is an emergency”. Technology makes a critical difference for the employees who claim to have worklife balance and flexible working hours. It can be as simple as having “the reliable Blackberry to check emails when offsite” and “access to mobile applications that make it easy to work on the go”. It is also interesting to note that some employees’ definition of work-life balance has to do with health-related benefits. A number of employees refer to their health/ medical check-ups as a sign of the employer supporting work-life balance. Work-life balance is identified by other research as one of the main factors in employee retention in Singapore and Southeast Asia, and is inevitably linked to other categories such as remuneration, access to technology, and health and wellbeing.
“The company goes the extra mile to create a second home for our team members. Our Heart of House, the expansive area where the majority of our workforce is based, is a mini-city complete with a 24-hour convenience store, an AXS machine, ATMs, a sleeping room with beds, and a Healthcare Centre. We also organise after-work social activities for team members, such as cooking classes, health and wellness workshops” Chan Yit Foon, SVP – HR, Marina Bay Sands
‘MY EMPLOYER HELPS ME ACHIEVE A WORK-LIFE BALANCE’
31%
Strongly agree
38%
Agree
21%
Neutral
9%
Disagree
1%
Strongly disagree
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HEALTH & WELLBEING EMPLOYERS ARE starting to appreciate that a healthy employee is a happier and more productive employee – and it’s even better if the employer genuinely takes an interest in, and cares about, the health of all employees. Seventy-three per cent of respondents agree that their employer extends support for their health and wellbeing. Emphasis on health and wellbeing can be as basic as safety in the workplace, which is a critical part of the corporate culture of some employers, especially given the industries they operate in. “Safety culture is strong and we are empowered to intervene when someone is not acting in the safe manner,” suggests one respondent. Generally, employees refer to their annual health assessments and dental benefits as signs that their companies support health and wellbeing. However, beyond that, there are employers who recognise the social benefits of introducing health initiatives. One employee writes: “I can use my employee benefits to pay for gym memberships, and I have just been given a brand new Fitbit to wear for the current global fitness challenges. Employees in the company are tracking their physical activities in a friendly competition for six weeks and are rewarded with vouchers for healthy juices and sandwiches. Employees also get to pledge their activity points to a charity. The charity with highest points will receive donations from the company.” Respondents also welcome employers’ initiatives in educating them by conducting seminars and sponsoring activities and sports groups. One employer has its “own internal broadcast channel, played through a widget that presents an employee’s engagement in various activities”, which helps increase awareness and encourages everyone to take part.
TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
Cigna J.P. Morgan Shell Eastern Petroleum
“Cigna offers workplace wellness programs that motivate and encourage employees to stay healthy and fit. For example, there are regular communications focused on healthy diet and living. Each summer, a global fitness challenge takes place and employees worldwide are asked to clock in their minutes of exercise in a fun and friendly competition that creates improved habits of exercise for physical fitness” Christine Koh, senior HR manager, Cigna
‘MY EMPLOYER SUPPORTS MY HEALTH AND WELLBEING’
36% 37%
Strongly agree Agree
19%
Neutral
6% 2%
Disagree Strongly disagree
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FEATURES
CORPORATE WELLNESS
THE DARK SIDE OF THE DIGITAL ERA
The significant uptake of digital technology may be integral to Singapore’s quest to become the world’s first ‘smart nation’, but it’s also having a negative impact on our health and wellbeing. Can employers help to improve the situation, and if so, how? ADVOCATES FOR healthy lifestyles – and that should include every employer – have a new hurdle to jump over. The digital age, while wonderful for collaboration, productivity and connectivity, is also having a detrimental impact on our physical health and wellbeing.
Fu, Chief Corporate Solutions Officer, AIA Singapore, says companies investing in the health and wellbeing of their employees are reaping the benefits. “It’s not just a nice-to-have but we see it as a strategic business investment to ensure the
“Age is only one of the many determinants of how you should tailor your wellness program” Alvin Fu Indeed, the amount of time the average worker sits in front of a screen has given rise to a new saying: Sitting is the new smoking. That is, it has become one of the biggest health hazards facing the modern worker. Fortunately, employers are starting to appreciate that healthier employees make for not just happier employees but also more productive and engaged employees. Mr Alvin
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health and wellbeing of employees physically and psychologically,” he says. However, ad hoc approaches are not effective. Instead, there needs to be a plan and calendar of activities mapped out – from education sessions to health risk assessments, vaccinations and physical activities. Alvin adds that such initiatives not only promote healthy living but also create a stronger company
culture through regular employee engagement and team bonding.
A tailored approach While Singapore’s obsession with the latest digital innovations may be a shared root cause of poor physical wellbeing, this does not mean that a one-size-fits-all approach to fixing the problem is the best approach. And while Alvin says employee age is one key factor to consider when creating health and wellbeing solutions for employees, it’s by no means the only factor to weigh. “Age is only one of the many determinants of how you should tailor your wellness program,” he says. “I would recommend employers to work with their insurer to identify the common type of chronic diseases affecting employees.” For example, this could be high blood pressure, diabetes or musculoskeletal disorders. In cases where employees have musculoskeletal disorders from prolonged periods of sitting and poor posture, employers can organise talks on proper sitting posture, basic exercises to strengthen certain muscles, and weekly brisk walking activities.
Health and wellbeing in the digital era It’s somewhat ironic that in this digital era some of the most innovative solutions are being borne from technology. AIA’s 2016 Healthy Living Index Survey revealed that 64% of Singaporeans find that channels such as the internet or mobile phones are useful to help them keep track of their progress and stay motivated to exercise. This is higher than the regional average of 60%. In addition, 21% of Singaporeans use health tracking apps on their smartphone or tablet – a positive step in making our increasingly digital lifestyles work for our health. AIA’s 2016 Healthy Living Index Survey found that Singaporeans would be motivated to exercise or eat healthier if they had smaller
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Brought to you by
and more achievable goals (79%), received help to change one step at a time (79%), and were rewarded for reaching goals (73%). With growing evidence suggesting that employers can and should take a more active role in the wellbeing of employees, in 2013 AIA Singapore launched AIA Vitality. This first-in-market science-backed wellness
Vitality in Singapore works with partners to provide real benefits and discounts to members. These include Active Rewards of $5 Cold Storage vouchers for AIA Vitality members, clocking a minimum of 250 AIA Vitality points on physical activities every week, receiving an annual cashback when members achieve gold or platinum
“No effort is too small to be rewarded. We look forward to helping more Singaporeans live healthier, happier, better lives with AIA Vitality” Ho Lee Yen proposition provides participants with the knowledge, tools and motivation to help them take small steps to achieve their personal health goals. The key to AIA Vitality lies in its simplicity. At its core are three foundational steps: 1. Know your health 2. Improve your health 3. Enjoy your rewards Aligned with the Singapore government’s Healthy Living Master Plan, the AIA Vitality programme enables members to log their daily food intake, track their workouts, calculate calorie budgets, submit health check results and monitor their weight and BMI. Further reinforcing the AIA Vitality value proposition is point three above: Celebrating #LittleHealthVictories. “No effort is too small to be rewarded,” says Ms Ho Lee Yen, Chief Marketing Officer of AIA Singapore. “We look forward to helping more Singaporeans live healthier, happier, better lives with AIA Vitality.” In order to reward the small steps achieved on the path towards better health, AIA
AIA Vitality status on the anniversary of their membership, specially priced health screening packages, discounted gym memberships, dental assessments, travel rewards and even discounts on first year premiums for selected AIA plans. To encourage customers to improve their health, with higher AIA Vitality status, they can enjoy deeper discounts and rewards from some of AIA Singapore’s partners. While all AIA Singapore employees are automatically members of the AIA Vitality programme, the insurer is also keen to assist with the health of its customers’ employees. Hence, it offers AIA Vitality to its corporate customers as well as to individual policyholders – making AIA Singapore the first and only insurer to pay AIA Vitality members as they get healthier. Members start their journey on Bronze Vitality Status. As they get healthier and accumulate AIA Vitality Points, their AIA Vitality Status improves to Silver, then Gold and ultimately Platinum. The higher the AIA Vitality Status, the greater the rewards. To further spread the healthy word, AIA
USING TECHNOLOGY FOR GOOD While spending more time online has resulted in a more sedentary lifestyle for many, digital devices are also recognised as a useful tool to encourage healthy living. AIA’s 2016 Healthy Living Index Survey revealed the following: • 64% of Singaporeans find that digital channels such as the internet or mobile phones are useful to help them keep track of their progress and stay motivated to exercise, higher than the regional average of 60%. • 74% of Singaporeans rely on the internet for information and advice on healthy food, higher than the regional average of 67%. • 21% use health tracking apps on their smartphone or tablet. • 79% say they have taken some steps towards better health – and they welcome help to set health goals and monitor their progress. • 80% of Singaporeans blame their busy lifestyles for not taking steps towards healthier living – a much higher proportion than the regional average of 68%.* *This is consistent with the Sports Index 2014 by Sport Singapore, which found that 28 in every 100 Singaporeans are inactive and the top barrier to sports participation among the sedentary is a lack of time, cited by almost four in five (77%) of them.
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grand copthorne waterfront hotel singapore FEATURES
CORPORATE WELLNESS Brought to you by
PROVEN SUCCESS The AIA Vitality programme was launched in Singapore in 2013. However, its success overseas is already apparent. To cite just one example, US Vitality data indicates that Vitality members are less absent than non-members. ‘Vitality status’ Bronze
Silver
Gold
5.67 4.06 3.93
Platinum
3.59 Average sick days per year
AIA SINGAPORE AIA Singapore offers a wide range of products and services to ensure the physical, psychological and financial wellbeing of your employees are well looked after. Contact the AIA Singapore Corporate Solutions Team at sg.cscc@ aia.com for more information and let us tailor a holistic programme to suit the unique needs of your employees.
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Singapore has also launched the AIA Vitality Wellness Day for corporate customers, where employees will be treated to a fun-filled day of healthy activities such as getting onto the blender bicycle and ‘cycling’ to make their own healthy drink, and lucky dips when they complete certain activities.
Psychological health The emotional toll of stress, burnout and anxiety frequently make headlines in Western nations, and while psychological wellbeing is less prominent on corporate agendas in Asian cultures, AIA has seen an increasing demand for initiatives centred on this area. The AIA Vitality programme, for example, includes elements such as the Mental Wellbeing Assessment.
A holistic approach to health and financial wellbeing AIA Singapore is the market-leading group insurance provider with over 50 years of experience in providing packaged and customised employee benefits and group insurance services to organisations and their employees in Singapore. The range of employee benefits solutions includes: Group Term Life, Group Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Group Medical, Group Dental, Group Critical Illness and Group Long Term Disability products. Mobile technology is becoming an increasingly important part of life among Singapore’s population, with approximately four in five owning a smartphone, and two in five a tablet. To stay on top of these trends, in 2015 AIA Singapore launched AIA Employee Care, a mobile app that provides employees with easy and secured access to insurance claims submission and their policy information via their Android or Apple mobile devices running on iOS 6 and above. Employees covered by AIA Singapore under the AIA Employee Benefits Scheme can begin accessing their accounts immediately by
downloading the free app from Google Play or iTunes stores respectively. The key benefits of AIA Employee Care include: • eClaim^ Submission – Submit medical claim(s) through the app, without the usual paperwork in just three steps: 1) Login 2) Provide details of claim 3) Submit • eCard^ – Present their eCard at any Fullerton Healthcare panel clinic • Insurance Benefits Overview – Get an overview of their insurance benefits • Panel Clinic Locator – Locate the panel doctors by location, district, or medical specialty based on your GPS location • Claim Status – View your past processed claims
P
The time for action is now The unhealthy lifestyles of Singaporeans have seen the country slip to number nine on AIA’s 2016 Healthy Living Index among 15 nations in the region. Fortunately, Singaporeans readily admit that they can do more, are willing to take small steps to be healthier, and welcome help to improve their health. Employers play a major role – and it’s not just about being altruistic either: employers stand to benefit. Indeed, the impact of a holistic wellness program like Vitality on lowering sick days and increasing employee engagement scores is well documented in South Africa and the US. For example, a Vitality Gold member is only sick 3.9 days a year as compared to a Vitality Bronze member who is sick 5.7 days per year (see graph). “In Asia, companies are only beginning this journey, and we believe that companies following an established wellness program will see positive results. This will also help to lower the medical claims costs leading to lower insurance premiums for companies,” says Alvin. “At the end of the day, our aim is to empower more individuals to lead healthier, happier and better lives with their families.” ^The eClaim and eCard functions are only applicable to services provided by Fullerton Healthcare.
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HRL Asi
2016
12 October 2016 Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore
THE PREMIER EVENT FOR HR PROFESSIONALS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA FEATURING: Eugene Lam
Angeline Oh
Regional HR Director, Kimberly-Clark
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THOSE WITH an eye for statistics may have felt their hearts sink upon reading the 2015 Singapore Board Diversity Report, which revealed that among 676 SGX-listed companies, only 9.5% of board directors, 4.5% of CEOs and 3.3% of chairpersons were female. Further, according to the Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum, on a global scale of 145 major and emerging countries Singapore only comes up close to midway at rank 57 in terms of calculated gender gaps. Despite the talk, despite the calls to action, it seems not enough is being done to break down the barriers facing females when it comes to senior positions. In a First World country like Singapore, where women are well educated, have a high literacy rate, and make up half of the Singapore resident workforce, this slow progress is galling.
Changing the status quo
HOW UNCONSCIOUS BIAS HOLDS US BACK Despite the talk, not enough action is being taken to ensure gender diversity in the upper reaches of business. HRD explores how unconscious bias is a contributing factor 38
Dr Sophia Zhao, Research Scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership, says that many organisations pay lip service to gender equality but little more than that; it remains all talk and no action. “With more media discussion on this topic, leaders may have realised and/or recognised the importance and benefits of having more women leaders. However, it takes more than individual effort to change the existing system, institution and culture,” she says. Nevertheless, there is something that individuals and organisations can be mindful of: unconscious bias. Zhao explains: “Unconscious bias affects how individuals think of themselves and others as leaders. When women hold such bias, self-limiting thoughts may become their career blocker. Unconscious bias also affects how organisations define, select, promote and evaluate leaders. Managers may make decisions with no intention to slow down the gender equality progress.” The Center for Creative Leadership’s article, Decoding and Overcoming the Unconscious
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Gender Bias Effect, which was co-authored by Zhao, clearly outlines the deep gender-based stereotypes that many people still hold: “Traditional perceptions of leadership such as being assertive, masculine, and logical are often associated with predominantly male qualities. Women who want to advance their career often find themselves facing a double bind of being either capable or liked – but not both. A recent study by the Center for Creative Leadership found that women are twice as likely to be called ‘bossy’ at work than men; while men are just as likely, if not more likely, to act ‘bossy’. Moreover, bossy women co-workers are seen as more unpopular and less likely to be successful in the future, compared to bossy men co-workers.”
Things have improved – but only slightly Since CCL’s first use of the term ‘glass ceiling’ in the 1980s, more women around the world have successfully reached higher positions in organisations. However, the bias does not end when women break through the glass ceiling to climb up the career ladder. Even after they rise to a certain position, gender bias is still present. Another piece of research* using CCL’s 360-degree assessment data revealed that when women executives (those who have already broken through the glass ceiling) showed diversityvaluing behaviours in the workplaces, their performance ratings were penalised. Why is this so? CCL’s article states: “Valuing diversity highlighted their demographic characteristics and activated the negative stereotype of women that they are incompetent and nepotistic. There seems to be no winning when it comes to advocating greater diversity in the organisation – in fact, when a woman hiring manager advocated hiring a female manager despite the candidate being competent, the hiring manager got lower scores for both competency and performance.
“Both men and women need to be aware of the gender bias they hold against either men or women. To develop more women leaders, we need to involve both men and women at all levels” Dr Sophia Zhao “This research provides an alternative perspective to the ‘Queen Bee Syndrome’, which describes a woman in a position of authority who views or treats subordinates more critically if they are female. It is possible that these women, amidst a male-dominated world, are acutely aware of the potential cost to promote other women – they may be seen as incompetent and accused of favoritism. Consequently, they hesitate to sponsor junior women.”
Busting myths This unfortunate cycle outlined above reinforces a challenge that women face of having a limited access to both networks and sponsors – reinforcing what CCL describes as “a vicious inadequacy” that causes them to be hesitant to advocate for themselves or ask for what they want. In addition, despite greater awareness of the effects of unconscious bias, there remain some lingering myths. The first myth is that all types of bias are negative. “Don’t get it wrong – cognitive bias is indeed a gift of nature, providing us with the ability to make quick decisions when facing a multitude of information,” says Zhao. She cites the best-selling book by Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow. Kahneman points out that there are two systems in the brain – system 1 is unconscious and fast while system 2 is conscious, rational
and careful, but painfully slow. “No matter how hard we try, we cannot deactivate system 1 and our brains have the tendency to take ‘short-cuts’ – that’s why we have stereotypes and assumptions,” Zhao says. Another myth about unconscious bias is that we can’t change it; it’s part of who we are and these biases are engrained for life. Not true. “The good news about unconscious bias
THREE TIPS TO ERADICATE UNCONSCIOUS BIAS Examine your own bias. Gender bias excludes no one – both men and women alike. Some questions to ask yourself include: Do I perceive women as individual contributors, high-potentials, and leaders, rather than as women? Do I judge women’s behaviours, performance, and success by the same standards as a man?
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Question the system. Do we see the current design of the system favouring men’s lifestyles and situations? Does the data show that men are getting more opportunities to rise, even though there are equally competent women?
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Do not assume; ask. There are men who do not want to travel; there are women who prioritise work over family. Organisations need to take actions on a general policy level – with arrangements applying to both genders.
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Source: The Center for Creative Leadership’s article, Decoding and Overcoming the Unconscious Gender Bias Effect
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FACEBOOK’S ACTION PLAN Facebook has struggled with gender inequality but has sought to improve the number of female leaders in its ranks by concentrating on four common types of biases. 1. Performance bias Performance bias occurs when people who are part of a dominant group, such as whites or men, are judged by their expected potential, while those who are part of less dominant groups, such as people of colour or women, are judged by their proven accomplishments. 2. Performance attribution bias When it comes to decision-making, unconscious biases cause some people to be perceived as ‘naturally talented’, whereas others are presumed to have ‘gotten lucky’. People on the receiving end of these biases are less likely to receive credit for their ideas, are interrupted more often during team interactions and have less influence on teams. 3. Competence/likeability trade-off bias Research shows that success and likeability are positively correlated for men and negatively correlated for women. Women are expected to be nurturing and care-taking, while men are expected to be assertive and action-oriented. Having to produce results and be liked makes it harder for women to get hired and promoted, negotiate on their own behalf, and exhibit leadership. 4. Maternal bias Research shows that women who are mothers experience an unconscious bias in the workplace that fathers and women without children do not. Mothers are disliked when not seen as nurturing mothers, and are given fewer opportunities as a result. Source: Facebook, Managing Bias (managingbias.fb.com/)
is, once you are conscious of it, you can correct it,” says Zhao. “Both men and women need to be aware of the gender bias they hold against either men or women. To develop more women leaders, we need to involve both men and women at all levels.” However, to make a change, the first step is to be aware of any bias you may hold. This first step is also the most difficult, Zhao says. “One needs to understand how unconscious bias works at the personal level to reinforce the stereotype against some groups.” Secondly, in the case of negative stereotypes, we must self-correct. When it comes to gender issues, the stereotype is rooted in historical and cultural values and is applied to both men and women. In the workplace, unconscious gender bias affects how we expect, perceive, judge and work with men and women leaders. “When making decisions, step back and
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be aware of the unconscious bias,” Zhao suggests. “Ask yourself: will my decision be different if the gender – or other social identity – changes? If necessary, seek feedback from relevant stakeholders.” Organisations can also take positive steps. Zhao suggests four key action points: 1. Hold workshops to build awareness and common language among employees 2. Invite feedback on the current procedures and systems if there exists unconscious bias 3. Help build a network where people can support each other 4. Nurture an environment where people feel secure to talk about the issue She also suggests that ‘blind recruitment’, whereby personal details such as gender are omitted from résumés, is a good practice to reduce the negative impact of unconscious bias. Or simply, before the recruiting process,
CENTER FOR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) is a top-ranked, global provider of leadership development. By leveraging the power of leadership to drive results that matter most to clients, CCL transforms individual leaders, teams, organisations and society. Our array of cutting-edge solutions is steeped in extensive research and experience gained from working with hundreds of thousands of leaders at all levels. Ranked among the world’s Top 5 providers of executive education by Financial Times and in the Top 10 by Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CCL has offices in Greensboro, NC; Colorado Springs, CO; San Diego, CA; Brussels, Belgium; Moscow, Russia; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Singapore; New DelhiNCR, India; and Shanghai, China.
managers can list the competencies they are looking for. This exercise can help them focus on these criteria when they screen candidates. “Recently, some high-tech companies in Silicon Valley initiated campaigns against gender bias – Google and Facebook [see box] are examples. The most important lesson to learn is this: make unconscious bias public and ensure people are aware of it.” Just as critically, all leaders must champion diversity and inclusion. Creating a diverse and inclusive work environment is not only a woman’s responsibility. When dominant group members (eg men) value diversity, their performance evaluation is higher than those who do not demonstrate diversity-valuing behaviours. As CCL states: “Involving men in the diversity campaign can prove to be a winwin for all.” *Hekman, D.R., Johnson, S., Foo, M.D., & Yang, W. (2016). Does diversity-valuing behavior result in diminished performance ratings for nonwhite and female leaders? Academy of Management Journal
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TALENT MANAGEMENT
FAST-TRACK TO THE TOP
The pace of change in business has escalated, but has your leadership pipeline kept up? HRD explores one proven way to accelerate high-potentials up the ranks AS A business leader you probably know the feeling: you’ve identified someone who ticks a lot of the boxes as a high-potential employee. You’ve looked at past performance and you have that nagging ‘gut feeling’ that this person could be someone to invest in. You think you’re onto a winner. However, thinking you’re onto a winner and knowing you’re onto a winner are two radically different scenarios. Thankfully, you are not alone: too many managers still rely
candidates based on less-than-sound evidence, Tan says there’s often a lack of clarity in determining how many potentials an organisation actually needs. “Although there is no ‘exact formula’, companies and leaders should be considering macro trends like the direction of their business/industry, government regulations/ political landscape, workforce analytics, etc, as well as micro trends in terms of what is
“Organisations need to realise that growing talent is not a job for HR alone. We need leaders across the whole organisation to grow leaders” Dr Desmond Tan on gut feel and their own bias over anything more insightful. “In the identification of high-potentials, the lack of objectivity or a set of criteria in identifying potentials is still prevalent. Differentiating performance, potential and readiness to succeed in a future role does not occur,” says Dr Desmond Tan, director of consulting at DDI Singapore. In addition to the problem of selecting
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happening within their own organisations, operational needs and the structure/processes/ resources needed to support such a program,” he says. It’s also worth noting that the government recognises that the economic outlook isn’t very positive, so they are providing subsidies to ensure companies are able to offer development programs to employees in these difficult times.
A discipline rather than ad hoc Tan says it is often much easier to launch a leadership development program than it is to sustain their effectiveness via effective behaviour change – bearing in mind that this is happening in an environment of rapid and volatile changes. “When we look at organisations that have generated impressive gains in the form of behaviour change, skill enhancement and stronger leadership performance, they do one thing differently. They make leadership acceleration a discipline. These organisations keep score on the right outcomes, and ownership of converting leaders from ‘Not Ready’ to ‘Ready’ is clearly defined,” Tan says. Tan cites an example of an organisation that failed to meet its financial goals: does that fall solely on the finance department? No – everyone in the organisation had a role to play, from the sales team that failed to hit revenue numbers, to the various departments which were unable to minimise their costs, and so on. In DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast 2016, 85% of the respondents identified senior management as the ones accountable for developing high-potential leaders. However, only slightly more than half of HR leaders indicated that their organisation has a mentoring/coaching program specifically designed to address the unique needs of high-potentials. Yet, when asked what development practices most affected leadership development quality, high-potentials selected mentoring by a significant margin. HR must address this disconnect between two very important organisational constituencies. “At the end of the day, organisations need to realise that growing talent is not a job for HR alone. We need leaders across the whole organisation to grow leaders,” Tan says. “This is what DDI means when we say leadership acceleration needs to be a discipline, not just ‘another’ initiative.” Another key consideration is recognising
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that no one can ever be fully ready to step into leadership roles. “The reality is that the world will inevitably present new challenges for leaders, so the only viable response is to constantly and continually prepare for what lies ahead,” Tan says. “‘Ready Now’ is not a permanent place at which individuals arrive or a state that organisations achieve. What we need to do is to help future leaders change their mindset to continually look forward, scan the environment in anticipation for the next challenge, and work with discipline to prepare for it.” Finally, leadership acceleration requires experimentation; failure at some point is inevitable. “Pressure to produce results in the face of competition, scrutiny, and urgency breeds impatience,” Tan explains. “Strong performers will find themselves in situations that test their competence and stamina. Senior executives and managers will similarly struggle to demonstrate they are affecting change. We can’t just give up when a future leader fails in a key assignment and relegate them to obscurity.” The most innovative, agile organisations in the world crush the impulse to punish failure and cultivate the practice of capitalising on it. They ensure that failures are small, frequent, fast, and useful. “When we capture the learning from a disappointment and channel it to support a leader in taking on a new and different challenge, fortitude is bolstered, confidence increased, and momentum built,” Tan says.
ACCELERATING LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL DDI’s six Acceleration Imperatives are designed to help business leaders make choices about how to channel their efforts and focus on the specific aspects of their leadership acceleration system that are most essential in their business context. While the six Acceleration Imperatives imply a sequence, each organisation will have their own unique starting point – making progress on leadership acceleration by leveraging strengths and building in the areas that will create the greatest return within its unique business context. “Many of our most successful client partners have carefully chosen one or two Acceleration Imperatives and focused on being great in those areas without completely neglecting the others,” says Tan. “Likewise, you don’t have to excel in each, but you’ll need to be aware enough about the remaining Acceleration Imperatives to avoid a system breakdown.”
Commit
Sustain
adopt acceleration as a business priority
aggressively manufacture the energy for growth
Aim
Grow
make the right development happen
Acceleration
Assess
accurately evaluate readiness gaps and give great feedback
define leadership success for your business context
Identify
make efficient, accurate decisions about whom to accelerate
Accelerating your high-potentials DDI’s Acceleration Imperatives (see box) is a system of parts – similar to a car and the various components that complement one another for the vehicle to work. “When we look closely at each of these Acceleration Imperatives, you’ll find that none of them are new concepts. If you are a veteran of leadership acceleration, you likely have had
hands-on experience with most or all of them,” Tan says. However, while the descriptions of each imperative might seem like common-sense steps to success, many organisations are still facing challenges at each step – including identifying high-potentials.
Tan suggests that identifying highpotential talent starts with one question: ‘What are we identifying the talent for?’ The answer can be something as simple as identifying talent to be department heads in three years’ time. However, there are many more questions that follow. For example:
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What will department heads need to be able to do now? Will those demands still be the same in three years’ time? Will the business itself still be the same in three years’ time? DDI uses business drivers as the starting point in identifying talent. Business drivers are the broad leadership challenges that must be hurdled to execute an organisation’s strategic and cultural priorities and to drive the business forward. Once these have been identified, leaders would know what to focus on and what is to be achieved. In turn, the organisation would know which specific
of leadership development initiatives can be tedious and time-consuming – which is why HR often feel intimidated by it. That reluctance is aggravated if they focus on the wrong outcomes to be measured – finding out only later that all their efforts were in vain. Tan says the one metric to look at is growth – and growth only happens when learning is applied to performance, which is how the measurement targets of a leadership acceleration system must be aimed. “Our advice is to choose only the most crucial metrics of growth and relentlessly pursue them,” Tan says. “It is far better
“Based on the organisation’s leadership priorities and gaps, choices will need to be made on how to identify leadership potential, assess readiness, accelerate growth, and drive performance, etc” DEVELOPMENT DIMENSIONS INTERNATIONAL Development Dimensions International (DDI) helps companies transform the way they hire, promote, and develop their leaders and workforce. Our expertise includes: • Talent Acquisition–Increase selection precision to reduce turnover and speed up productivity. • Leadership Development – Develop leadership skills at every level. • Succession Management – Identify leadership potential earlier, accelerate growth, and prepare for key transitions.
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Dr Desmond Tan skills and capabilities have to be developed in its leaders to drive these business goals. “In short, organisations will need to specify precisely what their leadership priorities are, where will the leaders be needed, how many the organisation needs and when the leaders will be ready,” Tan says. “Based on the organisation’s leadership priorities and gaps, choices will need to be made on how to identify leadership potential, assess readiness, accelerate growth, and drive performance, etc.”
ROI Business leaders are also aware that HR can sometimes struggle to demonstrate return on investment when it comes to high-potential programs. Measurement
to measure very few things well than to measure many things inaccurately.” DDI recommends the use of an Acceleration Dashboard that would ensure that the organisation will identify the most important outcomes of success and that talent growth is directly tied to business objectives. This would include: Talent reviews completed, high-potential leaders identified, learning courses conducted, percentage of ready-now leaders, business impact of development, and retention rate of key talent. As reliable as your ‘gut feel’ might be, today’s tools will ensure your organisation’s leadership pipeline remains flexible and agile enough to shift with the changing times in which businesses operate.
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GLOBAL HR LEADER
PAT WADORS – LINKEDIN
A THINKER IN A WORLD OF TALKERS Do you pause before you speak? Do you have what could be described as a ‘rich inner life’? You’re probably an introvert. Iain Hopkins chats to one global HRD who uses introversion to her advantage
PAT WADORS, global head of talent at LinkedIn, starts her conversation with HRD with a personal anecdote from when she first started at LinkedIn three years ago. “People would see me standing at the back of leadership meetings. Someone said, ‘Pat, what are you doing? You’re head of HR; go sit on the front table’. I said, ‘I can’t do that.’ When I was asked what that meant I explained that I felt overwhelmed and didn’t want to use up all my energy in one go; it was like stranger danger in my head. I felt uncomfortable.” Wadors elaborates that it wasn’t that she felt overwhelmed by her role, which is the most senior HR position globally at LinkedIn – far from it – but she was displaying the typical traits of an introverted leader. “Being an introvert has been interesting to me because that’s my energy – I like to read, to be with my family, to spend time with a few close friends. My energy thrives when I’m mainly by myself. When I’m with my work team and my employees, they see me and think I’m extroverted because I give all my energy
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away. They don’t see me at the end of the day when I’m by myself and exhausted.” Wadors says “unstructured” settings make her anxious – hence she generally does not stick around for happy hour after-work drinks, and networking in her previously held sales
probably not going to happen – introverts want to have fully formed ideas, not halfbaked ideas, before they open their mouths.” With the help of a coach and also renowned author and TedX speaker Susan Cain, Wadors says she “learned to
“If you want to lead you need to take away the guessing work of people around you as a leader. You need to tell them who you are so they don’t misinterpret you” roles was difficult. It was only when a coach told her that she was an introvert “but no one else knows that” that things started to click. “If you want to lead you need to take away the guessing work of people around you as a leader. You need to tell them who you are so they don’t misinterpret you,” Wadors says. “For example, if you want to bring the best out of me during a brainstorming session it’s
navigate” her own personality type: she discovered her strengths, weaknesses, how she communicated, how people perceived her. These personal experiences have resulted in a LinkedIn program called Quiet Ambassadors, co-designed by Cain and her organisation, The Quiet Revolution. “It’s teaching people about how to pull out the best in yourself, no matter your personality.
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PROFILE Name: Pat Wadors Company: LinkedIn Title: Global head of talent Years in the industry: 3 years, 4 months Previous roles: »»HR executive adviser, Twitter »»SVP HR, Yahoo! »»CHRO, Align Technology Honours and awards: 2015 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology – National Diversity Council Honours and awards: Ramapo College of New Jersey – BS Bus Mgmt, HR Mgmt/Minor Psychology First HR role: Senior compensation analyst, Viacom
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GLOBAL HR LEADER
PAT WADORS – LINKEDIN It’s about not feeling overwhelmed by the extrovert who likes to speak over the top of others,” Wadors says. Those on the pilot program are being taught how to be advocates for others, so it can scale up in every LinkedIn location around the world. “They’ll be taught how to be an introvert leader or how to manage introverts. We’ll include extroverts next time round so they can manage introverts and get more from them. “There’s a perception that introverts want to be let off the hook and not have to talk, not have to contribute. That’s not really true. But it’s getting them to talk in a way that they don’t lose energy. We’ll teach both sides of the coin, so how to get the most out of each other. The ambassadors are being taught how to do that in a six-month program; they’ll get a certification and then they’ll do the next class,” Wadors explains. What’s the top tip Wadors has discovered? She focuses on brainstorming sessions, which for introverts can be scary. “You’re processing a million things really fast, and by the time you format an idea the room has already moved on. Then people are pressuring you – you’re not adding any value because you’re not talking. Introverts like to write their notes and submit their notes to the team, but the ship has already left so it leads to frustration,” she says. Wadors teaches others how to inject their initial thinking into a room of people, and to validate that this initial thinking is worth communicating. It doesn’t have to be 100% right, but it’s getting into the habit of speaking out. She also teaches people how to use their body language to communicate more. “I actually spent time in a leadership meeting a year ago to test my theory out. I said, ‘I communicate more with my body than I do with my words’ – no one believed me. When I was in a three-hour meeting, all I did was lean in, write notes, and nod my head. By the time I walked out my boss said, ‘Great meeting, everyone participated; I know what everyone is thinking’. He never knew I didn’t say a word. He read my body
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language; he knew where I was aligned, where I wasn’t aligned – just because of how I was behaving. That’s powerful.”
Tackling gender inequality Being an introvert advocate is not the only issue Wadors has focused on. She has also targeted D&I. Although she’s undertaken research and spoken on the topic, she says this is not sufficient to “move the needle”. Instead, she says it’s necessary to change people’s minds and hearts and concentrate on ‘belonging’. “That’s what people need – to feel like they belong,” she says. “They want to know they are wanted, needed, they are safe. It’s one of those things that we as humans seek. If we don’t create belonging moments, if we don’t transform the moments of uncertainty when you’re being hired or onboarded, these people won’t stay. They won’t feel they fit in, they won’t thrive, they won’t show their best selves.” Wadors has developed the dibs (Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging) initiative, which refers to the practice of ‘calling dibs’ on something – you might call dibs on a last slice of pizza, for example. “I thought it would be interesting to call dibs on diversity,” she says. She spoke to around 5,000 women at a Professional Businesswomen’s Conference in March about the dibs concept and it was well received. “Since then I’ve been saying that belonging has no borders – it includes everybody. It’s whatever makes you unique – it could be your religion, your socio-economic status, your age, the colour of your skin. It doesn’t matter; everyone wants to belong. It takes the emotional heat out of diversity and asks what is the natural social grace you want to apply to everyone? How do you make people feel warm and welcomed and relaxed and to be themselves?” Wadors cites myriad research, and one of these studies looked at students and belonging. This piece of research suggested that around 20–30% of time is wasted when students don’t feel they belong. “It’s the black male at university who worries about how closely he follows a white female through a door. It’s how they
USING INTROVERSION TO YOUR ADVANTAGE Pat Wadors provides three tips for bringing your best self to work: 1. “Introverts love processes and lists. If you create a development plan for yourself each year and create an agenda for your boss it can be easier to articulate your needs as an introvert. For me, I go to my boss, my CEO, and ask for feedback every other week. I do it as part of a routine. I ask him, what do you need me to do? If I put it as part of my everyday process I’m less shy and reluctant to speak up.” 2. “As part of a typical team meeting there might be, say, eight agenda items. I’ll highlight two of them that I’m very passionate about. I’ll write one note on each. I commit to verbalising that idea. I start to voice my internal thinking.” 3. “Another rule of thumb: if you think of something three times, you must say it in that room. Don’t let yourself off the hook. Once you become good at that, do it two times. If you think it twice, you must speak up. You care about that thought for some reason, so let’s voice it and see what happens. That gives you the power to talk where an introvert would naturally want to recline. You can train yourself and it does get easier.”
dress, how they talk. They put so much energy into that, it distracts them from their study. It distracts them from how they listen and learn in class because they’re worried about the next thing they’re going to say. So the thought to my peers is to create belonging moments and teach moments of belonging behaviours to make it natural, like building blocks.” To ensure the program is gaining traction, the next bi-annual LinkedIn engagement survey will introduce five new questions about the dibs initiative. “I can’t wait for those results, but I’m super excited to see how we’re tracking,” Wadors adds.
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INSIDE HR
Banking on learning and leadership Singapore’s longest-established bank has grown and thrived for more than eight decades thanks to its highly skilled workforce. Miklos Bolza sat down with Jason Ho, head of group human resources, to find out what L&D initiatives lie behind the bank’s success
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WHILE INTERNATIONAL banking giants may be struggling, Singapore’s local banking leaders are looking towards the future. And it’s clear that Jason Ho, the head of group human resources at OCBC Bank, doesn’t want to be anywhere else on Earth right now. “I like the buzz and excitement that come with this position,” he says. “It’s a role that can provide one with the chance to influence the culture of an organisation – not many job functions can offer this.” Having spent almost three decades in the banking industry, Ho has worked his way up through firms such as KBC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Volvo Group Treasury Asia. After joining OCBC as head of asset and liability management, global treasury, in January 2013, he later took up the position of head of group human resources in July 2015. Since then, he has helped with a vast range of initiatives, including the recent refurbishment of the OCBC Campus – a $58m L&D hub with more than 32,000 square feet of training space for 400-plus learners. After the recent campus upgrade – where walls were adorned with inspirational paintings of famous faces such as Albert Einstein, Bruce Lee, Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey – HRD sat down with Ho to find out more about how OCBC promotes L&D within its global workforce.
HRD: Can you tell us about the L&D programs you have at OCBC? Are there any that are unique to the firm? Jason Ho: Like most organisations, we are fully equipped to deliver on training for all key competencies required, but where we differ is in our approach. We take a longterm view of promoting people development and are committed to helping every
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FEATURES
INSIDE HR
A TOUR OF THE OCBC CAMPUS The OCBC Campus occupies more than 32,000 square feet in Singapore’s CBD. It boasts 12 classrooms, eight discussion rooms, a service simulation laboratory, a multipurpose hall, a video recording studio and a theatrette. A recent upgrade added a pop art gallery to the campus; its walls are adorned with modern art renditions of famous faces such as Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Muhammad Ali, Albert Einstein, Bruce Lee, Coco Chanel and Malala Yousafzai. The OCBC Campus currently offers more than 900 classroom-based programs and more than 60 e-learning courses. These cover three areas of focus: banking and finance, leadership and employee development, and customer experience. Courses are offered largely to employees of the bank and use a variety of training methodologies, including classroom learning, e-learning, experiential learning, in-house videos and virtual classrooms. Students from the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University are also able to attend banking and finance training courses on campus. OCBC established its training department in the 1970s with courses initially offered on a small-scale, ad hoc basis. In the 1990s, the bank established a basic training facility that provided soft-skills training programs. This was transformed into a full-scale Learning & Talent Development Academy in 2006, which took up an entire floor at the OCBC Centre. The OCBC Campus was later opened in 2013 to further expand the bank’s L&D offerings.
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colleague increase their employability while inspiring their personal growth. By incorporating elements of personal development in our programs, we endeavour to equip our employees with skills for both their personal and professional development, and ensure that they are future-ready. This long-term emphasis we place on L&D is the reason the bank has invested $58m in our OCBC Campus, a wholly owned 10-storey building in the central business district dedicated as a learning and development hub for employees. We have a range of L&D initiatives that meet the different needs of our staff. Our L&D programs fall within three main faculties – banking, leadership and employee development, and customer experience – with varying levels of proficiency ranging from foundation to specialist.
HRD: Can you tell us a little bit more about your initiatives in these three faculties? JH: In the banking faculty, our curriculum delivers most of the technical competencies required of a bank employee. Our signature programs, customised to the bank, are our Credit Induction Program, the OCBC Certification in Corporate Banking, and Practical Introduction to Derivatives and Structured Products. In the leadership and employee development faculty, our curriculum is based on the OCBC Leadership Competency framework. As an example of our long-term view of employee development, we have a longrunning program called Career Best, which takes employees on a personal self-discovery journey to uncover their career orientation, and allows employees to plan their career progression at the bank. Our employee development programs are also guided by the belief that employees should be developed holistically and that learning can happen anywhere. To this end, we launched the OCBC Holistic Development Program last year, which adopts three different methods of learning to engage and
enliven the employees’ senses: exploratory, experiential and structured. These include outdoor, musical, theatrical and lifestyle courses based on sound learning principles, offered at the OCBC Campus and off-site. In the customer experience faculty, we equip employees with the knowledge and skills to deliver a differentiated customer experience. Our foundation programs – Connect and Tuned-in – are highly customised by job roles, while our signature programs, such as Branding Through People, focus on the personal branding of our employees and their alignment with the OCBC brand, enabling our employees to be confident brand ambassadors of the bank.
HRD: How have you developed your L&D programs over the years? How do you decide what methods to use? JH: We develop strategic learning plans by aligning broader business objectives with learning opportunities for employees, preparing them to be future-ready in the ever-changing market. We develop our programs using data that we have based on employees’ learning, as well as feedback through our annual employee survey and constant engagement on the ground. To complement our extensive suite of classroom programs, off-premise training is designed to minimise operational disruption and drive on-the-job learning. Some of our training methodologies include classroom learning, e-learning, blended learning, experiential learning, in-house videos and virtual classrooms.
HRD: What L&D challenges are there within the financial industry? JH: The rise of disruptive technologies will change every aspect of the way we work, and this includes HR and L&D. We must take advantage of these disruptive technologies to raise L&D competencies to deliver a much better learning experience for our employees. Extensions and collaborations are the way to go. With the sheer amount of highly accessible educational content everywhere,
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L&D needs to carefully rethink its value proposition. Why would anyone opt for classroom training when learning can be done anytime, anywhere with the use of a laptop or mobile device? This challenges and radically transforms the way L&D traditionally operates. In addition, with the growing number of older employees and the entrance of millennials into the workforce, there is a need for learning programs conducted via various channels to meet their different learning needs and preferences.
leaders who have the potential to succeed in senior management roles in the next five to 15 years. Each future leader has a tailored development plan, which includes overseas postings and mandatory exposure in audit, commercial and credit. The Young Bankers Program is designed for fresh graduates aspiring to carve a career in banking. This is a 12-month program where fresh graduates can choose to focus on key areas of the bank, such as consumer banking, corporate banking and treasury. Our postgraduate Management Associate
“L&D needs to play a role in empowering people to take charge of their own learning and development journey so they can develop their full potential”
HELPING GRADUATES REACH THE SKY OCBC recently held a ‘sky picnic’ for new graduates on the 50th floor of Singapore’s OCBC Centre. While mingling with interns and the bank’s senior management, these young grads got to find out more about L&D offerings such as the Young Bankers Program and the Post Graduate Management Associate Program.
OCBC BY THE NUMBERS 29,000+
Jason Ho, OCBC Bank Finally, the fast pace of change means that employees need to constantly reskill and upskill to stay relevant. In addition to ensuring skill mastery, L&D needs to play a role in empowering people to take charge of their own learning and development journey so they can develop their full potential.
HRD: What leadership development programs do you have in place? How do you spot future leaders? JH: We recognise that talent management is critical, as our business needs a strong core of professionals with the necessary knowledge, experience and competencies to ensure its continued growth and success. Our talent management efforts cut across age groups and seniority levels, ensuring succession bench strength and a pipeline of leaders ready to assume larger roles. We have six talent management programs on offer. The OCBC Future Leaders Program is designed for young talents under 35 years old who are willing to travel overseas for work. These young talents are identified as future
Program is an 18-month program that targets postgraduates with a master’s degree and two to six years of work experience. All participants undergo a comprehensive orientation, as well as division-specific programs including job rotations, project assignments and international assignments, so as to gain in-depth understanding of the division’s function. A smaller but equally important initiative, the OCBC-INSEAD Executive Development Program, was launched in collaboration with INSEAD Business School. It’s a two-week program to develop future leaders. The OCBC Smart Asia Program equips our senior leaders with the knowledge, agility and readiness to manage the complexities found in diverse Asian markets. Finally, our Structured Internship Program is a 10-week program for undergraduates from local universities to gain first-hand experience from the banking industry. Interns who perform well and show a strong fit with OCBC culture and values may be offered jobs upon graduation.
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Number of employees of OCBC Bank and its global subsidiaries Number of countries in which OCBC operates
610+
Number of branches and representative offices
900+
Total number of L&D programs in 2015
8.7
Average days of training per employee (exceeding the annual target of five days for the 10th consecutive year)
74,000 Number of training slots used each year 200+
Total number of internal trainers
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FEATURES
TECHNOLOGY
DON’T MISS THE DIGITAL TRAIN As businesses struggle to keep up with digitalisation, what can HR do to ensure their organisation remains relevant? HRD sat down with Professor Miller to discover how HR can “get out of ” its current predicament.
HRD: As a starting point, what does digitalisation mean for HR?
‘RETAILERS SCRAMBLE to provide a consistent omni-channel experience to always-connected customers’; ‘Banks awaken to the prospect of disintermediation by peerto-peer lending platforms’; ‘Utility companies attempt to reimagine their business for the connected home’. Behind the headlines lies digitalisation – a rapid shift characterised by the diffusion and assimilation of digital technologies in every aspect of our lives. Digitalisation is changing the way business is being conducted: entry barriers go down, customers and employees feel empowered, old ways of generating and capturing value crumble and new ones are discovered.
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And this all has obvious – and major – repercussions for HR. “As we develop digital solutions and innovative ways of meeting customer needs, we can do it with fewer and fewer people. That’s a problem. That’s a major crisis … for HR,” says Paddy Miller, professor of managing people in organisations at IESE and an authority on leading innovation in global organisations. However, most HR professionals have been slow to respond – if they’ve responded at all. “It’s like the boiling frog syndrome. You know, HR hasn’t noticed that the water’s boiling yet. But it is, so how do you get out of that?” Miller says.
Paddy Miller: Many of the traditional functions in business will be digitalised, and many of the labour-intensive functions we were doing before will not need so many people. So the HR function is becoming critical in terms of where it’s creating value in organisations. That’s a question for most functions at the moment. It’s not only HR; it goes right across the board. But HR – the traditional HR function – is under a lot of pressure. However, HR is not in the conversation. If you look at the main players – whether they’re the CEO, the chief marketing officer, the chief information officer – you never see HR on the list. Why is HR not involved in this discussion? It’s a people issue and the HR people are being left out of the discussion. I don’t think it’s a technology issue; it goes way beyond technology.
HRD: What would you recommend that HR should do to involve themselves in this conversation? PM: To develop a digital mindset, you have to think about digital leadership: how do you train and develop leaders who can drive the digital strategy? Secondly, how do we develop digital disciples? How do you get people on board? How do we get their hearts
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and minds behind the transformation of business? That’s part of the conversation HR should be taking part in. People are not spending enough time thinking through the implications – the HR implications – of the process of digitalisation. I think you need to reinvent yourself a little bit as an HR person. You have to go back to the drawing board and say, ‘‘There are a lot of loose concepts here”. We lack process; we lack training to get people on board. HR people should be providing all of that – and they’re not at the moment.
HRD: So HR should not wait to be asked by others to join the conversation? PM: Exactly. In fact, in some organisations that we’ve been working with, HR tends to be somewhat of a hindrance or an impediment. It’s slowing down the process. Then there are others who are working hard to get employees on board. One example is DBS – Development Bank of Singapore. In terms of developing a digital strategy and then creating a culture that invents a digital mindset, DBS is way ahead of the curve compared to most global organisations in that sector. I think some of the professionals involved there have worked out you can’t do this as a project and have the project team working on it. What you have to do is incorporate in the process – and they have – lots of processes and initiatives running in parallel to bring on board management across the board.
HRD: Can you provide other examples? PM: Another example is Uber transforming the taxi industry. Or an older example is Amazon and the impact that had on the local bookshop, because people opted to buy online or buy digital books for their Kindles. And here’s the problem. If you’re the HR manager of a big bookshop, what is your responsibility? Is it just to recruit and train people to be in the bookshop even though you’re going out of business? Or have you got to be in the conversation to say, “How do we survive? How do we survive this? How do we
morph our business into being a completely different business?” Or look at supermarkets. For supermarkets in advanced countries, something like 50% of business is moving online. Established bricks and mortar supermarkets like Walmart are in a fight to the death. And think about that traditional experience. You get the same old stuff walking down the same old aisle; you put it in the same old basket, and stand in that long queue. Companies like Red
those people still, but perhaps not so many as a traditional store. So HR will naturally be saying, “Am I going to be in the business of laying off people?” But that’s only one view, and it’s a negative one, of this transformation. What you’ve got to do is help management to say, “How do we get into that space? How do we digitalise our business so that we will not be overtaken by Red Foods? What is our strategic response?” The thing is, we’ve got to change our
“People are not spending enough time thinking through the implications – the HR implications – of the process of digitalisation. I think you need to reinvent yourself a little bit as an HR person” Paddy Miller Foods in Singapore have changed this. It’s basically an online service that brings your groceries to your front door. It’s booming. They take it further, too. Typically, when you get home you’ve then got to prepare your meal. Red Foods will say, “We’ve noticed you like spaghetti bolognaise. We’ll send you a package in your next order of spaghetti bolognaise with the recipe on how to make spaghetti bolognaise”. But if you work in a traditional super market, you’ve got to help the management refocus their strategy on what’s happening to you and I as customers. We don’t want to stand in that queue any more. This is the responsibility of HR as much as it is the responsibility of the marketing professionals or the CEO.
HRD: This also has obvious repercussions for the number of people employed. In the Red Foods example, a supermarket has checkout staff, warehouse workers, drivers… PM: This is a very typical HR perception and it’s valid. Red Foods would have some of
thinking. And we’ve got to change the thinking of the people in our business to have a different kind of business model. This is about creating digital disciples; training people to understand this new paradigm. We already have a lot of digital natives who are living off their mobiles, living in a digitalised world. Are they going to be standing at the till for the rest of their lives? No way. HR must be providing training to move the business somewhere else.
KEY TAKEAWAYS To start talking about this kind of digital transformation, Miller suggests HR tackle two key areas: Produce digital leadership by recruiting, training and developing people to drive the digital strategies within the organisation. Create digital disciples in the rest of the workforce and ensure that everyone has their hearts and minds behind the transformation.
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PEOPLE
OTHER LIFE
3
Years volunteering with SOSD
1
Dog adopted
15
Volunteers on shelter clean-up duty
EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY
From pups to pooches, Sapna Saxena has offered her time to help Singapore’s least fortunate canines
SAPNA SAXENA, the head of country HR for APAC at Telstra International Group, has a soft spot for stray pups and has volunteered with the non-profit organisation Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) for three years now. “This is a shelter which takes stray dogs. We call them Singapore Specials. They’re not the most cute-looking puppies, but they usually have no way of getting help other than from the shelter.” Saxena helps out by attending SOSD’s adoption drives. At one of these events, she met her own Singapore Special, Junior, who she adopted and who has been living with her for three years.
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One Christmas, she also arranged for some volunteers from the team at Telstra to clean up the dog shelter as a way to give back. “We cleaned the living area where they train the dogs to be in a home environment. We scrubbed their cages, mopped the floors, and washed 200-odd leashes. We then took the little puppies that had never experienced a leash out for a walk. “Because the owner is such a lovely person, the landlord had provided some land for the dogs to use. We let the dogs run around there too. They walked much further than they usually would so we came back feeling very good.”
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