HRM 12.2_Ability beyond disability

Handling the office cupid CEO succession planning Business travel outlook

hrm Ability

+ How Spa Esprit Group draws talent + Paid vacations at Far East Organization + Jurong Town Corporation’s training blueprint

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ISSUE 12.2

Creating inclusive workplaces

CONTENTS hrm12.2

COVER STORY 22 Ability beyond disability-Creating inclusive workplaces

More organisations are realising the benefits of hiring people with disabilities (PWDs). Experts tell HRM how HR can play a role in helping to integrate these employees with others at the workplace

IN THIS COVER STORY “While the disability is an integral part of who they are, it alone does not and should not define them” Nadine Vogel, Founder and President, Springboard Consulting LLC

EDITOR

TRAFFIC MANAGER

JOURNALISTS

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Evelyn Lim

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Yogesh Chandiramani

Sumathi V Selvaretnam Shalini Shukla-Pandey Priya de Langen EDITORIAL RESEARCHER

Vivien Shiao Shufen

Fiza Ramli Amos Lee

John Paul Lozano

REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

GENERAL MANAGER

Natasha Vincent Charlene Lim

Kaveri Ayahsamy

REGIONAL MANAGING EDITOR

George Walmsley

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Richard Curzon

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

David Teng Photography Frank Pinckers Photography PRINTED BY

Times Printers Pte Ltd

MICA (P) 158/07/2010 ISSN 0219-6883

Published by: Key Media Pte Ltd 121 Telok Ayer Street #02-01 Singapore 068590 • T: +65 6423-4631 • F: +65 6423-4632 • E: info@keymedia.com.sg

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hrm12.2 CONTENTS

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48 FEATURES

12 The power of branding

39 Steering into the future

High turnover rates are a well-known phenomenon in the F&B industry, where employees are known to job-hop for a $50 to $100 pay raise. Yet Spa Esprit Group has been bucking this trend and keeping attrition low. General Manager Vikram Natarajan explains how the company’s employer brand play a critical role

Executive education and MBA programmes aim to equip employees with management skills to complement their technical expertise. HRM examines how this can give leaders an edge, helping them steer their workforce into the future

16 Building foundations

44 Handling the office cupid

30 Envisioning a leader

48 Priceless innovation strategies: How to thrive in challenging times

Paying employees to go on a holiday is one innovative way in which Far East Organization promotes learning outside of the workplace. Jodie Choo, director for Group Human Resources, tells HRM that offering employees ways to develop themselves is a great way to retain talent CEO succession planning is essential for all companies. Experts speak to HRM on the competencies of a leader and what organisations should be doing to successfully pick the right person for the job

35 Constructive training

It is no easy feat to build a country’s industrial infrastructure from scratch, but that is exactly what JTC Corporation has achieved in the last four decades and counting. With such an important role at hand, training is crucial for the organisation to run at its optimum

It is normal that workplace relationships will happen. HRM speaks to experts who say that setting clear boundaries and having open discussions will help prevent awkwardness in the workplace

In a constantly changing world and today’s uncertain economic climate, leadership through innovation, creativity and change management are no longer optional, but essential, writes guest contributor Alexander Blass

54 Health costs

While health and wellness programmes result in improved employee health, reduced healthcare costs and increased employee morale amongst others, this often comes at a price for employers. How can the right healthcare plan for employees also be business-friendly?

REGULARS 6 News

65 In Person

69 Resources

73 Viewpoint

11 Leaders on Leadership

66 MICE Review

71 Twenty-four Seven

75 Talent Challenge

60 MICE

68 Talent Feature

72 Talent Ladder

76 Executive Appointments

Contact us: Read something you like? Or something you don’t? Perhaps there’s some insight we haven’t considered?

Have your say on HRM’s news, features, and contributions by emailing: info@keymedia.com.sg

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analysis

Paying for success M “Increasingly, organisations forgo the AWS portion of the basic salary, choosing to include instead a “variable” component in order to retain some flexibility in adjusting salaries during difficult times” Mak Yuen Teen, Associate Professor, National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School

inisterial salaries in Singapore recently underwent an overhaul, with officials receiving pay cuts averaging 36% to 37%.

The move was based on recommendations by the Ministerial Salaries Review Committee, which was set up to ease public grievances over high ministerial incomes.

Under the revised framework, ministerial pay will be pegged to the performance of the individual and the country’s socio-economic progress, based on a broader scope of key performance indicators real media income growth rate, real growth rate of the lowest 20th percentile income, unemployment rate and real GDP growth rate.

With the government also putting due emphasis on performance-related components in its wage structure, flexible wages are set to become more prevalent.

National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School Associate Professor Mak Yuen Teen says that in the past, companies often followed the lead of the government and public sector and used components such as the Annual Wage Supplement (AWS) and bonuses linked more to the overall economic performance of the country.

However, as companies follow a more cautious approach to compensation and benefits in light of forecasts for slower growth this year, there will be a greater weightage of components linked to individual performance.

“This started more with the senior levels of organisations but is now much more widely used,” says Mak. “Increasingly, organisations forgo the AWS portion of the basic salary, choosing to include instead a “variable” component in order to retain some flexibility in adjusting salaries during difficult times.”

Variable pay here to stay HR needs to warm up to the idea of variable pay or pay for performance in order to ensure wages remain competitive and reduce talent attrition due to compensation issues.

Kevin Ong, director, Executive Compensation, Towers Watson, Southeast Asia, says, “Given the power of variable pay and its useability in multiple settings, most organisations would be able to adopt it.”

Research is also proving that in high-performing organisations there is a direct correlation between reward structure and employee performance. While salary increments result in permanent increase in wage costs, performancerelated bonuses linked to individual and company performance may be a good partial substitute, says Mak.

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Joshua Yim, CEO, Achieve Group suggests that while there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, one of the things HR can do to ensure that wages remain competitive in such an environment is to increase the ratio of the variable pay component that is pegged to performance.

Variable pay can also be a motivational and retention tool when used with goal setting. “For example, the National Bonus system ties bonus payments to a set of goals that are linked to the welfare of the citizenry,” says Ong. Yim also believes that a flexible wage scheme aligned with performance is a very effective method to motivate workers. “Through this pay structure, employees are held accountable for their effectiveness at work and are rewarded accordingly for meeting KPIs.” Variable pay also can be tied to particular timeframes. For example, a CEO typically has a substantial proportion of their pay structured in the form of long-term incentives in order to align pay with their role. “A CEO has to balance immediate goals against mid- to long-term goals, so long-term incentives provide additional motivation to do so,” adds Ong.

Looking beyond pay It is important for organisations to recognise two things, says Mak: (1) a performance-based reward system must be part of a robust and fair performance management system (that is, clear performance targets must be set and performance evaluation done as fairly and objectively as possible) and (2) pay is only part of the employment proposition.

Towers Watson research suggests “compensation” is among the top three drivers of attraction in Singapore, besides “advancement” and “learning opportunities”.

However, once employees are on-board, attractive compensation (performance-based or otherwise) has no impact on their engagement and retention. This is when relational elements of rewards – Effective Leadership, Career Opportunities, and Empowerment – become more critical, says Maneesh Sah, Marketing Director, Towers Watson, Singapore and Southeast Asia.

“Increasingly, companies have gone beyond just managing compensation to managing ‘total rewards’, which is a broader definition of all aspects of employee experience – pay, benefits, work environment, learning and development opportunities,” says Sah.

NEWS ASIA ASIA

CHINA

Mobile worker population continues to skyrocket

Occupational health law revised

By 2015, the world’s mobile worker population will reach 1.3 billion, representing 37.2% of the total workforce. According to a mobility study by International Data Corporation (IDC), the most significant gains will again be in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific thanks to continued, strong economic growth.

“Despite recent market turmoil, mobility continues to be a critical part of the global workforce and we expect to see healthy growth in the number of mobile workers,” said Stacy Crook, senior research analyst for IDC’s Mobile Enterprise Research programme.

The largest increase in the number of mobile workers will be in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan), with 601.7 million mobile workers in 2010 and 838.7 million in 2015. Much of this is due to the sheer size of the population in China and India, combined with strong economic expansion in both countries.

The National People’s Congress has passed a package of amendments to the Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Diseases. Under the amendment, the work safety bureau or the hospital making the diagnosis can conduct their own investigation and prove a labour relationship with employers if workers cannot provide documentary evidence of employment in cases of compensation for occupational disease victims.

In cases when employers have gone out of business by the time workers get proof of their occupational disease, local governments will be responsible for arranging compensation for them.

In addition, the amended law triples the financial penalty for employers who sign or change employment contracts without informing workers of potential occupational disease hazards to a maximum of 150,000 yuan (US$24,000) from the previous 50,000 yuan. Employers must now consult with the workers’ union when preparing major changes to their occupational safety policies.

SINGAPORE

Sony launches Singapore campus of Sony University Singapore has been chosen as Sony’s first leadership education campus outside of Japan. The new facility located at the Jurong International Business Park will focus on delivering tailor-made leadership development programmes for Sony employees worldwide.

“Singapore is the ideal location for Sony University’s new campus, with its highly-educated talent pool and the local government’s passion and commitment for developing the country into a global hub for leading expertise and knowledge,” said Tsugie Miyashita, Senior Vice President and corporate executive, Sony Corporation. “The new campus will also strengthen ties between each global region by facilitating new interaction between the next generation of global Sony management.”

The Sony University (Singapore Campus) will receive investment of approximately S$4.5m over the next three years from the Sony Group.

“Sony is the first Japanese electronics company to establish a corporate leadership development centre in Singapore. The Sony University (Singapore Campus) will groom global leaders to lead Sony’s growth in Asia and beyond. We are pleased that Singapore’s strength as a Global-Asia hub can support companies like Sony to use Singapore as a home for talent,” said Tan Choon Shian, Deputy Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board.

The Singapore campus of Sony University will receive its first intake of senior executives from March 2012.

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MALAYSIA

Officers to undergo integrity courses Enforcement officers patrolling strategic border checkpoints will attend integrity and training courses regularly to ensure that they remain on the right side of the law.

According to the New Straits Times, a special taskforce set up to deal with the issue of corruption among enforcement officers at border checkpoints, recommended that officers take part in courses and training workshops conducted by the Malaysian Integrity Institute (IIM) and the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan).

The taskforce also decided that with immediate effect, all officers attending counters at the checkpoints will be permitted to have only a maximum of RM30 (US$9.90) with them at any one time. Those conducting enforcement duties will be granted a limit of RM100. Police officers, meanwhile, may only carry RM50 on them.

NEWS ASIA SINGAPORE

HONG KONG

Shippers and logistics get new training centre

Expats leave over lack of schools

Singapore Shippers’ Academy (SA), the training arm of the Singapore National Shippers’ Council (SNSC) is joining forces with Supply Chain Asia (SCA), to run its inaugural training centre and launch certification, and specialised training programmes for shippers and the logistics community.

These programmes, which are also available to those on apprenticeships, will offer participants a complete training module with ready employment upon completion. The courses will be taught by industry veterans and logistics specialists with first hand practical knowledge.

The diploma and degree programmes will start by the third quarter of 2012, with master/PhD courses kicking off by 2015.

The training programmes are suitable for companies looking to sponsor their employees for skills upgrading. This will be an opportune time for companies to send their employees out for training, and for employees to take time out to upgrade their skills and knowledge, as a slowdown of the global economy is expected in 2012, said founder and president of Supply Chain Asia, Paul Lim. “For fresh graduates, this is also an excellent opportunity for them to acquire practical skills while gaining access to employment with industry leaders,” said Lim. “Those who have been retrenched or are seeking new job prospects can also take up these courses to start new careers in the shipping and logistics industries, which are enjoying strong growth potential – especially in view of Singapore’s leading position in the world logistics sector.”

A lack of places in international schools in Hong Kong is hurting the former British colony’s reputation as Asia’s main financial hub as expat talent start to avoid relocating there.

The number of British expatriates moving to Hong Kong soared more than 50% in 2010 and 2011 to 15,300 due to a wealth of good jobs in financial services, but that number may slow as expats are having trouble placing their children in international schools, says Christopher Hammerbeck, the executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

The increase in Brits, who are just half the number of Americans in the city, is putting a strain on international schools, which have a relatively steady 36,000 places available each year.

Some expats are considering nearby Singapore as an alternative, as placements at international schools are somewhat easier to find there.

The government is trying to address the problem by opening 5,000 new international school spaces this year and next as well as limiting the number of locals that can enrol. However, land is scarce and developers are more keen on building skyscrapers and apartments than schools.

VIETNAM

INDIA

Maternity leave update

Higher salary main lure to jump ship

Vietnamese lawmakers have proposed that maternity leave be increased from the current four months to six months in order to improve maternal care, health of newborn babies and to encourage breastfeeding.

However, employees and employers will be able to negotiate the terms for returning to work after just four months. According to Thanh Nien News, female workers will get six months of maternity support (from social insurance agencies) regardless of when they return to work.

The proposal also includes harsher penalties for employers that try to deny a worker their maternity leave.

Prospects of a higher salary are the main motivator for the large numbers of people looking to switch jobs this year.

According to global recruitment service provider MyHiringClub.com, every three-in-five employees want to change their job for better salary prospects while 40% of employees want to change their job even at the current salary level.

The survey conducted among 12,756 employees found that salary and dissatisfaction with the current job were the main drivers for a majority of them to look for new job opportunities.

Four-in-five employees surveyed were not satisfied with their current role or current job and one-in-four respondents were looking for a new job in a different industry from their current industry.

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL CANADA

KUWAIT

Increase in quota for skilled foreign talent Self-sponsorship for expats Canada’s Department of Citizenship and Immigration is planning to increase the number of immigrants under the Federal Skilled Workers programme in 2012. The number is to increase from 47,000 in 2011 to between 55,000 and 57,000.

This increase will help meet the demand for skilled foreign talent as well as alleviate the backlog of applications, says the Department. In 2010, Canada admitted 280,000 immigrants, with about 67% being economic immigrants and of these, 40% being part of the Federal Skilled Workers programme.

Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Jason Kenney said that officials recognise the importance of immigration to

Canada’s labour market, and the country values the contributions of skilled immigrants who add to its international competitiveness.

The programme, which was reviewed in 2010, was deemed successful, as of the immigrants who were allowed in to contribute to the economy, 89% were self-employed or employed within three years of arriving.

Expatriates in Kuwait would soon be allowed to apply for self-sponsorship. This is due to Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour department’s proposed amendment to allow for self-sponsorship for expatriates.

Individuals or groups of expatriates must meet two criteria to qualify for this.

They must have at least KD10,000 (US$35,925) in a bank account, and have been in a business or a partner in a Kuwait firm for a minimum of two years.

According to ArabianBusiness, the proposal was first issued as a draft law in 2005 and is now under consideration.

UK

US

Rise in self-employment

More older workers employed at workplaces

The Work Audit report has revealed that a record number – 4.14 million people are self-employed in UK. This makes up 14.2% of the country’s total employment.

According to the report, figures for self-employment have been steadily increasing from the recession period of 2008. Currently, Older workers aged 55 and above are over two thirds of self-employed people are men whereas women being increasingly employed at account for more than half (184,000, or 60%) of the net rise in workplaces, according to the Bureau self-employment since the start of the recession. of Labor Statistics.

Also, almost a quarter of the UK’s self-employed people work in The statistics also reveal that the number of workers construction. By contrast, sectors with relatively small shares of selfolder than 55 have risen by 3.1 million or 12% since the employment that include education, beginning of the recession. information and communications are Furthermore, data also showed Over among those which have seen the biggest that this increase extends to proportional increases in self-employment people 75 years and older as in recent years. Skilled trades-people also there are more of this age have the single largest share of selfgroup working today than employment (almost 30%). before the recession.

“The typical self-employed person in Experts say that there are jobs lost in high-tech industries in the Britain today remains a skilled tradesman, many reasons for this but the US since 2000 manager or professional working long most important one is that older Source: National Science Board (NSB) hours on the job,” states Dr John Philpott, workers fear the lack of means Chief Economic Adviser, Chartered to support themselves after Institute of Personnel and Development retirement, especially with the (CIPD). “However, since the start of the recession the ranks of the shift in retirement financing and recession. self-employed have been swelled by people from a much wider array of This is in stark contrast to the number of people aged backgrounds and occupations, including many ‘handy-men’ without between 25 and 54 who are working, as this sector has skills, picking-up whatever bits and pieces of work are available.”. shrunk by 6.5% or 6.5 million.

687,000

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL US

UK

Wage gap smaller between men and women with MBA

Age-discrimination still prevalent

New research has revealed that the wage gap between male and female MBA graduates is smaller compared to the general population in the US. According to a survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), female graduates of full-time MBA programmes on average received starting salaries equivalent to 85% of those of their male counterparts. In contrast, the US Census Bureau showed that women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men when the entire US workforce was taken into account.

The survey also revealed that 86% of the class of 2011 graduates were employed after graduation, about the same as the class of 2010 (88%).

Age-related discrimination and stereotyping is still prevalent in the UK, according to latest research by the Department for Work and Pensions.

In the survey, respondents were asked their opinions on how acceptable or unacceptable they would find a qualified 30-year-old or 70-year-old boss. Although most respondents were accepting of either, 15% stated that having a 70-year-old boss would be ‘unacceptable’ compared to having a 30-year-old boss.

Over a third of respondents said that they have experienced some age-related discrimination in the last year. This was more common for younger employees – those under 25 – who reported twice as much age-discrimination than other age groups.

The study also found that perceptions of people aged over 70 are more positive compared to those in their 20s. People over 70 were viewed as being friendlier, being competent, and having higher moral standards compared to people in their 20s. In terms of general status, people in their 40s were viewed as having the highest status.

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leaders on leadership

Moving to Asia

Office rents in Asia have been rapidly rising over the years. How does this affect your business expansion plans?

Jim McCallum

Senior Vice President, InterfaceFLOR

The plain fact of the matter is that Asia is the place to be. The Asian countries are amongst the most dynamic in the world, with emerging economies fuelling spectacular growth and spawning incredible commercial potential. Thus it is imperative that multinational enterprises like us become highly integrated with the local marketplaces.

For a global company like Interface it is tremendously important to be close to our local markets. We have a philosophy to position our manufacturing facilities close to our customers and we have three major manufacturing facilities within the Asia Pacific region. Customer proximity is a key consideration for success, not only from a manufacturing perspective, but also from a customer support standpoint. Customers look to International vendors to be there through thick and thin and they feel much more comfortable if their suppliers are metaphorically “just around the corner.”

With rapid growth in consumption Asia is increasingly becoming economically self- sufficient, with a gradual decoupling of reliance on the western economies. We obviously want to share in this growth potential and feel it is imperative that we set up shop in the heart of the region.

Ven Raman

Managing Director, Carl Zeiss Group, SEA

In any organisation, one of the most important considerations we make before making any strategic decision in investment is to evaluate the value proposition. In Carl Zeiss, it is no different.

Why we are continuously investing in Asia is due to the fact that we see that Asia – especially China, India and South East Asia – have the highest growth potential for our businesses.

This region will be our growth engine for our global business in the coming decades.

Today, China, India and SEA together constitute approximately 10% of our global business and we have set our aspirations to achieve 20% by the year 2016. We have a clear business case to expand our operations in Asia.

This is the first reason.

The second important reason why we are focusing on Asia is because these regions will fuel our need for talent.

According to statistics, India, SEA and China offer the lowest talent shortage in the years to come. In short, the talent pool of the future will come from Asia, making these regions ideal locations to expand the business as there will be enough workers to bring about growth.

Kee Kim Eng

Chief Finance Officer, Courts Singapore

At Courts, we strive to have a balanced property portfolio that incorporates stores in shopping centres as well as stand-alone entities, such as our Courts Megastore located in Tampines, Singapore. Rental rates for stand-alone stores can be lower than rental for shop space in shopping centres and this helps us to reduce our exposure to rental rate fluctuations.

For our retail stores in Malaysia, we are also looking at diversifying our portfolio to ensure a more balanced mix of shopping experience at standalone stores, as well as presence in a shopping centre environment, to offer shoppers the convenience and accessibility to Courts’ signature customer service and great value that we have for home furnishings, appliances, IT solutions and more.

For 2012, our plan to expand our presence in the South-East Asian region remains on-track and we look forward to offering consumers in our target markets the Courts retail experience. We aim to extend our footprint in this region and will continue to explore opportunities to bring the Courts brand promise to more consumers in the near future. issue 12.2

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leaders talk hr

The

power of branding

High turnover rates are well-known phenomenon in the F&B industry, where employees are known to job-hop for a $50 to $100 pay raise. Yet the F&B division at Spa Esprit Group has been bucking this trend and keeping attrition low. General Manager Vikram Natarajan explains how the company’s unique employer brand and work environment play a critical role

By Sumathi V Selvaretnam

W

hen Vikram Natarajan completed his Master of Business Administration degree at INSEAD, he never imagined that he would be making tom yum soup in a restaurant kitchen a few months down the road. That poignant moment marked Vikram’s entry into a management role in the Food and Beverages (F&B) business.

Understanding how things operated at the ground level was a part of his early training.

Five years on, Vikram is now the general manager of the F&B division at Spa Esprit Group. A homegrown beauty and F&B business, the Group has been gaining popularity for its unique dining concepts including Open Door Policy, House at Dempsey, Skinny Pizza, O My Dog, 40 Hands and Tippling Club. Making rapid inroads in the F&B line, the company has increased its

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headcount threefold over the past two years and Vikram currently manages 150 employees.

Supporting rapid growth

One of the challenges imposed by a period of rapid expansion is finding the right candidates to meet staffing needs. Compounding this issue is the pressure caused by the quotas imposed on foreign workers, Vikram says. Service sector employers can employ Work Permit holders for up to 50% of the company’s total workforce.

Planning ahead is critical to support an organisation’s growth. In order to hire a foreigner, the company must first bring in local staff, Vikram explains. To drive local recruitment, Spa Esprit Group visits students at the Institute of Technical Education, Shatec Institutes and the At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy, offering internship opportunities.

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leaders talk hr

Bio brief Vikram Natarajan is the General Manager, F&B Division, Spa Esprit Group. He was previously a general manager at Thai Express Concepts, where he led 400 staff in 21 restaurants and handled a portfolio of S$25m in annual sales. Prior to his entry into the F&B line, Vikram was a consultant with Accenture. He holds an MBA from French business school INSEAD. In 2006, Vikram received a Future Leader Award from the President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, at BusinessWorld’s Infocom Future Leadership Awards.

With rapid growth comes quick career progression. “We’ve had interns become full-time pastry cooks after just six months,” he says. In another instance, a cook went on to head an outlet just five years after joining the company. “It is important to make staff aware of where they can be and to map out a career structure for them.”

Building on the brand

Jobseekers are often attracted to the brand image presented by an organisation, and this is clearly where Spa Esprit Group triumphs as an Employer of Choice. Many of the eateries under the Group are renowned for their unique dining experiences. One of its latest offerings, called Open Door Policy, has been making a name Jobseekers are often attracted to the for itself in the food blogosphere for its rustic bistro fare and industrialpresented by an organisation chic atmosphere. “Our young and stylish dining concepts attract staff. They say, ‘I want to work at this cool bistro’,” says Vikram.

The diverse work environments offered by the Group’s restaurants also mean that employees can request for rotations across its different outlets. Staff working at its headquarters can experience a stint in another function. “Young employees easily get bored with their jobs and this rotation keeps their interest going,” Vikram says. At the same time, they also learn new skills and improve their own employability, he adds.

Getting staff involved in the creation of new products and services is another way to effectively engage them, Vikram says. For example, when a restaurant introduces a new mocktail, it is important to discuss this with managers and get their buy-in. Weekly meetings also serve as a good platform for an

BRAND IMAGE

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Me-myself-I exchange of ideas. “I spend a lot of time at outlets, sitting with staff and briefing them,” Vikram says.

These strategies have clearly born fruit, as the Group’s attrition rate is a low five percent.

Growing with the organisation

Getting trained while on the job is an essential part of employee engagement in the F&B industry. With this mind, Spa Esprit Group is constantly seeking new ways to help its staff grow.

The Group recently created a series of videos detailing the preparation of a

restaurant’s dishes, to be accessed via an iPad placed in the kitchen. These interactive videos aim to provide new cooks with food preparation tips as well as listing the ingredients for a particular dish. This is an especially useful point of reference for employees when, for example, the head chef is on leave, Vikram says.

Service staff are the face of the organisation and Spa Esprit Group ensures that they are adequately equipped to provide a memorable dining experience. In addition

+ I love: The diversity of my role and the challenge of thinking of every aspect spontaneously each day + I dislike: Dishonesty and complacency + My inspiration is: From working with all the great people around me + My biggest strength: My ability to be approachable and connect with my people + My biggest weakness: Can’t stop taking on new challenges + In five years’ time I’d like to be: Involved in many more exciting projects and concepts + Favourite quote: “We are not in the food business serving people, we are in the people business serving food”

to formal classroom training, they also receive advice from professionals. Wine suppliers, for example, teach staff how to make recommendations to patrons, as well as show them the finer points of serving wine.

In an industry where employees are known to switch employers for a $50 or $100 pay raise, employee development and long-term growth opportunities could well be the differentiating factor in staff retention.

“It’s not only about the money – they want to learn,” Vikram says. issue 12.2

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hr insider

Paying employees to go on a holiday is one innovative way in which Far East Organization promotes learning outside of the workplace. Jodie Choo, director for Group Human Resources, tells HRM that offering employees ways to develop themselves is a great way to retain talent

By Priya de Langen

Building

found

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hr insider

QUICK FACTS

Far East Organization + Founded in 1960 + Far East Organization along with its Hong Kong-based sister organisation, Sino Group, employs more than 13,000 employees worldwide + It has developed more than 700 properties from hospitality to residential to retail + Kitchen Language – the F&B arm of the organisation established in 2008 has started new restaurants under its brand most notably OChre and KUMO Japanese Kaiseki Restaurant

Who’s who in HR?

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O

rchard Scotts Residences, Nassim Regency, Riverside Point – these are some of the well-known developments by Far East Organization, Singapore’s largest property developer.

With over 700 developments to its name, the organisation has also branched out to include hospitality and F&B to its already large portfolio over recent years.

Operating in so many industries, the organisation has seen numerous triumphs as well as challenges. However, its HR has devised several ways to handle the challenges so that the company is able to stay ahead of the competition.

Building talent

Like any organisation, the fight for talent is not new to Far East Organization and finding the right people to fit is especially important.

“Competition for talent will always be there. I can’t say we’ve been very successful in overcoming the competition yet. We do know what we need to do and that is to stay ahead of the curve,” says Jodie Choo, Director, Group Human Resources.

She notes that there are many strategies for winning the war for talent that include compensation and opportunities for career development. She adds that the organisation aims to find the right types of talent who are entrepreneurial, possess good skills in customer service, and whose values are aligned with the organisation.

Choo says that Far East is very Asian as it is a Singapore start-up, “but with a very international outlook.” The organisation’s culture is centred on its core values – Business Excellence, Unity, Integrity, Loyalty, and Diligence (BUILD). Choo says that the company has a sharing culture, even across the different business units. “We share a lot across the organisation in terms of knowledge. For example, when hospitality runs a training programme, it is also open to employees in the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector.”

New hires are taught these values from day one of the orientation programme, and are even told about these values as early as during their interviews. In addition, management is constantly communicating with its employees regarding various topics such as values and company updates through dialogue sessions with the CEO or senior management. Furthermore, these sessions serve as a way to keep an open culture between management and employees.

Jodie Choo Teck Woan

Tan Thiam Soon

Karin Goh Cheng Lee

Director, Group HR

Senior Manager, Group HR

Senior Manager, Group HR

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Knowing your employees

There is attrition in the company but Choo says its levels are close to the industry average – the Real Estate

hr insider

At a glance + Total number of employees: 2,500 and Leasing Services industry + HR team: 37 of 3.06%. She mentions that, + Key HR focus areas: Staff for instance, in the property engagement, leadership talent, sales sector there is a high organisation development turnover as it is the inherent nature of the business.

However, the same cannot be said of other parts of the organisation.

“The thing about retention strategy is that it cannot be one-sizefits-all. The key is to know and understand our employees and find out what motivates each one of them,” says Choo.

The organisation completed its inaugural employee engagement survey last year and Choo states that the results will help give deeper insights of top engagement drivers and key motivators. In addition, she says that the company wants to increase its focus in the areas of learning and development and job rotation, as well as create more opportunities for cross-function projects to engage its staff.

More importantly, the organisation educates its potential employees right from the start on not just about the immediate role, but also about future opportunities and challenges in the various business groups. She explains that while the company strives to pick the right candidate, it is equally important that the individual picks the company after learning more about it.

In addition, one of the more effective strategies used by the company for hiring as well as retaining talent is through staff referrals, especially in the area of property sales, which the company finds more difficult to hire, says Choo. Staff referrals make up 66% of hires. If the referred person stays with the company for six months, the employee who referred the person will receive a monetary award.

“We have husband and wives, fathers and daughters, all of them working with us but in different business units. For instance, one father is working for our security section and his daughter is working in one of our hotels.” In addition, she says that the company has many returnees.

For example, in one department, five out the 36 people were returnees.

Nurturing leaders

Developing and nurturing future leaders plays a great part in ensuring that an organisation has business continuity. Far East has been running leadership programmes for years but last June, it launched the Far East Academy that will focus on various aspects on leadership development.

“The Academy will focus a lot on leadership development. The leader needs to be the one who walks the talk,” explains Choo.

The Academy is working with several institutions and partners, such as SMU, to “deliver what is relevant for the organisation as well as for issue 12.2

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Championing values Far East recognises employees that demonstrate its core values annually through the ‘Champions of FEO’ award (it was called the ‘Outstanding Employee Award’ previously). The ‘Champion’ is an employee who has excelled in his or her primary job duties and has gone the extra mile for the customers. “The person must have demonstrated performance outside of his or her primary job responsibilities, gone the extra mile and consistently demonstrated the core values of our organisation,” says Choo.

The selection process is rigorous and consists of five rounds of interviews after the nominations. The nominated individual gets a sponsor to vouch for them and they go through interviews that consist of ‘field tests’ that are similar to teambuilding activities where a panel of judges observe them. They also have peer sessions and a written test to find out how well they know the organisation, and then the final group of nominees has an interview with top executives to determine eventual winner(s).

The Champion(s) will receive a $10,000 award and expenses-paid trip to Hong Kong (or whichever destination as determined by Far East). However, this recognition goes beyond the monetary as Choo says that other employees will be looking to them as role models. “Champion is both a verb and a noun. You are the champion because you are outstanding in the organisation, but we also expect you to be championing the course, mission and values of our organisation.”

the different levels of employees,” says Choo.

Programmes will focus on various areas such as strategic skills, communication skills, and operational skills.

Those who complete the programme will be recognised with certificates, but there is also the ‘G L Yap Young Leader Award’ given to the best ‘student’ of each year. This award comprises a S$50,000 study grant for an external management development programme. The programmes are targeted at the managerial ranks from assistant managers and upwards, and Far East has allocated S$4m over the next two years to develop the different programmes.

Of course, learning and development is not just confined to the leaders, as other types of training are given to the organisation’s employees covering general skills such as project management, finance for non-finance managers, and problem solving. Moreover, there is a wide range of optional personal improvement courses for employees to choose from such as grooming, wine-appreciation, and even ice-cream making.

Learning the ABCD way

Champions of FEO award winners (2011)

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Teaching and developing employees does not just stop at the classrooms and workplace for the organisation. Interestingly, Far East actually pays its employees to go on holidays.

“The reason behind this is to promote learning and encourage employees to acquire an international perspective,” explains Choo.

The organisation sponsors those employees who have crossed various milestones of service, starting with 2 years, to go on a holiday. While there are some criteria they need to fulfil in order to be eligible, employees can approach HR to go on the ABCD programme. The moniker stands for Arts, Building, Culture and Dining, and this programme, initiated in 2008, is still running strong.

“They apply and tell us which global city they want to go. Depending on their level in the organisation, we reimburse an amount

hr insider

that is up to 0.5, 0.75 or a full month of their payroll. Junior level employees are reimbursed up to 1 month, and for employees at senior levels, up to 0.5 month” says Choo. “For this, all they need to do is give a simple report of what they have learned on their holiday in the areas of the arts, building, culture and dining.” She recalls that recently a female employee travelled to Argentina on her own while another employee travelled to the Netherlands with her son. Their reports (which are more like stories) appeared in the organisation’s in-house publication, Landmark.

It is one of the more innovative ways that the organisation has come up with to engage its employees. In fact, there has been a participation rate of 50 to 60% of the eligible workforce, says Choo.

“Competition for talent will always be there. I can’t say we’ve been very successful in overcoming the competition yet. We do know what we need to do and that is to stay ahead of the curve” Jodie Choo, Director, Group Human Resources

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Ability beyond disability Creating inclusive workplaces

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More organisations are realising the benefits of hiring people with disabilities (PWDs). Experts tell HRM how HR can play a role in helping to integrate these employees with others at the workplace

By Priya de Langen

R

esearch shows that more companies around the globe are hiring employees with disabilities, but experts say there is still a long way to go when it comes to employing this group of individuals in high numbers.

The United Nations Enable site states that in developing countries, 80–90% of persons with disabilities of working age are unemployed, whereas in developed nations, this number is between 50 and 70%. A recent Life Opportunities Survey conducted in the UK revealed that 18% of working age people have disabilities, but only 48% of them are employed.

Governments and interest groups in several countries have been raising awareness of the benefits of employing PWDs. In Singapore, an Enabling Masterplan Committee was established in order to integrate this group of individuals into society through several means – an Open Door fund to defray costs for employers to encourage hiring PWDs, a job portal, and diversity management workshops.

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“While the disability is an integral part of who they are, it alone does not and should not define them”

HR plays a big role in inclusiveness

Experts say that the efforts are encouraging but organisations can do more, and HR can play a big part in ensuring that this happens – from acknowledging the benefits of hiring these individuals to identifying challenges for the organisations and how they can Nadine Vogel, Founder and President, integrate PWDs at the workplace.

Springboard Consulting LLC “People with disabilities are the largest and fastest growing minority in the world, so as the population ages and we look to new talent, we must consider this highly productive segment of our society,” states Nadine Vogel, Founder and President, Springboard Consulting LLC. The firm works with multinationals, federal governments and national agencies on initiatives to successfully mainstream disability in the global workforce, workplace and marketplace.

Vogel explains that PWDs are often innovative workers. Moreover, she adds that “while the disability is an integral part of who they are, it alone does not and should not define them. If the workforce considers people with disabilities in this manner it will quickly realise that employing people with disabilities is more than just a strategic advantage, it’s a business imperative.”

Experts say that there are several reasons why organisations may be reluctant about hiring PWDs – employers might feel that these employees could be hindered by their disabilities in accomplishing a task, there is apprehension of communicating properly with PWDs, or they feel that there are extra costs or liabilities involved in hiring workers with disabilities.

However, organisations that have been hiring employees with disabilities say that changes are made to help them integrate at the workplace, but they are not major ones. Moreover, HR has helped A recent ‘I Accept’ Campaign 2011 Survey by the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) revealed that Singaporeans today are more accepting of persons with make these changes possible. disabilities (PWDs) as part of the community, workplace and everyday life.

Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre The survey found: is one of the more well-known companies in + An improvement in public’s perceived barriers in communicating with PWDs. Singapore that employs PWDs. Currently, 10% 25.3% of respondents indicated that they think it is harder to communicate and of the hotel’s workforce is made up of PWDs. In deal with PWDs compared to 43% in 2009 fact, the first such employee that they hired in + A total of 93.1% of those surveyed agreed that more can be done to help PWDs 1986, Edward Wong, is still with the hotel. on public transportation in Singapore The hotel’s HR team is active in encouraging + A significant decrease in the number of people who feel that PWDs are the hiring of PWDs. Jagdeep Thakral, Executive dependent on others, from 47% in 2009 to 13.4% in the 2011. Also, 61.7% Assistant Manager, Holiday Inn Singapore disagreed with the statement Orchard City Centre, notes that there are no + More Singaporeans are recognising PWDs as contributing members of society.

Only 8.8% of the respondents felt that these individuals are unable to perform formal policies in place for handling these as well as non-disabled people at work, a sharp decrease from the 23% in 2009 employees. However, the HR team gets + A whopping 80.3% of 61 respondents who are in a position to hire are open recommendations from the hotel’s partner employing PWDs schools and associations for a hire.

Singapore accepts PWDs

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Steering towards Greater Profits An effective leader is akin to a ship captain who knows every aspect of steering his ship and keeps it steadily on course. Enhance your leadership capabilities and develop greater confidence with these new skills to steer your organisation through any situation.

Use the initiatives “A meet-up session The Singapore government and several agencies with the potential have been working for a few years to encourage candidate will then be organisations to employ people with disabilities.

Organisations can apply for the Open Door Fund, a arranged to better financial support programme for employers to understand their profile create jobs for PWDs. In addition, employers can and determine if the refer to The Enabling Employers Network (EEN) employment opportunity is site, which can help employers find suitable PWD a suitable one for them.” In candidates for their organisations. order to maintain transparency, the potential hire’s parent or guardian and school placement officers will be included in the session. In addition, a teacher from their school will accompany the PWD in their first few weeks of work to “help them adapt to their new surroundings” and will check up on them regularly to monitor their progress.

Additionally, the HR team regularly organises activities with the hotel’s partner organisations, like Metta School and Delta Senior School, where employees volunteer to help out. “These initiatives prove useful in increasing disability awareness within the hotel and help employees to understand and interact better with the PWDs, hence, creating a culture of inclusion,” explains Thakral.

HR also has introduced a buddy system to help this group of employees adapt to their workplace environment and their roles, as well as help increase interaction with other employees, he adds.

Joyce Cheng, GM of Ella Cheong Spruson & Ferguson, an intellectual property firm, is another organisation that is in support of employing PWDs. The company currently employs 10 employees who are hearing-impaired. “We believe in equal employment opportunities and provide permanent employment for PWDs based on their ability to fulfil the essential criteria for the position. They enjoy the same benefits and career advancement as people without a disability,” she says.

Cheng says that the firm did have to make some adjustments to employ this group of individuals. “There is a longer duration of training due to the extra efforts required by mentors when communicating work process/protocol to PWDs,” she explains.

The first employee with a disability that the firm hired has been with the company for more than 10 years. However, during the past couple of years, the pool of these employees has increased and Cheng states that the firm “might consider conducting sign language classes to ease the communication process.”

Experts and employers alike state that HR could arrange for training and workshops in order to help organisations understand the needs of this group of workers, help this group integrate into their workplaces, and create awareness among the staff. issue 12.2

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Be an inclusive workplace + Employ workers based on merit and experience – the PWD who is being hired should be able to fit the role + HR can research initiatives in place (eg, government grants) in order to see if these can help the company with the hiring of PWDs + HR can discuss with management on some concrete policies when it comes to hiring PWDs – the benefits and the challenges that face the company, etc + HR can conduct in-house educational and awareness workshops for all employees and managers to increase disability awareness + HR can consider if they need to make any physical changes to the work environment for their PWD employees

Vogel suggests that companies should look at Disability Etiquette and Awareness Training that uses real-life examples and tools. “For instance, when you are having a conversation with someone who uses a wheelchair, should you sit, stand or kneel during the conversation?” she explains, citing an example of what someone can learn from the training.

She points out another workshop, ‘Day in the Life’, that involves a group of employees that volunteer to take on the role of someone with a disability for the day, simulating their regular daily work activities.

Providing care and safety

Maintaining the safety of workers is essential, and employees with disabilities especially should be included in this context. Experts say that most companies do consider the health and safety of their PWD workers, but not all.

Lee Yew Cheong, Manager, Projects, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), says: “Companies might not feel the need to make changes or accommodations for an individual or small group of disabled workers, especially when the company is new in hiring a PWD, as they may fear that the person may not stay long in the job.”

However, under the Open Door Fund programme, SNEF works with job placement and job support centres to assist a company in ensuring the safety and health aspects of PWDs are addressed. He adds that more employers are willing to make the changes as the cost is partially funded through the programme.

Employers could also attend the Diversity Management Workshops run by SNEF to understand some of the challenges faced by PWDs and learn how to manage them, says Cheong.

Organisations like Holiday Inn and Ella Cheong Spruson & Ferguson state that there were not many physical changes that needed to be made at the workplace after hiring PWDs. “Currently, the hotel deals primarily with people with mild intellectual disabilities. As such, no physical changes have been required at the workplace. However, workplace operations or processes could be adapted so that the job role and its responsibilities are assigned to the PWD based on suitability,” says Thakral.

Similarly, Cheng says that the firm did not make any changes to the physical structure of the workplace, just minor adjustments to its training methodology.

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Promoting inclusion around the world When it comes to the safety and health of employees with disabilities, it is not just about everyday situations but also about emergency preparedness, explains Vogel. “A best practice is to ensure that all individuals entering the building are asked if, in the event of an emergency, would they need assistance to independently exit the building in x minutes, and if so what level of assistance.”

She also suggests that a company-wide communication should be maintained so that all employees are aware of the protocols during emergency situations.

Australia:

The Australian Network on Disability (AND), an organisation funded by Australian private and public employers, was established to advance the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of business.

Currently, over 4 million Australians have a disability, which is 18.5% of the population

India:

NASSCOM is an organisation of information technology and business process outsourcing12 (IT-BPO) companies.

In early 2010, it launched the Accessibility Initiative, an Changes ahead advocacy programme centred on the There are still many challenges ahead when it comes to issue of employment and accessibility in In developing countries, the industry. One of the main aims of the employing PWDs. Employers and experts highlight that initiative is to create a platform to practising fair employment policies is the first step in empower persons with disabilities handling the challenges. of persons with disabilities of Cheong of SNEF says: “The starting point for any Vietnam: working age are unemployed company hiring PWDs is to have a fair employment The Blue Ribbon Employer Council Source: United Nations, Enable policy that communicates to all staff about the (BREC) is an initiative of employers company’s belief in hiring based on merit, and not established in 2007 to promote the employment of Vietnamese with disabilities, an discriminated by age, gender or disabilities.” estimated 7 million people. The BREC provides a platform Vogel states companies should conduct corporate assessments. for employers to share experiences and examples of Springboard Consulting conducts a corporate assessment and gap good practice related to employment and vocational analysis for organisations and the result is a document that outlines training of people with disabilities

80–90%

long- and short-term opportunities and other recommendations. “It provides an organisation with a strategic blueprint of how to generate profitability and productivity while at the same time mitigating risk. Most employers of choice are having such assessments done.”

Thakral says that hiring PWDs has been beneficial for the hotel and has helped alleviate manpower issues faced by many hospitality companies. He says that he would strongly encourage organisations to engage their existing employees, especially the supervisors and managers from the very beginning, to build an inclusive corporate culture.

Did you know Ableism – it is a term used to describe discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities

Germany:

UnternehmensForum is an association of private sector employers established in 2002 to promote the joint interests of businesses and people with disabilities in the labour market. It started as an initiative of 15 medium and large companies that are mainly based in the Rhine-Main region of Germany. One of its initiatives is ProBAs, a pilot project for the further professional development of disabled bachelor graduates

US:

The US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®) is a national disability organisation representing over 5,000 employers in the country, both public and private and small and large employers. The organisation aims to promote disability-inclusive workplaces, supply chains and marketplaces through an approach that recognises the abilities and potential of PWDs Source: Disability in the Workplace – Employers’ Organizations and Business Networks, ILO issue 12.2

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Workplace Health

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he 2010 National Health Survey revealed that the obesity rate in Singapore has risen sharply from 6.9% to 10.08% within four years. In other words, 1 in 10 Singaporeans is obese. The survey also found that 54.1% of Singaporeans do not engage in any form of exercise that lasts more than 20 minutes. The consequences include a greater risk of high blood pressure, back problems, diabetes, and heart disease.

Some 65% of Singaporean adults work, clocking in an average of 46.2 work hours per week. They are also retiring at a later age. This makes the workplace an ideal place for health promotion and a change in mindsets.

This sentiment is echoed by the World Health Organization, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the Ministry of Health.

Keeping Employees in Shape

Through the Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) Grant, HPB provides financial support to enable interventions at the workplace. With up to 90% funding for WHP programmes, employers can roll out an exciting line-up of activities, such as talks, workshops and exercise classes to meet the intended objectives. There is a wide variety of fun topics and activities available in the market to pique employees’ interest and boost engagement. These include talks on weight and stress management, healthy snack-making demonstrations and even yoga classes and dragon boating sessions.

A successful WHP programme will influence employees to make

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Raising awareness at Increasing Productivity Through Workplace Health Promotion Seminar by ASME

positive lifestyle interventions result in With more than 10 years of habit changes to more sustainable experience in the local and regional healthcare industry, HMI has the improve their goals. At Health credibility and know-how to tailor a physical, mental and Management comprehensive WHP programme social well-being.

International (HMI), for your company. To find out more, These will foster a the objective is please refer to www.hmi.com.sg. healthier, happier, simple: Partner For enquiries and appointments, motivated and companies to engage please call 6370 7165 or email productive workforce employees in healthpromotion@hmi.com.sg. that will lead to adopting healthy reduced medical lifestyle habits. costs; reduced absenteeism; higher Understanding the employee profile employee retention rate; and lower and corporate culture needs via WHP occupational injuries. consultancy is a fundamental step in the WHP programme development Reaping meaningful outcomes process. Take the right step and be on General health promotion programmes your way towards successful health reap benefits, but targeted WHP promotion goals.

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feature

A

structured and effective succession planning policy is critical for companies to maintain business continuity. Despite the desire to promote talent within the company, there has been an upward trend in appointing successors externally. According to the 2011 CEO Succession Report, in 2009 and 2010, 25% of successions involved an outsider CEO appointment.

However this does not always result in a successful union. When Léo Apotheker, took over HP’s reigns as CEO in 2011, his decision to refocus the company away from its traditional hardware business to software did not go down well with the company or its shareholders.

He was replaced within 11 months on the job and was the third CEO to be fired in six years.

However, experts say that ultimately, it does not matter if the CEO-to-be is from within the organisation or not. It is more important that the person has the right characteristics to fit the role as well as a vision to lead the company.

Competencies and a vision

Employers explain that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to picking a successor but they expect certain attributes that they want these employees to possess in order to groom them for the role of CEO. Philippe Bonnet, vice president, North Asia/Global Head Learning & Education for Essilor International, says that a CEO should have “the proper fit with the maximum factors. The CEO job is very particular and the person needs to have leadership skills and the capacity to define strategies. It should not be because the person has been delivering numbers all the time.”

Torie Henderson, CEO, Omnicom Media Group Singapore, explains that there are many characteristics that the company looks out for when appointing a person for the role. Besides good, past performance, the individual should have leadership attributes such as bravery, empathy towards nurturing and motivating talent and inspiring people.

Most importantly, she says that “he or she must be able to make the tough decisions. The individual has to have both a compassionate and firm side to his or her personality to succeed.”

According to authors and experts, John Zenger and Joseph Folkman, in the book The Extraordinary Leader: Turning Good Managers into Great Leaders, there are 16 key competencies of

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Envisioning a leader CEO succession planning is essential for all companies.

Experts speak to HRM on the competencies of a leader and what organisations should be doing to successfully pick the right person for the job

By Priya de Langen

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leaders. Lyndsay Potts, MD, Potentia Consulting Group, says that the top five competencies from the list that a CEO should have are: collaborates and fosters teamwork, develops a strategic perspective, communicates powerfully and broadly, engages and motivates others, and develop others.

Besides key traits for an upcoming CEO, employers and experts alike agree that ultimately, in order for the person to succeed, he or she should have a vision for the organisation. “The best advice that I got before I became a CEO was to have a vision and this is something I have learnt most from. If you don’t know where you are going and cannot justify the journey you are taking the company through then you can’t sell it to employees and other internal stakeholders,” explains Henderson.

Potts affirms this, stating that it is critical for a leader to articulate a vision. He cites National Geographic as an example, stating that the organisation’s vision is to “celebrate what is right for the world” through photographic documentation. He explains that a critical role of leader is to paint a picture of where the company is headed and this vision is the source code that harvests, unites, and focuses energy on the organisational objective.

The insider-outsider theory Organisations either groom their internal candidates to take over the top job or employ external talent to help turn things around. There is also the case of the insider-outsider talent, where companies employ an external talent and groom them internally for a while before they take on the top job.

A comprehensive study by SpencerStuart, CEO succession: making the right choices, on US companies, explains that insider-outsiders are outsiders hired into companies in a senior leadership capacity (for example, as chief operating officer) who are then promoted to CEO, usually within 18 months.

However, the study showed that insider-outsiders turned out to be the worst performing CEOs due to several factors. This includes the candidate needing to serve under the incumbent CEO, while being scrutinised for his or her ability to take on the role. In order to become CEO, the candidate needs to embrace what the current CEO is doing, which may create difficulties when he or she takes over and wants to bring about change.

The report stated that out of 10 insider-outsider CEOs appointed in the US between 2004 and 2008, none of them achieved top-quartile performance.

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CONGRESS

SERIES

www.hrmcongress.com

STRATEGIC SUCCESSION PLANNING

CONGRESS CONGRESS2012 SERIES

Succeeding at succession

Experts say that in order for companies to have good succession planning for a CEO, there needs to be an ongoing process.

“In my estimation, the process should be embedded in the entire organisation and aligned to the outcomes the organisation is trying to achieve. Succession planning should not just be conducted once a year but an ongoing process given the ebbs and flow of talent and changes in an organisation,” explains Potts.

Moreover, he advises that the current CEO and the top executives should help the process owners (HR) implement and expedite succession planning, and HR provides the link between succession planning and leadership development.

He adds that companies should assess the demand and supply of leadership such as how many people are going to retire and who are the high potentials.

Organisations such as Omnicom Media Group and Essilor International have concrete plans when it comes to choosing and grooming a candidate to take over the CEO position. Henderson says that business continuity is critical to her company as well as the need to identify the successor and get them to understand the bigger picture. In Omnicom Media Group, succession planning is very much imbedded in the organisation.

“Succession planning is important and annually, the company identifies talent to succeed senior team members to ensure that there is a strong and effective succession plan in the organisation’s talent agenda. We ensure that each individual is given a career development plan to equip them with the skill set they need to succeed at the next step of their career,” Henderson explains.

The incoming person would need at least three to six months to get a good feel for the organisation, she says. Moreover, she says that it is more about “learning on the job and in our business it is about connections as you need to be connected within the company network.” She adds onboarding for a CEO joining from outside of the company network is lot more intense and deeper as compared to an internal candidate.

Succession planning is also important for her she says as it would allow her to move on to a bigger role. “Some people feel threatened by succession planning but I don’t. How could I expect to move to something bigger if I don’t have a succession plan or a successor?”

Bonnet says the onboarding for a CEO in Essilor International requires a succession of interviews and a final approval by the HQ and the Global CEO when it is for strategic countries or Business entities. “It is not a perfect process but it is most in line with the issue 12.2

hrmasia.com

Mandarin Orchard, Singapore www.hrmcongress.com 16 February 2012 Strategic Succession Planning is an intensive one-day congress packed with case studies and practical solutions on how to effectively implement succession planning and career development strategies. Gain valuable insights from HR experts on how you can use these talent strategies to retain and engage your key talents, drive business performance and groom future leaders.

Esteemed Speakers: Tina Sharma Assistant Vice President, Business Human Resource STATE BANK OF INDIA

Lyndsay Potts Managing Director POTENTIA CONSULTING GROUP

Eddie Lee Head of HR XILINX

Lim Fang Chien Head of Learning and Development, Asia Pacific BARCLAYS CAPITAL

Joint Presentation

Abu Amin PwC Saratoga Asia-Pac Leader PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS

33

Thorsten Barth Director, Advisory People & Change PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS

www.hrmcongress.com

feature

“If you don’t know where you are going and cannot justify the journey you are taking the company through then you can’t sell it to employees and other internal stakeholders” Torie Henderson, CEO, Omnicom Media Group Singapore

culture of the company and the one which will create an interactive exchange of evaluation between the management team, the HR and if necessary the external consultant engaged for this mission,” he says.

“There is always an internal transition phase,” continues Bonnet. The CEO, Chairman and the incoming CEO will have a meeting. Also, in the first month, the new CEO would have to build up a network as well as make a trip to the headquarters and meet the people which would ease transition.

Moreover, he says that due to the growth and the nature of the organisation’s activities with a strong proximity to the various markets, Essilor International tries to get local CEOs for local roles.

This is the case in India, Indonesia, and Thailand where most of the leaders are local. Also, in the past year, local regional employees have been taking leading functions at our regional HQs.

What’s in a face value?

Sometimes it is not just about the performance or the vision of the incoming CEO. In some global organisations, the person with the top job seems to be the one in the media glare. Like the late Steve Jobs who was seen to be the ‘face’ of Apple.

Of course this begs the question whether organisations should consider if the new CEO The CEO would be the face of the organisation. Experts say that this could work against organisations as it should not be just about ‘one personality’. be the only face of the company “The CEO should not be the only face of the as this could be dangerous company as a huge vacuum could be created, when that person steps down or retires.” says Henderson.

Potts agrees but points out that it depends on the nature of the business as well as the difference in cultures. He points out that Steve Jobs and Apple became synonymous, creating a “cult of personality”.

He explains that there is a difference between organisations in the East and the West. In the West, being a “differentiated leader” and a “rock star” is a cultural phenomenon. He cites Steve Jobs and Richard Branson as examples. However, this notoriety can create problems of succession for a company such as “Life without Steve Jobs?”

For organisations in the East, self-promotion is less encouraged and the focus is more on the whole organisation,” Potts concludes.

This can obviate the issues of succession faced by some organisations in the West.

SHOULD NOT

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corporate learning case study

Constructive

training

It is no easy feat to build a country’s industrial infrastructure from scratch, but that is exactly what JTC Corporation has achieved in the last four decades and counting. With such an important role at hand, training is crucial for the organisation to run at its optimum. HRM speaks to Tan Chee Keon, deputy director of Talent Development at JTC

By Vivien Shiao Shufen

Having fun while training at JTC

A

name synonymous with industrialisation in Singapore, JTC Corporation is well known for its contributions to the nation’s economic success.

Even with its formidable achievements in shaping the country’s industrial landscape into what it is today, JTC is not resting on its laurels as it is constantly training and innovating to move ahead of the competition.

Due to the complex and technical nature of JTC’s business, in developing industrial infrastructure solutions, training is critical.

A generous annual training budget – four percent of its payroll – is allocated for JTC’s 700-odd employees, demonstrating that the importance of training is more than just talk. issue 12.2

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corporate learning case study

“Training, learning and development is crucial in equipping staff with the necessary skills, know-how and competencies,” says Tan Chee Keon, Deputy Director of Talent Development at JTC. “It nurtures a commitment to excellence, improves the quality of our services and products, and helps to build a capable, innovative and forward-looking JTC,” he adds.

At JTC, it is not just about sending staff on training courses and programmes. According to Tan, the organisation’s training philosophy emphasises building a ‘culture of continuous learning’, with people who are ‘adept at creating, acquiring and sharing knowledge’.

From the top

“The learning and training for the job commences the moment a new employee steps into JTC,” says Tan. JTC has a three-day induction programme called One JTC Discovery which is developed and conducted in-house. It aims to accelerate a

new hire’s assimilation into the new work environment, as well as hasten his or her learning curve.

“During the programme, directors would engage with staff and share insights into JTC’s business, and its role in Singapore’s economic development,” explains Tan. JTC is distinguished by the deep and extensive involvement of top management in the design, development and delivery of training programmes.

Aside from the One JTC Discovery programme, there is also the Leadership Series where senior management share their experiences with middle managers. Directors conduct regular sharing sessions with employees to discuss their experiences in managing challenging projects.

“We spare no efforts in tapping into our senior management, experienced staff, business partners, industry experts and customers to share their knowledge and experiences,” says Tan. Tan points out an example where their Assistant CEO was personally involved in setting the objectives and planning the programmes for the latest series of innovation workshops.

“Our management ‘walks the talk’ by committing their time and resources to the development of our people,” says Tan.

Innovative training

Industry sharing in JTC

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At JTC, innovation is key for the organisation to develop unique infrastructural solutions, as well as optimise the use of limited land resources. Therefore, a key component of training is geared towards expanding JTC’s capacity for innovation.

JTC has a series of industry-sharing sessions and industry-specific training for staff to gain insights into industry trends, challenges and needs. These sessions are helmed by practitioners and industry leaders, and are aimed at enabling JTC’s staff to create customised infrastructure solutions for their customers.

corporate learning case study

“Training, learning and development has to constantly innovate to ensure that training remains relevant and forward-looking to meet the evolving training needs of our staff”

“We also collaborate with external parties, such as engineering consultants, in order to provide training opportunities through attachments with these companies,” he says.

“Recently, we collaborated with NTU and NUS to establish Industrial Infrastructure Innovation Centres in both universities,” Tan adds. “Staff will have opportunities to engage in joint research on innovative industrial infrastructure solutions.”

Unique road maps

Despite having developed comprehensive training roadmaps as a guide for all staff, JTC believes that the training needs of individuals are unique and have to be tailored according to their proficiency levels, skillsets and roles.

“Every one of our staff is involved in designing their personal plan for individual development,” Tan says. “This is because many of the training and developmental needs require some degree of customisation to meet the learning objectives.”

Developed in consultation with line managers, customised training roadmaps enable employees to identify learning programmes in order to bridge developmental gaps and enhance their career progression.

From there, employees can choose from a smorgasbord of programmes, both internal and external, to meet their needs.

“The depth and breadth of training courses that we have is something that differentiates us from most organisations,” he adds.

According to Tan, training courses range from the normal core learning programmes such as customer service and soft skills training, to highly customised ‘101’ courses to build their technical, legal and financial knowledge.

These courses enable officers to perform their roles effectively and equip them with essential foundation knowledge and core functional skills to deliver innovative solutions to customers.

Tan Chee Keon, Deputy Director of Talent Development, JTC “These functional programmes are developed in-house with our Capability Developers and subject matter experts, then customised to JTC’s needs,” he says.

JTC has also established a comprehensive set of feedback, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to validate the success of training and learning programmes in the organisation.

What lies ahead

OUR GREATEST ASSETS

Even with such extensive training programmes in place, JTC has several new ones in the pipeline such as an enhanced series of innovation workshops, are not just the buildings or an Engineering 101 programme the facilities we construct, and a customised systems but the people we have thinking course. helped to develop “Training, learning and development has to constantly innovate to ensure that training remains relevant and forward-looking to meet the evolving training needs of our staff,” Tan explains.

With such a diversity of programmes available, training and learning in JTC is a collaborative effort among the company’s leadership team, line managers and HR. With their pledge to develop each and every one of their people to their fullest potential, JTC looks ready to face the future.

As Tan puts it, “Our greatest assets are not just the buildings or the facilities we construct, but the people we have helped to develop.” issue 12.2

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corporate learning

Steering into the future Executive education and MBA programmes aim to equip employees with management skills to complement their technical expertise. HRM examines how this can give leaders an edge, helping them steer their workforce into the future

By Sumathi V Selvaretnam

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corporate learning

G

lobal economic uncertainty calls for leaders who are flexible and able to steer their workforce to meet rapidly changing business needs. Management education programmes are becoming increasingly relevant in this context, as they can help executives raise the bar in the organisation by equipping them with core leadership skills.

MBA students, for example, are exposed to activities and situations that will help them in areas including, problem solving and decision making, managing change, working with costs and budgets, and evaluating employee performance, says Eric Lim, Head of School – Postgraduate Studies, East Asia Institute of Management (EASB).

Results of the 2011 Year-End Poll of Employers conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council suggest hiring prospects for MBA students will be better in 2012. The survey found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of employers plan to hire MBAs in 2012, up from 58% in 2011.

The executive MBA (EMBA) programme, on the other hand, is attracting more senior-level executives. Typically conducted after hours or during the weekends, such programmes are suitable for executives who cannot afford to take time off work to undertake a full-time MBA. When a manager embarks on an EMBA programme like ours, they have reached a new high in their careers and their corporate designation requires more than just functional and technical expertise, says Dr Jari Talvinen, Managing Director, Aalto Executive Education Academy.

“The demands of their increased strategic responsibilities usually expose competency gaps in a few management areas. An EMBA education will assist them in bridging these gaps and increase their competencies in essential business skills like leadership, finance and strategy.”

Indian MBA graduates eye longterm career growth over salaries

Over 83% of business school graduates in India are willing to forgo fat pay packets for job profiles of their preference, according to a survey by the Associate Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

The majority of graduates who participated in the survey said that would prefer a work profile that came with long-term growth opportunities, instead of just high salary.

Among the respondents, 60% also said that they would prefer a company in its growth phase over a more established one.

Commenting on the survey, ASSOCHAM Secretary General Mr. D S Rawat says developed economies with better working conditions, good living standard and promising growth potential will lure India’s talent pool, as 75% of MBAs state that they wish to work abroad.”

Seventy-five per cent of the respondents also said that they would like to work in the US. The UK and Australia are the next favourite destinations with 40% and 25% of them opting for these countries respectively. Europe, Canada, Singapore and UAE were some of the other preferred destinations.

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Dealing with change and uncertainty

Management education providers are also tailoring their programmes to meet the demands posed by a challenging business environment.

Aalto University, for example, has introduced electives in areas such as Innovation Management, Managing Diversity through Negotiations and Conflict Resolution, as well as Sustainable Business Management. It

corporate learning

also encourages dialogue among its students located in different geographies.

Community leadership and social development is another rising field of study in a world experiencing rapid changes. Partnering with the People’s Association of Singapore, SIM University, will be offering a new Masters’ degree in Community Leadership and Social Development from July 2012. The programme will look at the knowledge and skills required for sound leadership and give an in-depth understanding of the factors that impact the social, cultural, political and economic development of society, especially in Singapore.

“The courses are aimed at developing knowledge of the principles and practices of effective leadership, social capital formation, social inclusion and integration, community organisation, and sustainable development,” says Associate Professor Chay Yue Wah, Director, Office of Graduate Studies, SIM University.

“When a manager embarks on an EMBA programme like ours, they have reached a new high in their careers and their corporate designation requires more than just functional and technical expertise” Dr Jari Talvinen, Managing Director, Aalto Executive Education Academy

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corporate learning

Education providers are also adopting a more practical approach to learning so that students can apply what they have learnt in real life situations. Those enrolled in the Masters in International Hospitality Management and Leadership programme at EASB no longer need to write a dissertation to complete their programme. Instead, the school has introduced a 12-month Community Impact and Practice capstone project. This will enable students to focus on areas such as project leadership, critical reflection, personal development planning, and client management, as well as presentation and negotiation skills.

The alumni connection Executive education and MBA programmes open up doors to networking, helping students build new friendships and relationships that could help them in their professional pursuits.

The Singapore Alumni chapter at Aalto Executive Education Academy organises social events on a regular basis. It also organises talks with speakers from prominent organisations and encourages alumni to attend these events.

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corporate learning

Opportunities for mobile learning Business schools have untapped opportunities to boost executive education through the use of mobile technology, says a new report by The International University Consortium for Executive Education (UNICON).

Some benefits of mobile learning highlighted in the report include: + ‘Just enough’ learning – breaking down content into more digestible bits for busy executives + ‘Just-in-time’ learning – flexible and relevant learning at a time of your convenience + ‘Just-for-me’ learning – learning can be accessed via mobile devices in many different ways, appealing to individual learning syles + Mobile devices can also spur collaboration – SMS texting reminders, knowledge sharing forums and ‘ask a question’ forums enable and boost interaction between participants and instructors.

EASB students enrolled in MBA programmes offered by the Edinburgh Business School have the opportunity to interact with its 14,300 strong alumni.

“Students delight in meeting alumni, not only because it spurs them on in times of difficulty, but because alumni are individuals from whom they can learn,” says Lim. In addition to its presence on social networking profiles, such as Facebook, the school has also developed profiles on professional networks that are exclusive to alumni, and this allows graduates to connect, communicate and collaborate with peers, colleagues and other business professionals around the world.

The Edinburgh Business School LinkedIn group page enables its graduates and staff to network at a professional level through online discussions, build connections with peers and potential new employers, and enhance career prospects through online job listings, says Lim.

Less than 1% of business schools are awared the prestigious Triple Accreditations in the world

25 North Bridge Road #08-03 EFG Bank Building Singapore 179104 Tel: +65-6339 7338 Fax: +65-6339 7118 Email: info@aaltoee.sg Web: www.aaltoee.sg

CPE Registration No: 200000295R Period: 13 Oct 2010 to 12 Oct 2014

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feature

When the

office cupid strikes

It is normal that workplace relationships will happen. HRM speaks to experts who say that setting clear boundaries and having open discussions will help prevent awkwardness in the office

By Priya de Langen

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feature

I

t is the month of February and many would say that it is the most romantic one in the year. Studies show that many workers have engaged in at least one workplace relationship. According to jobs website, Vault.com, 59% of surveyed employees in the US have engaged in a workplace romance, whereas some 64% say that after having had an office relationship once, they would do it again.

With the number of hours many employees spend at work, it would be considered normal that employees could get romantically linked with their co-workers. In the Vault.com survey, 15% of respondents stated that they met their spouse or their partner at their workplaces. Some renowned couples who met at work and are married include of Bill and Melinda Gates as well as Barack and Michelle Obama.

However, on the extreme end are scandals such as the case of HP’s ex-CEO, Mark Hurd being fired from his position due to his inappropriate relationship with a contractor and falsifying documents for work that she did not do. This turned out to be a PR nightmare for the organisation.

So how and when do organisations draw the line on office romance and how can HR manage any potential sticky situations from happening?

Skip the ban

Workplace code of conduct policies are nothing new but some companies have taken a step further to include rules that prevent employee-employee and managersubordinate relationships. However, some employers say that banning relationships outright is difficult to implement. Moreover, they note that they do not have problems with their employees having relationships as long as it does not interfere with their work productivity.

“When two people work closely together and get to know each other better, it is not unusual that a relationship may develop. Falling in love is a natural process, and in our company where we respect an individual’s rights and trust the individual for doing the right thing, banning a relationship is unthinkable,” states Ven Raman, MD for SEA, Carl Zeiss Group.

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feature

“We have a written code of conduct that does not ban relationships as long as it does not interfere with the individual’s work and risk the integrity of the company” Ven Raman, MD, SEA, Carl Zeiss Group

Khor Ling Ling, deputy director, Performance and Rewards, Changi General Hospital, says that “I have no objection to colleagues being attracted to each other and starting a relationship but it is best that they do not work in the same function.”

In fact, she explains that the relationship can even be viewed in a positive light as it “keeps both employees happy coming to work together and one can understand another better when confiding about work issues.”

Other experts agree that a workplace romance could have a positive effect on employees. Desmond Sim, leadership coach and facilitator at Progress-U Ltd, Malaysia, explains that if a HR manager discovers that there are relationships within the company, it is not a bad thing and “it could be great for motivation and close collaboration.”

Providing the right touch

Experts and employers agree that other measures, such as setting some guidelines and providing counselling, can be employed to ensure that workplace romances between colleagues do not get out of hand and do not cause awkwardness to those around them. The

How HR can handle romances in the office + Be realistic – office romances occur so rigid measures are a no-no + Set clear boundaries – ensure that employees know their company’s stance on workplace relationships and sexual harassment + Maintain open discussion – monitor the situation and have a talk with involved parties, especially if situations start to affect productivity or team dynamics

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Royal Bank of Scotland has a code of conduct that states personal relationships are acceptable as long it does not lead to a conflict of interest, and encourages its employees to inform their managers should such a situation arise.

This is especially important if relationships occur between a manager and his or her subordinate. A likely scenario is that other employees could feel or think that the employee who is involved with the manager might be receiving perks and at an advantage compared to them. In order to avoid conflicts of interest, guidelines are a good starting point.

Raman says that Carl Zeiss has guidelines to ensure that employees know when there is a conflict of interest at work. “Our workplace is a mature one and encourages open and honest communication. We have a written code of conduct that does not ban relationships as long as it does not interfere with the individual’s work and risk the integrity of the company.”

Moreover, he continues to state that depending on the situation, HR managers need not interfere unless the situation calls for it. “If the relationship is not causing harm to either party or anyone or risk the integrity of the company, there is nothing to do,” adds Raman.

Nichollas Tan, senior HR manager at Securities Commission, Malaysia, takes the issue further to advise that employees in a relationship or a married couple “cannot be in the same unit/ function or department. This is to avoid disputes should there be any decision making from both parties or perhaps sharing of confidential data to each other.” Moreover, he adds that if situations turn bad, organisations or an employee can be charged for sexual harassment.

Khor says that currently, the hospital does not have a formal policy in place to handle workplace romance as HR “treats and regards everyone as matured adults who can handle it professionally.”

She continues to say that as a manager of people, she would interfere only if it affects productivity. “I think I would not want to interfere unless I see that it is affecting the performance of the staff and if that really happens, I would step in and provide advice if the person is open to it.”

Managers also say that personal counselling and workshops can help reiterate the importance to employees regarding keeping their professional and personal lives separate, especially if relationships are affecting work productivity and even team dynamics.

Whatever the situation, office romance is inevitable and managers need to be open-minded and assess situations individually in order to manage them well. issue 12.2

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guest contributor

Priceless Innovation Strategies How to Thrive in Challenging Times In a constantly changing world and today’s uncertain economic climate, leadership through innovation, creativity and change management are no longer optional, but essential, writes guest contributor Alexander Blass

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guest contributor

M

y first visit to Asia was in 2002. I imagine the sense of wonderment and fascination that filled me is shared by any Westerner who comes to this extraordinary region. The palpable and frenetic energy; the richness and diversity of histories and cultures; and above all else, the warmth and kindness of the people are all memories I cherish. I couldn’t wait to return and explore further, which I have been fortunate to do since then on several occasions.

I am very honoured to be invited to deliver a speech on innovation and leadership at the upcoming HR Summit 2012 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore this May, and I hope to meet many HRM readers there. Reflecting on the 10th year anniversary of this exciting conference, makes me naturally think how my visit happens to coincide with the 10th anniversary of my first visit to Singapore. Evidence of innovation in Singapore and throughout the region is everywhere. One just has to look to their right, to their left, or even straight up, to discover transformational True innovation is hard and innovations implementing visions for the future while embracing the rich heritages of the past.

True innovation is not easy. True innovation is hard and does happen overnight not happen overnight. It takes a lot of hard work, personal sacrifice and tenacity. Some years ago, I quit a comfortable venture capital position in the US to follow my passion and invent a new, more efficient and collaborative way to make charitable contributions to those in need by combining philanthropy with the power of the Internet. It was the most challenging but rewarding endeavour I’ve embarked on to date, and I was gratified to be the grand prize winner of the Daily Record’s Top Innovator of the Year Award. Most importantly, this innovation has helped countless people around the world.

Like all innovators and leaders, I learned numerous things along the way that they can’t teach in business school. I’d like to share some of them with you today, in hopes that they help you and your organisations as you continue on your own exciting journeys to be the region’s most innovative and leading companies of tomorrow.

DOES NOT

Alexander’s axioms

1

Big ideas always begin with a tenacious innovator, but require a great team to be successful

Innovations are not abstract creations that pop out of an “innovation machine.” They come from real people like you and me with a big idea and the tenacity to see it through. Although they may begin with that one person, they will never achieve nearly as much success without a strong leadership team to help implement that vision.

2

Your innovations reveal a lot about who you are, and your values and passions

It is no coincidence when a person or organisation innovates in a given field.

If your innovations aren’t consistent with your passions and values, you will not maintain the high level of dedication and conscientiousness that its successful execution will demand. What are your passions and values? issue 12.2

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guest contributor

3

Innovators are constantly reinventing themselves [and that’s a good thing!]

Look at virtually any successful innovator, and you may be surprised to see that often they had little to no prior experience in the field in which they innovated. For example, prior to co-founding eBay, Pierre Omidyar was a software developer, not an auctioneer. Jeff Bezos was an investment banker prior to founding Amazon.com, not a bookseller.

They saw an opportunity to innovate, and innovations always benefit from an open mind and a fresh perspective.

4

Successful innovators embrace the uncomfortable and do what others are unwilling to do

If you want to lead through innovation, you have to be willing to push your comfort zone and welcome uncertainty.

5

Innovators know that regret is far worse than failure

If you have a big idea, your choice is either to give it your best shot, or sit back and kick yourself when someone else pursues it instead. Just remember that regret from inaction is far worse than failure.

6

If people don’t tell you your idea is crazy, it’s not that innovative

Imagine how absurd the business models of some of the most successful innovations of our time must have sounded at their inception.

Innovations are only obvious after someone else does it successfully. If people initially tell you your idea is crazy, take is as a compliment, as you’re probably on the right track.

7

Innovators are optimists by nature, and think about what is possible, not what is impossible

Surround yourself by positive people that support you and your creative, entrepreneurial ambitions.

About the author Alexander Blass is an internationally acclaimed American innovator and entrepreneur, and grand prize winner of the Daily Record’s Top Innovator of the Year Award. He currently serves as CEO of Alexander Blass International, an executive education and training firm based near Washington, DC. Blass has traveled to 45 countries and keynotes many of the world’s most prestigious conferences on innovation/creativity, leadership change, and business development/ entrepreneurship. Recent examples include the European Conference on Creativity and Innovation in Portugal, EPIC in New York and IBM INNOVATE in India. He holds a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied concurrently at the Wharton School of Business, and received an MBA from Oxford University in England. For more information, please visit www.alexanderblass.com.

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guest contributor

8

Innovators get input from lots of smart people.

But ultimately, you make the call

9

Your innovations are useless if nobody knows about them

Having mentors and collaborators is exceptionally important to the innovative process. But at the end of the day, follow your gut and have confidence in your own abilities and vision.

Apply clever marketing strategies to build buzz and generate momentum in the media for your ventures.

10

True innovation improves the human experience

As innovators and leaders, you have the ability to

CHANGE LIVES with your endeavors

As innovators and leaders, you have the ability to change lives with your endeavors. Make sure your innovations do something positive for society, even if on a small scale. Make someone’s life a little easier, or at least put a smile on their face. Besides being the right thing to do and making you feel great, it is also good for business. If you improve the human experience, you will always have a market for your products or services. hay_PS2.pdf

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5:22 PM

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10th Anniversary Special

9 & 10 May 2012 • Marina Bay Sands • Singapore Discover Qian Hu’s ‘Fishy’ HR ideology with Kenny Yap ‘The Fish’, Chairman & Group CEO

Back by overwhelming popular demand!

Don’t miss Chester Elton only at the HR Summit

Jessica Tan Soon Neo Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore Member of Parliament East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC)

Dr Kevin Freiberg on the talent challenges behind TATA’s world conquering Nano

The Future of HR Rick Von Feldt International Speaker & HR Futurist

Siemens Case Study: The CEO Agenda and Leadership Nicolas Von Rosty Corporate Vice President Siemens AG

Future Talent Staffing Challenges Likely to Face Singapore Within the Next 10 Years Low Peck Kem Divisional Director, National Human Resources Division Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

HRM in Emerging Markets: Untold Stories Dr John Vong International Speaker & Leadership Expert

Innovative Leadership in Uncertain Times David Kwee Founder and CEO Training Vision

Branding Through People Positively Reflecting Your Organisation’s Image Christina Ong Branding Expert & Image Master

Flexibility and Work Life Integration - American Express Case Study Sonia Cargan VP Human Resources - East Asia American Express International

From Discussion to Decision The Role and Adaptation of HR in a Hyper Turbulent Environment Rakesh Seth Senior VP - Group HR Fedders Lloyd Corporation

Managing Your Demographic Risk Cheryl Liew-Chng WorkLife, Gender & Generation Expert

How HR Can Create Value to Impact Company Results Karl-Heinz Oehler, VP – Global Talent Management, The Hertz Corporation

Social Media Strategies for HR William Chin Director, Staffing, Asia Pacific Qualcomm

HR Lessons in the Face of a Natural Disaster - Christchurch Earthquake Case Study Leeanne Carson-Hughes General Manager HR Christchurch International Airport

If Succession Planning Works, How Do the Wrong People Get to the Top? Prof. David Clutterbuck International Speaker, Author & Management Thinker

Talent Management in a Global Chinese Company: Growing Pains Steven Wood, Global VP HR Enterprise BG HUAWEI

Work-Life Continuum - A New Proposition on Staff Engagement Stephen Tjoa Partner Human Resources KPMG

Developing Introverted Leaders: Building on Their Quiet Strengths Dr Jennifer Kahnweiler International Speaker, Author & Executive Coach

Beyond HR: Orchestrating the Broader Organisation to Build Future Capability Varun Bhatia VP Human Resources Kraft Foods APAC

High Impact Talent Management Aparna Kumar Regional Human Resource Lead PANSEA Monsanto Singapore Co (Pte) Ltd

Reverse Mentoring - Turning Traditional Learning On Its Head Steven Murphy, Regional Director, APAC North Text 100 International

Highly Effective Criticism, Discipline and Feedback Skills for Managing Employee Performance Pamela Jett International Speaker, Author & Communication Skills Expert

Diversity & Inclusive Leadership Christina Lu Vice President HR Volvo East Asia

Unlocking Culture - The Key to Executive Adjustment Peter Allen Head Alumni Programme-Talent Mgt. Group Learning & Talent Development Standard Chartered Bank

Hardwired Humans: Successful Change Management Using Human Instincts Andrew O’Keeffe International Speaker, Author & Behavioural Expert

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corporate health

Health costs While it’s common knowledge that having health and wellness programmes in place results in improved employee health, reduced healthcare costs and increased employee morale amongst others, this often comes at a price for employers.

How can the right healthcare plan for employees also be business-friendly for employers?

By Shalini Shukla-Pandey

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corporate health

H

ealth and wellness are under the spotlight for employers this year. With businesses in the emerging markets of Asia-Pacific continuing to face the challenges of significant economic growth and a tight talent pool, firms are increasingly looking to evolve a broader employee value proposition beyond compensation, and to use their healthcare and choice programmes to gain competitive differentiation through a healthy, happy and engaged workforce.

Mercer’s Asia Pacific Total Health and Choice Benefits 2011 Survey found that more than half the respondents are looking to increase their health and wellness programmes in the next three years, although most large organisations are looking to share these costs with employees.

Top drivers for promoting health and wellness in their organisations are productivity and performance (60%), and talent attraction and retention (52%).

“Employers are finally making the linkage between health, productivity and cost,” says Michael Hilton, Mercer’s Asia Pacific benefits consulting leader for Health & Benefits.

Still, the vast majority of employers across Asia-Pacific do not have an issue 12.2

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corporate health

Corporate healthcare roundup According to Mercer’s Asia Pacific Total Health and Choice Benefits 2011 Survey, the most popular health programmes last year were annual employee health check-ups (84%), biometric screening tests (59%) and health talks/health fairs (49%). Firms want to invest in more innovative and interventional programmes in the next two years through expanded use of health risk assessment questionnaires (47%), stress management (46%) and chronic disease management (43%).

Employers are also recognising the value of including families in their policies to be a key differentiator and a highly-regarded benefit for employees.

More than half (52%) of the companies surveyed provide health management programmes to their employees’ children, while 40% cover employees’ spouses. Programmes to parents are provided by 13%.

integrated or strategic approach to health and wellness management, but more than half of respondents indicated a desire to implement more programmes.

Planning for health

As the cost of healthcare rises in Asia, benefits are beginning to play an important role in the attraction and retention of talent.

Wellness programmes are becoming a good differentiator for employers in attracting and retaining top talent, says Dr Rajeshree (Gina) Parekh, Director, Health & Wellness, Asia Pacific, Towers Watson.

“By offering wellness programmes, employers can address a large segment of the population (up to 85%) that is not using traditional benefits such as inpatient and outpatient medical coverage, and improve morale, productivity and sustain costs in the longer term,” says Parekh.

In most cases, priorities and demands of the employee and employer are potentially conflicting – with the employee demanding better coverage, greater choice and flexibility and the employer looking for cost control, increased employee accountability and better return on investment for offered benefits.

Healthy business plan

According to Healthway Medical, business-friendly corporate health plans include tie-ups between a company and a healthcare provider, where the provider assists in reducing medical-related time and cost.

“HR managers not only expect corporate health plans to be cost efficient but they also want these plans to assist in bringing down absenteeism rates (due to MCs, or medical leave requiring a medical certificate) by keeping employees healthy and happy,” says Lam Pin Woon, president and executive director of Healthway Medical Corporation.

Besides providing medical services such as health screening, vaccinations and specialists’ services, Healthway Medical helps HR

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corporate health

to monitor illness trends so as to make relevant recommendations. For instance, where higher levels of MCs resulting from flu are seen, vaccinations are proposed to curb this increase of flu among employees in the company.

“We see ourselves as a healthcare partner to our clients, where we help to assist any medical-related queries that our clients may have,” says Lam. “Our aim is to provide the company with a platform where all their healthcare queries can be answered, enabling the company to have more time to focus on other aspects of their business.”

Raymond Wong, Chief Corporate Solutions Officer, AIA Singapore, believes business-friendly corporate health plans should provide a clear and trustworthy medium through which HR and employees can assess information easily.

AIA has put this into practice, as it was the first in the market to launch an online portal for employee benefits programmes.

“Last year, we also launched a 24x7 hotline for corporate clients,” says Wong.

Money smart Businesses can employ a variety of methods to better manage their healthcare strategies, reap tangible benefits from them, and keep healthcare costs affordable in the long term.

Dr Rajeshree (Gina) Parekh, Director, Health & Wellness, Asia Pacific, Towers Watson, says employers can: + Improve employee control and accountability through innovative plan designs + Provide information and improve transparency on comparative costs + Take part in tiered cost sharing based on desired outcomes + Partner with vendors (insurers, health management companies) to broaden their product and service offerings to include prevention and health promotion + Empower employees to make better decisions for treatment and care, and health education + Encourage healthy behaviours such as a good diet, exercise and stress management + Manage chronic disease

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corporate health

Integrated IT platforms Healthway Medical leverages on integrated IT platforms to help clients reduce their time and costs in administering their corporate wellness programme and health benefits.

One such initiative is the Patient Services Portal (PSP). This cardless patient verification portal allows staff to access affiliated medical services using NRIC or FIN numbers in-lieu of a staff pass, Healthway corporate visit card or Staff List.

“This system is specially created for our clients after receiving feedback that their employees carry too many cards,” says Lam Pin Woon, President, Executive Director, Healthway Medical Corporation. “With this portal, our clinic staff can verify the medical entitlement of an employee when he/she visits our clinic. Our corporate clients can login to this portal for instant updating of employee medical entitlement.”

Healthway Medical clinics are also interlinked with a Clinic Management System (CMS) that integrates clinical, patient registration and drug dispensing functions. A billing system that can provide invoices sorted by cost centre, clinic or visit date is available at the backend of this CMS. Another useful IT platform is the HR Portal – a database that is linked to Healthway Medical’s CMS. “Our clients can login to this Portal and view utilisation statistics of their employees,” says Lam. “Standard and customised reports are available to our clients.”

Important elements of a business-friendly corporate health plan should include “shared responsibility”, “flexibility” and “sustainable cost”, says Parekh. “Organisations can cater to this by rethinking their health strategy to focus on health management, not benefits management,” she adds.

For instance, employers can proactively analyse claims data and look at the risk stratification in the staff pool, and then structure health programmes that address those risks.

“The entire future trend of employerprovided benefits is moving towards total health management,” says Parekh. “This means addressing the entire population (not only the sick ones) as a healthcare continuum and offering something for everyone as an ideal way to attract, retain and engage the entire workforce.”

HRiQ Human Capital Management Soluuon

Call

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Email sales.sg@iqDynamics.com

mice feature

Business travellers take to the

skies Despite economic uncertainty in the coming year, the Asian business travel outlook in 2012 remains strong. Instead of cutting costs, companies are still going ahead with travel plans in order to spur growth. HRM explores the link between business travel and organisational growth

By Vivien Shiao Shufen

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mice feature

I

magine yourself as the CEO of a business that has a regional reach. The newspapers are full of doomsayers predicting the next economic downturn and warning employers to be ready. After a chat with your finance director, you discover that your organisation’s travel expenditure actually takes up 20% of your annual turnover.

As someone who calls the shots, do you decide to save the money on business travel in order to prepare for a potential crisis?

According to Dr. Carl Jones, director of Advisory Services of Japan, Asia-Pacific and Australia of American Express Global Business Travel, the answer is no. He advises that more travel may be required for your business to grow.

“Companies should be aware that cutting business travel budgets is a crude method of saving costs, as it may also impact revenue,” says Jones.

“Particularly in the Asian region where hotel and airline costs continue to rise, travel budgets need to be increased accordingly to ensure an organisation can continue to grow.”

Julia Tham, ASEAN operations manager of Text 100, also sees the importance of business travel.

“Face-to-face meetings are irreplaceable when it comes While modern technology to building relationships with clients,” says Tham. facilitates business “This is especially important for business pitches where communication, it cannot we need to connect with our potential clients at a personal replace the level,” she adds. “We will spare no expense if it could lead to more business for us.”

Therefore, even in times of economic uncertainty, cutting back on business travel may not be the best option despite the immediate savings experienced.

HUMAN TOUCH

Why the need for business travel

The connection between business travel and corporate growth is not unfathomable. What appears to be an expense in the balance sheet is likely to result in long-term benefits for the organisation.

According to The Oxford Economics Business Travel ROI Study 2011, there is a direct line between increasing travel and an increase in top line corporate growth. Similarly, reducing business travel leads to a corresponding reduction in growth.

“It is critically important for organisations to speed up regional business penetration during the period when others are cutting back,” says Robin Yap, managing director of The Travel Corporation.

“In what most people predict to be a challenging year, I see it as a year where business people need to travel even more to generate business and open up new markets. With Asia being the driver of growth in the coming years, organisations that want to expand their businesses need to look beyond Singapore.”

Sylvester Lau, senior HR executive at Hoerbiger KT Asia, views business travel as indispensable to the organisation. issue 12.2

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mice feature

“For example, some employees who travel by plane are involved with job issues that are very technical in nature. They really need to be on-site to get a feel for the problem at hand. There’s no other way about it,” he states.

Lau himself had just arrived back from a business conference with other HR leaders from around the world.

“It was a great sharing session as far as I’m concerned,” he says. “You learn so much more when you interact with your overseas counterparts on a face-to-face basis.”

He adds that such meetings would in turn also benefit the organisation, as each person brings back some insights about what their overseas counterparts are doing. This is then used to improve the HR strategies and processes in their current location.

“There needs to be a balance between being cost-conscious and stepping up regional travel to remain competitive and build relationships,” says Yap. “Cutting corners might potentially hurt business revenue in the long run.”

Possible alternatives

Despite all the glowing testimonials on the benefits of business travel, companies may still need to find suitable alternatives if increasing, or even maintaining, the travel budget is out of the question.

Teleconferencing and video-calls have often been considered as suitable alternatives to travelling overseas.

However, most disagree.

Jones says that while technologies such as teleconferencing may be a useful option, it should be incorporated only as part of a company’s robust travel policy and not act as a substitute.

“Face-to-face meetings are particularly pertinent in Asia as cultural differences can affect the potential of relationship building to build trust and grow business,” he adds.

Likewise, both Tham and Lau believe that teleconferencing can only complement business travel, and not replace actual interaction.

“Whilst we leverage our technology to the full to ensure we can minimise travel spending, we maintain a strong requirement for face-to-face discussions with our most important stakeholders – our customers,” says Renata Dohmen, APAC senior HRBP of Avaya Singapore.

“New technologies will always play a part as a means of communication, but using them has not resulted in fewer business travellers taking to the skies,” says James Gaskell, managing director for Travelocity Asia-Pacific and ZUJI. “If anything, we are seeing that travelling only strengthens the whole experience,” he adds.

As Yap sums up, while modern technology facilitates business communication, it cannot replace the human touch.”

Top business destinations in Asia + Singapore + Hong Kong + Bangkok + Seoul + Kuala Lumpur + Shanghai + Tokyo + Manila + Taipei + Ho Chi Minh + Beijing + Jakarta

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mice feature

“There needs to be a balance between being cost-conscious and stepping up regional travel to remain competitive and build relationships. Cutting corners might potentially hurt business revenue in the long run�

Robin Yap, Managing Director, The Travel Corporation

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Business travel outlook for 2012

Despite the expenditure involved in business travel, companies are taking it in their stride as many see it as a long-term investment.

According to the recently released annual American Express Global Business Travel Global Forecast, the Asian business travel outlook for 2012 remains positive.

As companies continue to expand across Asia, they are not likely to alter travel budgets significantly as face-to-face contact is generally considered a driver for growth.

The Travel Corporation is also cautiously optimistic for business travel in the coming year.

Online travel firm ZUJI reported that business travel bookings have remained steady in the past two years, and foresees that this will continue in 2012.

In periods of economic uncertainty, the focus on customer retention and new business generation has become even greater. As ironic as it sounds, this is when travel and meetings become more, not less, important.

Instead of simply slashing travel budgets, companies should look to tightening their processes and policies to maximise return on investment.

As business travel is here to stay, the key is to spend the investment as wisely as possible.

in person

Krishna Kurunakaran Assistant Director, Organisation Development, Alexandra Hospital, Jurong Health Services Years in HR 20 years, covering HRM, Learning and Organisation Development (OD).

Why HR HR has given me true motivation and sense of meaning. My optimistic personality compliments various HRrelated work.

Why Alexandra Hospital?

The new state-of-the-art integrated hospital provides a unique opportunity for me to apply my skills, knowledge and experiences to help shape a new culture.

Biggest achievement?

I have been blessed to have worked with

some of the best blue chip MNCs such as BP, Motorola and Sun Microsystems. A highlight of my career was when I was awarded the prestigious ‘Helios’ award in BP for successfully leading the APAC region in supporting growth and transformation efforts.

Family?

Happily married to Pushpa and blessed with two handsome sons, Kavaish and Manish. It is a joy to have time to spend with family.

What happens after hours?

I love sports. Running and gym are two of my favourite pastimes. Sundays are reserved to attend church with family.

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mice review Capella

A place to call I

deally located on Sentosa Island Capella Singapore is a short trip from the Central Business District, yet offers guests a luxurious hideaway from the hustle and bustle of the city nation. Capella Hotels and Resorts are designed with luxury in mind and the Singapore resort, the flagship property of the group, features colonial and modern buildings set in 30 acres of sprawling hills.

From three-bedroom suites to contemporarydesigned manors, the long-stay accommodation caters to single expatriate staff as well as those with families in tow. Those staying in these apartments have full access to the facilities at The Club, an exclusive area reserved for long-stay clients. In addition to the swimming pool and gym, The Club also has a spa and indoor and outdoor lounges.

Capella Hotels are well-known for the impeccable service delivered to their guests. The long-stay offerings at Capella are no different and staff are always on hand to address any requests so that guests are never left in the lurch. They can even arrange for long-stay guests to ship in their own furniture, paintings and any other dĂŠcor just to make their apartment feel a little more like home.

Food and drink offerings are also aplenty within the resort at restaurants such as The Knolls, which is led by experienced award-winning chefs.

home Contemporary Manor living room

A popular offering is the Sunday Grill – a Sunday barbeque brunch with free-flow rosÊ wine and a selection of international beer.

Work or play, everything is within reach at Capella. A regular shuttle service brings guests to and from various areas in the Central Business District and nearby shopping mall VivoCity.

Furthermore, The Club at Capella will truly be a place to call home for your expatriate staff.

Contemporary Manor master bedroom

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For more information: + Tel: +65 6591 5015 + Email: theclub.singapore@ capellahotels.com

Contemporary Manor exterior

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talent feature

To Hire or Not to Hire?

Joshua Yim, CEO, Achieve Group, shares his thoughts on the employment outlook for the first half of 2012 prudence in the salary increment that they would offer new hires, mainly falling in the range of ‘Less than 5%’.

Joshua

yim

Less Employment Pass Workers After 1st January 2012?

Founder and CEO, Human Resource Consultancy The Achieve Group

A

s the world continues to grapple with economic uncertainty and the prospect of another economic downturn looms larger, companies’ hiring plans come into greater focus as it signals confidence (or lack of) within the business community.

With this as a backdrop, the Hiring Trends Report 1H 2012 by the Achieve Group examines Singapore-based companies’ growth forecast on both the local economy as well as their individual businesses, and the impact on their prospective hiring plans for 1H 2012.

We polled key employment decisionmakers from over 500 multi-national firms and medium to large-sized enterprises across nine sectors: Banking & Finance; Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals; IT Telecommunications; Hospitality, Retail & F&B; Shipping & Logistics;

Industrial Manufacturing & Engineering; Oil & Gas; Professional Services and Property & Construction.

When asked about their projected business growth for 1H 2012, 60% of companies said they are looking forward to business expanding while 23% predict that growth will be flat. The remaining 17% expect business volume to decrease.

As a result, just over half (51%) intend to freeze hiring while 40% plan to boost headcounts in 1H 2012. Of which, the top sectors that expect to hire are Industrial Manufacturing & Engineering, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, and Oil & Gas. Only 9% (or 30 companies) said that they would be trimming their workforce.

Of the companies that intend to hire, the majority (55%) are planning to increase their staff count by ‘Less than 5%’. Most will also be exercising

Singapore Economic Growth Forecast 30%

Contract

30% 26%

20%

0% 22%

6% 0%

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More than 4%

Hire more staff

9% 40%

2.1% - 4%

10%

+ www.achievegroup.asia

Companies’ Hiring Plans for 1H 2012

0.1% - 2%

16%

As the influx of foreign workers into Singapore has been a hot button issue for some time now, our report also polled companies on whether they would be hiring more or less Employment Pass (E-Pass) workers after the increase in qualifying salaries took effect on 1st January 2012 – and the reasons behind their decisions.

Out of those that currently hire E-Pass workers, 15% indicated they would be hiring less E-Pass workers, 7% will be hiring more, and the vast majority of 78% reported ‘No change’ for the next six months.

Of those who intend to hire less E-Pass workers, 68% attributed it to the higher costs involved after the change in legislation kicked in earlier this year. The remaining 32% had other reasons.

As for those who will be hiring more such workers, some of the reasons cited include ‘Can’t find Singaporeans to do the job’, ‘E-Pass holders have a better work attitude’, and ‘Overall, it is still cheaper to hire E-Pass holders than Singaporeans’.

51%

Freeze Hiring Reduce Headcount

Hiring Less E-Pass Workers Due to Higher Cost?

Yes 32%

No 68%

resources

The Zappos Experience –

5 Principles to Inspire, Engage, and WOW

M

any have heard of the unconventionality of internet company Zappos and its reputation as a great place to work. Now, The Zappos Experience – 5 Principles to Inspire, Engage, and WOW takes readers for a look behind the scenes to find out what are the reasons behind its resounding success.

Written by Joseph Michelli, the book explains how the name Zappos has come to stand for one of the most impressive business transformational success stories of our time, where the happiness of staff and customers reign supreme. Michelli is also the author of international bestsellers Prescription for Excellence and The Starbucks Experience.

Taking us beyond the playful, offbeat company culture that Zappos is famous for, Michelli reveals the five main principles that the company stands by: » Serve a perfect fit – create bedrock company values, » Make it effortlessly swift – deliver a customer experience with ease,

» Step in the personal – connect with customers authentically, » S T R E T C H – grow people and products and » Play to win – play hard, work harder.

The book provides clear examples of what it means to live the five principles and how they manifest themselves in Zappos. Also, one useful aspect of this book is that each chapter contains assessment questions and recommendations called “try this on for size” that are tuned to the individual chapter. This is helpful for the reader to figure out how close they are to the ideals illustrated.

Michelli concludes that when one enhances the customer experience, increases employee engagement and creates an energetic culture, success is not difficult to achieve. Business leaders will do well to pore through this fascinating book that is rich with nuggets of wisdom for others to pick and apply to revolutionise their business and change lives.

At a Glance The Zappos Experience – 5 Principles to Inspire, Engage, and WOW Authors: Joseph A. Michelli Published by: McGraw-Hill Retail Price: S$31.25

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twenty-four seven 12.00pm Time for lunch!

1:00pm I am co-running a training with

Daniel Tam HR Business Partner, UBS AG

9:00am I first look through my calendar to make sure that I am prepared for the meetings of the day, especially when I have my monthly catch-ups with the various heads of the businesses that I support.

10:00am As part of my regional portfolio, I work very closely with my HR counterparts in the UK, US and Zurich offices. I usually spend an hour or so in the morning to catch up on emails

my colleague from the UBS Business University for all our new line managers. UBS has a performanceoriented and employee development culture and this training educates managers on year-end HR processes and equips them with the skills to conduct open and robust performance discussions with their teams.

3:00pm Next, I attend a Finance from these locations so that issues can be addressed when they start their day.

11:00am Time for the meeting. At these regular catch-ups, we discuss various HR issues ranging from headcount/succession plans to talent management strategies for their teams. I also get strategic insights into the businesses and their challenges, which in turn helps me to devise HR solutions that are appropriate for them.

department management team meeting where I provide updates on the latest HR initiatives, conduct an interview with a candidate for a role in Compliance and finally finish off with a teleconference on the APAC Risk Mentoring programme which I am co-running.

6:30pm I head off to the gym for an hour and eat dinner before returning to office for an evening conference call at 9pm.

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talent ladder Chan Yit Foon

Senior VP, HR, Marina Bay Sands

Sharon Clare Ooi

HR and Administration Manager, Leo Burnett

Francis Lim

HR Manager, Asia-Oceania, HeidelbergCement AG

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Chan Yit Foon has been appointed as Senior VP, HR of Marina Bay Sands. With over 15 years of HR experience, Chan will be taking charge of the growth and welfare of the team members at the integrated resort.

Prior to this, she was Executive VP of HR in Mediacorp for five years, and Director of HR ASEAN/South Asia at IBM for 24 years before that.

Chan will lead the way in implementing the strategies and priorities of HR programmes in talent management, rewards and benefits, leadership training and development, team engagement and initiatives for the welfare of Team Members.

“I am excited about motivating, nurturing, training and rewarding the existing team to ensure business growth. At the same time, I am looking forward to implementing initiatives to attract the best talent.”

Sharon Clare Ooi has recently taken up the role of HR and Administration Manager at Leo Burnett.

With 10 years of experience as an HR Generalist, Ooi has honed her skills in managing people and their expectations, as well as in decision-making and problem solving.

One main area that she will focus on is employee engagement. Some plans currently in the works include having regular town hall sessions and staff lunches. She is also aiming to improve communication between Management and employees through means such as an improved Employee Handbook and a more structured performance feedback process.

For 2012, her main goal is for employees to feel that they are being heard by the Management, and that they have a say in their career development and welfare.

Francis Lim is the new HR Manager, Asia-Oceania at HeidelbergCement AG, one of the world’s largest producers of cement and pre-mixed concrete, and leader in aggregates. In his previous role, he was the Senior Manager of HR Planning & Payroll at SingTel. In Asia-Oceania alone, HeidelbergCement AG employs 16,500 people. The Singapore HR office is in charge of all HR-related processes, covering the Top and Senior Managers in Asia-Oceania.

Lim ensures that each HR team in this region is functioning efficiently and effectively.

With more than 10 years of experience in HR, Francis is more than ready to actively take on his new challenging role and achieve new successes together with the company.

“I’m delighted to be part of the diverse HR team with an overall strategic view of the company. I look forward to growing with HeidelbergCement AG.”

viewpoint Hiring Boss

Talent tracker for

Asian businesses HiringBoss is the new recruitment platform that has created an impressive industry buzz in a remarkably short span of time. Sales Director Matt Allanson shares his views on doing business in Asia and the HR Software market

Q: You started with HiringBoss in July, how’s it been so far?

Matt: It’s been great. The first four months were about finding the right staff, office spaces, getting the product ready for market while developing marketing plans and strategy.

Since mid-November we have been actively selling the product and building our client base which growing rapidly with some household names.

Q: So you’ve set up the business and you’re ready for the drive ahead, what observations have you made about doing business in Asia?

Matt: Let me start by pointing out I come from a smallish city in Southern Australia called Adelaide. Anyone who’s been there can tell you it’s about as culturally different to Singapore as you can imagine and it’s only a sixhour flight away. The diversity of this region is staggering but we see that as an advantage of ours.

Q: Can you elaborate?

Matt: Jump on a plane and go six hours north east, which is about the same time it takes to go from LA to Chicago, and you land in Tokyo. But on your way you will have gone over or past eight different countries with eight very different cultures and languages. We continue to build a team and product that understands each of those markets.

Matt

allanson Sales Director, Hiring Boss

We are 100% an Asian business.

Built, designed and run in Asia.

Our aim is to be the ATS of choice for Asian businesses, which is why we’re launching HiringBoss in several new Asian languages in the next few months.

Q: So in a nutshell, how are you helping your customers?

Matt: It is super important for businesses in Asia to use software that understands the local market, even more so when you consider recruitment can be the most tedious and complex HR function. We help our clients improve decision making time and run their internal recruitment programme more efficiently, whilst reducing costs associated with hiring.

We’re also leading the way with ‘employer of choice’ branding for our clients. I say this over and over, but we all know hiring the right people is crucial to any businesses

success. Why do companies spend big $’s on marketing campaigns, slick reception areas, nice meeting rooms, external consultants, branding and re-branding to make them look like a company people should do business with…but rarely think about how they engage with people at their most impressionable – when they are a potential employee?

Q: Plans for the next 6 months?

Matt: Helping more companies improve their talent acquisition is the key focus.

Other than that we are currently hiring two more staff members in Singapore and Japan, moving to a larger office in Tokyo and getting our Vietnam sales office operational…we’re also releasing in 12 new languages…so it’s going to be busy!

+ Matt Allanson Sales Director, Hiring Boss + Email: matt@hiringboss.com issue 12.2

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talent challenge

Rewarding employees

A recent survey has found that Singapore employees feel the least rewarded or recognised by their bosses amongst countries in the APAC region. How do you motivate your employees to ensure that they are working at their optimum?

We start by encouraging managers to understand individual motivational factors so they can engage employees. We also ensure managers and employees have the Renata Janini opportunity to discuss how each employee can contribute to the overall success Dohmen of the company and align individual goals with organisational goals.

APAC Senior HR Employees that have a sense of purpose and belonging and know how they Business Partner, impact the overall business are more likely to work at their optimum. Setting the Avaya Singapore right goals also builds the foundation for performance engagement. Our principle is to pay for performance and, in such a culture, greater rewards are given to those who deliver a higher performance relative to their peers.

Because rewards can be monetary and non-monetary, we make sure Singapore people managers have access to as much information they need, via training sessions, internal web portals, emails, or consultation with HR, on rewarding alternatives they can utilise.

Employees are motivated when they feel that their contributions are important and appreciated. Therefore, it is important to communicate clearly that every staff member contributes to the organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievements and that they are Director, HR, Singapore valued. At the Science Centre, we organise celebratory lunches and staff are Science Centre given opportunities to give out tokens of appreciation during Dinner & Dance.

The management must lead by example and be honest, fair and transparent. It is also important to employ the right people and trust them.

Empower staff and allow them to suggest improvements and involve them in the planning process.

Happy staff are motivated staff. To make staff happy, Science Centre has a very informal fun culture and we have strong work-life balance. Staff often bring their kids to office and family members are invited to some of our events. We have introduced a small fund that allows all Department Heads to bring their staff for informal lunches for team-bonding.

Wendy Cheong

Joseph Chu

A highly engaged workforce will translate into a motivated and productive workforce. Our Hotel therefore measures the employee engagement index twice a Director, HR, Holiday year. In 2010, our employee engagement index was at an all-time low. We conducted Inn Atrium Singapore employee focus group sessions across all levels of employees in order to determine the root causes, and found out that our wage structure was not attractive.

As such, we got approval to revamp our wage system. The effort paid off with our employee engagement index increasing significantly, putting the Hotel way ahead of its target. Another key priority was the Annual Talent Review that focused on the personal development plan of our high potentials. We have since achieved many success stories of employees promoted internally.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) organises an annual Global Campaign â&#x20AC;&#x153;Celebrate Service Weekâ&#x20AC;? to thank and to engage our employees to be Brand-hearted. With a highly motivated workforce, we were able to achieve a record high employee engagement index and an all-time low employee turnover during our last review. issue 12.2

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executive appointments

www.achievegroup.asia Singapore | Malaysia | Hong Kong

Established in 1990, the Achieve Group is a multi award-winning organisation and HR outsourcing partner-of-choice for local conglomerates and multinational corporations within the Asia Pacific region. It specialises in Talent Acquisition comprising General Recruitment, Technology Recruitment, Foreign Recruitment and Executive Search Divisions, as well as HR Consulting.

EA Licence No.: 05C3451

1. Human Resource Manager

2. Human Resource Manager

Attractive base package 5 days/Perm Established MNC

5 Days work week F&B Background

Our client is one of the recognised Global Brand Leaders in the Hospitality sector with a strong portfolio.

Responsibilities • Perform recruitment, compensation and benefits administration, training and development • Develop each member of the HR team to the level of job competency, identifies and develops excellent performers to their fullest potential • Administer compensation and benefits for all employees in a timely and accurate manner • Conduct job interview & exit interview • Review and discuss with insurance companies on facts findings and policies.

Check & manage all insurance claims • Perform searches for qualified candidates according to relevant job criteria, networking, Internet recruiting resources, recruiting firms, and employee referrals • Provide Headcount reports, attrition reports and etc • Assist HR Directors in Union matters and discussions / negotiations • Ensure that all works processes, compensation and benefits administration are in compliance with local statutory requirements • Assist in yearly manpower and expenses budget • Ensure that all HR audit requirement are met • Provide HRIS training to new hires • Provide training and source for staff development courses • Draw up training roadmap and training needs analysis

Requirements • Possesses Diploma/Degree in HR related disciplines • Has at least 4 years of HR generalist experience, preferably from the hospitality sector • Must have ORACLE payroll experience

A well-known and established company in Food & Beverage Industry is inviting suitably qualified candidates fill the position as a HR Manager.

Responsibilities • Full spectrum of the HR functions covering recruitment & orientation, compensation & benefits, trainings & developments, employee relations & wellness activities.

• Formulate & implement HR policies, systems & procedures.

• Align HR strategies & initiatives in supporting overall F&B business objectives & goals.

• Handle monthly payroll & administration of annual performance appraisals, salary benchmarking & annual bonus exercises.

• Ensure that current HR practices are in compliance with MOM regulations.

• Supervise a team of 4 people

Requirements • Degree in HRM/Business Administration.

• Min 3-5 years of HR generalist experience (preferably in food & beverage industry) • Familiar with employment act & regulations.

• Meticulous, tactful & ability to interact with different levels of people.

• Effectively bilingual.

Interested candidate please submit your updated resume in MS Word format to: Position 1: blessing11@achievegroup.asia Position 2: olympic6@achievegroup.asia We regret only shortlisted candidate will be notified.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

141 Market Street #13-00 International Factors Building Singapore 048944 T +65 6323 0050 F +65 6323 3006

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Specialists in HR Recruitment

156 offices in 32 countries | www.michaelpage.com.sg

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new year, new career ‘Shaping the world of work’ is Randstad’s mission. We help people to find the right career moves and businesses to connect with the best talent in the market.

Randstad is one of the world’s largest recruitment & HR service organisations. With over 20 years’ experience in Singapore, our team knows the marketing inside and out — bringing you a multitude of career opportunities across Accounting & Finance, Banking, Business Support, Contact Centre, Human Resources, Information Technology and Sales & Marketing.

Start your year with a new career, contact the Randstad team on +65 6510 1350 or visit www.randstad.com.sg

HR operations advisor

HR executive — payroll

assistant HR manager — L&D

12 month renewable contract To $58K p.a. (+ completion bonus)

To $36K p.a.

To $52K p.a. (+ bonus)

An established leader within the oil & gas field is seeking an Assistant HR Manager. You will be responsible for managing payroll vendors, filing statutory contributions and tax clearance as well as GL posting. In addition, you will analyse doubtful pay transactions, diagnose issues and recommend improvements to enhance payroll operational efficiency and data accuracy between HRIS and Payroll.

This furniture giant is seeking an experienced Assistant HR Manager for their Learning & Development team.

A leading software MNC is seeking an experienced HR Operations Advisor to join their team. This role will report to the HR Operations Lead, SEA and undertake the transactional activities of HR operations.

You will be in charge of various HR functions including onboarding, comp & bens administration, maintaining the workforce change register, answering employee queries, streamlining HR systems & tools and undertaking statutory and immigration processing.

You will have a Degree in Business Administration or Human Resources and a minimum of three years generalist HR administration experience, ideally within a regional capacity. Previous reporting experience, an analytical nature and strong communication and management skills are essential to this role.

For further information, please contact Tania Lim on +65 6517 1620 or email tania.lim@randstad.com.sg

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With a Diploma in Business Administration/Accountancy and at least five years of experience in a MNC environment, you will have good understanding of the Singapore Employment Act, CPF Act and Income Tax Act. You will have previously worked in a HR payroll outsourcing environment and undertaken end-toend payroll processing. A responsible team player with enthusiasm and a meticulous nature, you have the ability to perform under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

For further information, please contact Tania Lim on +65 6517 1620 or email tania.lim@randstad.com.sg

human resources

Reporting to the HR Manager, you will be responsible for creating, planning and executing competency based training in store. This includes facilitation of staff inductions, maintaining the stores yearly training schedule and identifying individual competency requirements. This role will also be in charge of the buddy and mentor system.

You have a Degree and over three years relevant HR experience with L&D. Well-groomed communication and presentation skills are a must, as is your highly energetic nature.

Proficient in MS Office, you are service-oriented, proactive and provide best practice and leadership guidance.

This people-centric employer offers developed opportunities for all staff.

For further information, please contact Tania Lim on +65 6517 1620 or email tania.lim@randstad.com.sg

human resources

executive appointments

VP/senior HR business partner To $170K p.a.

This local bank has strong regional presence and recently successfully transformed their HR delivery method to ensure a close alignment with the business.

They are seeking a solid HR leader to partner with their corporate functions team and further ensure that their policies and HR framework meet the challenges the business place on shared services. This highly visible role will challenge your desire for variety and include a number of project initiatives including global mobility management, retention and cultural initiatives and will have frequent high level executive engagement.

Degree qualified with a minimum of seven years experience in delivering HR solutions and partnering with the senior leadership team of a multinational bank, you are able to influence and engage whilst demonstrating superior problem solving skills.

For further information, please contact Lisa Lloyd on +65 6510 1361 or email lisa.lloyd@randstad.com.sg

human resources

asia pacific HR director

L&D manager

Strategic business partner To $220K p.a. (neg.)

Reporting to the Head of HR in this financial services market leader, your role will be responsible for managing the entire gamut of learning and development programs and initiatives including soft skills, sales and professional/technical training workshops and leadership development.

This US MNC is seeking an active strategic business partner to lead a team of HR Managers and ensure local delivery of regional HR initiatives, whilst developing and executing long and short term strategic goals.

Reporting to the Senior VP of HR, you will act as a true business partner to the regional leadership team, identifying organisational impediments to productivity and driving cross functional delivery of HR services.

In addition to a Degree and a minimum of six years HR generalist experience, ideally from within a MNC, you will be fluent in English and at least one Asian language. Your strong problem solving skills, willingness to be autonomous and controversial whilst displaying superior leadership, organisational and communication skills, will help you to secure this role.

For further information, please contact Lisa Lloyd on +65 6510 1361 or email lisa.lloyd@randstad.com.sg

To $120K p.a. (neg.)

You will be working closely with international industry bodies, regional peers and the leadership team to identify talent requirements and deliver solutions which meet business objectives and organisational development goals.

Degree qualified with a minimum of five years in an organisational development or senior learning and development role, you have proven experience in managing diverse L&D teams including design and delivery, leadership and talent development.

Financial services industry or a registered training organisation experience would be advantageous.

For further information, please contact Lisa Lloyd on +65 6510 1361 or email lisa.lloyd@randstad.com.sg

human resources

human resources

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Returning the Human to Resourcing

C&B Manager (Contract to Perm)

Country Talent Manager

Head of HR – Malaysia

Exciting Industry

Premier Bank

Global Financial Institution

Strategic Business Partnering

High Growth Phase

High Growth Phase

Base Salary circa S$140k + bonus

Excellent Career Prospects

Highly Challenging Role

Our client is an established UK multinational, a leader in their industry. Due to team movements and anticipated global initiatives, there is now an opportunity for a C&B professional to join them on an interim assignment. Subject to individual performance, there is a possibility of a permanent conversion.

This premier bank promotes talent development and retention through proactive talent development and succession planning programs.

It is now recruiting a senior Talent Manager for Singapore.

This premier financial institution serves its global network of clients with sophisticated services and operates in a dynamic, entrepreneurial and culturally diverse environment. It is recruiting a dynamic professional for the position of Head of HR – Malaysia.

Reporting to VP C&B based in London, you will provide reward subject matter expertise for the APAC region, including salary benchmarking, package proposals and legislative compliance with local country requirements. You will also assist in leading reward activities such as quarterly sales incentive programs, annual salary benchmarking, and reviews and run compensation reports and analysis, for the region as a whole.

Reporting to Singapore Head of Talent & Learning, you will play a critical role in supporting the Bank’s strategic people agenda and massively multiplying the Bank’s leadership capability. You will be responsible for talent strategy, planning, assessing talent development needs, developing and implementing customized talent programs to develop high-potentials and future leaders.

Ideally you should be degree qualified and have a minimum of 8 years experience in C&B. Strong foundation of APAC compensation practices, legislations and trends is highly advantageous. You are a proven leader, an effective communicator and possess strong influencing skills. You are highly confident and have no issues dealing with senior management.

Degree qualified, you will have significant years of talent management and development experience gained in a major bank or MNC. You possess strong relationship building, influencing and communication skills. You are driven, commercial, self-motivated, independent and also a strong team player.

Degree qualified, with significant years of HR experience gained in a major MNC or financial institution, you are highly credible, a self-starter, highly-tenacious and proactive in driving results and organizational change.

You will thrive in a fast-paced environment and are able to operate at both strategic and tactical levels.

To apply, please submit your resume to Cecelia Koh at ck@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title and reference number CK3762\HRM, or call (65) 6333 8530 for more details.

To apply, please submit your resume to Adnan Atan at aa@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title and reference number AA3702\HRM, or call (65) 6333 8530 for more details.

To apply, please submit your resume to Adnan Atan at aa@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title and reference number AA3779\HRM, or call (65) 6333 8530 for more details.

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This is a highly critical hire in support of the company’s growing operations in Malaysia.

As part of the senior management team and the key decision-maker for human capital, you will drive people agenda and contribute to the alignment of the business and employee objectives through utilizing appropriate HR interventions and change management tools.

executive appointments HRM Awards 2009 Sponsor of the Best HR Manager of the Year Award Asiamoney Headhunters Poll 2009 Best Headhunting Firm - Middle/Back-Office category No. 2 in Asia

HR Manager

Learning Program Director

HR Business Partner

Leading US MNC

Progressive Global Bank

Newly Created Position

Team Management Role

Program & Instructional Design Preferred

APAC Focus

Base Salary circa S$150k + bonus

Consumer Banking

Base Salary circa S$150k + bonus

Our client is a leading global MNC with extensive operations in Singapore. Due to continuing business needs, there is now an opportunity for a dedicated and high performing HR professional to join them as a HR Manager.

Our client is a progressive global bank with diverse businesses and global network of clients. It is recruiting a dynamic and high caliber Learning Program Director.

Our client is in a high growth stage with excellent opportunities in the region. Due to business expansion, there is now an opportunity for a dedicated and high performing HR professional to join them in this newly created role.

You are HR qualified and have worked a minimum of 10 years in a progressive multinational, preferably with some years spent in a manufacturing environment. Prior experience in pharmaceutical, chemical and oil and gas industries will be highly advantageous.

You are hands-on, have strong knowledge around local employment practices and are overall, an excellent team player.

To apply, please submit your resume to Cecelia Koh at ck@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title and reference number CK3681\HRM, or call (65) 6333 8530 for more details.

Reporting to the Head of Learning for Consumer Banking, you will design and develop learning solutions to enable the Consumer Banking business to achieve its strategic intent, including defining business aligned learning agendas, curricula design and development, faculty identification, learning roadmaps and certification.

Degree qualified, you will have relevant years of experience in learning gained in a progressive bank or MNC. With strong learning consulting and business engagement skills to identify and analyse requirements, you will have advanced facilitation skills to deliver at Train-the-Trainer program level. Instructional design background would be highly desirable.

To apply, please submit your resume to Adnan Atan at aa@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title and reference number AA3437\HRM, or call (65) 6333 8530 for more details.

Working with a team of professional and energetic colleagues, you will work closely with the management team and implement global best practices for the region. This is a generalist business partnering role encompassing issues pertaining to policy rollouts, talent management, compensation and benefits, learning and development as well as other ad-hoc initiatives. As this is a newly created role, you can also expect an administrative element to the position, especially in the onset.

You are HR qualified and have worked a minimum of 10 years in a progressive multinational, preferably in the high-tech/IT software industry. You are hands-on, yet have the capacity to think at a very broad level. You are a strong team player and have a strong â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;can-doâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mindset.

To apply, please submit your resume to Cecelia Koh at ck@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title and reference number CK3692\HRM, or call (65) 6333 8530 for more details.

Licence No: C690801Z

Working with a team of professional and energetic colleagues, you will report to the HR Director, APAC and be responsible for effective and efficient delivery of the entire end-to-end HR functions for both the local operations as well as the regional teams based in Singapore.

This includes providing strategic and tactical advice to business leaders in the areas of learning and development, general C&B and talent management.

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MAKE A QUANTUM LEAP VP, Talent Management Leading bank

Potential for growth and development

Our client, a leading bank is currently seeking a seasoned VP, Talent Management to join their team.

In this exciting and challenging role you will formulate talent management strategies, framework, policies and processes for the group. You will work with business leaders to identify staff learning & development and leadership development needs. You will manage the Graduate Development function for Management Associates and high potentials/talent in the organization. You will manage campus recruitment across the region for mid-level hiring. You will create strong employer branding and drive marketing strategy to attract the best talent.

The successful candidate should be a graduate in HR Development and preferably worked in banking/finance/services industries with at least 10+ years of relevant experience. You should be hands-on and have prior experience in Talent Management and Leadership Development. You are a transformational leader who excels in presenting, coaching and mentoring. You should possess excellent interpersonal and communications skills.

To submit your application, please email your resume in word format to adeline_chew@kellyselection.com or contact Adeline Chew at (65) 227 2251 for a confidential discussion.

HR Manager Pharmaceutical & Medical Sector

ASEAN region

Our client is a leading US MNC and a key player in their market. As part of their expansion in Asia, they are seeking an experienced HR Manager to join their regional HR team to support business growth and continued talent management.

You will be required to work closely with senior business leaders to understand business goals and challenges. You will act as a trusted advisor and HR Business Partner for all people-related matters and be the key HR point of contact for employees in the business line. You will be part of a larger HR team of specialists and shared services HR operations support.

Degree qualified with minimum 8 years of relevant working experience in multi-cultural matrix MNCs in the area of Human Resources is a must.

You must have excellent communication and relationship building skills. You should be confident and well presented with strong capabilities in senior stakeholder management.

To submit your application, please email your resume in word format to yenny_chan@kellyselection.com or contact Yenny Chan at (65) 6227 2251 for a confidential discussion.

Kelly Services is a leader in providing workforce solutions. For more than 30 illustrious years, Kelly has been partnering Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading companies to deliver the best talent in the market. Today, Kelly Singapore operates from over 10 strategic locations island-wide. Complementing our general staffing capability, Kelly also offers great expertise in the sourcing of specialised professionals across technical disciplines such as Engineering, Technology and Science, as well as functional specialities for Finance, HR, Sales & Marketing, Procurement and Banking.

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Towards unparalleled career advancement with

Kelly Professional and Technical division

HR Manager Leading supplier for medical equipment

Excellent growth opportunity

Our client is a leader in its market and a trusted name as a provider of medical technologies for the healthcare industry. It is currently looking to hire a HR Manager to cover Singapore and Australia region.

The successful candidate will be a key player in assisting the HR Director in terms of HR support for Singapore and Australia operations. In this exciting and challenging role you will be an individual contributor partnering with Divisional Managers in providing the full spectrum of HR services covering the Asia Pacific region.

You should have a degree in HRM or relevant discipline and is an experienced HR person with 6+ years of experience in full spectrum HR. Past experience in the coverage of the Australia region is a must for this role. The ability to work in a diverse cultural environment, with a strong drive and the desire to make a difference is also important.

To submit your application, please email your resume in word format to lili_kang@kellyselection.com or contact Li Li Kang at (65) 6227 2251 for a confidential discussion.

HR Business Partner Government linked organisation

Opportunities to make a difference

Our client is a highly successful and well-respected government linked organization. They are currently seeking a high caliber, energetic HR professional to join the HR team.

Reporting directly to the HR Director, you will have full accountability as a HR Business Partner in the department and have a strong focus in Learning & Development. You will also be responsible for the full spectrum of daily HR operations. You will partner business leaders to take a strong approach to areas such as recruitment, compensation & benefits, employee relations, grievance handling, staff engagement, and providing advisory on HR policies & processes.

You will also lead HR projects and programmes such as staff wellness & welfare, workplace safety & health, manpower planning, staff communications and review of HR policies & processes.

Ideally, you should be degree qualified and have a minimum of 8 years HR experience, with good working knowledge of labour laws and human resource practices. You are a leader with strong employee engagement; possess strong interpersonal and communication skills. You are highly motivated, results-driven and is able to work independently as well as in a team.

To submit your application, please email your resume in word format to audrey_ng@kellyselection.com or contact Audrey Ng at (65) 6227 2251 for a confidential discussion.

kellyservices.com.sg Kelly Services (S) Pte Ltd I C628501B

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Human resources professionals speak to tHe experts regional compensation & Benefits manager strategise, define and implement across the region.

regional in-house recruiter Drive and influence recruitment practice in finance.

A fantastic opportunity exists for a specialist within this global FMCG/ manufacturing organisation growing substantially in Asia. Reporting to the Regional Head of C&B, you will focus on defining and developing the compensation and benefits strategy across the region and setting and implementing systems and processes. You will have extensive compensation and benefits experience and have ideally worked in a newly created role defining the strategy for the region and managing compensation and benefits programs that maximise employee hiring, retention and satisfaction levels. You will be expected to adapt global initiatives to the region, rolling them out with the confidence to not only influence but follow through with implementation and execution.

This bank has a strong worldwide franchise and recorded impressive business growth in the region. Due to continuing business needs, an opportunity exists for a dedicated recruiter to support the finance group.

Reporting to the Regional HRM in Singapore, you will be involved in the delivery of recruitment and resourcing solutions supporting 400 staff. This is a hands on role where you will use your drive and strong influencing skills. You will consult managers on recruitment strategy, identify vendors, direct sourcing, pre-screening, consolidate feedback, potential visa or other immigration issues all the way through to offer and acceptance stage. You will have at least five years experience in a banking or agency environment focusing on banking and finance roles.

senior manager for curriculum Design provide a world-class curriculum for leadership development

principle Hr Generalist support an expanding workforce

This well renowned financial services organisation has great presence in Singapore and the region. They are looking for a Senior Manager for curriculum design to provide a world class training curriculum for the talent and leadership development function. As the group expert of curriculum design, you will ensure that all programmes are scoped, developed and designed with full business sponsorship and agreement.

The role calls for a graduate with a background in instructional design. Someone with experience developing leadership and talent development interventions for a global organisation with a complex geographical structure for distributed execution.

A multi national pharma company with a well known market brand is looking for an HR Generalist to partner with the Senior HR Manager and contribute as an experienced HR Business Partner to support the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business needs. With a headcount of 350 employees, predominantly corporate staff, you will be looking after full manpower responsibilities, talent management, performance management, compensation and benefits, employee engagement and a large amount of change management. It is required that you have at least five years HR experience and be degree educated with exposure to a multinational organisation, within a similar industry.

please contact ash russell, mamta shukla, thomas Girling or Vargin Yeke at hr.singapore@hays.com.sg or +65 6303 0721.

hays.com.sg

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Charterhouse HRM Jan12 v9_A 11/1/12 8:11 PM Page 1

executive appointments

Great people are at the heart of every successful business. It is this belief to invest in our team at Charterhouse that makes it possible for us to provide our clients with professional, specialised and tailored executive search services and the best possible talent for each company.

In people, for people

Our client list spans across multi-national companies and global enterprises with a vested interest in people and talent development. These companies are currently searching for HR professionals to develop a rewarding professional career for and to value add to the following professional and executive roles.

HR Director – APAC

HR Manager – Singapore

Our client is a global technology company seeking for a dynamic, proactive individual to lead its growing business plans and strategies.

Our client is one of the world’s largest global legal irms looking for an experienced full‐ ledged HR Generalist (Manager) to head the Singapore operations with regional/global projects spanning across SEA and India.

Responsibilities:

• • • •

anticipate and meet the needs of business leaders, staff and line managers ensure Compensation & Bene its programmes are cost effective ensure compliance of HR practices in relation to local statutory requirements ensure pipeline of quality candidates through effective sourcing, screening and selection processes • create a learning organisation, identify Learning & Development needs, and ensure knowledge sharing and staff retention • work with managers to drive a high performance culture through performance review processes • drive employee engagement initiatives including team meetings, feedback sessions, and recognition programmes Requirements:

Responsibilities:

• manage the full cycle of the recruitment process including onboarding and off‐boarding • provide and facilitate performance management via coaching, counselling, and Training & Development • manage payroll and bene its process • manage local as well global HR‐related projects • work closely with the management and employees to improve work relationships, morale, productivity and retention • ensure that local HR practices comply with the local employment and labour laws Requirements:

• degree holder in Human Resource Management or relevant discipline • minimum 8 to 10 years HR experience with the last 3 years in a management role; a strong background in learning and development is preferred • dynamic personality with solid interpersonal and communications skills • resilient and ready to construct a HR infrastructure and practices as well as drive organisational change in a dynamic and fast‐paced environment • service‐oriented, able to work under pressure and adaptable

• bachelor’s degree quali ied in relevant disciplines with a minimum of 5 years HR Generalist experience in a culturally‐diverse and cosmopolitan environment • experience in the legal or accounting industry (professional services) is preferred • the ability to interface and forge effective relationships across all levels • hands‐on, independent and innovative in spearheading new ideas with excellent interpersonal, communication and leadership skills • knowledge of local and regional laws and regulations that are applicable to the HR function

Our client is a large asset management irm looking for a collaborative and dynamic individual to reach and optimise business performance, goals and objectives.

Our client is a large asset management irm looking for a collaborative and dynamic individual to reach and optimise business performances, goals and objectives.

Talent Management Professional

Responsibilities:

• support the management, HR and compensation teams on succession planning and talent development with a strong focus on re ining talent management practices • support in sustaining the leadership pipeline for key positions • partner closely with management and business units to identify development and deployment opportunities • review succession and development plans • manage the leadership assessment process and the delivery of compensation plans • develop leadership and talent development plans across business units • prepare proposals, reports and analytics on talent and succession, and remuneration plans for the management for HR approval • oversee the implementation of group succession and talent management activities Requirements:

• a good honours degree from a reputable university with at least 3 years in Talent Management in large multinationals • independent, inquisitive, resourceful, meticulous and dynamic with excellent numerical, verbal and written skills • problem‐solver as well as the ability to work with internal stakeholders of all levels

Training and Development Of icer

Responsibilities:

• organise corporate trainings and development activities • support Learning & Development professionals in day‐to‐day operations including facilitating training activities to meet training needs • manage training resources such as training systems and databases, including maintenance of the company‐wide learning management system and website • source for suitable training programmes and liaise with industry trainers and training institutions • ensure ef icient running of all training and development processes • collate and organise training statistics and staff training roadmaps which are useful for management decision‐making Requirements:

• a minimum diploma‐holder in Human Resource Management or equivalent with at least 3 years in Training & Development in large multinationals • dynamic, meticulous and resourceful with excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills • able to work in a dynamic and fast‐paced environment • must be IT and media savvy with an acute desire for improving processes

To apply, please email your CV to hr@charterhouse.com.sg or call Perry Barrow or Shereen Foo at +65 6435 5610.

For more information on your career and recruitment needs, please visit www.charterhouse.com.sg

Investment in People

www.charterhouse.com.sg

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issue 12.2

hrmasia.com

Investment in People

Asia • Middle East • Australasia

Voyager of the Seas

The Largest and Most Exciting New Destination Looking for the ultimate destination for a novel and amazing getaway? Hop onboard Royal Caribbean International’s fleet of stunning, innovative ships for your next product seminars, company retreats and incentive trips. With 22 ships and over 280 distinctive itineraries worldwide to choose from, Royal Caribbean cruises are a sure way to thrill your colleagues and customers!

Best Cruise Operator, Asia 2008 – 2011

Comprehensive Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) Facilities

What’s more, its Voyager of the Seas – the largest and most exciting cruise ship to be based

in Asia – is coming to Singapore for the first time next year! This 15-deck, 3,840-guest ship, measuring 311m long and 48m wide, will wow you with its innovative onboard activities and entertainment never seen before in Asia, such as the Royal Promenade, ice skating rink and full-sized sports court. From the active and adventurous to those seeking to relax and unwind, there’s always something onboard for everyone.

First-Ever Onboard Amenities in Asia Royal Promenade At the heart of the ship is the bustling 136m long, 4 storey-high boulevard, lined with shopping, dining and entertainment options.

Royal Promenade

Full-sized sports court and more Have your pick of team-building activities on the sports deck, from basketball, volleyball, in-line skating, mini-golf and rock-wall climbing.

Studio B ice skating rink Learn to skate or watch spectacular ice variety shows in the 700-seater Studio B. Studio B Ice Skating Rink

Being one of the largest business centres at sea, Voyager of the Seas offers a variety of meeting venues with additional options to enhance your events and activities to suit your groups’ needs. From an intimate and casual ambiance at the lounges and bars to hosting a conference in the 400-seater conference centre, Royal Caribbean International is set to ensure your corporate events run smoothly.

Exciting Cruises In Asia Pacific 3-NIGHT BEST OF MALAYSIA Ports-of-call: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) Departure Date: May 26, 2012

Customized Packages There are also plenty of additional options to enhance your events and activities to suit your groups’ needs, for example customized shore excursions, team-building activities and private events such as gala dinners and theme parties.

RoyalCaribbeanAsia

4-NIGHT ISLES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA Ports-of-call: Singapore, Port Klang, Phuket Departure Dates: May 29, Jun 7, 2012 5-NIGHT SPICE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA Ports-of-call: Singapore, Port Klang, Penang, Phuket Departure Date: Jun 2, 2012 8-NIGHT EXOTIC ASIA Ports-of-call: Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong (overnight), Xiamen, Shanghai Departure Date: Jun 11, 2012

Royal Caribbean Cruises (Asia) Pte Ltd

3 Anson Road #13-02 Springleaf Tower Singapore 079909 Tel: (65) 6305 0003 Email: RcclGroupSales@rcclapac.com www.royalcaribbean-asia.com l facebook.com/RoyalCaribbeanAsia 3 Anson Road #13-02, Springleaf Tower, Singapore 079909