Strides Engineering

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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

ASIA BUSINESS CHANNEL

SIU YOW WEE MANAGING DIRECTOR, STRIDES ENGINEERING

POWERING EXCELLENCE POWERING EXCELLENCE THROUGH ITS THROUGH ITS PEOPLE PEOPLE

VIETNAM

How Strides Engineering is powering excellence through its people

At Strides Engineering, engineering excellence begins with empowered individuals. The company’s people first philosophy is rooted in the belief that business performance and employee growth, safety and wellbeing must go hand in hand. This commitment is reflected in a broad set of initiatives that support employees across every stage of their journey, from listening and recognition to learning, wellbeing and career development.

That philosophy is also reflected in the company’s 2025 Workforce Engagement Survey results. Strides Engineering achieved an engagement score of 82 percent, outperforming the SMRT overall score, the Singapore average and its own previous year score.

More importantly, the result demonstrates that feedback is not only gathered, but actively listened to, supported and acted upon.

Trust in action Strides Engineering places strong emphasis on building a culture where employees feel valued, heard and empowered to thrive.

Staff dialogue sessions provide an open platform for honest feedback, stronger communication and co created solutions, helping to foster trust, collaboration and a supportive workplace culture. Alongside regular performance conversations, these two way channels ensure that every voice matters, regardless of role or tenure.

Connection is also strengthened through quarterly team building activities, which are designed to improve communication, deepen collaboration and enhance morale across the organisation. These sessions go beyond social interaction and serve as important touchpoints for engagement, mental reset and relationship building across teams. In one recent example, team building was combined with meaningful community engagement through partnerships with Marine Parade Community Space Ltd, South East CDC and Montfort Care, creating positive impact for both employees and beneficiaries.

Learning for the future A key differentiator for Strides Engineering is its strong commitment to continuous learning and future ready capabilities.

Through the LEAP Programme, employees are supported in pursuing further studies through sponsorships and structured upskilling opportunities with institutions such as NTU and Singapore Polytechnic.

These opportunities help employees strengthen their technical expertise while also expanding their long term career pathways.

This learning culture is further supported by alignment with the Skills Framework for Public Transport, developed by SkillsFuture Singapore, Workforce Singapore and the Land Transport Authority. The framework guides structured training and competency development for roles such as Automatic Fare Collection technicians, helping to keep the workforce relevant in an evolving transport environment.

Ongoing succession planning, internal mobility and broader project exposure reinforce this long term approach to capability building.

Inclusion by design Inclusivity at Strides Engineering is embedded through fair opportunities, respectful collaboration and consistent behaviours, rather than treated as a standalone policy.

Merit based development and progression are supported through structured skills frameworks and training opportunities aligned to job roles, ensuring that employees can grow through capability and contribution. In a multicultural and cross functional environment, diverse experiences and perspectives are valued as strengths that enhance shared learning and teamwork.

Open dialogue platforms, including staff dialogue sessions and Workforce Engagement Survey channels, ensure that employees across roles, seniority and tenure are heard and considered. This is reinforced by a zero tolerance stance on discrimination, clear behavioural expectations and leadership accountability.

Together, these practices build a workplace where people feel respected for their skills, perspectives and contributions.

Leadership that shows up At Strides Engineering, leadership is not distant. It is visible, engaged and grounded in real operations. Through GEMBA Walks, leaders observe frontline work, engage directly with employees and identify opportunities for operational and workplace improvement. This hands on presence strengthens collaboration, promotes continuous improvement and helps surface early signs of fatigue or strain so that timely support can be given.

This visibility is especially important in a fast paced engineering and maintenance environment, where sustainable performance depends on both discipline and care. Flexible work arrangements are provided where operationally feasible, while employees who work overtime or night shifts are supported with time off or day off arrangements. The company also actively encourages leave utilisation, recognising physical rest and mental reset as essential to long term wellbeing and performance. .

Wellbeing that sustains performance Strides Engineering understands that people are more likely to thrive when their contributions are recognised and their wellbeing is supported. Long Service Awards honour employees for their dedication, resilience and excellence, celebrating those whose sustained commitment has strengthened the company’s engineering capabilities and inspired a culture of reliability and professionalism. Recognition also takes place in everyday ways, through appreciation for teamwork, problem solving and safety leadership.

Employee wellness is treated as a core pillar of the people strategy. A strong safety and wellbeing culture is reinforced through regular safety briefings, training, compliance practices and leadership involvement. Employees also have access to mental wellness support through management conversations on stress and workload, as well as an Employee Assistance Programme that provides one to one counselling and a 24 hour helpline.

Combined with quarterly team building and open communication channels, these efforts help create a workplace where employees feel supported both professionally and personally. .

Built on people, driven by purpose Strides Engineering’s strength as an employer lies not only in the systems and programmes it has put in place, but in the consistency with which it turns values into everyday experience. From learning and progression to wellbeing, inclusion and recognition, the company is building a workplace where people feel proud to belong, supported to grow and inspired to contribute through impactful engineering work. Excerpt: Strides Engineering is shaping a people first workplace where engineering excellence is powered by growth, trust and care. Through strong employee engagement, structured development, inclusive practices and a deep commitment to wellbeing, the company continues to build a future ready workforce that is empowered to make a meaningful impact.