HRM 15.9

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KETCHUM: THE CRISIS COMMUNICATOR HR: IN THE EYE OF SPORTS TRAINING FOR TRAINERS: THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT

ISSUE 15.9

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Disruptive employees or disruptive talents?

EDITOR’S NOTE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sumathi V Selvaretnam

Dear HRM readers,

ASSISTANT EDITOR Sham Majid

A

SENIOR JOURNALIST Muneerah Bee JOURNALIST Naadiah Badib SUB-EDITOR Paul Howell PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATOR Ezzaty Nazurah Zainal SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amos Lee GRAPHIC DESIGNER John Paul Lozano ACCOUNT MANAGERS Edwin Lim Ryan Kwa Shamaine Chua MARKETING MANAGER George Smith MARKETING EXECUTIVE Rafiq Jalil MANAGING DIRECTOR Kaveri Ayahsamy PHOTOGRAPHY BY Frank Pinckers (pinckers.com) Ted Chen (tedchenphoto.com) PRINTED BY Times Printers Pte Ltd PUBLISHED BY

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

15.9

re you tearing your hair out dealing with brilliant yet also enigmatic, uncooperative or erratic employees?

You’re probably asking yourself: are they worth the time and effort?

This month’s cover story unravels this debate as we try to dissect what epitomises a disruptive “employee” as opposed to a disruptive “talent”.

You’ll see there are both pros and cons to having both of such employees within an organisation’s ranks.

For the month of September, we also look at the HR function from a sporting perspective, identifying how sports bodies in Singapore are incorporating HR elements in their quests to produce elite athletes.

For our Leaders Talk HR section, we chat exclusively with John Bailey, Managing Director of Ketchum Singapore, the local arm of global communications firm Ketchum.

In particular, Bailey, an aviation crisis communications expert, shares his experiences of being part of the inner workings in the aftermath of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 tragedy.

In this month’s section of High Impact HR, we shine the spotlight on Spotify, taking a deeper look at their unique “Hack Week” initiative and finding out how this scheme fosters innovation, employee engagement, creativity and collaboration within the organisation’s ranks.

Last but not least, has your organisation already finalised its end-of-year party plans?

If it hasn’t, our year-end party suggestions could well provide a few ideas for your company to adopt, as staff get set to let their hair down come the conclusion of the year.

Happy reading everyone!

Best Regards,

Sham Majid

Assistant Editor, HRM Asia CONTACT US:

MIC (P) 065/07/2015 ISSN 0219-6883

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

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

ISSUE 15.9 HRMASIA.COM

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CONTENTS 15.9 COVER STORY 32 Disruptive

employees or disruptive talents?

While having negative and troublesome employees in an organisation’s ranks is nothing new, the idea that these precocious talents may have something unique and positive to offer is gaining traction in the corporate world.

32 FEATURES

14 The crisis communicator

14

Originally founded in 2005, ICON became the largest independent communications agency in Singapore before being acquired by public relations giant Ketchum in November 2013. HRM speaks to John Bailey, Managing Director, of what is now Ketchum Singapore about the two-man operation that kick-started it all.

20 Growing with a strong sense of ownership

Acquiring a new company comes with its own set of challenges but Wipro Unza Group has its unique way of handling them which sets them apart from the rest. HRM shares how the organisation keeps it all together.

24 Training for trainers: The Multiplier Effect

As Singapore gears towards a knowledge-based economy,

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lifelong learning is championed at all levels of the workforce. In the first of a special three-part series, HRM investigates how a niche institution is ensuring that trainers training employees are well-versed and professionally equipped to pass on the skillsets and knowledge to their peers.

26 HR: In the eye of sports

Recruiting athletes, and managing their performances are among the key factors that shape a sports organisation. HRM explores the back-end of this industry and how HR policies are being incorporated.

38 Serving up a fresh new start

How can employers in the food and beverage sector tap on a valuable source of local workers?

HRM looks at how the SCORE programme is partnering with companies to give ex-offenders a second chance.

48

20 44 Leadership: They got it all wrong

Oberdan Marianetti, Global Head of Learning Corporate & Institutional Clients and Corporate Finance, Standard Chartered Bank, argues that leadership does not emanate from an agreed definition and draws on his research on Essence Leadership.

63 Back to school for HR

Executive education does not only refer to fabled MBA programmes. Rather, niche courses and programmes are geared towards specific professions, including HR profession. But how should HR practitioners equip themselves to be work-ready and relevant?

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48 Developing a sense of home 70 Spotify: Hacking away Employees assigned to work in emerging markets can face both cultural challenges, and security concerns. HRM looks at how the choice of accommodation can help make a faster and easier transition.

54 Rules of employee engagement

Author, Pioneer Master Coach in Southeast Asia and Founder of Executive Coach International Kelvin Lim shares his insights and strategies on engaging the modern-day employee.

60 Work’s out, party’s in

Year-end parties are a great way to reward employees for a job well done. HRM looks at some creative party ideas that will make your office celebration one to remember.

at work

Engaging in activities outside of one’s traditional job scope is not a one-off at Spotify. Rather, it has become ingrained in the organisation’s culture, as HRM finds out.

72 SME Spotlight

One of the oldest local PR agencies once had trouble retaining its employees. But those days are long gone, thanks to its graduate programme. Asia PR Werkz shares how it has grown over the years.

74 HR Young Gun

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

REGULARS 6 News 18 Leaders on Leadership 43 HR Clinic 58 Viewpoint 59 Talent Ladder 69 An HRD Speaks 76 In Person 76 Resources 77

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NEWS

ASIA

MALAYSIA

INDIA

SERIOUS SKILL GAPS IN FINANCE

LONG COMMUTES HIT PRODUCTIVITY

Employers in Fifty seven percent of employees in large cities in India and Malaysia are still 43% of employees in small cities take over an hour to commute scratching their to their workplace each day. heads to solve This is according to the Work Commuting Survey conducted by the country’s JobBuzz, an employer-rating platform managed by TimesJobs.com. continuing talent Sixty per cent of the respondents believed that spending conundrum. more time to come to work directly impacted their day-to-day According to performance, and impeded their productivity. the “Talent Gaps “What employees feel instinctively has been substantiated in the Financial by numerous health studies that show the adverse effects Services Industry of long commutes range from increased cholesterol and in Malaysia” and blood pressure, to anxiety and even depression,” said Vivek the “Skills Gaps in the Financial Services Industry in Malaysia” Madhukar, Chief Operating Officer of TimesJobs.com. reports launched by the Asian Institute of Finance (AIF), “On a macro scale, the effects of commuting are obvious, 76% of employers face talent shortages. from contributing to traffic congestion, noise and air pollution, Dr Raymond Madden, CEO of AIF, said more than half of to urban sprawl and global warming.” those organisations expect the problem will continue to Further results showed that: hinder organisational growth over the next three years.

• 53% male employees spend more than an hour travelling to The AIF research found that the financial services their office; 35% spend over 30 minutes industry is encountering serious skill shortages in • 44% female employees spend more than an hour commuting particular, with financial service professionals deemed to be to the workplace; 25% spend over 30 minutes lacking the skill sets required for their companies to grow Still, employees don’t seem to be rejecting jobs because of and compete. their locations.

“We believe this research raises important considerations For 52% of the respondents, an office close to home was a for the financial services industry in planning for future significant factor when accepting a post. growth,” Madden said.

However, 48% believed the proximity of one’s office to “In addition to putting in place measures one’s home did not matter if the job and wages were to up-skill their workforce, organisations suitable. should also be influenced to reassess their From a gender angle, 65% of male respondents of Indian professionals define talent needs in terms of strategic focus.” believed proximity to home was an important factor their job search status as The two reports presented the results of in deciding their acceptance of an employment offer. “passively looking”. surveys of more than 3,200 professionals Only 37% of female workers felt the same way though.

Source: LinkedIn’s 2015 across banking, capital markets, Islamic The Work Commuting Survey was conducted among Talent Trends India Report finance, and insurance in Malaysia.

536 working professionals across India.

55%

HONG KONG

FLEXIBLE WORKING HELPS KEEP SENIOR WORKERS An overwhelming proportion of employers agree that flexible working is a crucial aspect in retaining older and experienced workers in the economy.

This was deduced by new research from Regus.

According to the Hong Kong SAR Government Census and Statistics Department, one in five Hong Kongers will be aged 65 or above by 2023.

Key findings of the research revealed that: • 88% of employees in Hong Kong, 94% in Taiwan and 92% in Mainland China believe that governments should enhance employees’ awareness of their right to work flexibly • 87% of employees in Hong Kong, 91% in Taiwan and 94% in Mainland China feel that governments should be endorsing

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flexible working by offering tax incentives to firms that encourage it • 92% of employees in Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as 94% in Mainland China affirm that flexible working is crucial to keeping those who care for a relative in employment, so they can better balance the demands of their family and their professional life “Older workers often have caring responsibilities, potential health problems, and a desire to spend more time with their partner or family. Flexible working therefore is an ideal solution for those who want to remain in the workforce past traditional retirement age, but maintaining control of their schedule and reducing lengthy commutes to and from work,” said Michael Ormiston, Country Manager, Regus Hong Kong.

“Flexible working can also provide older workers with a ‘bridge’ into retirement. Reports show that often, the complete loss of professional work can leave retired workers feeling depressed and unmotivated, even to the point of affecting mental health.

Flexible working can help older workers delay retirement without giving up too much of their hard-earned freedom.”

ASIA

NEWS

Eighty two percent of job candidates say

organisations should run background checks

AUSTRALIA

THE RISE OF REVERSE APPRAISALS According to a poll of 6,698 Australians by recruiting firm Hays, a whopping 96% of Aussies believe such appraisals could make a genuine change in their companies.

The survey found that 70% claimed reverse appraisals would result in a positive difference in their firm and that transformation would happen based on their feedback.

An additional 26% cited that their feedback would be taken into account with their employers but that change would be slow.

The last four percent believed reverse appraisals would herald no real change and that their feedback would not be considered seriously.

“In a reverse appraisal, employees are given the opportunity to evaluate their managers and the organisation they work for,” said Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia and New Zealand.

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

“‘Upward’ feedback can identify areas for improvement that will help employees be more productive and give them the tools to do their job better.”

“They can be very insightful provided an organisation is prepared to take the feedback on board.”

According to Deligiannis, the business advantages of becoming an employer of choice have assisted in raising the importance of reverse appraisals.

“Employers of choice – and those who want to be – recognise that reverse appraisals matter and are an important tool in giving employees a voice. They know that nobody is perfect and even the best manager can improve,” he explained.

“Provided the feedback is taken seriously, reverse appraisals also show staff that their views are trusted and respected, which has a powerful positive impact on employee engagement.”

Matthew Glasner Managing Director, South Asia Pacific, First Advantage

F

irst Advantage recently conducted an international consumer sentiment survey about background checks. According to the survey, 23% of job candidates admit to exaggerating the truth on their resume or in a job interview in order to land a position. While First Advantage’s own domestic screening data does not register intentional versus accidental discrepancies, a review of employment screening records shows an average discrepancy rate of 46% in the US, 23% in the UK and 21% in Asia Pacific (APAC).

The survey also found widespread support for background screening, with 82% of job candidates saying that organisations should run background checks. When asked what benefits background checks provide, if any, nearly half (44%) said it raises the credibility of the organisation. Respondents also said it makes their colleagues and the organisation more trustworthy (44% and 46%, respectively), and it makes them feel physically safer at work (42%). More than one quarter (28%) indicated that they are less concerned about office theft if the organisation conducts background checks.

When consumers were asked whether they have ever undergone a background check by an employer or a potential employer, the results varied widely by region. In APAC, only 49% of all candidates said they have had a background check, compared to 82% of US respondents and 61% of those in the UK. While we have known that employers generally appreciate the role that background checks play in protecting an organisation, we are also encouraged to see that the public has also recognised the importance and value of background checks in providing a safer and more credible business environment.

HONG KONG

TRAINING INVESTMENT HITS 10-YEAR HIGH Employee training and advancement to improve human capital in Hong Kong rose to a massive 10-year high last year.

The 2014 Training and Development Needs Survey, recently released by the Hong Kong Institute of HR Management, showed training spending reached 3.5% of employee annual salaries in 2014.

Ninety six firms (82%) out of 117 responding companies signalled they had a training and development budget for workers last year.

While the average amount of training hours per employee per annum was 17.5 hours, over two-thirds (67%) of the responding companies offered up to 20 hours of training to their employees.

Statutory bodies and non-government organisations provided the highest number of training hours for employees (24.1 hours), followed by employers in retail (18.3 hours) and real estate property development (18.2 hours).

The survey also showed that over half of the responding firms (57%) cited that they possessed a specific talent development programme. The major focuses of these programmes were “development of high-potential employees” (84%) and “succession planning” (66%), while 57% of the polled companies said that they run graduate and management trainee programmes.

A total of 64 companies (55%) highlighted they had technology-based programmes in place for course delivery. Among them, 44% boosted their budgets in 2014, while 53% kept their budget unchanged.

The 2014 survey was conducted in March and April, polling 117 companies and involving a total of 48,550 full-time employees.

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For more information

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If you would like to receive the full details of this survey, please contact Chin Wei Chong at weichong.chin@fadv.com.

INTERNATIONAL

NEWS

MORE ENGAGED, MORE EFFECTIVE, MORE PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEES.

GLOBAL

CEOs CONFIDENT OF GROWTH CEOs around the world are growing more optimistic about the future, according to KPMG’s new report, Global CEO Outlook 2015: The growth imperative in a more competitive environment.

The report showed 78% of the CEOs surveyed are expecting to be in hiring mode through until mid-2018. Sixty-two percent of them are more confident on the growth prospects of the global economy than they were last year. Only six percent said they were less confident.

When asked to identify their organisational priorities for the next three years, most CEOs suggested developing new growth strategies and geographic expansion as their next goals. Thirty-seven percent of them categorised their growth strategies as “very aggressive”, and 52% as “moderately aggressive”.

Additionally, almost half of the CEOs (48%) polled expected an acquisition would change their firms’ capital structure over the next three years.

At the same time, CEOs are deeply concerned about growing regulation, global economic risks, and threats from competitors who might disrupt business models.

KPMG’s Global CEO Outlook surveyed over 1,200 CEOs from the world’s largest and most complex companies, and obtained indepth perspectives on the major issues facing the global economy over the next three years.

WE CAN HELP.

33%

US

APPLE IMPROVES DIVERSITY

of organisations with ‘hard-to-fill vacancies’ are planning to hire more young people to fill the gaps.

Source: CIPD’s Labour Market Outlook (LMO)

While hiring and retaining diverse employees has been a challenge for most technology companies, Apple has recently reported some progress.

According to the company’s second diversity report, it hired more than 11,000 women globally in the past year, reflecting a 65% year-on-year increase.

Over 2,200 African American employees were hired in the US, a 50% increase over the previous year. Additionally, 2,700 Hispanic employees joined the company, representing a 66% increase.

In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “In total, this represents the largest group of employees we’ve ever hired from under-represented groups in a single year.”

Apple released its workforce demographics publicly for the first time last year.

Cook says diversity is critical to innovation and essential to Apple’s future.

“We aspire to do more than just make our company as diverse as the talent available to hire. We must address the broad underlying challenges, offer new opportunities, and create a future generation of employees as diverse as the world around us,” he said.

He also acknowledged despite the progress made, “there is a lot more work to be done”.

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

Learn More at:

www.workplaceoptions.com 9

INF GRAPHIC

Is your company ready for important human capital trends?

HR leaders in Southeast Asia need to tailor human capital solutions to the diverse markets and evolving work environments in the region. HRM brings key findings from Deloitte’s Southeast Asia Human Capital Trends 2015 to identify the gaps.

WHERE ARE THE CAPABILITY GAPS? Very 100 important

Culture & engagement

Leadership

Learning & development

Reinventing HR

Workforce capability

Performance HR & people Simplification Machines as management analytics of work talent

People data everywhere

80 Important

100 Very ready 80

-37

60

-41

-38

-38

-43

-30

Somewhat 40 important

-40

-30

20

60

-34

-30

Ready

40 Somewhat ready 20

Not important 0

0

HR & Talent programmes report card Adequate

Good

37% 11% Under-performing

30%

HR investment in the next 12 to 18 months 27%

Significant increase (>5%)

31%

Increase (1-5%)

35%

23% Getting by

Remain the same (0%)

5%

Decrease (1-5%)

2%

Significant decrease (>5%)

Not ready

DID YOU KNOW

57

of survey respondents are from Southeast Asia

19

companies from Singapore took part in the survey Singapore sample include:

• 9 SMEs • 10 MNCs

Sources: • Deloitte’s Southeast Asia Human Capital Trends 2015: Leading in the New World of Work • Some icon graphics are by Freepik.com and VectorOpen-Stock.com 10 ISSUE 15.9

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HR MARKET ROUNDUP

NEWS

The most important leadership skill

NATURAL HEALINGS OFFERS ON-SITE WELLNESS SCREENINGS Busy employees often try to squeeze as much as they can into their schedules. With this in mind, Natural Healings launched on-site services earlier this year.

Natural Healings can make on-site visits to offices to offer chiropractic screenings, physiotherapy assessments and workplace wellness talks.

Chiropractic screenings take around five to ten minutes each, and can be set up at a convenient location at the workplace. Employees will go through a series of questions and tests that will pick up on areas of tension, reduced mobility, or underlying pain.

For employees who may not have time to travel to an initial physiotherapy appointment, the onsite service can conduct the assessment at the workplace. The examination consists of postural analysis, a range of motion analyses, muscle strength testing, and a check of the vitals.

Loo Mei Yee

General Manager, Executive Coach International Professional Certified Coach, International Coach Federation

Natural Healings also offers 30-minute complimentary talks at the workplace. Employees can learn about maximising their health and wellness through improved posture, movement, and chiropractic care.

Natural Healing says chiropractic and wellness services can help to reduce lost work time and improve employees’ productivity. They can also reduce pain and stiffness while at work and improve employees’ concentration. Additionally, chiropractic and spine strengthening techniques can prevent more serious injuries before they happen.

A

ccording to a Harris Poll conducted in the US, 91% of employees say communication issues can drag leaders down. In the survey, employees cited the kind of management offences that point to a striking lack of emotional intelligence among business leaders, including micromanaging, bullying, or narcissism.

The results show that most leaders do not engage in crucial moments that could help other employees see they are trustworthy.

Effective leaders know that healthy communication requires the energy of connection. They intentionally build a sense of connection with their teams and show an appreciation of those working with them.

Leaders that are too focused on achievements at the expense of employee experience can exact a toll on their organisation. According to a study conducted by Harvard Medical School, the two most powerful experiences in life are achieving and connecting. But if we focus only on achieving, we fare poorly at connecting.

What can a leader do if he realises that he is not able to build this rapport with people? Changing one’s profound nature is no small feat. However, if a leader really wants to increase his emotional range, I would advise him to consider coaching; not being coached, but becoming a coach himself.

Why is that so?

This is simply because an effective coach is somebody who is able to use his emotional intelligence to connect with people.

If you want to know more about leadership, emotional intelligence or coaching, visit www.liveyourmark.com.

TALENT ECOSYSTEMS BRING RESULTS Businesses can enhance their competitive edge by cost-effectively mining their talent ecosystems to simultaneously benefit business goals and human capital, according to the third annual Executive Outlook Survey

by KellyOCG, the outsourcing and consulting group of Kelly Services.

A talent ecosystem can include borrowed talent or employees in outsourced support functions and roles. It also refers to partnership talent; workers linked via a joint venture or partnership.

Freelance talent, commonly known as contractors, freelancers and free agents also make up part of a talent ecosystem, alongside open source or crowd-sourced talent; workers who are recruited through online networks and communities.

The survey suggests companies need to have a holistic and agile view in managing their talent eco-systems to enhance their competitive edge.

Tailoring resourcing strategies to specific talent segments, jobs and

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

locations is also crucial to close global talent gaps.

“In a talent ecosystem, workers can move between roles, places, and categories as they desire or according to an employer’s needs,” said Anthony Raja Devadoss, Asia-Pacific Vice President for KellyOCG. “This means that companies need to maintain a holistic view of the talent ecosystem and in what manner workers can best be employed in order to meet the organisation’s objectives in the most risk-free and cost-effective manner possible.”

Companies will only be able to create a sustainable talent management strategy by taking a holistic and agile view of the talent ecosystem.

“To make truly optimal business decisions, HR strategists must have domain expertise, enterprise-level perspective and knowledge of local markets. Simply put, optimising global strengths and local capabilities is key for a sustainable talent ecosystem,” he said.

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LEADERS TALK HR

THE CRISIS COMMUNICATOR Q

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

Originally founded in 2005, ICON became the largest independent communications agency in Singapore before being acquired by public relations giant Ketchum in November 2013. HRM speaks to John Bailey, Managing Director, of what is now Ketchum Singapore about the two-man operation that kick-started it all

on them very much to help me build the agency. My style of leadership has been to empower them and to give them the support, backing and the sense of direction they need so we can all advance together.

As the agency has grown, they’ve grown, and I’ve grown as well. It’s a very collaborative effort.

I started in newspapers and business magazines and I worked for wire services for a while. I went into public relations (PR) just over 20 years ago. I was running a small boutique agency in Hong Kong – it was eventually acquired by Fleishman Hillard.

You opened an agency in Sham Majid In 1997, I was invited by one of 2005 which became the sham@hrmasia.com.sg our clients, the International Air largest independent agency Transport Association (IATA), to in Singapore. Tell us more move to Switzerland and set up a When I moved to Singapore to consultancy service for them. The work involved helping start the agency, it was known as ICON International airlines with crisis management and crisis communication Communications. The name came from an agency run by and I did that for six and a half years. some friends of mine in Australia and we thought by taking I’m inspired by smart people and one of the things the name and the branding, and by putting that on a new I enjoy very much in my relationship with Ketchum is start-up in Singapore, it would help us get a toehold in there’s a lot of very smart people in the network. It would the market. We started in May, 2005, with just two of us be very hard to put together a career plan that would take but once we started acquiring clients, the development you in the directions my career has gone. To say that I happened pretty quickly and we grew to the point that by started out with an objective to end up running a network 2011, we were then at about 30 people.

PR hub in Singapore would be stretching the truth.

We were the biggest independent in the market by headcount and by turnover. When you’re starting off, your What is your leadership style? competitive set is the other niche boutique agencies, then Possibly the best people to answer that would be there are smaller and bigger independents and so you my colleagues! I try to be very open and inclusive progress up the ladder to the point where your competitors and I’ve been very blessed since I started the agency in are the big multinationals.

Singapore to have a very strong group of senior people But you don’t have the network presence, tools and around me. Most of them have been around me for six, processes as these companies. Hence, we aligned with a big seven and eight years; in one case for nine years. I’ve relied network agency and progressed to the next level.

Q

Q

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LEADERS TALK HR

BIO BRIEF John Bailey opened Ketchum’s Singapore office (then known as ICON International Communications) in May 2005. It went on to became the largest independent communications agency in Singapore before being acquired by Ketchum in November 2013. He offers an unrivalled breadth of international public relations experience, having worked in more than 50 countries in a 29-year career. Bailey first moved to Singapore from Geneva, Switzerland, where he launched the successful IATA Crisis Communications consultancy service for the International Air Transport Association.

At IATA, Bailey played a pivotal role in developing and propagating “best practice” in crisis communications for the global airline industry, working with clients including Airbus, Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Embraer, Lufthansa, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic Airways. He has also been involved in the response to several airline accidents and the December 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Bailey continues to provide crisis management and crisis communication consultancy services to clients across the region, and globally, including airlines, hotel groups and major companies involved in logistics, manufacturing and financial services. He has also worked extensively with the AirAsia Group.

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LEADERS TALK HR

Q

You have worked in more than 50 countries in a 29-year career. Talk us through that

Mainly, that was because of my time with IATA in the airline industry.

Our mission was to help develop and propagate best practice in crisis communication and crisis management for the airline community. That meant doing consulting work with the airlines.

It’s the ultimate global business and our clients were all over the world.

During those six and a half years or so, I was constantly on the road. I was blessed to have been able to work with such interesting people at such interesting places.

Q

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

First of all, managing people. I think that’s always the biggest challenge for anyone running a business. Managing change is probably the next biggest challenge because we ourselves have changed a lot from when we first started to the point where we are now. There’s never a point you can say, “that’s it, we’ve cracked it”.

The industry itself is changing all around us constantly. Our business is changing and evolving as we integrate more closely with Ketchum.

Ketchum, as it is with all global agencies, is changing very rapidly and

that change is cascading down into the network.

Q

Having worked in so many countries, what is your view of the workforce in Singapore?

Q

How do you interact with your staff?

Singapore is a small market, but it’s a very cosmopolitan market as well.

There are a lot of very smart people in the industry here; locally-educated and locally-trained. The two biggest challenges we find in this market are: attracting good talent and retaining that talent. There is such a large spread of PR agencies here and there is a huge amount of competition. But there is also competition for in-house positions because so many multinationals operate here and they need in-house resources as well.

Starting from the beginning, we had a good group of people who joined the agency early and most

Me Myself I I love: Skiing and scuba diving with my wife I dislike: Bad hotels, especially at airports My inspiration is: My parents My biggest weakness is: Too many to list... just ask my wife!

In five years’ time I’d like to be: Throttling back, but still doing work that I enjoy Favourite quote: “Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth” (Mike Tyson)

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of whom are still here. As we grew, the culture grew as well, and it was a very closely-bonded culture and team spirit. There was also a very entrepreneurial spirit.

That’s changed somewhat as we joined the network. We have had to become more formal as to how we structure the interactions. For example, having weekly meetings, having regular debrief sessions with the entire office, and celebrating successes and milestones. We have, for example, the Ketchum Fun Club which is run by a group of junior staff. Their job is to put something in the diary every month, where we all get together socially. Our interaction is a mix of informal and more formal structures of communication.

LEADERS TALK HR

Q

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

I’m often asked what I look out for when I hire new people. I always say, attitude first, skills second. The differentiator is always attitude and I’m looking for people who are really fired up, enthusiastic and self-starters.

We actually went through an exercise about four years ago where we engaged an external recruiting consultant. We came up with a list of behavioural traits that made “an ICON person”. We boiled it down to seven or eight traits and it actually helped us when we were interviewing; we would actually tick off the list and that became the starting point. We also defined job scopes and responsibilities for each level of seniority within the organisation. We developed a structured process against the performance indicators we set for each level.

Word of mouth is also incredibly important in Singapore – not just for business development, but for attracting talent. The first place we look and where most of our leads come from is word of mouth. On any given week, we probably get four or five applicants coming through our website and somewhere in the introductory note will be “I heard about you because my friend said so”.

Singapore is a village and everyone knows everybody. Our fastest period of growth (2010 to 2011) was where we probably doubled in size and turnover in about 18 months. We didn’t go for a single tender and every bit of business we picked up was through recommendations and referrals.

Q

How about training and development opportunities for current staff?

One of the key things behind the decision to go with Ketchum was its reputation for training and staff development. It is one of the industry leaders without a doubt. It operates an internal training programme called Ketchum University and it offers training in a very structured way at every staff level.

Training is delivered through a number of ways including webinars, face-to-face in-house training, and training events. There is a blue ribbon event called Camp Ketchum where they take a group of high fliers and all the senior leadership of Ketchum are there. People come back from it

absolutely fired up.

What is your top tip for aspiring leaders?

At the risk of sounding cliché, you’re only as good as your people. If you don’t take your people with you, if they don’t support you and buy into your vision, the business will fail.

MH370: A new first for crisis communications veteran Although John Bailey, Managing Director of Ketchum Singapore, had been involved in the communication efforts following seven different airline accidents, as well as after major natural disasters, the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was a different ball game altogether.

“I was actually the first person through the door at Malaysia Airlines from Ketchum. They contacted me and said they needed some advice from the outside. My first meeting with the CEO and several members of the board was on Day Four of the missing plane,” explains Bailey.

“At that point, they simply wanted some outside advice on how we thought they were handling it and what could they be doing better. The initial suggestion was: why don’t I spend a few days with them and just sit in the crisis centre and observe what was going on.”

According to Bailey, from the very first day he worked there, it was plainly apparent that the crisis was “ much bigger than I could handle on my own”.

“I asked if I could bring in the people I thought could help them. They were very open to that and we brought in our global Corporate Head from London, public affairs specialists, our global Head of Crisis and Issues from New York, and my counterpart who runs the Hong Kong office,” he says.

“We activated a team of 12 in China and we were handling multiple aspects of the brief. Our role was simply to provide advice.”

This was and still is an unprecedented crisis in the history of the aviation industry, Bailey says.

“It was tremendously stressful for everyone involved, not least of course, the families of those who were on board.

“People in these situations tend to overlook the fact that the anguish and distress that you see on the outside is mirrored on the inside because we were working with people who lost friends and colleagues on MH370 and who desperately wanted to know what had happened.”

Bailey explains the difference with MH370 from other previous events he had been involved in was that there was no certainty.

“If you look at Air Asia (Flight QZ8501), there was uncertainty for the first two days as the aircraft was missing but once it was found, then you know what you are dealing with. That was the problem with MH370; we didn’t know what we were dealing with,” he says,

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17

LEADERS ON LEADERSHIP

What are some challenges you face as a leader on a day-to-day basis?

E

ffective marketing and recruiting the best talent for Extra Space are priorities for me. As the company is expanding rapidly across the region, it is important to have the right people in place and to effectively communicate our value proposition to the public. Other than hiring the best people for our expansion, I also want to ensure that our current team understands the value we bring to our customers and that they truly believe in the benefits of self-storage.

There is one element relative to marketing that is my key challenge: education. Many potential customers think that self-storage is just about storing items they no longer use.

De-cluttering one’s home allows our customers to have the home they want by having an ‘extension’ of their

home through self-storage. It is a highly competitive industry so it is very important for us to continuously educate the market on the nature of our business and to also innovate our services. This will allow us to position the brand strongly and to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.

Of course, we also need to ensure that we have an identifiable company culture to attract and retain talent. A motto I keep close to heart is from Sir Richard Branson: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”

As the people costs of doing business continue to rise, and finding qualified personnel remains a challenge, being a leader means being able to maintain growth while providing the right remuneration and working environment to the team we have.

W

CHUA I-PIN Managing Director, Polycom Southeast Asia

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ith tremendous potential for growth and continuous innovation, the Southeast Asia region is a strategically important market.

Over the last five years, the region has continued to grow and develop.

Businesses are thriving and the economic landscape is evolving rapidly to cater to markets that are vibrant and dynamic, especially in countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and of late, even Myanmar, with the liberalisation of commercial markets there.

Leading the organisation brings with it the challenges of building a team; ensuring that everyone is aligned on achieving higher goals; and greater productivity. The key is to implement smarter and more efficient ways of working, while making decisions quickly. In spite of the cultural diversity and organisational differences, making the company work as one unit is the challenge for any leader – to both innovate and motivate, resulting in

KENNETH C. WORSDALE CEO, Extra Space

productivity and employee engagement.

To that end, it is imperative to be an effective listener and take feedback constructively. We must be able to strike a balance between observation and making decisions quickly based on market information from partners and team leaders. Again, for a leader to be able to achieve this, the personal touch is vital and will make the difference between effective and theoretical leadership.

Collaboration is a key concept at Polycom. As a company with a distributed environment, we need to be able to effectively share ideas, information and collaborate to be able to achieve our goals and objectives.

Collaborating across several time zones and territories becomes challenging and poses its own problems. Being able to use video conferencing technology to enable the interactive time with our colleagues and partners makes a quantum difference in our ability to execute and deliver on our goals.

CALLING F UT U RE LEADERS

DECEMBER

OCTOBER

GLOBAL LEADER

TEAM LEADER

LEADING FROM ASIA

HR INSIDER

Growing with a

STRONG SENSE OF OWNERSHIP

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HR INSIDER Acquiring a new company comes with its own set of challenges but Wipro Unza Group has its unique way of handling them which sets them apart from the rest. HRM shares how the organisation keeps it all together

A

fter going through three international acquisitions since 2007, Wipro Consumer has managed to grow all its acquisitions with no formal integration. Unza, their largest international acquisition, has doubled in its size since its acquisition.

While acquisition usually comes with some level of anxiety, Wipro has been able to retain their unique flavour by focusing on business as its prime objective and operating with singleminded objective of growth. The team runs with complete ownership to make sure nothing falls between the cracks.

“We do not have a typical acquirer mind-set where we come with a knowit-all attitude. We do not believe in acquiring companies and then changing them into our way of working. We acquire companies for certain strengths and our focus is to make business grow.

Each newly acquired business continues to run as it did prior to the acquisition,” says Maansi Gagroo Jain, Regional HR Director (Southeast Asia, China PRC), Wipro Unza Group.

HR integration efforts such as immediate change of structure, policy and benefit harmonisation, title and grade mapping, change of business cards are not initiated at all. “Our objective is to minimise distraction. This helps to gradually diminish anxiety, and employees feel settled when they see nothing has changed,” says Maansi.

The Wipro Unza and LD Waxson group of companies manufactures and markets a portfolio of 25 brands across more than 40 countries within Southeast Asia, greater China and beyond. It is one of Southeast Asia’s leading manufacturers and marketers of personal care products.

Unlike most multinationals where most initiatives are headquarter led, Wipro believes in following a “glocal” culture, where the policies are localised according to each country.

“There is no common policy for benefits, reward and recognition, or talent engagement across our businesses and geographies. We believe every country is a business unit in itself and we try and build the ‘entrepreneurial’ culture. Each business unit has their local country laws and practices to manage and competition to beat. Hence, practices would be very different and tailormade to the local business operations.

There are some annual processes that are common but local operating teams are free to conceive, create and execute people practices which address their workplace issues,” Maansi explains.

However one common ground that stands is the implementation of the group’s Code of Business Conduct, which is embedded in every person within the Wipro family. “It is our roadmap and guideline to our daily work ethics. It’s the Wipro way of working.”

“The Code of Business Conduct (COBC) and the Spirit of Wipro (SOW) are two non-negotiable aspects for every Wiproite.

For our newly acquired business, these two aspects are the first to be communicated.

Teams are handheld and inducted into the practices and policies to align with their COBC and SOW,” Maansi says.

Spirit of Wipro includes three values: Intensity to Win, Act with Sensitivity, and Unyielding Integrity. Maansi says every employee is encouraged to think, act, and talk with the values of Spirit of Wipro during every interaction. “As

AT A GLANCE

Total number of employees at Wipro Unza (Singapore) & L.D. Waxson Singapore: 250 (6,000 in the region) Size of the HR Team (Singapore): 5 Key HR Focus Areas: -Talent Management -Leadership Development -Business Partnering

the people’s function, we have to lead by example and walk the talk. For example, our recruitment process and hiring strategy is inclusive and prejudice free. We train our business leaders on interviewing techniques to ensure it is aligned with our SOW. Whether it’s the hiring form or the conduct during the interview, we need to walk the talk. Small acts like not making the candidate wait or giving enough notice are ‘acts of sensitivity’ that we encourage our interviewing panel to take note of.”

Learning from each other By not changing anything on acquisitions, Wipro builds an independent yet a very collaborative model. Wipro has been able to learn and pick up the best practices from the new businesses. “Because we do not have an “acquirer mind-set”, we have no qualms in adopting best practices from the new company either. If there are some HR practices which are good in the business we acquired, we adopt them,” Maansi says. For example, Wipro may embrace certain medical benefits from the newly acquired company or adopt their Long Service Award categories to incorporate the new companies’ practices.

Maansi acknowledges the biggest risk in an acquisition is its human capital and that’s what Wipro aims to protect first. To mitigate this risk, HR is involved in the entire process and is a key contributor from the start: due diligence, to acquisition, and from post-acquisition to harmonisation.

“It helps HR to foresee the potential human capital risks. We put in place a liaison team, similar to a rapid response team, immediately upon acquisition.

This team is always locally seconded at the place of acquisition, and helps bring in the benefit of working with Wipro. It also acts as a bridge and absorbs their culture and way of working first hand.

This team usually gets dissolved over a period of a year or two, and we have

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HR INSIDER multiple success stories of the liaison team member choosing to get absorbed within the business itself,” Maansi says.

With over 6,000 employees in this region, and the multi-faced nature of the business and brands, one initial challenge was building a strong umbrella employer image covering all businesses, without losing the individual strengths and personalities of each one of them.

As a company with offices in 11 countries in this region, another challenge that Wipro has to overcome was handling the diverse workforce. “Every country has its own employment laws, so to be able to hire the best talent within the respective country, with its statutory regulations, it was a little challenging, but we’ve been able to overcome that.”

Cultural connections When it comes to hiring, “culture fit” is

the most important aspect for Wipro. First 90 days are crucial for every new hire. They go through an assimilation programme during these 90 days at regular intervals which work as check-points for HR. Wipro also has activities like Breakfast with the Boss at the end of each month or a new assimilation form to analyse the gaps.

In terms of employee engagement, Wipro links it to communication. “Right communication is the first step to engagement. If you’re communicating, listening and keeping the person engaged, you don’t need to worry about the frills because the right people will stay with you,” Maansi says.

Wipro approaches it holistically covering top down, bottom up and lateral communication at all levels. “We have an annual Webcast at the end of each year which is an address by the President to the entire organisation. It’s a much awaited event as people get to hear from the President directly not just on results, vision and new year targets but also on softer elements like DNA of the employee, expectations from the group and his personal motivators to name a few. After the address, the floor is open for employees to ask him questions and those could vary from workplace culture, to future plans and even work anecdotes.”

As for bottom up communication, employee perception surveys are held every two years in four different languages to

ensure correct and better understanding.

“We don’t want it to get lost in translation hence we run the tool in local languages. It is an important tool which helps us listen to what our employees are saying on the ground. The results are analysed, initiatives are taken to improve the gaps, if any and progress is tracked.

It’s a good indicator for us to determine the perception on ground,” Maansi says.

As a lateral tool, Wipro has 360-degree feedback as part of it performance appraisals. Leaders get a holistic feedback from managers, subordinates, co-workers, internal customers and self. The report provides leaders with very rich feedback as a developmental tool. The organisation believes it is important that employees stay engaged on a daily basis and work engagement increases retention rates.

For employees to stay with the company, career progression is important. At Wipro, employees get to see real life examples on how they can manage their careers and grow. “We believe an example speaks louder than a sermon. We share on campuses stories of our President, Managing Director and Country heads , who at one point , had joined us as management trainees,” Maansi says. “All high performing leaders who have stayed with us long enough have risen to a position of authority, and that’s what we show on campuses. We have a lot of real life stories to share.”

A dashing package What started out with 2,000 people in Bangalore in 2006, is now an annual global event with over 80,000 participants in 115 cities.

As part of Wipro’s wellness programme and engagement activities which brings people together, the Spirit of Wipro Run drives participation across all its entities to embody the Spirit of Wipro.

“SOW Run is our largest employee engagement intervention that binds teams together across cities and countries. There’s fun, health, wellness, family time, team bonding all in a complete package. It makes our Spirit of Wipro come alive!” says Maansi Gagroo Jain, Regional HR Director (Southeast Asia, China PRC ), Wipro Unza and LD Waxson group of companies.

There is also a lot of build-up leading to the event. Weekly training, diet and health tips are broadcasted on a regular basis to all employees. Proceeds go towards commitments of Wipro cares, a trust that is involved in supporting various communities, with Wipro contributing an equal amount as contribution raised from the participants.

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HR INSIDER Movement for better growth With enhanced global footprint, Wipro has rolled out many global initiatives, the most successful of which is the Global Mobility Programme (GMP) which helps aspiring young leaders to move across functions, geographies, and business units. Employees who are ready and willing can volunteer to be part of the programme, and they are approached as soon as an assignment suited to their skill set opens up. “We bank a lot on our GMP as we rely heavily on our internal talent for the bulk of our hiring. To promote a ‘Grow Within’ culture, GMP is a very successful tool. We also give roles earlier than usual to our high potential managers. If we think our manager is 70% ready for the next role, we encourage him or her to take it up,” Maansi says.

Employees with exposure to different businesses are better equipped to handle future challenges. “Unlike Singapore where the trend is towards specialisation, we believe in grooming generalists because we feel that’s where the future is. Employees who have worked across different departments and geographies are able to add far more value as they have experienced and understood different aspects and nuances of the business cycle. They are better equipped to handle business challenges,” Maansi says.

To support the ‘Grow Within’ culture, Wipro grooms its leaders under its Leadership framework which is a comprehensive leadership roadmap implemented across the organisation.

It starts at entry level with a management trainee programme, for campus recruits. It is an exhaustive and grilling one year programme wherein the new recruit goes through modules of different functions under his project leader and mentor. Each module is assessed at the end of the term via presentation and panel assessment post which the manager gets absorbed into a department. Wipro understands that individual contributors require different skills set than team contributors and hence there are programmes at every level when the employee moves from leading self to leading teams to leading managers.

They are infused with special skills set when they move to lead a specific function, and later on move to leading the organisation at a country or a regional level.

As 77% of the organisation’s workforce in this region are women, the company has also designed a special Women in Leadership programme which is targeted to build and hone skills in of the women leaders at Wipro.

Planning ahead Being future ready is a key driver for

the company. Wipro implements an annual Talent Review Programme where the corporate team converges at Singapore to plan for all workforce needs in the future. Succession planning for critical roles and leaders is done for the company’s immediate, short term and long term needs. Employees with high potential and high performers are also determined during the process.

Maansi shares that leaders and managers are empowered with the skills to handle their teams, including the softer aspects of management.

“HR is not the go-to department but we partner to drive and facilitate the process which enables the leaders to manage their most valuable asset – their people. Every manager is encouraged to have ownership across the entire hire to fire cycle of its team. It helps build the culture of accountability and ownership,” Maansi says.

She cites this ownership mindset and the Spirit of Wipro as the common culture that binds the organisation and its employees together.

“As HR, I think it’s our responsibility to hold this high and to make sure when we are inducting leaders and new hires into our system, we are able to clearly tell them what the Spirit of Wipro stands for and how we should lead by example by modelling our behaviour,” she concludes.

WHO’S WHO IN HR

MAANSI GAGROO JAIN Regional HR Director (Southeast Asia, China PRC) Wipro Unza and LD Waxson group of companies

GISELA POON

Group HR Manager

WANG SIEW TIN

Senior HR Administrator – Wipro Group

HONG YI PING

Senior HR Executive – LD Waxson Singapore

FOO MEI YAN

HR Executive – Wipro Unza Singapore

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LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

Training for trainers:

THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT

As Singapore gears towards a knowledge-based economy, lifelong learning is championed at all levels of the workforce.

In the first of a special three-part series, HRM investigates how a niche institution is ensuring that trainers training employees are well-versed and professionally equipped to pass on the skillsets and knowledge to their peers

T

ay Beng Koon, Director of Academy, Shangri-La Academy, felt she had to be equipped with the necessary skills to present informed and realistic proposals to her organisation’s senior leadership to enable the business unit to steer towards a direction that will add value to the company.

Moreover, she needed to stay relevant and to also be in a state of “readiness” for the future in today’s globalised and fastpace working world.

Therefore, she undertook the Master of Arts in Lifelong Learning & Leadership (MA LLL) programme, a joint collaboration

by UCL Institute of Education and the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL).

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“In MA LLL, we spent extensive hours discussing lifelong learning theories and also the major theories relating to learning and teaching for adults. I was then able to understand pedagogy in my company’s context and I began to review our approaches to teaching and assessment. In this way, we can better realise our objective of becoming a true business partner to our colleagues,” explains Tay. William Thien, Principal Consultant / Trainer at EON Consulting & Training, is another HR professional who has benefitted immensely from IAL’s professionalisation and upgrading opportunities.

He joined the Adult Education Network (AEN) after completing his Advanced

Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) with IAL five years ago.

The IAL engages and nurtures a dynamic community of continuing education and training (CET) professionals through AEN. “As a HR practitioner, I have been impressed by AEN’s collegial atmosphere and openness in the design of its various learning events. Subject matter experts from various related fields are frequently invited to share their experiences. The openness of the speakers and members in sharing really makes one feels being a part of a learning community,” he shares.

“Specifically, I have sharpened my facilitation, coaching and mentoring skills, and curriculum design skills. I find

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT these core skill sets immensely helpful to engage the employees and raise their proficiencies in the process.”

Translating skills to the workforce As a result of the lessons gleaned from the Masters programme, Tay says Shangri-La Academy offered two broad categories of programmes; the Developmental Programmes and the Work Enhancement Programmes.

The objective of the Developmental Programmes is to support the developmental efforts of high potential talents within the organisation, while the Work Enhancement Programmes are designed to upgrade certain skills and knowledge, with the end product being an enhanced guest experience at the hotels.

“Hence, the learning content not only helped me to prepare training programmes for my company, but it also encouraged me to take several steps back to understand the purpose of workplace learning,” she adds.

“This understanding helped me to translate the purpose into meaningful and impactful actions in the form of learning and development activities to help colleagues become better people and to become masters in their chosen profession.”

Thien frequently participates in many of IAL’s Special Interest Group (SIG) sessions in areas such as coaching and mentoring, as well as in technique-based short courses such as how to design e-learning training programmes, jobredesign and change management.

“IAL’s approach is not just for facilitators to share their expertise; learners also learn from each other as a community. There is a strong emphasis for many of the sessions to be more constructivist and hands-on in the learning approach. So, even a short two-hour sharing session can be highly beneficial,” he explains.

He resolutely believes there is a multiplier effect in terms of learning and sharing at all levels.

“By attending the AEN workshops, events as well as the Special Interest Groups (SIGs), I have learnt some very good practices that I’ve shared with my

staff members, such as techniques to develop e-learning modules for onboarding of new hires, and breaking down learning into byte-sized modules for easier workplace learning,” he surmises.

“My work team has translated these ideas and concepts into practical solutions successfully into the workplace.

New hires are now more systematically oriented and inducted into their work teams. Although this multiplier effect has not been measured formally, I am quite confident that the benefits have influenced my organisation.”

Tay also concurs with Thien on the multiplier effect phenomenon.

She says IAL programmes address a broad range of needs, from policy interpretation and deployment to the “nuts and bolts” of training programme design.

Coaching trainers at IAL With Singapore now fostering a knowledge-based economy, this has

Training and Adult Education Professional Competency Model The Training and Adult Education Professional Competency Model (TAEPCM) model offers CET professionals a roadmap of competencies to rise up the career ladder within their job positions, or to strategise their pathways towards different roles within and across four different key job categories in the industry.

• Adult Education • Training Management • Human Resource Development • Workforce Development It also guides professionals towards formulating a suite of vertical and horizontal skillsets to: • Deepen specialisation (intra-mobility) • Prepare for alternate CET careers (inter-mobility) to become all-rounders known as T-shaped professionals.

Source: Institute for Adult Learning

heralded a nationwide call for lifelong learning, especially for working adults.

This is firmly in line with the Government’s SkillsFuture, a national movement to offer Singaporeans with the prospects to develop and deepen their skills to their fullest potential throughout life through continuing education and training (CET).

In order to facilitate professional learning and development in the Training and Adult Education (TAE) sector, the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) leads the way in ensuring Adult Educators (AEs) are continuously upgraded with professional knowledge and are able to apply them.

“IAL plays an instrumental role in the professional development of CET professionals, who in turn become better equipped to be multipliers of skills development across the broad spectrum of industries in Singapore,” says Dr Hee Soo Yin, Director of Learning and Professional Development at IAL. Dr Hee explains that beyond foundational pedagogical training for Adult Educators who design, develop, facilitate and assess learning, IAL also offers higher level continuing professional development programmes, such as Masters level programmes.

“IAL also provides opportunities for AEs to hone their skills by reflecting on, experimenting and innovating in their practice and engaging in professional sharing and exchange in communities of practice, special interest groups and professional networks such as the Adult Educator Network,” says Dr Hee. Pertinently, Dr Hee cites that IAL also offers capability development programmes for other professionals like Training Managers, HR Development professionals and workplace learning facilitators.

“IAL will continue to work with AEs, training organisations and enterprises to develop a responsive CET ecosystem under the SkillsFuture movement and welcome HR development professionals to engage with IAL in our programmes and opportunities for professional development of their AEs, Training Managers and other CET professionals,” she elaborates.

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TALENT DEVELOPMENT

HR: In the eye of

SPORTS

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TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Recruiting athletes, and managing their performances are among the key factors that shape a sports organisation.

HRM explores the back-end of this industry and how HR policies are being incorporated

Naadiah Badib

naadiah.b@hrmasia.com.sg

I

n a bid to better represent Singapore in prestigious regional and global competitions, an increasing number of sports organisations are incorporating HR policies when recruiting athletes.

The 28th SEA Games that took place in June this year saw a total of 748 Singapore athletes who had been chosen by the Singapore National Olympic Council. This was the largest contingent that the nation had ever assembled.

However, the selection was no easy process.

The National Sports Associations had to narrow down specific athletes for the various sports categories based on their internal selection policies.

For example, Netball Singapore’s final team was picked through a series of selection processes, extensive training, and pre-designated competitions where each athlete’s performance was evaluated.

The final team was selected from an initial squad of 21 players and four training partners following the conclusion of the Netball Super League.

Then, the team was trimmed to 14 players for the final training tour of Fiji, before the ultimate 12 players were selected.

Practicing policies While different organisations have separate approaches to recognise elite athletes for such competitions, Sports Singapore puts its newlyimplemented scheme – the “spexScholarship” – to good use this year.

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TALENT DEVELOPMENT

“Sports has often helped to shape the people that they are, the attitudes that they have and their dedication to their job” Richard Gordon, Head of High Performance Sports, Sport Singapore

to win medals at the Asian, World and Olympic levels.

To identify these athletes, the organisation looks carefully into their current performances in terms of how they relate to their international competitors, and how they relate to peak performances in the sport.

Richard Gordon, the Head of High Performance Sports at Sport Singapore, shares that there is more to the process than just the physical aspect.

“We also look closely at their goals, motivation and dedication, and whether they understand what the gap is between where they are now and where they would like to be,” he says.

“Human performance is a very

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complex area and there is no one measure that defines an elite athlete. Therefore, we have to look at many different facets and from many different perspectives.”

More popularly known as the S-League – a professional league for men’s association football clubs – Home United Football Club (HUFC) assembles a team of local talents through a development programme for each season, spanning from February to October every year.

With football as its primary focus, HUFC makes it a point to scout and monitor the growth of their players from the early stages of their careers.

“We have a rigorous youth development set-up which ranges from those aged six years’ old to 18 years’ old, after which they will sign their first semi-professional papers,” says Azrulnizam Shah, Chief Executive, HUFC. “We also partake in extensive scouting at the different levels of football throughout Singapore for any talent whom we might have missed.”

On the other hand, Singapore Athletics has several schemes in place to help its athletes.

These include an internal “carding” scheme that recognises athletes for their achievements and offering

financial incentives for athletes who break national records.

“Athletes who meet the qualifying mark will also be sent for overseas meets,” Damon Yong, General Manager, Singapore Athletics, shares.

Sense of similarity Like HR, nurturing talents and maintaining their capabilities are crucial parts of talent management in sports.

HUFC conducts periodic testing and assessment for players in the physical and mental domains in its special Sports Performance Unit, made up of full-time sport scientists.

“The unit assesses their technical and tactical competencies and these are the tools used to manage performance,” says Shah.

“The whole S-League is also supported by a match analysis system which provides insightful information with regards to players’ performance in competitive situations.”

In an effort to keep track of athletes’ performances, the entire selection method at Singapore Athletics is objective and fair.

As athletics consists of track, jumping and throwing events, Yong says the organisation carefully analyses each athlete’s timings, and recorded heights and distances.

The association’s partnership with Sport Singapore also comes in handy.

“Our sporting partner, the Singapore Sports Institute, provides the appropriate sports science and sports medicine to our national athletes,” Yong says.

“Sports psychology is definitely one area where we can tap on their expertise.”

At Sport Singapore, however, the

S

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Evolving at a breakneck speed, the internet and the digital realm is already our part of our everyday lives, disrupting human relations and is set redefine the human resources function in the future workplace within the next decade. Disruptive technologies have already begun to affect the way we work together, what employees increasingly value, and when and where work is done. These changes will pressure businesses to adapt to the future workforce style and behaviors, navigate complexity and disruption, and rethinking how to best motivate and inspire knowledge workers to build an organization that is “disruption-savvy.”

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TALENT DEVELOPMENT development and performances of elite athletes are managed carefully through the High Performance Planning Manager (HPPM).

Despite the intense level of detail, Gordon describes this cycle of developing athlete’s performances as “simple”, as it involves the repetition of analysing, planning, applying and reviewing.

He shares that the HPPM is a system that is practiced among high performance coaches, to monitor the progress of the athletes they are working.

Moreover, HPPM works closely with the athletes themselves, their coaches, the National Sports Associations, sports scientists, and sports medicine experts.

“We co-create a plan which identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses and which outlines quantifiable targets to be achieved within agreed timescales,” says Gordon.

These timescales are often determined by when major games are hosted.

Among them are the Commonwealth Games, and the Asian Games which are both held once every four years.

Additionally, the system also plots potential areas of improvement in

athletes’ performances.

During the delivery of the plan, the HPPM keeps a lookout on the achievement of training performances and any data gathered to monitor improvements, and results from competitions.

“Adjustments may be made to the plans in order to ensure that the athlete remains on target to achieve their goals in the major games,” Gordon explains.

“After an athlete has competed, the HPPM will review their performances, to identify what worked and where further improvements can be made and recommendations for the future.”

Creating great impacts According to the 2015 Asia-Pacific HR report, 32% of HR professionals polled felt that senior management was always supportive of their department needs.

Similarly in HUFC, its leaders have adopted an approach where young athletes can learn from their experienced peers.

A large number of coaching staff are former players

Five things HR can learn from sports psychology • Tell them the truth: A direct approach is more efficient as it sets real expectations and lets employees know you’ll always give your honest opinion.

• Know your goals: Whether you’re an independent athlete or part of a team, you’ll always be aware of exactly what your goals are.

• Show your personality: It’s essential that employers create a culture where workers feel free to show their true selves.

• Align incentives: Suggest alignment of incentives across the board so everyone fails together or succeeds together.

• Embrace your team, especially in failure: Don’t fire somebody after a major mistake – embrace them and you’ll have a more loyal, conscientious employee as a result.

Source: HC Online

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themselves, which is proving to be an added advantage to performance management.

“We feel that overall, knowing the set-up of the industry and the club, the hiring of such coaches does translate to a gentler learning curve and optimises performance during transition periods,” Shah says.

“Even among ex-players, we would see players who have played for our club as having the edge, as they would know the values that their whole coaching philosophy needs to be founded upon.”

Shah also explains that these coaches know the demands of the industry better and the different challenges that will be faced by those who wish to be professionals.

However, the football club does not have any direct preference and considers all coaching candidates fairly.

To better polish skills among athletes, Singapore Athletics holds “Home of Athletics” events where they can receive professional training.

“This is where athletes can come together and train under the national coach during fixed days of the week,” Yong says.

In addition, the association takes into consideration those who have the potential to excel.

“Any athlete who takes part in sanctioned events will automatically be considered for national selection if their results meet our mark,” Yong adds.

Furthermore, Gordon shares that for a sports organisation, it is essential that athletes benefit from the practiced policies and improve their own selves.

“Sports has often helped to shape the people that they are, the attitudes that they have and their dedication to their job,” he says.

“It is not surprising therefore, that Sport Singapore is a honey pot for people who have a passion for sport who also want to work in sports.”

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DISRUPTIVE EMPLOYEES

Disruptive employees or disruptive talents?

While having negative and troublesome employees in an organisation’s ranks is nothing new, the idea that these precocious talents may have something unique and positive to offer is gaining traction in the corporate world Sham Majid sham@hrmasia.com.sg

I

magine having an employee in your organisation who’s somewhat of a rebel, stirs up trouble, and is the ultimate non team-player.

However, here is the catch: this individual is also brimming with new ideas, possesses an indomitable drive and a never-say-die attitude, and is not 32 ISSUE 15.9

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too shabby in their work.

Would you retain the services of this individual for their visionary foresight and ambition or, would you rather not risk the dynamics of the team and cut that person loose?

UK entrepreneurial mogul Sir Richard Branson has confessed to the BBC

that were he an employee at another company, his line manager would have to “accept that I might not do things exactly as he’d like me to do them”.

In fact, Branson says he is keen for organisations of all sizes to recruit more rule-breaking, fiercely independent and obstinate candidates like himself.

His reasoning is that the drive and initiatives spurred by such non-conformists are far more advantageous to the business than the fact that these individuals are tough to handle and work alongside.

“I think anyone who sets up a business is to an extent a disruptive individual, because starting a business is simply someone thinking ‘I can do it better than

DISRUPTIVE EMPLOYEES

anybody else, and I know how to do it’,” he was quoted as saying.

“For that idea to succeed you have to be doing it in a disruptive way, otherwise you’re just doing the same as everyone else and you are going to fail.”

Business psychology consultancy OE Cam has coined an official term to describe such individuals: “disruptive talent”.

According to Martyn Sakol, managing partner of OE Cam, disruptive talent constitute “individuals who think and act differently, who innovate, challenge conventional wisdom and practice, spot trends, see commercial opportunities and tenaciously find new and better ways to deliver business success”.

What’s the difference?

James Foo, Head of Group HR, ABR Holdings, says disruptive talents are people who are bright in certain skills, look at things at different angles and always work and think in a different way from the rest; but are still able to deliver better and exceeding results.

“However, disruptive talents are not team players, they cannot work as a team and are individualistic people,” he explains.

“They work in their own way and deliver results, although it is hard to engage them in discussions as they always speak and challenge you.”

As for “disruptive employees”, Foo says they are individuals who possess

poor attitudes and who negatively affect and damage the morale of their colleagues and teams.

He says disruptive talents should be hired based on job scope and expected sole contributions, and should not belong to any department.

“We do not encourage managers to coddle these disruptive talents as it sends the wrong message to the rest of the employees that as long as you deliver your work or tasks, it’s fine to be cynical or to bend the company rules,” says Foo. Joanne Chua, Account Director, Robert Walters Singapore, says disruptive employees affect the work environment negatively by failing to adhere to the ISSUE 15.9

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DISRUPTIVE EMPLOYEES accepted corporate behaviour.

“This weakens company culture and in extreme cases, even business performance,” she says.

As for disruptive talents, Chua says these individuals engage in behaviour that brings about pessimism and resentment in the workplace.

“These can include spreading rumours about colleagues or the organisation to both internal or external stakeholders, as well as stirring unnecessary trouble among colleagues by demonstrating unprofessional conduct,” she explains.

HR’s role Sakol reinforces the notion that disruptive talents need to be firmly managed to avoid problems.

“Disruptive talent can derail; you need to make sure employees are properly supported, both when they’re working individually, and as part of a team,” he tells the BBC. Foo concurs that regardless of whether staff are disruptive employees or talents, such staff should be identified, and made aware of how their behaviour is affecting colleagues and the firm.

“Do remember to give them ‘air time’ to share why they are demonstrating such disruptive behaviours and if there are any challenges or genuine problems that they would like to share,” elaborates Foo. “Many a time, disruptive employees may be aware of the company policy but are not aware of the fact that they are in violation; thus we need to sit down with them and go through their disruptive behaviours.”

For a start, he suggests undertaking periodical reviews and sharing which areas the company has seen improvement, and giving them encouragement as well as revealing the areas where they need to put in more effort.

In addition, Foo advocates the inclusion of common disruptive behaviours such as threats, intimidation, and making false or malicious statements about a co-worker, in the employees’ handbook as part of the organisation’s policy.

“Company terms and conditions need 34 ISSUE 15.9

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to be briefed to all new hires as part of the corporate induction programme,” he says.

“We make it known to all new staff during their induction programme and the handbook is accessible via the intranet and in print form in their departments and outlets.”

Likewise, Chua suggests that companies first establish an acceptable guideline for corporate behaviour in the workplace.

“Next, they should identify the negative behaviour in their employee and the possible effects should such actions be allowed to continue. Lastly, list the behavioural changes required of this person,” she explains.

After the initial actions have been taken, Chua says HR managers can

Preventing a disruptive worker from influencing others • Get the support of line manager before you speak to the negative worker. HR should be able to provide the necessary documentation, time frames and advice on how the organisation typically tackles these problems • Directly link the employee’s negative behaviours to the department’s core goals, functions and performance objectives • Do not cite the worker’s problem as an “attitude” problem. That is too subjective and will likely be considered as personal dislike rather than a genuine performance issue.

Highlight specific instances, drawing the links between the negative behaviour and staff productivity and morale • Refer this person to resources that will cajole them into a positive behavioural pattern.

Many companies have Employee Assistance Programmes that confidentially advise employees.

• Leave out your own frustration when having a discussion with a negative employee Source: “How do I prevent a disruptive employee from influencing others?”, Monster.co.uk

arrange for a private session with the employee and walk through the steps.

An action plan can then be devised to ensure that the employee will be making a tangible effort to improve their behaviour.

“Lastly, HR managers need to make clear the consequences that will arise if the required behavioural change does not occur,” she adds.

Chua says coaching is a common tool used to address issues arising from disruptive employee behaviour.

“During this process, managers and the HR department have to continue to follow up on their employees’ progress until positive behavioural changes occur.

“They must also affirm any positive improvement in their employees’ behaviour. This would encourage them to integrate better with their team and the organisation.”

Coaching for change According to Susan Chen, Director of HR, Asia-Pacific, Visa Worldwide, the key to change is to firstly understand the root cause of an employee’s disruptive behaviour.

“It is often too easy to just resort to HR processes, such as performance management, without having clarity on the issues at hand and dealing with them accordingly,” explains Chen.

“For example, an employee may be disruptive in communication because they feel that their ideas are not valued or heard. This would be very different to working with disruptive employees that may be using inappropriate languages in the office without culture filters.”

Chen says coaching is a great platform to introduce a systematic process and provide safe spaces for change.

Once organisations have identified the root cause of disruptive behaviours, she explains coaches “can support the employee to ‘unlearn’ these traits”.

However, she says there are two caveats; the organisation must first determine if it is a talent they want to retain, and if it is a situation that can be changed.

Secondly, it’s about the employee recognising that their disruptive

DISRUPTIVE EMPLOYEES behaviours are hindering their success in the organisation and road blocking their potential.

Chen believes “most strategies are not tailored enough when it come to disruptive employees.”

“Unless it is the company culture that is promoting disruptive behaviours, more often, the root causes are personal and different for individuals,” she explains.

Chen stresses that before any actions are taken on disruptive employees, root cause analysis must be done correctly.

“Engaging a coach to have an objective conversation on why employees feel the need to behave or react in a certain way is an optimal and objective way to assess the need and appetite for change,” she states.

So how should organisations consider coaching for behavioural change?

Chen says one-on-one coaching is one of the most effective ways to support behavioural changes.

“This allows for a tailored approach and space for change,” she elaborates.

“Too often, organisations treat coaching like a band aid or final resort before managing an employee out. The organisation needs to understand that change takes time, and engaging a coach is an investment of time and money.”

“Organisations need to implement by not only selecting the right coach, but also to think through the sustainability of the change after coaching.”

Nipping it in the bud Foo reckons that in today’s era, employee engagement forms part of the employee retention process, and that it will be the core component for the next five years.

He says counselling will always be the first step of the discipline process for all staff issues, including disruptive employees.

“The ABR Holdings Group of companies believes that all of our employees are an asset to the company and we believe in giving them a chance to voice out their challenges,” explains Foo. “Termination or dismissal will be the last resort we will take after written warnings.”

Foo says the organisation believes all staff needs to be treated in equal fairness, and that no one should be judged without hearing.

“All our department heads are briefed to identify disruptive employees as quickly as possible and address the problem in the hope that they will change their attitude,” he stresses.

Chua also explains how companies can adopt a preventive, rather than a reactive approach to disruptive talents.

“This ensures all employees are aware of the issue from the very start of their employment with the organisation.

Organisations can also share their corporate values and culture with new employees during the on-boarding process or orientation, as well as assign a mentor to advise them on the appropriate conduct in the office,” she elaborates.

She says another strategy is to foster a culture that affirms non-disruptive and cooperative behaviour within the company.

“For example, during town hall meetings, companies could consider highlighting the practices of employees who have demonstrated positive behaviour, and in turn helped to achieve company goals,” adds Chua.

“These affirmations help create conversation in the organisation about cooperative work behaviour and reinforce corporate values.”

Examples of disruptive employee behaviour James Foo, Head of Group HR, ABR Holdings Yelling, intimidation and accusations are common examples of disruptive employees. Another common scenario is when a supervisor or manager gives constructive criticism and the disruptive employee responds either through hostility or crying.

Joanne Chua, Account Director, Robert Walters Singapore In mild cases, employees can potentially spread rumours about aspects of their teams, co-workers or the organisation that they are unhappy with. Others often fail to meet deadlines and leave the burden of unfinished work with their colleagues.

Taking excessive medical leave without prior communication of work deadlines and expectations with colleagues can also disrupt team performance. This is especially so if the employee’s responsibilities are time-sensitive.

Other extreme cases of disruptive behaviour include the abuse of company property, challenging or resisting authority, inappropriate swearing, as well as discrimination or harassment of other employees.

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YELLOW RIBBON

Serving up

A FRESH NEW START 38 ISSUE 15.9

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YELLOW RIBBON How can employers in the food and beverage sector tap on a valuable source of local workers? HRM looks at how the SCORE programme is partnering with companies to give ex-offenders a second chance

Muneerah Bee muneerah.b@hrmasia.com.sg

W

hile Timbre Group was founded with the social mission to develop the music scene Singapore, the group has also been leaving an impact on society by hiring ex-offenders to work in its food and beverage (F&B) outlets.

“Over the past 10 years of Timbre’s existence, we’ve been hiring ex-inmates openly. We’ve always had a very unbiased approach to hiring, and we always believe in giving people a second chance,” Edward Chia, Managing Director, Timbre Group, says.

Now Timbre, along with other members of the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS), can play an even bigger role in helping ex-offenders build successful careers in the industry.

To strengthen efforts to help exoffenders make an entry into the F&B sector, the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) and RAS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in August.

This agreement seals the agencies’ commitment to A statutory board under the Ministry help suitable exof Home Affairs, the Singapore offenders secure jobs Corporation of Rehabilitative upon their release.

Enterprises (SCORE) assists about It also promotes 2,000 inmates with employment successful retention opportunities each year. Ex-offenders in the industry in Singapore are covered under existing by engaging F&B manpower legislation that protect employers to build workers’ interests, and SCORE also good HR practices works with the Tripartite Alliance for and supportive work Fair and Progressive Employment environments.

DID YOU KNOW?

Practices to promote fair employment among employers.

A structured approach A person who is

imprisoned goes through different phases of incarceration. In the last phase of their sentence, SCORE prepares them for employment so they can step out into the community with support once their sentence is complete.

At least six months before their release, SCORE assesses inmates’ employment needs and level of commitment. Based on their job readiness, they are then guided towards industries that match their skills and traits. Those who are found suitable for jobs in the F&B industry attend Workplace Skills Qualification (WSQ) training in culinary skills or F&B operations. These take place at Hope Café, a specialist F&B training facility within the Changi Prison Complex.

After they complete their training, SCORE will contact companies who have suitable vacancies on their behalf.

Employers are brought in to interview the inmates while they are still in prison and hiring decisions are made on the spot.

This allows the inmate to secure a job before they actually step out of prison.

SCORE also provides job retention support for six months. Job coaches from SCORE will visit the workplace, communicate with the supervisors, and help the ex-inmates adapt to the working environment.

Quality workers for quality employers “We have placed people with F&B employers in the past, but with the support of RAS, we are now able to get quality employers to come on board,” Juliana Abdul Khalik, Director of Reintegration at SCORE, says. “It’s not just about securing jobs for the offenders, ISSUE 15.9

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YELLOW RIBBON

Hope on a platter Hope Café, a training kitchen and restaurant within Changi Prison Complex, opened in November 2013.

The facility provides inmates with skills upgrading and employment preparation while they are still serving their prison terms. They are equipped with industry-relevant skills to secure jobs in the hospitality industry after their release.

Inmates earn a Workplace Skills Qualification (WSQ) certificate in either Food and Beverage Operations, or Culinary Arts.

The alignment with the WSQ framework gives prospective employers more hiring confidence as there is consistency in training.

To facilitate smooth transitions into the workforce, job coaches from the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) are assigned to the employees to address work-related issues, and help them navigate other reintegration challenges.

As of April this year, a total of 496 offenders have successfully undergone training at Hope Café.

The training programmes at the Hope Café facility will be further enhanced through close collaboration with employers.

Hope Café is a joint initiative by SCORE, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency and the Singapore Prison Service.

but securing jobs that will help them to stay in and sustain at work.”

Under the MOU, SCORE will place 100 ex-offenders per year to RAS employers, and work towards a good retention rate.

As most of the ex-offenders under the SCORE programme have completed relatively longer sentences and have very sporadic work experience, Juliana acknowledges the challenge lies in trying to keep them in the job.

The deal will also allow SCORE to work with employers who have very structured HR practices, helping them to assist their new staff to adapt to the work environment.

“Based on our experience working with employers so far, some of the good practices we have come across include having a good and structured training framework,” Juliana says.

For example, Commonwealth Capital, which owns and manages retail points under dining brands such as Swissbake and PastaMania, assigns buddies to ex-offenders so that they can guide them and provide the support they need for work, as well as emotional support.

“We’ve been keeping in touch with them, and engaging them from the HR perspective through the supervisors and operational managers as well,” the company’s Senior Manager of Group HR

Inmates who have undergone F&B training prepare a four-course meal and serve guests at the MOU signing ceremony at Hope Café

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Shaun Ee shares.

Commonwealth Capital has been hiring ex-convicts since 2010 but last year began making inroads with SCORE. Today, the company has five former inmates as employees under the SCORE framework.

Ee says this group of employees is motivated to make a difference not just to their own lives, but for the betterment of their families as well.

Similarly, while Timbre Group has been hiring ex-offenders since its beginnings, the company officially got on board with the SCORE programme in May this year. It has hired five employees under the SCORE framework.

“One of the advantages of the programme is that the ex-inmates are well-trained with WSQ qualifications, and they have integrated much better than those we hired on our own,” Chia says. “I think that’s a credit to SCORE’s structured programme.”

Easing into the workplace To help ex-offenders adapt to their new jobs, most employers also provide their own comprehensive training programmes.

“Most of the restaurants who are participating in this programme have very structured training programmes, including on-the-job training. They will also need to relook at some of their HR policies to ensure that the exoffenders are well taken care of,” says Vincent Tan, Vice President, RAS. Additionally, the ex-offenders are treated like any other employee.

SCORE shares that the ex-inmates’ backgrounds are on a need-to-know basis only, which means none of the other team members are aware. They are seen as any other Singaporean who joins the company.

At Timbre, employees including former inmates are aware about their career progression prospects from day one.

Chia shares that a former inmate has aspirations to be an outlet manager in five years. “We sat him down and showed

YELLOW RIBBON

him the career progression plan and what he needs to do to get to the next level.

We told him, if you have a five-year plan and if you work hard, we will also work hard to get you through the system. So I think it’s also important to understand their aspirations and ambitions, match them with our HR policies, and make a concerted effort to help them get there.”

In fact, some of the ex-inmates hired many years ago are chefs and managers at Timbre today. “They go through the same system and if they perform well, the sky is the limit for them,” Chia says.

Valuable economic resources Ex-offenders represent a key source of talent in the F&B sector, particularly given the current shortage of local workers.

“The current manpower situation is quite tight for the whole industry, so with another channel of workforce coming in, I think it will help us to lighten up the labour situation,” Tan says. “We also think it is a very meaningful agreement because we provide the ex-offenders another chance to join the workforce and that will let them integrate with the society.”

He added with the structured programmes in place, the ex-offenders have a chance for career advancement, giving them a bigger opportunity to “make it from there”.

Juliana agrees the arrangement provides a two-pronged solution; giving former prisoners the chance to start their life anew, and helping employers in terms of having skilled manpower.

Employers are also on the same page on this. “Hiring from SCORE gives us an alternative workforce. Being in the F&B space, we know that labour is one of our biggest crunches today, so what better way than to take advantage of a new pool of talent,” Ee says.

The only way is up Ee encourages more employers to embark on a partnership with SCORE. He also advises them to be prepared for

Vincent Tan (left), Vice President, RAS and Stanley Tang (right), CEO, SCORE pledge to improve employment opportunities for ex-offenders in the F&B industry.

“The current manpower situation is quite tight for the whole industry, so with another channel of workforce coming in, I think it will help us to lighten up the labour situation” Vincent Tan, Vice President, Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS)

the journey. “There isn’t a one-stop solution for managing ex-offenders so sometimes we need to be patient. Have the right buddy system in place, and the right supervisors and managers as well,” he says.

Chia adds employers will not be alone along the journey as the SCORE officers are there to help find the right placements, and liaise with the former

inmates to monitor their progress in the first six months. “So if they are shy about telling us the problems, at least they can go to somebody else and we can work together with the SCORE officers,” he says.

He echoes the programme is a good and sustainable source of well-trained local manpower.

“I see no downside to it,” he says.

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HRCLINIC Engagement? Get employees talking about your company

W

hat is one key success factor management can focus on for employee engagement?

Immersing into survey analytics of engagement and coming up with three key priorities may be a common organisational practice.

Your organisation may be good at doing that year after year; not to mention that this can be a good approach to highlight due to accountability by reporting follow-up actions during town hall meetings.

There are opportunistic employees who like to “send the right message” about how things such as compensation and benefits can be improved.

Beware of the conflict of interest by consulting firms when highlighting gaps to management teams that may require their expertise to help resolve an issue.

Engaging employees isn’t really about a nice pantry or perks. In fact, reinforcing the wrong mindsets can be seriously counterproductive. That subtle message can turn into “Make me happy, or I’ll remain dissatisfied”, which creates an attitude of entitlement.

Job Field:

Yes, management does need to look into the pain points; however, there is a limit to benchmarking standards to the market based on an organisation’s positioning. How about reframing employee engagement in the context of people talking positive things about it?

Link strengths-based concepts to employee engagement. After hygiene factors that address basic expected needs are appropriately benchmarked, focus the entire workforce on what’s positive and worth telling other people about: their common purpose, common culture and common goals.

Start conversations in meetings with small talks and always break the ice. Talk about common experiences. Recognise and compliment good conversations, and always be authentic.

Dorcas Tan

General Manager, Recruit Inc

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

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

LEADERSHIP:

They got it all wrong

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR Oberdan Marianetti, Global Head of Learning Corporate & Institutional Clients and Corporate Finance, Standard Chartered Bank, argues that leadership does not emanate from an agreed definition and draws on his research on Essence Leadership

By Oberdan Marianetti

D

id the leadership experts get it all wrong? Have we been following the wrong advice?

It’s Monday morning; you are about to go to a meeting you would rather not attend.

You know there is little you can contribute, and you are feeling despondent because the meeting will be a bore.

One hour has passed and the meeting is now over. You leave the room with a deep sense of curiosity and somewhat baffled by what just happened. The content was alien to you, and yet, you felt attracted to the conversation, engaged and energised.

And you wondered why...

A similar experience started me on a journey that eventually led to the creation of Essence Leadership, a simplified way of looking at leadership to help people become better leaders.

It is confusing In search for answers for about two years, I ploughed through research on followership, leadership, management and communication. The more I read, the more my head was spinning. The more my head was spinning, the more I started to believe the experts had got it all wrong.

“How presumptuous of me,” I thought, “The experts could not have it all wrong”. I stayed curious and continued exploring.

I talked to experts, friends and colleagues. I watched hours of interviews and presentations. I read books and articles by the most reputable authors and publishers. But I could not find the answers I was looking for.

I came across a book, “Harvard Business Review’s 10 Must Reads on Leadership”.

I thought, if I was ever going to find answers, it would be here. I was familiar with some of the articles, but decided to re-read them together with the new ones. My thirst was not quenched – I was still confused.

It also dawned on me that there was

a pattern in the questions leaders had been asking me during our work: “Am I a leader?”, “How can I be a better leader?”, “Am I a leader or a manager?” and “How do I become a better leader?”

They were as confused as I had become.

There were so many versions of the “truth” and none was getting me any closer to understanding what happened on that Monday morning.

Let me give you a taste.

Many books and articles purport to provide the definitive leadership “recipe”: • “You do these four things, you’ll be a great leader.”

• “You embody these three values and people will follow you naturally.”

• “You practice these five skills and you will inspire your followers.”

Some of these famous “ingredients” include: self-awareness, empathy, setting a strategy, aligning people, “getting on the balcony”, regulating distress, becoming a “sensor”, daring to be different, solving problems, supporting others, trust, compassion, authenticity... Where do you start?

Imagine, you are an individual running your own business and you want to take things to the next level – you want to be a better leader. You read the papers, you read the books, you even attend renowned leadership development programmes… but you are still none the wiser. What should you focus on? Is it your selfawareness? Is it your communication skills? Influencing perhaps? Maybe you should dare to be different.

Imagine you are now an HR professional and perhaps, you are responsible for leadership in your organisation. How do you define leadership? Has the company created its own version? Has it adopted the themes from one of the famous models? Maybe the Leadership Pipeline,

by Ram Charan or Authentic Leadership

by Bill George. Maybe you went for Servant Leadership, by Robert Greenleaf.

Whatever the case, how will you make this unique to your company to help it deliver on its specific aspirations?

Furthermore, how do you approach leadership development? Do you focus on purpose, strategy or interpersonal skills? Presence? Values? Whatever the approach, how are these helping your employees find their unique and most powerful expression of leadership?

The research helped me conclude that the confusion was widespread. The experts failed to work from an agreed definition of leadership. And leadership was transformed into something reserved for the great leaders who make it into the history, sport and business books.

Essence Leadership

Essence Leadership is the synthesis of my research and experiences of working with leaders for over 15 years. It simplifies leadership and helps people become better leaders.

I use the word ‘Essence’ with two meanings. The first is as in “the essence of leadership”; the second as from its Latin root, essentia, which means “being”.

Within these two meanings also lie the contributions of this new leadership model: first, a foundation definition of leadership; second, some pointers on where to begin your leadership journey.

The Essence of Leadership can be described by three variables: You, audience and interaction.

“You” refers to any individual or collective that has something personal and specific to bring to life. “Audience” refers to the context you occupy and the people within it who have the potential to become followers. “Interaction” refers to the tools, skills and actions you use to bring youself and your audience on the same journey.

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

every example of leadership I came across. In every case, leadership emerged from the meaningful interaction between an individual who had something to bring to life, and an audience that had the potential to become followers.

Many of the words in this last sentence deserve special attention, in particular the word “meaningful”.

could exist. He was able to meaningfully connect with masses around the world and revolutionised several industries in the process.

These are just two of many examples – others include: Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, David Beckham, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Richard Branson, Madonna, Leonardo da Vinci, Winston Churchill,

Figure 1 – The Essence Leadership Formula

“essence”. Their leadership journeys begun from their “being”. Essence is the all-encompassing place where their truth resided, where the fire of their being raged; where their values, beliefs, experiences, fears, emotions and aspirations came together. Essence is the place where the body, the mind, the spirit, the emotions and all other dimensions of the human condition come together in a unique combination.

It is from “essence” that the specific, personal passion, purpose, mission, desires and aspirations emerge. Being connected to their “essence” compelled them to act the way they did.

Like these great leaders, when you connect with and ‘be’ from your essence, you are magnetic, sexy, engaging, and compelling; those around you are likely to see you under a special light and among them, those who connect with your essence will feel compelled to listen and perhaps join your journey.

You recognise these kinds of leaders when you are in their presence. The congruence with which they show up in the world is so strong that their whole being acts as a gravitational force that pulls you in.

So what?

Meaning is the connecting force between the leader and their audience and it is created when the message the leader sends matches the meaning the audience is looking for. A bit like two adjacent pieces of a puzzle; they are made for each other, but none will be complete until they find each other and join in union.

A couple of examples will help explain.

Think of Lee Kuan Yew within the Essence Leadership model. He meaningfully interacted with his “audience” (Singapore and Singaporeans) to bring to life his very deep and personal desire for an independent and successful Singapore.

And here we are today having celebrated SG50 and the great Singapore story.

Steve Jobs was famously quoted as saying, “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” He had the specific and very personal desire to create quality products that people didn’t even know 46 ISSUE 15.9

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Michael Jordan, The Beatles, Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali, and Marie Curie. In sport, politics, technology, arts, entertainment, music and science; in every field, they are individuals with a personal, specific desire to bring something to life that meaningfully connected with their audiences and inspired them to join the journey. In their unique ways, each is a genuine example of leadership.

Satisfied that I found a model to consistently describe leadership, I wondered what made these individuals great leaders. I asked myself: “Which of the three variables is mainly responsible for leadership?”

It clearly cannot be “audience” or “interaction”, they were different for each individual. It had to be the “you”.

But what about the ‘you’ made these individuals so special?

I eventually realised that their leadership came from what I call their

My final quest was on application. I was now able to describe each leadership case through my model. But what does it mean in practice? How do I help individuals and organisations to be and to grow as better leaders?

After more thinking and research, I realised that Essence Leadership could be applied to work with individuals, organisations and educators.

Let’s review a case study as an example of how Essence Leadership can be used in coaching. Mark (name changed to preserve confidentiality), an entrepreneur running his large media business, expressed the desire to feel the fun he once used to have. His business was performing well and his employees were loyal, motivated and engaged.

Mark, in his own words, “had nothing to complain about, but it just didn’t feel the same anymore”.

Over a few one-to-one sessions, we conducted a series of exercises to establish which of the three variables in the Essence

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Leadership model called for the most attention. We explored “audience” and confirmed that his business had a good team and together, they had created a healthy context. Mark’s employees were running the business effectively, and had potential to grow. “Audience” was not Mark’s concern.

We explored “interaction” and realised that Mark was applying his skills and the tools at his disposal very effectively. Over the years, he was able to meaningfully connect with his employees, clearly communicate his vision, and grow his business despite the recent, global financial crisis. “Interaction” was not Mark’s concern either.

According to the Essence Leadership model, there was only one more area to explore. We conducted a series of exercises to reconnect to the present moment and to Mark’s essence. We explored how the sense of fun was not being fulfilled. We came to realise that Mark’s entrepreneurial spirit was not being titillated enough; he had become bored. We spent our final session working on options and Mark realised there were ideas he was keen to test to expand the offering of his business.

I heard back from Mark after some time and learnt that he had started three small projects with his team. Mark felt his creative juices were once again flowing and, for the time being, was satisfied with his sense of excitement and fun.

Similar processes of enquiry can be used with organisations that are looking to define their leadership philosophies to identify, select and develop leaders.

Essence Leadership can function as the foundation framework from which to enquire about, design and develop one-to-one interventions, as well as the leadership proposition for an organisation and much more.

My journey had ended – at least for now – and I felt relieved at the realisation that the experts did not get it wrong after

all. Their research is useful, valid and relevant. Not as a foundation definition from which to inform the leadership debate, but as a guide to build upon the Essence Leadership enquiries.

Eventually, it dawned on me. The reason I felt so drawn into that Monday morning conversation was because the chair of the meeting was speaking from his own essence. I was drawn by his energy and his energy gave me life: it motivated me; it engaged me; and it made me curious. Have you come across people like that? Are you one of those leaders?

Leadership emerged from the meaningful interaction between an individual who had something to bring to life, and an audience that had the potential to become followers

BIO BRIEF Oberdan Marianetti is currently the global Head of Learning for the Corporate and Institutional Clients and the Corporate Finance businesses at Standard Chartered Bank. He moved to Singapore to join Standard Chartered three years ago, after spending five years at HSBC in various senior HR positions.

Since the late 90’s he worked for several organisations in a range of Learning, Talent and OD roles.

Oberdan is a UK-qualified business-psychologist and has a keen interest in psychology, mindfulness and quantum-physics. These three topics inform much of his work in very subtle, and sometimes overt, ways. Oberdan spent some time in academia conducting research on the role of mindfulness in coaching and in the workplace. This research led to publications with the British Psychological Society and Oxford University Press.

Oberdan is passionate about creating holistic environments where learning is a way of being in business, rather than an HR ‘department’ or ‘solution’.

Disclaimer – The thoughts in this article represent the author’s own views and experiences and not those of his employer.

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RELOCATION

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RELOCATION

Developing a

SENSE OF HOME Employees assigned to work in emerging markets can face both cultural challenges, and security concerns. HRM looks at how the choice of accommodation can help make a faster and easier transition Muneerah Bee muneerah.b@hrmasia.com.sg

A

Living Room - Fraser Suites Hanoi

sia’s emerging economies are back on the rise, and companies in the region are expanding rapidly to tap into the local growth opportunities.

While Brazil, Russia, China and India, often known as the BRIC countries, continue to be the most recognised growth markets, countries such as Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey are also building rapidly.

These rapid-growth markets attract much of the world’s investment and hence, companies are increasingly

relocating their employees there.

Employees themselves are keen to consider relocation, as it is usually seen as a positive development opportunity. The Ernst & Young Global Mobility Effectiveness Survey from 2013 showed 83% of employees believed mobility had a positive impact on an individual’s career progression.

While moving to a new country comes with some excitement, it also poses its own set of challenges.

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RELOCATION

Dining Room - Ascott Heng Shan Shanghai in relocating to a new and unfamiliar place, especially to a developing city which may not necessarily have easy accessibility to conveniences.

Navigating unfamiliar terrains Some emerging economies may seem to be worlds apart from what an employee is used to back home.

As such, some employers choose to house their relocating staff in serviced residences which have been designed to help the make a smooth transition.

For example, Frasers Hospitality offers business, leisure and familyfriendly facilities and services, as well as scheduled shuttle bus service to key business and shopping districts, chauffeur or car rentals services.

Frasers Hospitality has several serviced apartments in emerging markets in Asia including in burgeoning cities such as Wuxi in China, and Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam.

Living in serviced apartments also gives employees an added peace of mind as they have 24-hour reception, and security.

The Ascott provides residents with electronic key cards that control lift 50 ISSUE 15.9

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access, ensuring only residents have access to apartment floors.

The company is seeing strong demand across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Persian Gulf region, and has been expanding its presence in key emerging cities such as Jakarta, Manila and Shanghai.

Home in a new land Moving to a serviced apartment can help to lessen the stress involved with relocation. Frasers Hospitality’s

Where are the emerging markets?

The February 2015 issue of Fortune magazine highlighted seven of the best new emerging markets, and three of them are located in Asia. They are: • India • Indonesia • Malaysia • Mexico

• Colombia • Poland • Kenya

serviced apartments, for example, provide services and facilities geared towards helping employees and their families settle in as effortlessly as possible, leaving them better able to focus on work.

Residents can also count on reliable high-speed internet access to stay constantly connected to their loved ones back home. To balance work and leisure, most serviced residences also have in-property leisure facilities and services such as 24-hour gyms, swimming pools, restaurants, and meeting facilities.

With apartments ranging from studios and one-bedroom units to four-bedroom and penthouse suites, the larger apartments at The Ascott’s serviced residences also come with a washer and dryer. Others offer laundry and dry cleaning services. Other services offered include babysitting and meal delivery options.

“In addition to the comforts of home, we also provide services and amenities for expatriates and relocating corporate employees to help them settle in quickly, so that they can be comfortable and productive as soon as possible,” Tony Soh, Chief Corporate Officer, The Ascott Limited says.

Keeping it in the family The biggest challenges that threaten the success of international assignments are family and spouse issues, the Global Mobility Effectiveness Survey found. Sixty-five percent of its respondents cited personal issues such as insufficient housing, the lack of adequate schools, or inadequate work opportunities for the spouse as reasons for failed assignments and early repatriation.

Serviced apartments often offer family-friendly facilities and services for employees who relocate with their families. For example, the Fraser Kids Club offers social activities such as storytelling sessions and movie screenings for children, and Frasers Hospitality also provides babysitting

RELOCATION services and well-equipped children’s playrooms and wading pools.

On the other hand, some organisations are shifting to alternative types of assignments in which the employee’s family does not move with them. Rotational moves and short-term assignments are two examples. Some companies are also sending more junior employees on assignments, as this early exposure to the global environment can lead to strong developmental opportunities.

Employees relocating without families can also turn to serviced apartments for their housing needs. Besides having their own living area, bedroom, workspace, kitchen and dining areas where they can balance work and leisure in privacy, serviced apartments also provide the flexibility of having options to choose from. For example, instead of eating out all the time, residents can opt to prepare their own meals, or entertain guests in their own space.

Residents staying at properties by The Ascott can soon look forward to the introduction of smart home technologies. They will be able to use their mobile phones or wearable devices to control washing machines, refrigerators, smart TVs and other home

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Mobility in growing markets The Ernst & Young Global Mobility Effectiveness Survey shows there was increased mobility activity in growth markets during 2013.

Forty-nine percent of respondents reported deploying more employees into growth markets compared to other locations. The top growth markets were China, Brazil and India. However there was also significant activity in other Asian countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. appliances as part of a partnership with Samsung Asia. “We aim to test these technologies at selected Ascott serviced residences in the first half of 2016, with plans to roll out to our properties globally in phases,” Soh says.

Cultural tips and trips While expatriates are on assignments in foreign lands, it is important not to miss out on the cultural essence of the new country. As relocation also requires a level of cultural adaptation, serviced apartments often extend their

services for guests to fully appreciate their time in the new city or country.

“Regular social and recreational activities are organised to foster interaction among residents,” says Tonya Khong, Area General Manager, Southeast Asia, Frasers Hospitality.

“These are often themed around local festivals and include sightseeing tours to local attractions to help residents integrate into their new city of residence and provide a cultural experience that will make their stay with us all the more meaningful.”

Similarly, Ascott Hosts play an important role in helping residents settle quickly into their new environment, by sharing useful local tips and organising residents’ programmes. These include local tours, cooking lessons, language classes, and festive celebrations where guests can familiarise themselves with local practices and culture.

“Earlier this year, we launched the Ascott Lifestyle programme that will provide our guests with more activities to choose from. For instance, guests at Ascott Jakarta can sign up for leisurely jogs around the Indonesian city, ending off with a tour of the local morning market,” Soh says.

One Bedroom Deluxe - Modena New District Wuxi

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Rules of employee engagement Author, Pioneer Master Coach in Southeast Asia and Founder of Executive Coach International Kelvin Lim shares his insights and strategies on engaging the modern-day employee

W

hatever the size of an organisation – whether it is a start-up, a SME or a multinational conglomerate – high employee turnover is just a drag on business resources. Not only do you lose skills and experience, recruitment and retraining also take up valuable time, energy and money. Others in the office may become overworked and demotivated when their colleagues leave as well.

With Singapore’s employee turnover rate at a five-year high of 15.6%, according to a 2015 study by Hay Group, how can HR professionals help to mitigate their company’s staff 54 ISSUE 15.9

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retention issues?

The first question to ask is: What do employees really want?

Is it money? Is it recognition at work? Is it opportunities to showcase their skills and talents?

Unfortunately, these are not the drivers for all employees, but only for motivated employees. If employees are motivated, they are looking to contribute; they are looking to be involved and they are looking for the opportunity to have their inputs heard to make a difference to the company.

But if they are unmotivated, you have employees who perform at the bare minimum or not at all. What

contributes to their disengagement?

Basic motivational theory First and foremost, we can talk about great companies with great cultures.

Highly motivated individuals would love to work in a company like Google, what some people consider to be one of the greatest companies to work for.

However, the average person does not work in one of these top firms. They are not self-motivated as much as they are “other”-motivated.

Then, we have to look at the basic motivational theory. We have to become aware of both the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of an individual

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them to forward their lives better than being somewhere else.

Some people are more concerned about the freedom they have to watch their children grow up, while others are more interested in the bonuses they get if they hit certain targets.

Some people simply want a nice swanky title, to be known as a vital part of the company’s operations, because they want the recognition but not necessarily the reward. This is because the recognition for some people is the reward.

Implementing rewards systems

that causes them to be engaged at the employee level.

Every manager needs to learn the skill of being able to understand what they can provide extrinsically that links to what is intrinsically motivating to the employee.

That means the manager has to know the employee. You cannot use an approach where you generalise what is going to be satisfying for one individual as if it were true for the entire team.

This is one of the key things that many managers miss out on.

Engaging on a personal basis One of my clients was assembling

a new team of people to run the operations of his many franchises.

In order for him to get all of these people to work willingly, it was not so much about their salary package, their roles and responsibilities – these are very basic requirements.

He began to look at how he could talk to each and every individual in his core team about what they were looking for, how their role fitted into their aspirations and what really mattered to them. Most importantly, he asked them how the job would lead them closer to all their personal and professional goals, such that they see that being in that job would allow

Some of the general managers I worked with have asked me why their employees were unhappy, or at least why some of them were unhappy despite all their efforts to engage them. One client, a general manager of a printing company, wondered why his initiatives to reward his staff failed to generate the kind of enthusiasm he was hoping for. I asked him if the percentage of employees who were nonplussed about the reward was 50%.

He was surprised at my accuracy.

This problem of fixating a reward that you think works for your staff is that half of them are going to like it, while the other half will feel neutral or negatively towards it.

For instance, if you reward your staff with a company-sponsored holiday overseas, half of them are going to say, “Wow, I get to go on an adventure!”

And guess what? On a continuum, half of the people are adventurous, and the other half are not. Those who like to explore will jump at the opportunity to go to a country that they have never been to at the company’s expense as a reward. Meanwhile the other half would rather be given a bonus to spend on their kids.

As a result, a large, broad-based reward system often does not have the impact that people want. Many employers and managers have used ISSUE 15.9

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this over and over again for many years to the same effect: half the team will enjoy the reward, while the rest will not appreciate it as much.

Addressing employees’ challenges Accenture recently decided to abolish its annual review system after discovering that the average manager spends 200 hours a year on tasks that are related to the review process, whether it is conducting tests, taking tests themselves, giving assessments, or evaluating.

The consultancy is doing away with all the inefficient peer evaluation, comparative evaluation, and employee evaluation, so it can replace these with more timely engagement with each employee as and when they perform, or as and when they need it.

If an employee is not doing well, their manager will concern themselves enough to grab the employee and ask, “Hey look, we need to talk”. Or, when an employee faces a problem, the manager is easily approachable so that staff members are able to get the feedback, coaching, and the kinds of engagement they need at the very moment when an issue surfaces.

This way, employees will feel that they are taken more seriously throughout the entire year, as opposed to only once a year. Imagine what happens in terms of employee retention? Will an employee be more engaged if the boss or manager is concerned with their performance, their challenges, their growth, and the things that happen as and when they occur? Or would they be equally motivated if they had to wait for one whole year to review something that happened nine months ago? The answer is pretty obvious.

As more and more companies dispense with annual evaluations, they are moving into more coach-like structures.

This begins to underscore the need for coaching because it is such an engaging conversation – it is really an hour, of a fixed amount of time where you sit down with your employee and make them understand that they are the most important person to you - their manager right now, and everything that 56 ISSUE 15.9

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matters to the staff member, matters to the manager as well.

And whatever challenges that the staff member is facing, their manager will help with resources and together, they will resolve that issue. This creation of a solution that takes staff members’ talents, knowledge, and

responsibilities into account, gives them an opportunity to own whatever the challenge, issue, or limitation is. It creates a much more conducive environment for employees to thrive in. That is how you can retain, engage, and motivate your modernday employees.

Every manager needs to learn the skill of being able to understand what they can provide extrinsically that links to what is intrinsically motivating to the employee

BIO BRIEF Kelvin Lim is Asia’s Pioneer Master Coach and the Founder and Principal Coach of Executive Coach International, the largest coaching organisation in Singapore. A professional coach since 1997, Lim has worked with over 20,000 people worldwide. He also helped to produce the film “War Against War” for the United Nation’s 64th Anniversary, which raised funds for the victims of the Haiti earthquake in 2010.

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VIEW POINT

Developing a diverse workforce

– a role for international benchmarks?

R

esearch suggests that the challenges presented by the impact of rapidly advancing technology are not going away anytime soon. As Harvard’s Kenneth Rogoff writes, “the market has a way of transforming jobs and opportunities in ways that no one can predict.” Such conditions will require businesses to be flexible and adaptive, and to be able to hire staff who can push them beyond what they’ve done in the past, and into an unknown future.

Yet, in this fast moving world, managers have little time for the intricacies of the hiring process, instead hiring through known methods and networks, and creating a bias in their recruitment.

Recent research by the World Bank suggests that the biases and networks of individuals create blindspots through assumptions and habits.

Hiring from the usual sources increases the risk that people who think the same way will create collective blindspots, or manifest what is known as “unconscious bias”, making corporations less adaptive.

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important aspect in building successful organisations, as with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences comes a wide range of perspectives and ideas to counter unconscious bias. But organisations that are aware of these issues still have to figure out how to attract this diverse workforce.

Accessing the increasingly globally mobile talent pool is one way of addressing this.

But for individuals who are used to dealing with local networks, this represents a major challenge – how can they find candidates with credentials they can trust?

They will need a way of interpreting a wide variety of CVs in order to maintain the quality while encouraging diversity. Without a firm grasp of how people with different education backgrounds compare, the manager may well feel the risk in the unknown is greater than the reward.

One way to support this is through relevant international benchmarks that enable employers to compare learners, from a variety of backgrounds, against the same standard.

International qualifications can provide such a benchmark of skills, by posing the same assessments to candidates across the globe. A credible benchmark would allow for a much more efficient flow of labour to vacancies, address problems of highly skilled migrants working in low level jobs, and increase diversity in the workplace. This enables employers to emerge stronger and more innovative, surrounding themselves with individuals who keep them on their toes, challenge their assumptions and creating a culture where the status quo is regularly challenged.

However, in order for global benchmarks to be credible, they need to be shown to be set at the right level, delivering the

outcomes to learners that will enable them to be effective in employment, and to be responsive to the requirements of different businesses in different countries. This is no easy challenge. This is a challenge Pearson is nonetheless trying to address, through working with businesses and others to understand what we term the “efficacy” of our programmes. Achieving efficacy means that we are having a demonstrable positive impact on the life of learners – and as part of that, we want to stimulate a global debate to make sure that people have the qualities needed to achieve their aspirations. It’s an ambitious goal, but as the challenges of global recruitment show, one well worth pursuing.

For more information Tom Eats works in research for Pearson, the world’s leading education company. Pearson provides global qualifications for the workplace, such as LCCI and BTEC qualifications, to help candidates become internationally mobile.

Pearson is on a journey to measure and report on the efficacy of all its products. To learn more about our qualifications and the lives we’ve touched, visit http://qualifications.pearson.com and http://efficacy. pearson.com respectively.

Tom Eats International Research & Development Manager, Pearson Qualifications International Pearson Education South Asia 9 North Buona Vista Drive, #13-01 The Metropolis Tower One Singapore 138588

TALENT

LADDER

Pamela Teo

Amit Das

Lee Yong Rong

Hill+Knowlton Strategies has recently appointed Pamela Teo as regional HR director for Asia-Pacific.

Teo will be responsible for the activation of Hill+Knowlton’s global and regional HR initiatives across all markets in the region, including the Hill+Knowlton University. She will also oversee the talent management function throughout Asia-Pacific.

Based in Singapore, Teo will report directly to Vivian Lines, Chairman of Hill+Knowlton Asia-Pacific.

Speaking on her appointment, Lines said, “Pamela is a senior HR practitioner with considerable experience developing and executing HR programmes for some of the key global creative and digital players.”

“She is therefore very well positioned to align our talent acquisition strategy with our business objectives for the region and I am delighted to welcome her to the firm.”

Teo brings more than 20 years of industry experience to Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

She joins the firm from Zenith Optimedia Group where she served as Southeast Asia Talent Director.

Prior to this, she held positions at Ogilvy and Mather, Publicis, D’Arcy Massius Benton & Bowles, and McCann Erickson.

On her new role, Teo said, “I am looking forward to working with Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ teams across the Asia-Pacific region to broaden capabilities across the full creative spectrum to meet the evolving needs of our clients.”

Bennett Coleman, The Times Group’s flagship company, has announced the new appointment of Amit Das as its Director of HR. As the HR leader of the organisation, he will be responsible for providing strategic thought leadership and driving the HR function aligned to organisational imperatives.

Das brings with him over 26 years of experience in HR areas such as workforce planning and optimisation, talent acquisition, learning and talent management, and employee engagement.

Prior to joining Bennett Coleman, Das held the position of President and Chief HR Officer at Reliance Communications for a year and a half.

After spending 11 years in the telecommunications sector with Vodafone and Reliance Communications, Das shared that he felt the need for a change in environment.

He said, “I felt that Times Group would provide me an opportunity to work with another challenging and dynamic industry like media, which constantly leverages on the human capital as a differentiator for business success.”

On his new role, Das said, “My priority is to understand the business imperatives and build a business centric HR function that is agile, responsive, and capable of consistent delivery of tangible outcomes, which directly impacts the organisation strategic priorities”.

Lee Yong Rong has been appointed as Junior Talent Acquisition Manager for Givaudan.

In her new role, she will be responsible for the end-to-end recruitment cycle for both operational and commercial roles within the Southeast Asia region.

She will also support her managers in various improvement projects and in some of the upcoming campus initiatives.

Lee previously held the role of Recruiter for Southeast Asia in the same company for a year.

Prior to this, she was a HR generalist at Wyeth Nutritionals.

After completing her stint at the manufacturing company, Lee wanted to pursue a HR function that she could specialise in.

“During my time with Wyeth Nutritionals, we had many new initiatives and this was where I was given multiple opportunities to stretch my abilities as a HR practitioner,” she said.

“It was a turning point for me to decide that it was time for me to specialise, since I was always keen to be an expert in either the Talent Management or Learning and Development functions.

Hence, when my current role came by chance, I decided to take it up.”

“I look forward to being a pro-active partner with our business managers to address their talent needs and to build towards becoming a preferred employer of choice.”

HR Director, Asia-Pacific, Hill+Knowlton

Director – HR, Bennett Coleman

Junior Talent Acquisition Manager, Givaudan

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MICE

WORK’S OUT,

PARTY’S IN

Year-end parties are a great way to reward employees for a job well done. HRM looks at some creative party ideas that will make your office celebration one to remember Naadiah Badib naadiah.b@hrmasia.com.sg

A

s yet another year comes to a close, several companies have already started preparing for the annual round of year-end parties.

While some employers dread organising the office ritual, the fact is that most employees eagerly await the chance to let loose and relax.

According to a survey by staffing service OfficeTeam, the traditional office party tops most employees’ wish list among work-related holiday celebrations.

The survey revealed that a sizeable 52% of workers believe that company party is the best option.

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Aquila Morris-Alleyne, Marketing Manager at Lime House, believes such celebrations help to improve the employer-employee relationship.

“From what we’ve seen at the yearend parties hosted at Lime House, employees truly appreciate when their employers recognise them,” she says.

“They take pleasure in knowing that the company has spent time, money and effort to give them an enjoyable experience that has nothing to do with driving deliverables and deadlines.”

Martijn Dekker, Director of Marketing at Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel agrees.

“Companies can take the opportunity to show appreciation to employees for their hard work over the months and thank them for staying with the company,” he says.

“It is also a time where employees can bond with each other and have some fun together such as organising a performance competition.”

Unique qualities To give employers fewer headaches, some may choose to plan the party in-house.

Those looking to do so may consider the mobile bar solution provider DrinkDings.

Angela Sim, Bar Strategist, DrinkDings,

MICE explains that the service’s mobility has proven to be a bonus point among firms.

“We bring the bar to the company and their staff – they just have to give us a space, and we create the entire cocktail bar set up and service for their staff and clients,” she says.

“So every mobile bar is unique.”

Distance can be an issue employers face during the planning process.

“Companies choose DrinkDings when they want to have a party where more staff can attend and where travelling is not too tedious,” she says.

But for many firms, location is a key factor when deciding on a venue. Marriott Hotel, located right above the Orchard MRT station, offers a prime locale.

“Strategically located in the heart of the town, the hotel provides easy accessibility to all guests,” Dekker says.

As well as convenience, the hotel provides an all-round event accommodation, ranging from culinary to personalised services.

“We have a high quality of gastronomic offerings that attracts companies to hold their events with us,” he says.

What are your employees hoping for?

A survey by staffing service OfficeTeam, shows that the traditional office party tops most employees’ wish list.

Here are the ways these employees would like to celebrate the holidays at work: Off-site party:

27%

On-site party:

25%

Charity activity:

24%

Informal gift exchange:

10%

Office decorations:

9%

Prefer not to celebrate the holidays at work:

4%

No answer:

2%

“Our sales and events teams have always been providing a high standard of personalised services to guests.”

Lime House, on the other hand, offers spatial functionality and versatility needs according to the client’s preference.

“In our experience, The DrinkDings Mobile Bar Solution at Hewlett Packard clients come to Lime House for a unique and more relaxed employees something out of the ordinary setting that is a significant departure and enhance their experience. from the regular office environment,” “We regularly get feedback from our says Morris-Alleyne. corporate clients that employees are excited “The idea is to remove employees from about experiencing authentic Caribbean ‘work mode’ and create an atmosphere cuisine, a rarity in Singapore,” she says. in which they can unwind and which Lime House has learnt that firms encourages them to socialise and enjoy like to make their decision processes the company of their colleagues.” smooth-sailing.

Currently, Lime House comprises of “Companies prefer to work with venues three floors and is popular for its “Lime that are flexible and fuss-free to remove Yard”, an intimate backyard space with a unnecessary burdens from planning and tropical garden-themed lounge. executing their events,” she says.

“We have an open layout concept Among the factors that these companies on floors two and three, a full built-in look for are concepts, as Lee highlights. bar on the second foor, and an outdoor He notes that many of their clients lounge space, as well as accessibility to may feel lost during the planning process the MRT and public carpark facilities,” but to counter that, Orange Clove has Morris-Alleyne shares. implemented a useful solution.

Another alternative is Orange Clove “Usually, our ‘Complete Event Catering, which focuses on providing Solutions’ arm will plan out everything creative hospitality services. from decorations to food and “Our clients get to decide on their entertainment,” he shares. own caterer, be it live stations, buffet “All we need from our client is or barbeque,” says Elvis Lee, Executive information on the budget and the theme.”

Director of Orange Clove Catering.

In recent years, Dekker notes that “The openness fosters greater Marriott Hotel has seen companies on a interaction among guests and is ideal for constant search for more innovative and live entertainment performances.” bolder event concepts.

“However, the downside of this is that Among their major considerations coolers may be necessary if it is held include unique event venues, under the midday sun. Clients are advised personalised and attentive service, to think about tentage or alternative superior menus and strategic locations. spaces in case of wet weather.”

Marriott’s recent launch of a meeting campaign known as “Meetings Imagine” Tips and tricks has proven to be an effective tool for In her experience of hosting corporate firms to materialise their ideas. parties, Morris-Alleyne says companies “This platform showcases an inspiration are constantly looking for ways to offer gallery where clients are able to search ISSUE 15.9

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MICE for various setups, food and drinks, technologies and experiences,” he explains.

“With the visual aids, it is easier for clients to brainstorm ideas of how their events will be and from there, they can work with our team to turn their dream event into reality.”

In a similar way, Lee shares just how Orange Clove can add minute details to complement its core aspects.

“If companies require a retro and relaxed setting for a SG50-related event, we would recommend pushcart live stations, iconic old school dishes, and a street-style backdrop,” he says.

“We can even complete the look by cladding our service staff in straw hats and ‘Good Morning’ towels.”

DrinkDings has seen an increasing number of companies who are keen to stay on a tight budget.

“We find that companies are looking to save costs and have their parties inhouse rather than at traditional drinking venues – and they are also looking to do more themed parties,” Sim says.

“More office staff attend in-house parties, as staff have one less challenge in having to travel to the venue.”

Sim notes that by engaging Drinkdings to set up a bar in their office, it also gives companies an opportunity to invite clients.

“By having the party in their office, the ambience tends to be a little more casual, and staff and clients will also be more relaxed and have a better bonding session,” she adds.

Making it memorable

Whether companies are planning for business meetings or team building activities, the right theme will set the tone at any corporate SG50 themed concept set up during a corporate event by Orange Clove event. mocktails made with fresh fruits, and In fact, the most memorable parties signature drinks with unique Energizerat Lime House have had specific themes related names like ‘Recharge-tini’.” attached, Morris-Alleyne suggests.

With its natural mobility, DrinkDings “Transforming the space with believes it is able to accommodate decorations and things like image and video clients’ needs accordingly. projection, which can all be facilitated Its creative efforts include The at Lime House, adds a fun and festive element that makes for a great party,” Manhattan Gangster themed event, she explains. with only cosmopolitan cocktails She also says even the small but wellbeing served, and a pink party where thought touches can go a long way in everything was in the same colour, throwing a memorable party. including the cocktails.

“We recall previous events where At present, Marriott Hotel is offering company organisers have worked closely a special SG50 dinner and dance package with our bar staff to design off-the-menu in line with the nation’s 50th birthday. bespoke cocktails and mocktails which “Unique themed parties and venues never fail to delight party guests and end that are not commonly seen elsewhere up being a talked-about feature well after will be a wow factor for those who the event,” adds Morris-Alleyne. attend,” Dekker says.

Sim agrees.

“This will leave deep impressions in “Companies can create theme parties them.” that denote a celebration,” she says.

Still, for companies who struggle to “For example, Energizer could have pull off such parties, Lee advises them to a ‘Reenergise’ party with healthy “think beyond the conventional”.

“If nothing suits your fancy, do not settle for less,” he says.

“Pay that little extra for customised menus or off-the-cuff dishes. It is not just about food alone. Think • Arrive early: This might be your best opportunity to talk with senior executives while things are still about thematic and corporate colourrelatively quiet matching buffet set-ups.”

• Do not over indulge: Free alcohol can quickly lead to excessive drinking. Stay in control. You do not Above all, Lee stresses that the crux want to do anything embarrassing to you or your employer. Even if your alcohol-induced actions do not of the matter is to ensure that everyone get you fired, they can hurt your chances for advancement is taken care of, by checking their • Avoid talking business: This is not the time to approach your boss with a new business idea. Save individual dietary requirements. that for Monday morning. Instead, find out about their interests outside of the office. Find a connection Common requests include Halal on a personal level. That connection will help you on Monday when you bring up the new idea and it certification, vegetarian options and could also help when the time comes for salary reviews. avoidance of allergic ingredients or beef.

“No one is going to be too pleased if Source: This advice was based on a poll by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, global outplacement consultancy. they have to go hungry,” he adds.

Guidelines for office party-goers

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CORPORATE LEARNING

Back to school for HR Executive education does not only refer to fabled MBA programmes. Rather, niche courses and programmes are geared towards specific professions, including the HR profession. But how should HR practitioners equip themselves to be work-ready and relevant?

HRM finds out

Sham Majid sham@hrmasia.com.sg

T

heresa Ong, Coach Division Manager of Executive Coach International, firmly believes that the HR role is “more complex and challenging than just working on Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations”.

“HR is probably one of the most challenging functions within any organisation as we spend most of our time dealing with people,” she says.

Ong cites says human beings are “complex creatures” who require sensitivity, attention and a listening ear.

“Therefore, any training that enables an HR professional to increase their understanding of others, such as enabling them to read between the lines of what people say and getting them attuned to the nuances of social interactions between people from

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CORPORATE LEARNING different cultures or generations will definitely help,” she says.

Ong’s assertion that HR professionals will benefit from training has also been echoed by Singapore Labour chief Chan Chun Sing.

During the inaugural HR Leadership Summit in June, Chan noted that it was imperative to upskill the competency levels of HR practitioners so they can assume leadership roles in organisations based in Singapore or overseas.

“On the whole, we hope that working with the Singapore HR Institute (SHRI) and Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME), we will have a roadmap, a progressive skills ladder for HR professionals, ranging from how they manage a small enterprise with 10 employees to a multinational corporation with thousands of employees,” Chan told ChannelNewsAsia.

He also revealed that the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will partner with bodies such as the ASME and SHRI to advance skill sets. This will enable HR practitioners to, for example, better comprehend matters such as the Industrial Relations Act.

“It is very important for HR to align their strategies with the business and organisation needs because HR professionals are key drivers of staff’s capability development in most organisations” Vincent Yeo, Director of Operations and Service Support, SIM Professional Development

Along with a national push to enhance the skillsets of HR professionals in Singapore, executive education is also increasingly becoming another avenue for learning and development.

HR’s pledge to the SkillsFuture movement On May 20 this year, a group of 50 companies highlighted their support for the national SkillsFuture movement. They participated in the SkillsFuture employers’ pledge ceremony organised by the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and supported by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA).

According to the WDA, the 50 organisations, made up of SMEs and multinationals, pledged their commitment to: • Adopt progressive HR practices that recognise skills-based career progression • Provide employment opportunities and structured training pathways for all Singaporeans • Support lifelong learning for existing workers • Foster a culture of lifelong learning within their organisations The event also featured a Memorandum of Understanding between SNEF and WDA to unveil a new series of masterclasses that will boost employers’ capabilities to adopt progressive, forward-looking HR practices.

These masterclasses will help SMEs and multinationals through the following ways: • Learning and development programmes for acquiring and developing talent • Processes and strategies for nurturing the next generation of company leaders • Methods for evaluating individual performance against organisational goals The inaugural masterclass, titled “Winning the War for Talent”, was conducted in July.

Another five masterclasses, benefitting 300 employers, will be rolled out over the next two years.

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Plugging the HR skill gaps Ong says while there are many common programmes that can help both HR professionals and directors, the needs of HR professionals may be different.

“An HR professional is also often expected to effectively pass on their knowledge and experience to their juniors. For all these reasons, an ambitious HR professional needs to hone their coaching skills: by doing so, they will have a better understanding of what people really want and how to handle or avoid potential disputes. They will also have a clearer vision of what motivates their colleagues,” she explains.

“Finding a good coach training programme is not easy and I recommend choosing one that is internationally recognised, where the backgrounds of the participants are diverse and where the trainers are certified and easily approachable.”

“The more challenging the programme is, the more you will benefit from it at work,” she says.

When it comes to directors, Ong is “convinced” that leadership development can further benefit their careers.

CORPORATE LEARNING However, she says it should be as practical as possible, and not just theoretical.

“As directors will also need to deal with other staff members, their leadership development should be completed by an emphasis on growing their emotional intelligence (EQ) as well,” elaborates Ong. “Numerous studies conducted by entities such as the Harvard Business School and Stanford University have shown that the difference between a successful leader and one that is struggling is how much they have developed their EQ.” Ong further explains HR professionals can gain a better understanding of what really motivates their colleagues and how to handle conflicts in a more effective way by not being drawn in by other people’s emotions.

“More likely than not, it will also bring them more clarity about how to prioritise tasks as they will have better control over their own emotions and a cooler head when it comes to making decisions,” she says.

“Last but not least, by attending such programmes, they will be dealing with people they might not usually meet at work, thereby expanding the range of their expertise when it comes to managing HR.” Vincent Yeo, Director of Operations and Service Support at SIM Professional Development says the core skills and competencies required by every professional are “personal mastery”, people management, business alignment and organisational alignment.

“It is very important for HR to align their strategies with the business and organisation needs because HR professionals are key drivers of staff’s capability development in most organisations,” he explains.

“They have to be competent at managing culture and nurturing strong values that enable teams to work towards common goals – especially so as the teams are more diverse in composition today.”

Yeo says talent management is another key area, with today’s workforce being increasingly mobile.

“Relevant areas include employee retention, talent development, developing

THREE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS At the HR Manpower Seminar organised by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency and held at the Lifelong Learning Institute on May 26, three key recommendations were proposed to enhance the skill sets of HR professionals in Singapore.

These include: • To develop interventions to champion the interests of the HR profession in Singapore • To strengthen the education and training infrastructure to build a sustainable skills pipeline throughout the lifecycle of the HR professional • To create and enhance shared industry infrastructure to facilitate access to HR services and expertise The recommendations arose from a study titled HR Manpower Study: Strengthening the HR Profession in Singapore.

Additional findings

According to the HR Manpower Study , 23% of the 831 organisations polled signalled their intentions to expand or establish their HR function. To complement the expansion plans, they planned for an average of three additional recruits each over the next three years.

Of the firms that signalled they had ambitions to expand their HR departments, the functions which were most in need of new resources included: • Performance, Remuneration and Benefits (65%) • Learning and Development (64%) • Recruitment and Resourcing (62%) The study also deduced the present and future priorities for HR. The present priorities include: • Recruiting to fill vacant positions • Ensuring timely execution of payroll • Managing employee relations and engagement • Retaining crucial skills and experience within the business • Enabling the business to improve productivity The future initiatives include: • Collaborating with senior management on people strategy • Ensuring that succession planning is in place for key positions • Managing employee relations and engagement • Retaining crucial skills and experience within the business • Enabling the business to improve productivity In addition, the survey highlighted that more than 80% of the firms indicated that HR training and HR experience were preferred when hiring for HR managerial and strategic level job positions.

The future skills and character traits required for HR professionals include: • Strategic partner to the business • Change agent to facilitate the development of human capital • Mediator to balance the interests of employers and employees.

• Effective administrator to ensure operational success.

The WDA in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower, International Enterprise Singapore and SPRING Singapore commissioned KPMG to conduct the study between June and December last year.

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CORPORATE LEARNING learning interventions, performance management and helping individuals find alignment between their personal career aspirations and career paths in the organisation,” he adds.

Show me the courses For those who are interested in developing their coaching skills, Ong says Executive Coach International has formulated the Professional Coach Training Programme that is internationally accredited by the International Coach Federation.

“This programme equips people with superior coaching and mentoring skills.

We have trained hundreds of people since our company was founded more than a decade ago,” she states.

“We have also developed a brand new programme that adds leadership development to coach training, which is currently going through the process of being internationally accredited by the International Coach Federation.”

Ong says this programme aims to help people in leadership positions who often have to make quick decisions in complex situations.

Both programmes are guaranteed to stretch their participants’ knowledge and skills, which will prepare them well for the most challenging situations they might face at work in the future, she adds.

Meanwhile, Yeo says SIM Professional Development’s HR programmes are divided into two categories: HR Development and HR Management.

HR Development programmes like the SIM Competent Trainer Programme and Training the Trainer help companies and organisations to develop and grow internal training capability.

Among the HR Management programmes are “Aligning HR with Business Strategy, HR Best Practices and Policies, Interviewing Skills to Managing Compensation, and Performance Appraisal – Engaging and Harnessing the Best from your Staff.” “These programmes will equip HR professionals with the essential knowledge and skillsets needed to oversee all aspects 66 ISSUE 15.9

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HR set for certification The HR sector in Singapore will be guided by a new framework to further groom talent and foster more career and professional development opportunities for professionals within the field.

The framework was unveiled by Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say on July 10 during the Singapore HR Institute’s 50th anniversary dinner.

Lim said the new blueprint was being formulated by a taskforce with representatives from the government, employers and unions.

The scheme falls under the Sectoral Manpower Plan for HR, which will be established by a tripartite committee featuring representatives from the government, employers and unions.

of workforce development and management,” explains Yeo.

Making a case for HR executive education From Ong’s perspective, if HR professionals do not acquire new skills or knowledge, they face the risk of becoming obsolete, sooner or later.

“This is not limited to the HR sphere but the whole working world: everything goes faster and faster at work, HR professionals are asked to make quick decisions with limited information and deal with all kinds of people in their jobs,” she highlights.

“This can be quite stressful and definitely requires some skills that are not usually taught at university. When it comes to dealing with people, coach training has the highest return on investment. That is why CEOs such as Larry Page, Jeff Bezos and even Steve Jobs have used coaching to get better at what they do.”

Ong says HR professionals are the ones spending the most time dealing with people and therefore need to be fully equipped with all the relevant skills to handle such complex interactions in the most effective way.

In addition, with globalisation

affecting all professional organisations, Ong highlights that teams are bound to become more multicultural.

“As a HR professional, being able to deal with colleagues whose ages might range from 25 to 65 is a huge challenge – something that you cannot just study in traditional education courses,” she explains.

“The more complex the workplace becomes, the more clarity HR professionals need to be able to perform and meet their organisations’ expectations. Furthermore, any training needs to have a high return on investment (ROI) and also a lasting effect. As multinationals such as IBM discovered some time ago, coach training is highly relevant to the HR professionals, immediately applicable and offers an unmatched ROI.” Yeo also acknowledges the role and function of HR have evolved significantly over the years.

“No longer are they taking on the traditional functions of staffing, recruitment and payroll administration,” he says.

“Instead, today’s HR play a significant and strategic role in helping the organisation achieve its mission, vision, strategy, and goals. This involves recognising that the link between helping an individual employee, and helping their team, their department, and their company to perform better.”

Furthermore, Yeo stresses that HR professionals must ensure there is a direct connection between the policies, procedures, programmes and services they offer and the organisation’s larger purposes.

“As such, HR professionals must keep pace with new human capital development knowledge by attending relevant programmes so that they can help the organisation to leverage on the employees’ full potential. At the end of the day, HR must play the strategic partner role to the CEO – helping the senior management team in harnessing human potential and channelling it in the right direction,” he adds.

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Thank you for the overwhelming response and for taking the time and effort – we hope you had fun!

We will unveil the Winners of HRM Asia Readers Choice Awards for 2015 in our October Issue, so stay tuned for the results!

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HRM CONGRESS HIGHLIGHT

HRM CONGRESS POST EVENT REPORT

HRM Asia’s

HR MASTERCLASS H

RM Asia welcomed the month of July with two inaugural masterclasses for HR professionals in Singapore and from across Asia.

Systematic approach in handling investigations The Conducting Workplace Investigations Masterclass, part of the continuing HR Compliance Series, was held at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza on 21 and 22 July.

This two-day event was facilitated by Jonathan Davison, Managing Director of Forensic Interview Solutions. He boasts over 12 years of investigation and interview experience, and is a former detective with the Greater Manchester Police.

Over 25 HR leaders took part in the comprehensive masterclass. Davison successfully imparted many useful and applicable skills, with fruitful discussions and role-playing activities on workplace investigation. Participants took home a clearer structure and process to successfully interview suspects and witnesses to workplace incidents.

Davison also provided a proven systematic approach in conducting workplace investigation through an interactive learning of scenario-based role-play. This highly-energised, training approach ensured that participants went home with the confidence to commence a proper workplace investigation.

The softer side of crisis management Towards the end of July, HRM Asia launched an intensive two-day Strategic Crisis Management and Communications Masterclass. The second event took

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place on 29 and 30 July at the Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay.

The masterclass was highly engaging with a lively group of international C-suite and senior leaders with responsibility for crisis management, emergency and crisis planning, security, business continuity, supply chain management, strategic marketing, media technology and HR. They represented businesses and departments from different geographies, including Singapore, Philippines, and Dubai.

The two-day masterclass was facilitated

by Kenny Seow, Partner of Riskwest Management Consultants that is based in Perth. He boasts over 25 years of international experience in disaster recovery, business continuity and crisis management in banking, securities, education, logistics and government.

Through a variety of tools and techniques, including lectures, case studies, video demonstration, group discussions and exercises, Seow touched on the human aspects of crisis management and communications. He also provided participants with a practical framework to address the various risks that could arise in any given crisis which can test an organisation’s human capital resiliency.

The masterclass concluded with various crisis simulation exercises where participants took part in a scenario-based role-play. This gave them an opportunity to apply the theoretical frameworks in a realistic simulation of a crisis situation.

The simulation exercise consists of a series of mock crises that allowed participants to experience the tension and pressure of a real crisis situation, encouraging them to think on their feet and apply their newly-learned practical strategies. The simulated exercise

trained participants to appropriately react in a crisis situation yet also be sensitive to the people-related components.

Overall, 100% of attendees rated the masterclass as “good” or “excellent” and a majority noted they had benefitted greatly from Seow’s vast experience and generous sharing.

UPCOMING CONGRESS HRM Asia is proud to be your partner in progress and professional development. We bring you quality conferences and training and we have many exciting congresses and masterclasses in the upcoming months. Mark your calendar now!

• The Business Savvy HR Leader Workshop 22 – 23 September 2015, Singapore • HR Service Delivery Congress 28 – 29 September 2015, Singapore • Successful Employer Branding Masterclass 30 September – 1 October, Singapore • Future Workforce Summit 21 – 22 October 2015, Singapore • Managing Employee Disputes & Termination (China & Vietnam) 27 – 28 October, Singapore • Effective Change Management Masterclass 29 – 30 October, Singapore

AHRDSPEAKS AHRDSPEAKS How to fix the HR consulting industry A t its best, consulting a helps add value to organisations and improves the working lives of countless individuals.

I should know as I have worked in the industry for over 15 years.

In my view, there are ways to reform the consulting industry to achieve win-win outcomes: better business results on both sides of the contract, and more rewarding careers.

Here are my prescriptions: • Screen consulting candidates based on technical expertise, the client (thinks it) pays for that; • Heavily invest in research and development by partnering with academia to yield applied research results and incremental client value

through evidence-based advice; • Invest in training and development to constantly stay ahead of the competition in terms of offering sound advice and consistently delivering quality services; teaching consultants how to sell without them knowing anything about what they are selling does not help the client; • Design performance incentives that will foster behaviour and results that clients want: Friendly, attentive consultants that deliver quality evidencebased analyses and advice on time and within specifications; • Start by putting much more weight on team incentives rather than on

individual incentives; the latter foster behaviours that are often incompatible with the teamwork and cooperation required for complex projects (and frankly, healthy work environments); • Use staff efficiently; it makes no sense for partners to spend over 30% of their time wrestling with four different reporting systems; make reading Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith a must; and last but not least; • Use principles of design thinking to rethink the whole consulting business model; start asking questions (use market research) and listen; use learned insights and implement. Repeat.

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EFFECTIVE CHANGE MANAGEMENT Change Management Competency MASTERCLASS Building for HR Professionals 29 – 30 October 2015 | Singapore

Consultant & Coach IDEATE CONSULTING • More than 15 years of experience in Leadership and Change Management in leading organizations • Developed the Change Practitioners Program for DHL • Consults and trains senior management on Change & Performance Management

Management of change within organisations needs to be a core part of the role of HR professionals, as many of the issues arises concern the ‘people aspects’ of change. Dave Ulrich of the RBL group identifies “change champion” as one of the key competencies HR must demonstrate. The crucial question to answer is how can HR help support & facilitate change management initiatives in their organization?

Our inaugural Effective Change Management Masterclass in Singapore will look specifically at the role that HR Department can play in supporting and enabling change. This 2-day masterclass focus on the process, tools and techniques to effectively manage the people aspect of changing systems, structures and behaviour within an organisation. It will identify clear strategies to effectively manage and respond to changing situations, and will provide guidance on how to conduct successful change management conversations with team members to achieve the required outcomes.

Participants will work through a case study and build their own change management toolkit to put their learning into practice in the course.

Contact Me to Register: Azrielle Looi Huiyi | Tel: (65) 6423 4631 | Email: azrielle.looi@hrmasia.com.sg ISSUE 15.9

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HIGH

IMPACT HR

Spotify:

Hacking away at work Engaging in activities outside of one’s traditional job scope is not a one-off at Spotify. Rather, it has become ingrained in the organisation’s culture, as HRM finds out Sham Majid sham@hrmasia.com.sg

W

e have all had the urge at times to deviate from our usual job roles and indulge in some of our own personal projects during our official working hours.

For most of us, it’s simply a pipe dream.

But for employees at Spotify, “Hack Week” is part of the organisation’s furniture.

“Hack Week is about getting the time away from normal work to explore what we’re passionate about. It’s also a great way of keeping ourselves motivated,” says Sunita Kaur, Managing Director (Asia), Spotify.

“Hack Week is about cross-functional collaboration, making new friends and working relationships. We’re at our best when we come together and make use of 70 ISSUE 15.9

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the unique perspectives we have around the world.”

According to Kaur, Hack Week is about empowering everyone at Spotify to be creative and to learn something new.

“We can get caught up in the solution we’ve just started exploring, get into the flow, and follow that flow, or not.

Whatever works best,” she explains.

“It’s also about creating an opportunity to bring all this together because when we do, innovation happens.”

Inspiration behind Hack Week So, just how did this Hack Week phenomenon come about?

Kaur says that several years ago, squads (Spotify’s cross-functional technology, product and design teams)

Spotify’s organisational culture “Our purpose as a company is to ‘Play Everywhere’,” says Sunita Kaur, Managing Director (Asia), Spotify.

“As we constantly work to provide ‘the perfect music for every moment’ to music fans all over the world, we want to have fun together so that the journey becomes even more enjoyable.” occasionally organised hack days to create opportunities to experiment, learn and to stay engaged.

“They noticed that a lot of value was being generated from dedicating time for that kind of work,” she reveals.

“Then, one daring squad started ‘saving’ their hack days in order to do a full hack week. They discovered that with more dedicated time, even greater results were generated.”

According to Kaur, other squads wanted to do the same but dependencies

made it difficult.

“It was hard to take a week off when others relied on them. It was therefore decided that Hack Week was to be broadened for all of the product and technology teams,” Kaur states.

“So in 2013, we held our first official Hack Week and it has since become a recurring event which we do twice a year.

We held our fourth company-wide Hack Week this June.”

As the name suggests, the event runs for one full work-week and kicks off in each local office at around 9.00am on Monday with a special breakfast and a pitch session. This is where project teams can “pitch” their ideas to seek additional support, and teams offering support or resources can inform teams of the type of help they can provide throughout the week.

The event ends on the Friday with demonstrations in which project teams reveal the work they accomplished during the week. This is usually followed by a party celebrating the accomplishments and the great vibe fostered.

Fruits of the hack What are some of the inventions that have been developed during Hack Week?

Kaur says Spotify “has seen an exponential growth of ideas and an increased spectrum of creativity since Hack Week was born”.

“People hack on everything from disco setups in meeting rooms to actual product features. A few of the success stories from Hack Week that you can find today in the app are podcasts, the new ‘Running’ feature and ‘Touch Preview’,” she elaborates.

Nevertheless, she stresses that it is not only about product hacks.

“Our Intranet came to life during Hack Week and so did the helpful meeting room signs in our Stockholm office, and our operating model called Spotify Rhythm,” says Kaur.

In fact, Hack Week is perfectly aligned with the company’s working process mantra: Think it. Build it. Ship it. Tweak it. (see: boxout).

“The excitement around Hack Week is huge and people start to think of ideas and team up prior to the actual week. Some teams go through a speedy version of

the whole Think it. Build it. Ship it. Tweak it. process during the week, while others focus on a specific phase,” explains Kaur.

“What we’ve seen that has worked in the past is that Hack Week is a great source for experimentation and generating ideas that later get funded as projects following a more thorough process.”

Collaboration, creativity and culture Kaur says that from an HR perspective, Hack Week is about enabling employees to collaborate, to be creative, and to learn new things by giving them the dedicated time to do so.

“We believe this has a key impact on productivity and motivation, as well as on happiness and building our overall culture,” she explains.

In particular, Kaur stresses that she has seen greater collaboration across Spotify.

“There is also a true appreciation and understanding of the value of experimentation, failure, innovation, creativity and much more,” she states.

“Our employees have shown an increased trust in the company from seeing that we are willing to invest time and money in allowing them to experiment for a week. That innovative mindset carries through beyond and between Hack Weeks.”

In terms of Spotify’s overall operations, Kaur says Hack Week is a cornerstone of the company’s innovation strategy.

“It is a recurring opportunity for us to improve our day-to-day work and spark that interest around learning and creativity. It truly empowers people to take ownership over improving their respective areas,” she says.

Four-value mantra These four unique value mantras describe how things are done the Spotify way:

Think it. Build it. Ship it. Tweak it.

This mantra describes Spotify’s working process. The company believes in constant innovation as it continues to develop products that improve the service and user experience.

Give it everything you’ve got

As Spotify’s employees count among its biggest fans, working at Spotify goes beyond being a job – it’s a lifestyle. The organisation is used to giving it everything it’s got, and wants people that join its team to do the same.

Play fair

Spotify always strives to be fair in compensating rights holders and collaborating with partners. Playing fair is also about being generous to colleagues, sharing information freely and helping out when needed.

Go big or go home

Spotify’s culture is unique.

Above all, it celebrates and encourages teamwork, diversity and collaboration. Although there are loads of smart people, there are few big egos to be found around the company. Employees come to work to change the world through music together and the organisation enables creativity by providing teams with the resources, trust and support to try things and learn quickly.

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SME SPOTLIGHT

Working out

SOLUTIONS “W

hat’s up with these ‘strawberry generation’ employees who can’t stick to a job?” Cho Pei Lin, Managing Director, Asia PR Werkz lamented to a director of the company, Julie Chiang, many years ago.

At that time, the company was struggling to keep their staff. Cho found that fresh graduates and jobseekers did not find the company very attractive back then, as they were a small Public Relations (PR) agency. She tried to raise salaries slightly higher than what the industry offered and it helped to attract people, but it did not help to keep them for long.

“For about three years, we constantly blamed the younger generation. They gave up after working for a year or two, and they told us that agency work was hard,” Cho recalls.

It came to a point where they realised nothing good came out of putting the blame on generational differences, so they tried to fix the perennial problem by changing and improving the company and working towards becoming an employer of choice for younger people.

So they went through a period of honest deliberation, strategising and having conversations to change the way they dealt with manpower issues.

Getting to the bottom of it Cho got feedback from her former employees on what could be done better.

She started to do a lot more reading and learning from resources on people management and hiring. She spoke to 72 ISSUE 15.9

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One of the oldest local PR agencies once had trouble retaining its employees. But those days are long gone, thanks to its graduate programme. Asia PR Werkz shares how it has grown over the years Muneerah Bee

muneerah.b@hrmasia.com.sg

Staff at Asia PR Werkz celebrating Lunar New Year friends in Multinational Corporations (MNCs) to understand their HR policies.

“As a SME, I have to learn it myself. I don’t have the luxury of employing an HR director, as the agency is too small for that,” she says.

Cho then proposed a solution to the thorny issues the agency had been facing.

In 2011, the company introduced the Asia PR Werkz Graduate Recruitment

Programme, a six-month programme, available to fresh graduates or those who want to make a switch into the PR profession. Under the structured programme, candidates sign a fulltime contract which comes with a six month probation. In the fourth month, an assessment between both parties is made.

A candidate who proves to be a good fit

SME SPOTLIGHT and who strongly indicates the desire to stay on are offered a confirmation from the fifth month onwards. If the candidate feels otherwise, they are still encouraged to complete the programme. Cho shares how this has addressed some of the agency’s challenges.

Problem: Some employees realise PR is not suitable for them but they refrain from quitting because they do not want to be labelled as a ‘job hopper’. Instead, they hang on and trudge through the job for a year or so before then leaving. “We realise when we employ fresh grads and give them one or two months’ probation, that period is actually too short. It is usually in their third or fourth month that they start learning what PR is really like,” Cho says.

Solution: By packaging the Asia PR Werkz Graduate Recruitment Programme as a six-month programme, candidates are given a better gauge of the work they are getting themselves into and for those who feel they are not a good fit for the job, they can leave without worrying about future repercussions. “It gives the graduate a good exit path and they are comfortable to leave without worrying about jumping ship. They can tell their future employer they were a part of a sixmonth programme, and decided it was not the best career path for them,” Cho explains. Furthermore, the programme is only open when there is a vacancy, so the candidate can be assured of a job after completing it.

Problem: Some fresh graduates only learn about PR as a module or component of a broader communications degree.

They are often not aware of what PR truly entails. Some candidates may not have studied PR specifically.

Solution: “We have five classes that the candidates must go through during the programme. Each director from the company hosts these classes themselves for one and a half hours. Candidates learn how to write a press release, what is needed in a press event, how to pitch stories to the media, and so on,” Cho explains.

The directors also get to know all the candidates, not only the ones under their charge, and vice versa. Candidates also get to learn more, and not just from the boss who is leading the team they are in.

A stake in the company A key policy at Asia PR Werkz is that all directors must also be shareholders of the company. This gives employees a bigger incentive to stay with the agency for the long haul.

“When they join the Asia PR Werkz Graduate Recruitment Programme, I go through the history of the agency during my class, and I also talk to them about progression and show how there is a possibility of becoming a director and a shareholder of the company in the future,” Cho Pei Lin, Managing Director, Asia PR Werkz, says.

She reckons it will take anything from eight to twelve years for a fresh graduate employee to rise to the director level in the company.

Additionally, those who decide not to stay after the programme walk away with new skills and knowledge from the classes.

Programmed for progression Existing staff also benefit from the Asia PR Werkz Graduate Recruitment Programme even if they have never participated in it. “We have a policy now that everyone who joins Asia PR Werkz as an employee must join us through the programme. So if there is a vacancy for a managerial role, we can promote our current staff as well,” Cho shares.

Since its inception in 2011, the retention rate for the Asia PR Cooking class as part of Werkz Graduate employee engagement activities Recruitment Programme is are also available at Asia close to 70%. In PR Werkz. Once a year, fact, the first each employee attends candidate from corporate courses which the programme are not related to PR, but is still with that will help them at Making popiah with the elderly in a nursing home the company. work, with topics such as Additionally, the agency also overcame time management, productivity and selfother challenges in terms of retaining its motivation. “This happens a lot in MNCs experienced staff. but most employees in SMEs don’t get to Problem: This generation of workers has study these courses. We decided if MNCs a strong desire to learn, and will become can do it, why can’t we?” Cho says. bored and leave the job if they feel there Asia PR Werkz now has 26 full-time is no growth or stimulation. staff. The agency turns 20 next year Solution: Employees are allowed to shift and the local SME hopes to cultivate a to another team if there is a vacancy. As workplace where employees can grow each director handles different types of with the company. “We give our staff clients, employees can gain new learning the opportunity to see this as a lifelong and work experiences if they are given career option and to see the agency as a chance to work in a different team. their lifelong employer,” Cho says.

In July this year, one employee moved It seems Asia PR Werkz has proved that from a PR team to the social media team, strawberry fields do not last forever, if having handled PR for two years. employers are willing to work through Other formal learning opportunities their manpower challenges.

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HR YOUNG GUNS

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

What attracted you to HR? Why are you studying it?

HR is the most important asset of any skills-based corporation. HR plays a vital role in augmenting the human capital of a company, which is especially vital in the modern, globalised and competitive scenario facing Singapore-based corporations. The potential to create high value for my organisation if I work in the HR space has attracted me to take this up as a specialisation. Interactions between HR and other fields such as business, sociology and psychology have always intrigued me. I first started thinking of these interconnections when I was exposed to Angela Duckworth’s research on traits that predict achievement – what would be the implications of her findings on the ways recruitment and selection are being carried out? Another topic which I find interesting is the impact of architectural elements on organisational identity and employee behaviour.

What aspect of HR do you hope to specialise in upon graduation?

Initially, I would like to be exposed to each of the components of the entire employee lifecycle in an organisation. This will provide a holistic representation of the interactions defining an employee’s experience in the organisation. The aspects that interest me include recognition and grooming of leadership, and a deep understanding of the factors (such as physical space), which influence and govern employee productivity and engagement.

The top three things you want from your HR career?

I aspire towards a HR career that provides space for my leadership in selection, retaining and mentoring top talents in an

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organisation. The organisational culture should be nurturing, and should provide work of strategic importance. I would also value opportunities for personal growth relating to my long term interests in consulting and entrepreneurship.

What challenges do you anticipate?

Recruitment and selection systems continue to place unduly high importance on academic achievement as indicators of an individual’s potential. While most selection systems include a list of formally-recognised extracurricular activities, they don’t account for the effort exerted on each activity or the “out of job description” activities that an individual engages in to make an organisation work. Hence, a key challenge is to evaluate and value these factors, which contribute significantly to a holistic understanding of a person’s dedication and contribution to the company.

Your HR career five years from now?

HR Consulting is a career path that I’m attracted to because of the deployment of a broad range of HR competencies. It is also strategic in nature and allows me to utilise my knowledge of future business trends to make strategic hires which are aligned with new opportunities and challenges. Consulting also introduces a style of thinking that emphasises on systematic identification, evaluation and the prioritisation of key issues prior to generating a suite of feasible solutions.

This disciplined and creative thought process is one that is applicable across jobs and functions and one that I want to cultivate in the next five years.

Hobbies and inspiration?

I derive my inspiration from key ideas, old and new, role models,and through

Lavanya Raju Ramanujan Final Year Accountancy student, Second Specialisation in HR Consulting, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University

intense interaction with people from various walks of life. For example, TED (a non-profit organisation devoted to spreading ideas) has been a source of new opinions – it has broadened my thinking to a range of new possibilities.

In the sphere of business and HR, as an active leader in a pro-bono consulting organisation, I am exposed to real life business challenges and issues.

Often, these are related to people, personalities and perceptions. Being attuned to people’s thoughts, opinions and aspirations and employing these attributes to solve pressing issues in organisations is inspirational.

Physical work space structure and organisational behaviour Lavanya Raju Ramanujan

M

ost corporations can benefit from a deeper appreciation of the influence of physical office space structures on culture-building, perceptions of organisational structure, organisational productivity, and employee behaviour. From a semiotic standpoint, physical structures also send strong messages to a company’s internal and external stakeholders regarding the branding of the company. Why are such physical structures important to an organisation from an HR standpoint?

Picture these physical spaces.

Space 1: You are walking on clean carpeted flooring. In front of you, you see rooms with a glass front.

Each room has wide, round, white wooden tables surrounded by chairs.

Whiteboards adorn the sides of the rooms; whiteboard markers have been conveniently placed near the whiteboard. The rooms also have a projector and screen.

Space 2: You walk on dirty cement flooring. In front of you, you see a row of long metal tables spanning across the entire room. Each table has been divided into segments, and each segment has around 50 workstations. Each workstation handles a different part of the final product. At the end of the table is the complete, packaged product.

Where do you think each of these spaces can be found?

The first situation is more likely to describe an office discussionroom environment, with round tables to facilitate discussions.

You were probably imagining an agile, collaborative and corporate organisational culture – perhaps you

were thinking of Ideo or Google. The Google head office at Palo Alto has the physical feel of a university campus, with open plan offices, pool tables, meditation rooms and bookshelves filled with novels.

All these physical structures are fully compatible, encouraging both work and non-work interactions between colleagues, and thus, building an open and collaborative culture.

The second situation seems like a scene out of a factory environment.

You might have been thinking about FoxConn or a similar company where line workers come together mechanically to form a final product.

You might even have been thinking about a fast-paced, monotonous and gruelling organisational culture.

Both these situations involved teamwork to accomplish task success, and both only described the physical environment. Yet, the implications on organisational culture are vastly different.

This is the power of physical structures – they reflect existing views of the organisational structure and values in an organisation; they also shape future perspectives and behaviours of employees.

Role of HR in Work Space Structures In HR, physical structures are, among other things, useful in providing ambience, contact opportunities, and collaborative output through minimising “silo thinking”.

It is well-recognised that the most novel, fresh ideas come at the interface of domain knowledge structures. In the typical office physical structure, each department and function is given

its own space, separated from other departments and functions. There is no cross-fertilisation of strengths, interests and knowledge. HR needs to re-imagine a layout which nurtures cross-expertise interactions.

Work space can be a concrete manifestation of an organisation’s reward structures, with the best offices going to the most valuable employees.

Let us consider the traditional office culture, where valuable employees “move up” figuratively and literally. Over a period of time, these managers become physically isolated from other employees.

The TV series Undercover Boss reflects this truth; each week, the CEO of a company pretends to be a new employee and works in the company at a junior level. This gives him the true picture of the way the company is functioning.

At the end of several episodes, the CEO confesses that he has been too far away from the ground realities because his office is in a physically different location from the workplaces that he manages.

HR can play a vital role in creating a holistic office space that recognises the CEO’s importance and at the same time, opens the avenues for honest interactions with other employees.

Summary In summary, physical spaces play a vital role in organisational behaviour; an organisation’s HR should use the important signalling function of these physical spaces to reflect and shape the organisation’s identity and behaviour to maximise corporate performance and employee satisfaction.

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IN PERSON ANAND WONG Senior Manager HR, Sigma-Aldrich Southeast Asia

BOOK REVIEW

Achieving high performance at work I

How many years HR experience?

I’ve been both a specialist and a generalist HR practitioner with more than 15 years of experience spanning across different industries, including retail, information technology, and finance.

Why HR?

I landed my first job in HR and have since developed a strong passion in this area. It is both satisfying and fulfilling because we operate in the people business where we are posed with many different challenges. With this in mind, I am constantly pushing myself to go beyond the boundaries to perform at my best in every situation.

Why Sigma-Aldrich?

When the Business Leader for the Asia-Pacific region contacted me, I saw a rewarding opportunity to put my HR skills to good use, knowing what challenges are ahead of me. Now that the company is being acquired by Merck KGaA, the future of the combined company will be a great value proposition.

Biggest achievement?

Putting together a new organisation design and leadership team at the shortest amount of time with minimal disruption to the business.

After hours?

I must confess shamelessly that I am a workaholic.

I spend most of the time taking conference calls and working late. However, I will not turn down any offers when there is a chance to catch up with my colleagues or friends after work over dinner and drinks.

Family?

My family is based out of Malaysia but with such great transportation infrastructure today, it makes it easy for me to travel back and forth to visit my family members. After all, it is just an hour’s flight away to cross the border to Malaysia.

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s your current method of measuring performance truly effective?

Are you looking for new ways to handle your employee’s direct management?

If you are, then Armstrong’s Handbook of Performance Management may just be the ideal book that will help you to deliver high performance at work.

Based on various surveys, studies and feedback from international organisations, author Michael Armstrong explains how performance management works and addresses the issues that determine and influence its effectiveness.

Aimed to improve individual, team and organisational performances, this fifth edition lays out a detailed outline of theory of management systems.

Ranging from evaluating approaches to developing skills and capabilities of human capital, this allows readers to know what to expect during the various stages involved with achieving their desired outcome.

The five main chapters offer an in-depth coverage of crucial development areas including critiques of performance management, coaching, new performance management models, and a useful performance management toolkit.

To make it easier for readers to grasp, key points are clearly highlighted in charts, bullet points and tables.

In addition, examples of performance management forms and evaluation kits are provided to further support readers in their bid to improve workplace practices.

Written in a clear and concise manner with practical implications, the book is a suitable read for those looking for a definitive guide to understanding, developing and maintaining high performance for individual and collective growth.

Title: Armstrong’s Handbook of Performance Management Author: Michael Armstrong Publisher: KoganPage Price: $87.50 (Before GST)

SEVEN

7.00 AM I start each day with some cardio exercises. Getting dressed in the morning is fun especially when working at ZALORA as you can try different looks and still be comfortable.

However, this just leaves me with time to grab a quick bite for breakfast before I leave.

Aditi Singh HR Manager, Talent Management, Zalora Group

This is where I catch up with colleagues across regions to monitor our progress to ensure we’re on track.

This is also where we troubleshoot and find solutions to move forward.

1.00 PM

The first few hours at the office are usually spent catching up on the emails and reviewing status reports of current tasks.

I spend time with my colleagues and catch up on each other’s lives (maybe a bit of office gossip!) in the pantry or at the cozy corners in our office.

It’s also a good time to check out what’s new on our website to buy especially with our staff discount!

11.00 AM

3.00 PM

I work on multiple simultaneous projects with different deadlines and resource requirements.

The afternoon is mostly booked with meetings with vendors and stakeholders. It’s also the time to work on presentations

9.00 AM

or analysis I need for a meeting the next day.

5.00 PM I start wrapping up for the day by answering last few unread emails or catching up with stakeholders before they leave.

Except if it’s the last Friday of the month – this is when we have our office party!

7.00 PM On my way back home, time is spent on MRT to catch up on my readings either with a good book or the latest HR articles that have the industry buzzing.

Overall, it’s fun coming to work every day and I enjoy working as an HR practitioner at ZALORA where the working environment is very vibrant and dynamic.

60% CASH BACK The Productivity Innovation Credit (PIC) Scheme

M a n a g i n g E M p l oy E E D i s p u t E s & t E r M i n a t i o n

CHINA & VIETNAM

Protecting your business from disputes related to termination and litigation

27 - 28 October 2015 | Singapore

Multinational companies operating in China & Vietnam are facing increasing challenges not only to protect employees’ well-being, but also to maintain an effective workforce in light of the regulatory restrictions. Termination of employment is one of the most difficult issues that multinational companies face in their operations.

To help avoid costly labour disputes, multinational companies need to understand the framework and issues behind employment termination, taking preventative measures from the start of the employment relationship and learn to navigate the grey areas of the complex legal frameworks in China and Vietnam.

Our Managing Employee Disputes & Termination for China and Vietnam Masterclass in Singapore will be divided into two parts to look specifically into the employment law of China and Vietnam. This seminar, facilitated by international law firm Bakers & Mckenzie, will clarify the legislative framework and new legal developments in China and Vietnam. Led by lawyers with experience practising in each jurisdiction, they will provide up to date, high quality insights into managing disputes and termination for employees with an emphasis on its practical implications. Throughout the program, you will be involved in the case studies discussion, drawn from actual legal cases to maximize your key learning take-aways from the masterclass and also to help you strategize with clear action plan forward for resolving current and future challenges.

Contact Me to Register: Azrielle Looi Huiyi | Tel: (65) 6423 4631 | Email: azrielle.looi@hrmasia.com.sg ISSUE 15.9

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Senior HR Manager, Asia Pacific

Training & Development Director

› Global IT & Telecommunication MNC › Newly created and hands-on role

› Global player in the Oil & Gas industry › Challenging and strategic-focussed role

› Food & Beverages industry › Stand-up training delivery required

With extensive global footprint and due to organisational growth, our client seeks a dynamic HR professional to join them in the Asia Pacific HR team.

With strong footprint in the region, our client seeks a dynamic and seasoned HR professional to join them in a leadership role immediately.

As an integral part of their regional expansion plan, our client is seeking a Training & Development Director to head the Training and Development function for the company and its franchisees.

Reporting to Head of HR, you will align HR plans with business strategies and provide high level professional and operational HR advice to business leaders for the assigned region. You will work with Centre of Excellence to develop, implement and evaluate the impact of HR programs, policies and strategies required to support the current and future growth needs for the business.

You will align HR plans with business strategies and provide high level operational HR advice to business leaders. You will design, develop, implement and evaluate the impact of HR programs, policies and strategies required to support the current and future growth needs for the business. You will provide HR function with vision, direction and leadership with key accountabilities include organisational development, recruitment, employee engagement and retention, labour relations and compensation & benefits.

You will be responsible for developing and implementing the training concept and programs, in consultation with the line managers. Conduct learning needs analysis to identify the training needs of all employees including franchisees. You will also lead the performance management and employee development processes by formulating initiatives to build and sustain a performance-driven culture, and participate in rolling out employee engagement activities.

Degree qualified, you have minimum of 8 years of relevant experience ideally in oil & gas industry. You have regional HR experience and proven success in driving and executing change management activities in a complex matrix reporting environment.

Armed with excellent communication and strong influencing skills, you are highly hands-on and self-motivated, and have demonstrated HR partnering successes with cross-cultural business leaders and team management experience.

Degree qualified with professional certifications in training, you have minimum 5 years of relevant work experience including 2 years dealing with franchisees. Hands-on, energetic with excellent communication and presentation skills, you will be able to work independently in a vibrant and lean environment.

Extensive travelling in Asia Pacific region may be required.

Reference number: MH/JD51476A Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

Reference number: AJ/JD51471 Contact person: Amruta Joshi (Registration Number R1328823)

Degree qualified, you have minimum of 8 years of relevant experience ideally in MNCs. Ideally, you have regional corporate HR experience and proven success in driving and executing change management activities in a complex matrix reporting environment. Armed with excellent communication and strong influencing skills, you have demonstrated HR partnering experience with cross-cultural business leaders. You are highly hands-on, self-motivated, and flexible in operating independently and in a team environment.

Reference number: MH/JD51759 Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

Your Human Resources recruitment specialists To apply, please go to talent2.com and search for respective reference number.

For a confidential discussion, you can contact the relevant consultant for the specific position in our Singapore Office on +65 6511 8555.  linkedin.com/company/talent2

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

1143/05_15

HR Business Partner, Asia Pacific

MICHAEL PAGE

Regional Talent Management Director

HR Associate Director

Senior HR Manager, Southeast Asia

› Strategic and decision-making role › Excellent career prospects

› Growing business › Rewarding package

› Newly created role › Direct HR impact on the business

Our client is a global renowned-known pharmaceutical brand headquartered in the London. In this newly created role, you will be reporting to the Global Head of Talent Management and Organisation Development and be responsible for talent management and OD programs within the company. You will also play a vital role in developing a strong learning and leadership development strategy. We are looking for an experienced Talent Management and OD professional, preferably from a pharmaceutical, healthcare or life science business. You must be adept at handling multiple stakeholders and global complexities, and have deep Asia experience.

Our client is a reputable private equity firm looking to recruit a robust leader to partner them in their expansion plans. Reporting to the Regional HR Director, you will be responsible for the development and implementation of HR strategy and planning to meet business needs. You will provide recommendations and support for the development of new HR initiatives. With at least 12 years of HR experience in a multinational, you have demonstrated a track record of strong leadership and the ability to influence and drive change. You can look forward to a culture of innovation, and an environment where your ideas on how to improve their business will be heard.

Leader in the financial services industry, our client has established itself as a strong global brand. They are currently looking for a Senior HR Manager to drive HR initiatives and business excellence in South East Asia. Working closely with the regional offices and senior management teams to implement global HR policies & processes, you will also partner with the business to implement global initiatives as well as customise the local HR policies. You should be a HR professional with financial services background and possess excellent communication skills. This is a unique opportunity to shape HR structures regionally working with senior management.

Please contact Sean Tong (Reg. R1110029) quoting ref: H2896300 or visit our website.

Please contact Domi Di Marco (R1439720) quoting jobref H2585450 or visit our website.

Please contact Domi Di Marco on (Reg. R1439720) quoting ref: H2866470 or visit our website.

To apply for any of the above positions, please go to www.michaelpage.com.sg and search for the reference number, or contact the relevant consultant on +65 6533 2777 for a confidential discussion.

Get Connected. Stay Ahead.

Specialists in human resources recruitment

Human Resources

#15564 | Michael Page International Pte Ltd (EA Licence No.98C5473) is part of the PageGroup.

Registered Office: One Raffles Place, #09-61 Office Tower Two, Singapore 048616

WORLDWIDE LEADERS IN SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT

www.michaelpage.com.sg

EMPOWERING YOUR CAREER Regional HR Manager, APAC – e-Technology

Compensation and Benefits Supervisor

Dynamic and growing business Reputable e-tech brand Regional travel

Team Lead role Stable environment Renowned set up

Our client, a well-known e-technology brand, is seeking a Regional HR Manager, APAC.

Our client, a leading MNC in the food and beverage industry is currently in search of a Compensation and Benefits Supervisor due to business needs.

In this role, you will lead a team of HR professionals based across a number of offices in the APAC region. Working in partnership with the management team, you will play a key role in developing a culture of innovation to grow the business and attract top-level talent in a competitive marketplace.

Reporting to the Human Resource Manager, you will be responsible for stabilising the payroll process and implementing biometrics and Time Management System, E-Leave and E-payslip. You will be overseeing and training a team of 3 Administrative Executives.

Candidates should have a minimum of 10 years’ experience of working in, and leading HR teams, ideally within an IT solutions environment. You should also have proven experience of streamlining HR processes and synergising policies, particularly compensation and benefits across the APAC region.

The successful applicant will be required to do regular travel within the APAC region.

If you meet the above criteria, please email your detailed CV in WORD format to jon_williams@kellyservices.com.sg. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

To be successful, you should possess 8 years’ compensation and benefits experience gained in a similar industry with prior/current experience handling rank and file payroll. Experience implementing Time Management System is a must.

If you meet the above criteria, please email your detailed CV in WORD format to maggie_ong@kellyservices.com.sg. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Maggie Ong Ai Leng EA Personnel Registration No. R1105973

Robert Jonothan Williams EA Personnel Registration No. R1439599

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions globally. For more than 35 years, Kelly in Singapore has been partnering the finest

local companies, key government agencies as well as some of the world’s most respected multinational companies to deliver the best talent in the market. Kelly’s centralised recruitment hub makes nearly 21,000 placements in Singapore last year. Complementing our general staffing capability, Kelly also offers great expertise in the sourcing of specialised professionals across technical disciplines such as Engineering, Technology and Science, as well as functional specialties for Finance, HR, Sales & Marketing, Procurement and Banking.

kellyservices.com.sg

Kelly Services (Singapore) Pte Ltd | EA License No. 01C4394 | RCB No. 200007268E

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Headquartered in Singapore since 2003, Kerry Consulting is Singapore’s leading Search & Selection firm.

Our consulting team is the most experienced, and amongst the largest, in the ASEAN region.

We offer positions in the following sectors: Banking & Financial Services Commerce Finance Energy & Commodities Engineering & Supply Chain Healthcare & Life Sciences Human Resources Legal Sales & Marketing Technology

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www.kerryconsulting.com | Returning the Human to Resourcing

Senior Compensation Consultant – Rewards Specialist, Asia Pacific (Leading Hi-Tech Company) Manufacturing Industry

Knowledge Management Specialist, Manufacturing

High Profile Role Rapid Growth Competitive Remuneration

US-based Manufacturing MNC Established and Stable Environment Excellent Mentorship and Growth

Global Manufacturing Organisation Excellent Development Opportunities High Knowledge Capital Industry

This is a market-leading organisation in the technology industry. Due to exciting expansion plans in the region, it is now seeking a high-calibre compensation professional for its Global Compensation team. You will be instrumental in leading the regional implementation and communication of global compensation programmes as well as the development and administration of local programmes in the Asia Pacific region. You will possess at least 8 years of HR experience with a demonstrated track record in compensation and benefits and demonstrable experience in MNC environments, preferably in high-tech, manufacturing, retail and/or consulting industries. In addition, you should be commercially inclined and possess excellent influencing and communication skills. International travel makes up approximately 30% of the requirements of this role.

This is a US-based manufacturing organisation with a strong global presence. It is now seeking a rewards specialist to assist in managing the compensation and benefits needs of the business for its manufacturing operations in Singapore. Reporting to the Rewards Manager, you will be involved in the full spectrum of C&B. You will have at least 3 years of compensation and benefits specialist experience, along with very strong mathematical and analytical skills.

In addition, you should be a detail-oriented and meticulous individual who possesses experience in data gathering, mining, and analysis – M&A experience will be an advantage.

This is a globally leading manufacturer of consumer products that is headquartered in the US. It is now seeking a knowledge management specialist to enhance its operations and processes from a knowledge and data perspective. Reporting to the Manager, you will be responsible for knowledge management-related activities in the organisation.

You will have at least 3 years of knowledge-related experience, preferably in a knowledge-intensive organisation, including experience in knowledge management implementation and building a learning organisation. You should be comfortable in both corporate and manufacturing environments and possess the ability to be an effective communicator.

To apply, please submit your resume to Finian at ft@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

To apply, please submit your resume to Junchen at jc@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

To apply, please submit your resume to Junchen at jc@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Reg No: R1328933

Reg No: R1328933

Human Resource Officer, Private Banking

Human Resource (HR) Generalist, FMCG

HR Manager – Prominent Luxury Retail Organisation

European Private Bank Dynamic Environment Good Career Progression

Fortune 500 Organisation Strong Asia-funnelled Growth Excellent Career Progression

Prominent Luxury Retail Organisation Newly Created Role Excellent Career Platform

This is a European-headquartered private bank with a global network and one of the largest portfolios in the world. It is now seeking a HR Officer to assist with the HR needs of the organisation. As a HR Officer, you will report directly to the Head of HR and be responsible for HR administration activities within the Bank. You will have at least 3 years of banking experience and exposure to payroll. In addition, you should be familiar with regulatory and MAS compliance requirements as well as local employment regulations, including tax policies.

This is a US-based Fortune 500 organisation in the FMCG industry. With a strong company performance that is driven by rapid growth in the Asian markets, it is currently in an expansion mode and is now seeking a HR Generalist to support the human resource function. Reporting to the HR Manager, you will cover the full spectrum of HR responsibilities.

You will have at least 4 years of HR experience, preferably in an MNC environment. You should be a dynamic self-starter as well as a passionate and effective communicator who is comfortable with operating in matrix environments.

This is a prominent luxury retail organisation that serves as a hub for the regional business in Asia Pacific. It is now seeking a dynamic and seasoned HR Generalist (Managerial Level) to support its growing business in the region.

Reporting to the Regional Head of HR, you will work closely with senior business leaders in aligning business and people strategies through appropriate advice and intervention.

In addition, you will influence and coordinate the development of a performance culture through the effective implementation of integrated people management strategies and plans, including talent acquisition as well as performance, rewards, and talent management.

Reg No: R1104310

To apply, please submit your resume to Junchen at jc@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

To apply, please submit your resume to Junchen at jc@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Reg No: R1328933 Reg No: R1328933

To apply, please submit your resume to Finian at ft@kerryconsulting.com, quoting the job title.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Reg No: R1104310 Licence No: 03C4828

ISSUE 15.9

HRMASIA.COM 81

HUMAN RESOURCES EXPERTS TRANSFORM YOUR CAREER HR Shared Services Lead (APAC) Create a new regional operation

Senior HR Business Partner (Consumer Manufacturing) Scale the business to new heights

This FMCG multinational is in the top three in its industry and has a newly created role for a Regional HR Business Services Lead to set up the shared services team in Singapore. You’ll lead a team across Asia which will be responsible for all HR queries and issues from employees at all levels ensuring consistency and harmonisation of HR processes, procedures and compliance. Supporting the HR functions, the team will focus on all operational areas of HR from recruitment and onboarding through to employee benefits, training and systems administration.

Contact Ash Russell (Reg ID: R1109296) on the details below.

A global brand at the forefront of the consumer manufacturing sector is looking for a Senior HR Business Partner to work closely with the business and translate strategic objectives into HR programs. You’ll have business partnering responsibility for the entire manufacturing operations in Singapore. You must have at least 10 years of HR experience, preferably in a large MNC in a consumer manufacturing environment. You’ll have strong stakeholder management skills and a track record of influencing at a senior level.

Contact Divyaanshi Malhotra (Reg ID: R1324897) on the details below.

Talent & Development Manager (APAC) Elevate talent to the next level A newly created opportunity has arisen with a reputable MNC in the FMCG industry. As a result of their continuing growth in the region, a Talent & Development Manager is required to support business needs across the region. Working as an individual contributor, you’ll help drive the company’s talent and organisation development strategies by supporting the current portfolio of talent management programs.

In collaboration with HR Business Partners, you will assess the learning needs of the organisation and redesign, customise and enhance training programs.

Contact Ash Russell (Reg ID: R1109296) on the details below.

Country HR Director (Advertising MNC) Lead & develop the workforce On the back of promising growth, an established advertising MNC is looking for a HR Director to lead HR operations. You’ll oversee the full spectrum of HR and spearhead talent management projects to meet the business’ changing needs. You’ll be a Masters/Bachelors degree graduate with 10 years of commercial HR experience, both operational and strategic, and you’ll have notable project achievements in talent management.

Contact Sean Wong (Reg ID: R1101782) on the details below.

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

hays.com.sg

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84 ISSUE 15.9

HRMASIA.COM

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