Human Resources Director Singapore 3.03 by Key Media

EM PL SPE OY CIA EE L R RE EPO TE RT NT IO N

HRDMAG.COM.SG ISSUE 3.03

BEST OF THE BEST Asia’s most desirable employers

TIME FOR A CHANGE 21st century succession management

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CITIZEN OF THE WORLD Travelport’s CHRO talks bespoke HR

WISE INVESTMENTS The ROI of leadership development

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ISSUE 3.03

CONNECT WITH US

CONTENTS

Got a story, suggestion or just want to find out some more information? @HRD_Asia facebook.com/HumanResourcesDirectorAsia

UPFRONT 02 Editorial

40 FEATURES

18 FEATURES

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2017

HRD’s second annual Employer of Choice Awards highlight the HR practices put in place by the finest employers in Asia

EMPLOYEE RETENTION SPECIAL REPORT

From recognition to tips on talent management and culture, find out how to ensure your brightest stars stay with you

Rose Thomson of Travelport has made M&As and structural transformations a key focus. She shares her story with HRD

HR data is increasingly being utilised, but perhaps not in the most effective ways

06 News analysis

HR issues in an era of global geopolitical and social uncertainty

08 Upfront: Employment law

Tougher workplace safety rules are on the horizon. Here’s what you need to know Younger workers are not being treated equally when it comes to L&D

12 Head to head

46 FEATURES

CITIZEN OF THE WORLD

04 Statistics

10 Upfront: L&D update

ALL FOR ONE PEOPLE

How much should a job candidate’s social media footprint matter?

Barclays is rapidly becoming the world leader in diversity and inclusion, but it’s in disability inclusion and accessibility that it’s truly leading the way

How are you supporting millennials to become leaders?

FEATURES 50 From leadership spend to leadership investment

Adam Canwell outlines how to instil discipline into the ad hoc world of leadership development

PEOPLE 56 Career path

Guided by the motto ‘If you never try, you’ll never know’, Evangeline Chau has never shied away from a challenge. She shares her career path with HRD

FEATURES

ARE YOU FUTURE READY?

A three-pronged approach will ensure the HR leaders of today have a role to play in the business world of tomorrow, writes Sunil Puri

HRDMAG.COM.SG CHECK IT OUT ONLINE www.hrdmag.com.sg

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UPFRONT

EDITORIAL

TREATING SOCIAL PRESENCE AS A CORPORATE ASSET

recently attended a conference that raised some interesting issues around the social media profiles of candidates and employees and the possible implications for employers. It seems that currently the rather one-dimensional approach to assessing – and leveraging – the social media ‘footprint’ of the ‘most suitable’ employees or candidates is limited to three things: LinkedIn, LinkedIn and LinkedIn. However, we are rapidly approaching a time when this will need to change, and talent management strategies will need to encompass at least some elements of the social footprint of candidates and employees. For example, when will talent attraction and recruitment strategies eventually start to factor in individuals’ social profiles? And if the hiring manager is presented with two identical candidates based on the traditional

When will candidates be valued and begin to ‘trade’ off their social profiles? assessment criteria used, will a candidate with a large social network who actively produces and promotes thought leadership content get the nod over the other? If that does happen, when will candidates be valued and begin to ‘trade’ off their social profiles? How much is that network worth to an organisation that has specific strategic objectives tied to profile-raising and business development? A related – and already debated – issue is who owns what part of an individual’s networks or IP? From there, will we eventually see scaled salaries for those who have valuable social profiles and networks? Will we start to see a divide between those who are social and those who aren’t, if those ‘social’ employees are more valuable? And will this see an overall shift in what attributes organisations seek when hiring? For those still tied to checking paper-based CVs and the criteria once deemed to be critical for success in a job role, it’s food for thought… Iain Hopkins, editor

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www.hrdmag.com.sg ISSUE 3.03 EDITORIAL

SALES & MARKETING

Editor Iain Hopkins

Marketing & Communications Manager Lisa Narroway

Journalists Hannah Go Paolo Taruc Production Editor Roslyn Meredith

ART & PRODUCTION Design Manager Daniel Williams Designer Marla Morelos Traffic Coordinator Freya Demegilio

Commercial Manager - Asia Gareth Scott

CORPORATE Chief Executive Officer Mike Shipley Chief Operating Officer George Walmsley Managing Director Justin Kennedy Chief Information Officer Colin Chan Human Resources Manager Julia Bookallil

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES iain.hopkins@keymedia.com

SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES tel: +61 2 8011 4992 • fax: +61 2 8437 4753 subscriptions@keymedia.com.au

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES gareth.scott@keymedia.com tel: +65 3158 0288

Key Media Regional head office, Level 10, 1–9 Chandos St, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia tel: +61 2 8437 4700 • fax: +61 2 9439 4599 www.keymedia.com Offices in Singapore, Sydney, Auckland, Denver, London, Toronto, Manila, Bengaluru

Human Resources Director is part of an international family of B2B publications and websites for the human resources industry HRD ASIA hrdmag.com.sg HRD AUSTRALIA hcamag.com HRD CANADA www.hrmonline.ca HRD NEW ZEALAND hrmonline.co.nz Copyright is reserved throughout. No part of this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the editor. Contributions are invited, but copies of work should be kept, as HRD Magazine can accept no responsibility for loss

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UPFRONT

STATISTICS

MUCH DATA, LOW CONFIDENCE

WHAT’S THE DATA FOR? Answers to the question ‘What type of people analytics do you produce using your talent data?’ show that the most dominant use for HR analytics is in the analysis of turnover.

Data-driven insights are the ideal, but right now there’s a significant gap between promise and reality CONFIDENCE IN people analytics remains low and the teams carrying it out are overwhelmingly “green, lean, and unloved”: these were among the findings of the Still Under Construction: The State of HR Analytics 2016 report from New Talent Management Network. Of the companies that reported having staff dedicated to people analytics, more than three-quarters (77%) had been operating for less than three years; indeed, one in four

34%

increase in people analytics teams from 2015 to 2016

85%

of organisations are already performing people analytics

TOP TIPS Engaging with people analytics should begin with the question ‘Why?’ Why use this function, what are your goals, what information do you expect to be able to deliver? Here are some tips for starting the process: Determine whether data informs your decisions or drives them; it decides much of the process. Determine what insights you are aiming to gain: have target questions to explore. Have a recipient for these insights in mind; it will help prioritise and gauge the value of your work. Have a plan for utilising the data; it comes at a cost and must deliver value. Given the highly technical nature of the work, consider contracting a specialist rather than opting for the internal HR team to deliver outcomes.

had been in place for a year or less. In addition to being green, these efforts were for the most part lean: almost nine in 10 reported the number of staff dedicated to people analytics to be four or less. Three out of 10 teams comprised a single full-time employee. And in answer to a question as to what effect the capability of the HR analytics team had on the success of the people analytics project, four respondents in 10 said that it acted to hinder.

69%

of organisations plan to start performing people analytics in the next year

95%

of companies are projected to conduct some level of people analytics in 2017

WHERE WE’RE AT Most organisations are performing only basic people analytics; the only rapid development in the space has to do with incorporating the HR analytics function into other areas, rather than getting deeper insights from the existing data. Most orgranisations run relatively unsophisticated analytics

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Stage 1 Preparation You are actively preparing to begin talent analytics activities within the next 12 months

Stage 2 Fundamental analytics You can identify and report on basic workforce statistics, including turnover, time to hire, engagement levels by manager, etc.

Stage 3 Advanced analytics You can identify and report on data trends, correlations and, selectively, cause and effect relationships. These findings inform your people management practices.

Stage 4 Decision management You manually analyse broad-based talent data and identify specific actions that managers or employees should take.

Stage 5 Automated decision management Your system automatically analyses broad-based talent data and generates specific guidance to managers about talent-related actions they should take.

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84%

Turnover analytics – basic (ie desired and undesired turnover)

75%

Talent acquisition analytics – basic (ie time to fill, cost per hire)

43%

Identify development needs of groups

35%

Workforce planning (not including leadership succession)

31%

Estimates of individual potential to advance (ie likelihood of promotion or upward movement)

28%

Turnover analytics – advanced (ie identifying key turnover drivers for select groups)

How confident are you in the following elements of your people analytics approach?*

26%

Identification of factors correlated with high-performing employees

22%

Ability to predict future gaps/challenges

Talent acquisition analytics – advanced (ie source of hire vs performance and potential)

23%

22%

Ability to share unique insights about the performance-driving factors in your organisation

Workforce productivity statistics

23%

26%

Ability to identify high-potential leaders * % saying very or extremely confident

USEABLE? WHY NOT?

BACKSTABBING DATA

By far the most frequently given reason in response to the question ‘Why is your organisation’s data not structured and available for analysis?’ is that the data is dispersed; secondary to that is the quality of the data itself being low.

Organisations attempting to advance their people analytics often find that the data itself acts to sabotage these efforts, as shown by the answer to the question: Is your organisation’s data structured and available in a way that supports people analytics?

70% 60%

77%

50%

58%

40%

Yes

30%

25%

20% 10%

23%

0% Data is dispersed across multiple incompatible HR systems

Data is not reliable/ trustworthy – inaccurate or incomplete

Different metrics/ measures used for the same item

Lack of raw data available for manipulation

30% No

70% All data sourced from: Still Under Construction: The State of HR Analytics 2016, New Talent Management Network

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UPFRONT

NEWS ANALYSIS

HR IN A GLOBAL WORLD Workplace legislation is struggling to keep pace with changes occurring at a wider political and social level. HRD outlines some hot topics FEW PERIODS of recent history have been more tumultuous for global geopolitics than the last 12 months. The June 2016 Brexit vote, the November 2016 US presidential election, and political developments thereafter within the EU and elsewhere have revealed a groundswell of support for populist and inward-looking nationalist policies. Not surprisingly, many businesses have been caught in the crosshairs. “A quite significant amount of uncertainty” is how Joydeep Hor, founder and managing principal of People + Culture Strategies, describes the prevailing mood in business circles over this period.

interesting to see what happens there.” Hor says employers based in countries that have taken more of a protectionist stance in trade should perhaps brace for more restrictive employment laws and regulations – although he quickly adds that there was “no consensus opinion” reached at the forum as to whether this would occur. “A lot of things have been tabled for now, but the reality of what the position will end up being remains very uncertain,” Hor says. “This goes to things like the migration piece as well, which is hugely relevant in the context of this populist rise that’s happening worldwide.”

“Employers need to be vigilant in terms of what kind of behaviours and conduct – whether it’s social media or otherwise – will be tolerated” Joydeep Hor Fresh from attending an international forum on employment law in Dublin, Hor says there is very much a wait-and-see approach being taken to what happens next with Brexit. “In the employment law context one very relevant issue is the huge amount of uncertainty in terms of what the next Brexit piece is going to look like, and what that will translate to in terms of regulation of employment laws,” Hor says. “Some suggest the existing EU laws have been overly restrictive; others don’t want these laws to change too much. It will be

What also emerged quite strongly at the forum was how these worldwide events are actually translating into discourse in organisations – that is, people sharing passionate political views in the workplace – and, more importantly, the question of employers’ scope to regulate that conduct. “This came up not just in the context of social media but also behavioural regulation in workplaces,” Hor explains. “There was a lot of strong counsel to employers that they do need to be vigilant in terms of what kind of

behaviours and conduct – whether it’s via social media or otherwise – will be tolerated.” Hor adds that in some jurisdictions the concept of constitutional freedom of speech is extremely well protected; in others personal viewpoints are less likely to be shared. “Where you have 35 different countries represented, as there was at this conference, there is quite a wide spectrum of what is acceptable workplace behaviour – but regardless of which country you are operating your business in, you must be clear about what you will or won’t tolerate.” Research from software firm BetterWorks, in conjunction with Wakefield Research, provides insights into how disruptive political debates can be in the workplace. As reported earlier this year, 87% of 500 working American adults surveyed were reading political social media posts during the workday. This equates to two hours lost during the day. Seventy-three per cent said they often talked to their colleagues about politics and 49% said they witnessed conversations turn into full-blown arguments – and that number rose to 63% when it involved millennials. “Workers aren’t just reading and talking about politics. They’re actually feeling distracted

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STAYING THE COURSE Kris Duggan, CEO of BetterWorks, suggests five ways managers can keep productivity high despite the distraction of big changes outside the office. Don’t micromanage – Don’t cut employees out of social media, and allow them the freedom to have the information they need. Focus on goals – Don’t deviate from goals you have already set with the employees. “Goals add focus amidst the distraction and help employees get their work done,” Duggan says. Encourage work-life integration – Be cognizant of the fact that true integration means they will bring their personal life into the office, including their political beliefs. Try to find a way to manage their workload until things normalise so they are not too overwhelmed. Hold your tongue – You have political beliefs of your own, and if you’re tempted to argue with an employee who doesn’t share your view, change the subject before you ruin the manager-employee relationship. Unite over work – In the face of a major distraction, it is your job to find a way to help employees stay productive. “When employees have the means to stay focused on work, it can actually feel like a respite,” Duggan says.

“It’s time for organisational leaders to shift their focus to empowering managers to deal with distraction” Kris Duggan from their work, and dedicate much of their time (both at work and at home) to thinking about and processing the current political situation,” says Kris Duggan, CEO of BetterWorks. “The onslaught of news articles and social media posts isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s time for organisational leaders to shift their focus to empowering managers to deal with distraction.” Hor suggests employers review not just their social media policies but also their dispute resolution procedures. These guidelines may also be utilised as a means of dealing with complaints by employees about management decisions in the wake of political developments. Moving away from global politics, another hot topic of debate at the forum was intellectual property in the digital age. Hor says jurisdictions such as Canada, the UK, the US and Australia

share a lot of commonality in terms of the idea that work created in the course of employment does typically belong to an employer. In other jurisdictions it’s actually the reverse presumption – where it’s the employee creating something and regardless of the context of employment or not, it belongs to the employee. “However, what we heard as a common theme in relation to this discussion was that employers are not too concerned necessarily about the technicalities of who owns intellectual property and how that’s created in the course of employment, but rather what’s going to happen when someone who has created it leaves to go to a competitor,” Hor says. This creates an odd hybrid of employment law, including restraints of trade style litigation and IP law. “It was probably the only topic discussed at the conference where the whole

group of employment lawyers paused at some point and said, ‘This is usually the point where I’d bring in some IP specialist advice’,” Hor says. “But it does have strong employment relevance and connotations, so it can’t just be seen as an IP issue. These issues become more pronounced in a global workforce where workers are constantly moving between jurisdictions.” The rise of the gig economy, global supply chain management and the automation of jobs were other key topics debated at the event. Hor says that on just about every one of these issues Singapore legislation is struggling to keep up – but he hastens to add that so too is legislation in every other nation. “Unsurprisingly, legislation is often introduced more in a reactive than a proactive way, and we’re seeing that happen more so now because of the rapidity of the technological, commercial and general environmental change,” he says.

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UPFRONT

EMPLOYMENT LAW UPDATE NEWS BRIEFS Employers asking candidates illegal questions It’s against the law to ask job applicants about their age, religion, marital status and smoking habits, yet one in five Singaporean employers admits they’ve unwittingly asked anyway, according to a CareerBuilder survey. Susan de Silva, partner at Bird & Bird ATMD, warned that organisations should only be asking for personal data that is “reasonably necessary”, and “these questions are not evidently necessary for the purpose of evaluating a person’s ability to do the job”. Such hiring practices can leave companies subject to Ministry of Manpower scrutiny, and even see their foreign worker hiring privileges curtailed.

Ethics policies leave staff confused Employees overwhelmingly want their organisations to simplify the language in their codes of conduct, with 85% of respondents to an Ernst & Young survey of APAC workers saying they’re too complicated. However, it appears codes of conduct do little to deter poor or illegal behaviour. Nearly 40% said their companies’ ethics policies had little impact on employees’ behaviour, and they suggested protocols should be country-specific for better comprehension. “Employees are demanding absolute clarity and anything short of that impacts morale, hiring, retention and overall business performance,” said Reuben Khoo, EY ASEAN leader, fraud investigation and dispute services.

New rights for contract workers A newly launched employment standard will give term contract workers in Singapore statutory leave entitlements and notice periods – but only if their employers opt in. A contract of more

than 14 days, renewed within a month of the previous contract’s expiry, will be treated as “continuous service”, on which those entitlements will be based. Singapore National Employers Federation president Robert Yap said employers that adopted the standard would be able to “distinguish themselves as organisations that have implemented specific progressive employment practices [which will] help them to attract and retain talent”.

Ex-employees stealing trade secrets

Corporates in Asia are most fearful of trade secrets being stolen by former employees, consultants and suppliers, according to a new report by Baker McKenzie. The Board Ultimatum: Protect and Preserve report found that companies in Asia were the most concerned globally about ex-employees stealing and sharing trade secrets (35%), while a further 28% said their relationships with consultants and suppliers posed the greatest threat of trade secret theft. This compared with just 18% who said cybercriminals/hackers were their biggest concern. In Asia, 85% of respondents said trade secrets and IP were core to their business.

Overtime hours are dropping

Fewer Singaporean staff are clocking paid overtime, with increased productivity and a government crackdown on excessive hours among the reasons why. “Economic transformation has also led to an increasing proportion of managers and executives in our workforce who are not eligible for paid overtime,” said Minister for Manpower Lim Swee Say. Exemptions to overtime limits approved by the Ministry of Manpower decreased from 8,700 company months in 2011 to 3,400 in 2016, with companies now having to prove they have plans to reduce their reliance on overtime.

TOUGHER WORKPLACE SAFETY RULES ON THE HORIZON Companies that break the law face harsher penalties and public shaming Singaporean employers who fail to keep workers safe on the job will be named and shamed, and face increased fines, under proposed amendments to the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act. The Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM’s) WSH 2018 Plus initiative proposes to increase industry ownership of workplace health and safety, and ramp up penalties for those who continue to flout the law. Authorities are also aiming to hike the maximum fine under the Workplace Safety and Health Act Subsidiary Legislation from $20,000 to $50,000 for offences that could result in death, serious injury, or a dangerous occurrence. The proposals also include publicly releasing an “incident learning report” that names the company involved in an accident and details what occurred, before prosecution takes place. The measure is aimed at “strengthen[ing] industry ownership” of health and safety. “Early release of the incident learning report will be key to preventing any recurrence of similar incidents,” MOM said, adding that the report would be inadmissible in legal proceedings. The ministry is also seeking to extend personal liability protection to the commissioner and deputy commissioner for workplace safety and health, as well as inspectors and authorised officers, “for anything done with reasonable care and in good faith in the execution of their duties”. They currently only have protection from legal action for equipment damage during a

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prescribed examination or test. Public consultation took place in June and July, and the government plans to have the changes take effect by December this year. The move to strengthen the law was announced shortly before new statistics revealed a large drop in workplace deaths in the first half of 2017. Between January and June, there were 19 fatalities, down from 42 in the same period last year. However, Minister for Manpower Lim Swee Say says there’s still more work to be done. “It is our shared responsibility to ensure that every worker can go home safely every day, and every foreign worker can return to their home country after every work

“It is our shared responsibility to ensure that every worker can go home safely every day” assignment here,” Lim told the annual Workplace Safety and Health Awards. “A safe workplace is good for businesses too, because productivity and safety are essentially two sides of the same coin. One cannot do without the other.” In June alone, MOM uncovered more than 400 safety violations following inspections of 400 work sites targeting work-at-height activities. Minister of State for Manpower Sam Tan said four stop-work orders, 322 non-compliance notices and 70 composition fines were issued. “We will take strict and serious action for each safety violation and impose severe penalties. These violations could have been injurious or harmful to the workers,” Tan said.

Q&A

WHS IN THE SPOTLIGHT Thomas Choo Legal director CLYDE & CO

Fast fact Thomas Choo is admitted as a solicitor in Singapore, England and Wales, and leads the global firm’s employment and corporate secretarial law practices in Singapore.

Singapore’s Workplace Safety and Health Act faces a major shake-up. What do employers need to know? The proposed changes indicate the intention to strengthen workplace safety and practices through strong deterrent measures, and employers should take note of these to avoid being caught unawares. These take into account the release to the public of details of workplace safety incidents through incident learning reports before prosecutorial actions are taken against employers. Beyond legal and financial repercussions for workplace safety breaches, organisations may face reputational damage as well. There is a proposal to increase the maximum penalty for breaches from $20,000 to $50,000, which are meant to apply to the “most serious” offences only. There is an ongoing debate as to whether prosecutorial action should be extended against senior management, in addition to the corporate employer. These proposed changes indicate a move towards a more hard-line approach taken by the Singapore government, and employers should take extra caution to ensure they are compliant with existing workplace safety laws and regulations. What measures should employers put in place in the meantime? Employers should review their internal procedures to ensure these are up to date and compliant with existing laws and regulations on workplace safety. They may also wish to enhance and improve existing workplace safety and health measures. This could include increasing the frequency of workplace risk assessments and safety checks; ensuring all employees are familiar with procedures and systems for handling emergency situations; reviewing safety measures and the level of supervision provided to workers who handle machinery, equipment, plant, article or other processes at the workplace; and conducting frequent workplace safety training sessions. Why is it important for organisations to take ownership of health and safety? Safety and health is without any doubt an integral part of business operations, as it helps enhance reputation, productivity and profitability. No one wants to work in a place which has a poor safety and health record! In addition, the penalties for workplace safety breaches are also progressively increasing, and as of now there are a range of possible fines depending on whether the culpability and the potential harm in each case was low, medium or high. Employees, too, have a role to play. What should employers communicate to their workers? Employers should try to instil an understanding of the value of safety and health in employees as much as (and as early as) possible in order to strengthen personal ownership of workplace safety and health. Workers should be made aware that they have a general duty to keep themselves, their colleagues and their workplace safe. Employees should ultimately fully cooperate with their employer’s workplace safety efforts, including attending any relevant training.

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UPFRONT

L&D UPDATE

NEXT GEN L&D Young employees are often treated differently to their older counterparts. Is this unfair?

We hear it again and again. Millennials have low attention spans. Millennials are lazy. Millennials are more interested in job-hopping than L&D. But is there any truth to this? And can a generation really be stereotyped? Steve Shepherd, CEO of TwoPointZero, tells HRD that “every generation thinks that the one that came before it was worse than them and the one that came after it was worse than them”. “One thing that is really clear is that in comparison to the generation that came before it, millennials have access to a lot more information, advice and resources,” he says. “We know that we have an ageing population and baby boomers are going through retirement, so we need to be bringing in these new workers and developing them.”

NEWS BRIEFS

That means it’s necessary to take a risk on people who have the qualifications, because they need to build the experience. Shepherd argues that over the last 20 or so years there has been a shift away from the culture in which many organisations offer traineeships, apprenticeships, cadetships and so on. “They’ve become part of the cost-cutting exercises, and I think as corporations we need to consider how we reinvest in youth to continue to develop the workforce of the future,” he says. One of the challenges that young people have is that often they don’t know what they want to do, Shepherd adds. However, they are eager to work, so when they get into that job and find out that they don’t like it they leave and take another job.

Augmented reality used to train pilots

A partnership between the University of Central Florida and aviation giant Boeing has developed new technology that will see the use of augmented reality glasses as a revolutionary tool to help trainee pilots. The idea is to have a product that trainees can use to practise multiple scenarios from the comfort of their home. By 2030, Boeing’s advanced learning organisation anticipates the need to train at least 600,000 more pilots to fill the need for the increased number of flights and airlines operating. The software is bilingual for use around the world. 10

“It’s not necessarily job-hopping but looking for the job that’s really right for them,” he says, adding that these younger workers don’t have a lot of exposure to different jobs so their knowledge and understanding of those jobs is limited. “What we do as career coaches is work with them to help them understand what they are passionate about, what drives them and what motivates them, and then explore the career and the educational opportunities which are linked.” Consequently, when they do come into the workforce they are entering into a job with all of

“In comparison to the generation that came before it, millennials have access to a lot more information, advice and resources” the information they need to know about that organisation, the type of work and the areas that interest and motivate them. “I think if we can help young people to find that then this notion of job-hopping and being unreliable will disappear,” Shepherd says. “The young people that we speak to say, ‘I’m not unreliable – I’m just looking for the job that suits me, and I don’t know much about the workforce’. So the best way to do that is to experience it until hopefully they find something they like.”

Calls for mandatory gender diversity training

As the number of transgender students on college campuses has increased over time, so have incidents of bullying and intimidation. One union in the UK, ATL Wales, is calling for mandatory training for college staff. ATL Wales president Lesley Tipping said employees at colleges were confused over pronouns, and that could even lead to legal issues. “Lecturers could be put in quite an embarrassing position if they address someone as a he who is a she or neither a he or a she,” she said. Tipping added that students who identified as trans or non-binary had “entitlements” and staff needed to understand them.

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Q&A

Greg Moore Managing director Asia practice MILLER HEIMAN GROUP

Fast fact As part of the 2015 Sales Management Optimization Study, Miller Heiman found that, on average, 60.1% of a company’s revenues are generated by the top 20% of its sales professionals.

LEARNING INTERVENTIONS FOR SALES STAFF Can you outline how Miller Heiman Group partners with clients? We’ve evolved from just training and development to a professional services organisation. Miller Heiman Group put together several market leaders that were historically training companies and we’ve built some additional capabilities, including sales strategy, a talent team, a research arm and so forth, to really put together more of an end-to-end professional services-driven approach that’s dedicated to sales performance. So customer experience is a key competency of our organisation.

Would you say the expectations of customers have escalated in recent years? One of the data points that came out in our research arm CSO Insight’s World-Class Sales study tells us that 61% of customers require some kind of formal ROI, versus a fiveyear trend of just 40%. There are more people involved in the buying and selling process; that process has therefore become much more formalised, and as a result there’s now a demand from the buying community to say, ‘Help us with a business case; make it very clear what is the ROI we can expect from working with your organisation’.

How has technology changed how your organisation trains sales employees? Technology has changed the way people consume information in their personal lives, which has impacted how they want to learn new concepts in their professional lives. Most of our clients today still want a blended

Cybersecurity training lacking, says report

A new report from the SANS Institute has revealed that lack of time dedicated to employee training and lack of communication skills are key contributors to why cybersecurity awareness programs fail to meet their objectives. The report also found that women are twice as likely as men to be dedicated to such programs. Researchers said there were four areas organisations should focus on: HR allocation, partnerships, hiring of dedicated professionals, and fostering security ambassadors. The report also pointed out that budget restraints were not cited by respondents.

approach where they perhaps have some traditional classroom training combined with digital learning delivered just-in-time on whatever device is preferred.

Where might this technology evolve to in the future? We see a future world where all of your behavioural data will be captured in some kind of cloud solution. A cloudbased platform can measure who you’re talking to and what you’re talking about. It can then be applied with, for example, AI voice recognition. Then you could also start to have things like a transcript of that conversation put into the CRM, or keywords pulled out so you can go back and find customers. When that happens, those conversations can become part of the institutional knowledge about that customer. That’s really a wonderful addition to the toolset that sellers have to keep track of and improve their performance.

What sort of skills or competencies are you training people on? Some of the key areas would be improving overall conversations with customers, helping sales organisations do a better job with strategic opportunity analysis so they can win more than their fair share of deals, and also growing their largest key accounts – strengthening those relationships through a very crossfunctional approach: good planning, good involvement with the customer, and using the right tools to do that. It brings together skills, tools and methodology.

HR skills framework planned

Mercer has been appointed by SkillsFuture Singapore to develop a national skills framework for Singapore’s HR industry. This framework is part of the nationwide Industry Transformation Programme. Mercer will be developing a national skills framework, technical skills and competencies reference documents, and a wage study for key job roles in HR. Mercer is also involved in the Institute of Human Resources Professionals, a tripartite undertaking aimed at professionalising and strengthening the HR practice in Singapore.

SkillsFuture offers $5,000 study award for HR

SkillsFuture has started accepting applications for its Study Award for Human Resources as the government aims to deepen skills in the sector. Winners of the award will receive $5,000 for defraying out-ofpocket expenses involved in relevant HR courses, including certificate, diploma, postgraduate diploma, degree and professional development programs. SkillsFuture is looking particularly for those who have a track record of contributing to learning and training of others. The next round of applications runs from 1 October to 31 October. www.hrdmag.com.sg

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PEOPLE

HEAD TO HEAD

GOT AN OPINION THAT COUNTS? Email hrd_editor@keymedia.com.au

How are you supporting millennials to become leaders? Millennials will soon make up the majority of the workforce, and they are looking to lead

MS Teofilus Ponniah

Senior HR director, Singapore and Malaysia DHL We have two leadership development programs specially tailored for high-performing millennials – the AGILE Program targeted at young working professionals in Singapore, and the wider Asia Pacific Graduate Program designed for new graduates. Each program is structured to inspire, provide a framework, and stretch every individual. Our leadership development program provides an outline of what is going to happen during their stint. We focus on clear outcomes and deliverables, and intentionally leave out specific details on the ‘how’. Millennials are independent and resourceful. They collaborate with peers, both online and offline, to work out the ‘how to’ and deliver outstanding results.

Ken Hoskin

Asia Pacific regional talent lead Airbnb We believe in treating employees – the majority are millennials – like founders. This means ensuring they have access to important information and opportunities to share their ideas and opinions with colleagues at every level. This openness is important in developing strong leaders. For example, we leverage Google Docs, which facilitates open discussion. Airbnb wants to empower employees to play an active role in contributing to the business. Our internal coaching program allows senior managers, trained on high-level coaching techniques, to mentor the younger employees, facilitating personalised development to grow their careers and leadership capabilities.

Aileen Tan Group CHRO Singtel

With our significant forays into digital technology such as m-payments, video on demand, cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things, millennials in our workforce will gain new digital skills that will help them grow in strength. Therefore, we’ve taken deliberate steps to source, grow and develop them into future leaders. Since 2012, we have invested significant resources to select and develop millennials via talent development programs such as our SHINE internship, undergraduate scholarship, cadet scholarship and Management Associate Programme. Every year our programs reach out to more than 300 millennials who join Singtel either as scholars, interns or associates.

REACHING FOR THE TOP Millennials are ambitious – more than 90% have it in mind to assume a leadership role. That said, many realise they are not fully prepared for that level of responsibility. A survey from Deloitte published earlier this year reports that only about a third of current millennial leaders considered themselves fully prepared when initially taking on their posts. According to The Millennial Leadership Study from WorkplaceTrends.com and Virtuali, the generation who came of age against a backdrop of change typically envisage a leadership style for themselves that prioritises ‘empowering others to succeed’. For 43% the main motivation to become a leader was reported to be the desire to ‘empower others’. Only 5% cited money as their primary impetus, while a mere 1% reported power to be the spur. Either way, Generation Y is set to dominate the workforce – by 2025 it is forecast that millennials will comprise three out of every four workers.

www.hrdmag.com.sg

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PEOPLE

GLOBAL HR LEADER

CITIZEN OF THE WORLD From IBM’s graduate program through to HR roles in global companies like The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company and Barclays Bank, Rose Thomson has made M&As and structural transformations a key focus. She shares her story with HRD WITH HER impressive body of work experience and current global HR role, an obvious question to ask Rose Thomson, CHRO at Travelport, is how a global HR leader can possibly hope to gather what is likely to be many vastly different corporate cultures in a global entity into something that resembles a unified front. Her response is telling: “I’m a very simple thinker. The way I’ve been talking to my team, the senior leadership team and the board is very much about the fact I see us as being more similar than different, and I liken that to vanilla ice cream. My whole 2020 HR strategy is predicated on ice cream!” Thomson elaborates that it’s the common frameworks and “key elements” that make Travelport the company it is. Then it’s about acknowledging that each country, each division, will need to take a “bespoke” approach. “That’s the topping – the sprinkles or the strawberries. So it’s done from a functional perspective: if you sit in the commercial or technology department you’ll have a slightly different flavour to

that, and if you sit in Asia or Australia you’ll have a slightly different flavour as well. It’s about how we build the framework that is Travelport, which everyone understands, and then add that flavour on top that acknowledges there are some legitimate unique elements that we must also address.”

in Langley, UK. We’re a B2B specialist in technology for the travel industry. We have a very large sales force and an equally large technology function, so we look after airlines, travel agents, hotels, cruises, car hires, all that back-end technology. When you as a consumer use an online travel website, for

“My personal mantra is to never say no when someone asks you to do something” HRD sat down with Thomson – on her fleeting visit back to her hometown of Sydney – to discover what else she has learned throughout her career.

HRD: Can you provide some context around Travelport as a company? Rose Thomson: Travelport on last count had 4,100 employees globally and a 2016 net revenue of over $2.3bn. We’re represented in around 80 countries, including Australia, Canada and Singapore, with our headquarters

example, we pump all our content into that website, so when you’re doing an online search for flights and a hotel, you’ll be seeing our content. However, you’ll be seeing it on the front end of an online retailer.

HRD: What are you currently concentrating on in your role? RT: We have close to 100 HR professionals in the global team, and one thing we need to look at is how efficient we are in supporting the business and the role that HR plays.

www.hrdmag.com.sg

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PROFILE Name: Rose Thomson Company: Travelport Title: CHRO HR experience: 17+ years Qualifications: Bachelor of Arts, Macquarie University; Master of Arts, Macquarie University – Graduate School of Business Previous roles: »»Managing director, HR, Barclaycard »»HR director, Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland »»HR director, North West Europe, The Coca-Cola Company »»HR director, Coca-Cola South Pacific »»General manager human resources, Coles Group »»HR director – South East Asia, The Walt Disney Company

www.hrdmag.com.sg

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PEOPLE

GLOBAL HR LEADER Moving forward, my vision for HR at Travelport is very much that it’s an instrument of business transformation, because as a business we are undergoing tremendous change. I’m focusing on HR’s role in driving that. How do we leverage our people resources to enable that strategy? How do we create agile leaders so as the organisation changes, as our customers change, as their customers change, how do we need to be leading? And then having a high-performance culture, which is very much about how do we raise the bar on what good and great looks like, and then how do we ensure people have the capabilities and competencies and what’s required to get there.

HRD: You have experience in change management, and M&As in particular. What have you taken from some of those experiences? RT: Let me tell you about the reason I got into HR in the first place – because I actually

perspective and from a personal perspective. It’s about helping people to understand why change is important, helping them to see what that means for them, and doing that in a respectful way. Change is always going to happen, but we’ll be judged based on whether we treated people with respect and fairness once the emotion is removed from those decisions. That was the catalyst for me moving into HR, and since then I’ve worked on several M&As, I’ve done divestments, all sorts of projects.

HRD: You’ve worked around the world in some well-known global companies. Can you outline some of your best learning experiences from those companies? RT: I moved into HR when I left IBM in the 1990s. The majority of my career has been with big multinationals – IBM, Disney, CocaCola, Barclays, and now Travelport. I’ve been fortunate to work with those companies. I’ve

“I’ve had incredible opportunities, I’ve seen the world, I’ve done things I never would have dreamed of doing” started not in HR but in the graduate program at IBM in software manufacturing. I lived through the night of the long dark knives when IBM in Australia lost half its workforce almost overnight. I was lucky; I survived – but I remember it well. It was a Friday when it happened, and when we came back on the Monday there were six desks between me and the next person; everyone’s name tags were still on their desks and it was almost like they had all died in a terrible accident. All the effort was rightly put towards those who were exiting, but as survivors we suddenly had to do the work of 5,000 people, but there were only 2,500 of us. I just thought these kinds of changes could be done in a more effective way, and that’s what flipped me into HR. I think I’ve always enjoyed change and transformation, because that’s about growing, both from an organisational

had incredible opportunities, I’ve seen the world, I’ve done things I never would have dreamed of doing. I’ve dressed as a princess, I’ve stood on the street and handed out free cans of Coke – not to mention all the more serious HR work I’ve been involved with! I’ve just had a privileged career.

HRD: What do you put that success down to? RT: My personal mantra is to never say no when someone asks you to do something. And throughout my career that willingness to take on more responsibility and also take accountability for things has led me to bigger roles and bigger opportunities. It’s not that they’ve fallen into my lap – because I don’t think that happens – but I’d like to think those opportunities come from hard work and doing the best I can on a daily basis.

MY TOP CAREER TIP… Rose Thomson’s career has evolved from holding local to regional and then international roles. Here is her top tip for kicking your career to the next level. “My number one tip would be this: don’t be afraid to say yes to opportunities, but also go and seek them out. I’ve been lucky that the companies I’ve worked for have allowed me to work overseas, and I think if you aspire to a global role you must experience other cultures. The way people work around the world is very different, and unless you can experience that first-hand, you’re going to wonder why things don’t always happen how you thought they would. Getting out and about and understanding the market challenges and opportunities, as a senior business leader, with my business hat on, is what I try to do.” HRD: How do you stay on top of everything you need to in a global role? RT: I’m lucky that I’ve lived and worked across Asia, across Europe, and I’ve worked with big American corporations, so I’ve spent a lot of time there as well. Things change all the time in terms of legislation and regulation, and I think it’s impossible for any one individual to be on top of those things. So whether it’s leveraging your own team in terms of making sure you understand what’s going on in their markets, or whether it’s just being connected through various industry networks or leveraging your legal partners, or just reading a lot about what’s going on, while I say you can’t be on top of everything you do need to at least recognise that things do change.

www.hrdmag.com.sg

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Welcome to the New Innovative

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FEATURES

SPECIAL REPORT: EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

HRD’s second annual Employer of Choice Awards highlight what the best employers in Asia are doing to attract, engage and retain staff. Read on to find out who’s leading the pack

www.hrdmag.com.sg

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EVERY YEAR, nearly 20% of workers globally change jobs. This turnover can be significantly higher or lower depending on a range of factors. Every HR professional knows that an unhealthy level of turnover is costly to the business, and most will do whatever they can to halt the exodus. A key way to do this is by aspiring to gain external acknowledgement and verification as a leading employer. When a fresh high-performing graduate emerges bright-eyed into the business world and is presented with three employment offers, all from reputable organisations, what makes them pick one over the other? Or in a related but different scenario, why do some organisations benefit from consistently high engagement rates year after year? There is of course no one answer – but a reputation as an Employer of Choice can help. Companies vying for the title of Employer of Choice represent a range of industries, from banking to health, hospitality, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, professional services and more. The relationship between employee and employer is undergoing more change today than it has since perhaps the Industrial Revolution. Business models and socio-demographics are being forced to shift, and sadly many organisations are not keeping up. As Mercer’s 2017 Global Talent Trends Study suggests, “organisations are still taking an evolutionary approach to their talent strategies in the face of revolutionary changes”. An age-old adage seems appropriate: “Shoot for the moon and if you miss you’ll still be among the stars.” The survey found that while job responsibilities, pay and promotion are fundamentals, it’s how we work that needs to keep pace – and that means access to the right technology and workplace flexibility. Over the following pages, HRD is proud to present a handful of companies that are consistently aiming for the moon.

The relationship between employee and employer is undergoing more change today than it has since perhaps the Industrial Revolution METHODOLOGY Date of survey: July–August 2017 Method: Online survey Number of respondents: 103 companies Employer of Choice status was determined by asking HR leaders to provide qualitative and quantitative evidence of performance across nine key areas. Strength in multiple key areas resulted in Gold, Silver and Bronze medals being awarded in two company-size categories. In addition, four employers were identified as ‘top performers’ in each key area. These areas include: • Remuneration • Learning & development • Career progression • Diversity & inclusion • Access to technology • Communication • Work-life balance • Health & wellbeing • Reward & recognition HR leaders were also asked to provide key statistics around staff tenure, employee turnover rate, and employee engagement level, which have also been taken into consideration when awarding Employer of Choice status.

www.hrdmag.com.sg

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FEATURES

SPECIAL REPORT: EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE: OVERALL WINNERS 500+ EMPLOYEES

Dow Chemical Aviva UBS The Dow Chemical HR team

HRD CHATS to Gold winner (500+ employees) Butch Clas, HR director, SEA and ANZ, Dow Chemical HRD: Congratulations on your Gold award in the 500+ employees category. How does it feel to win? Butch Clas: I’m very excited about what the HR team in Singapore has been doing the last few years, and I’m proud that we’re getting this well-deserved recognition. HRD: How would you describe the corporate culture at Dow Chemical? BC: The corporate culture at Dow gives you a lot of freedom to take personal accountability to grow, and a bias for action to change things and make a difference. Working for a global science and technology company, we always have to be mindful of the different businesses and employee groups we work for and make sure we’re relevant and adding value to their business. This means driving simplicity and at the same time making sure we get the very best from the talent working in Dow. HRD: Dow Chemical also finished strongly in the ‘Access to Technology’ category.

How important is not just supplying the technology and tools, but also building the digital competencies of your employees? BC: This is critical for the future. Dow globally is in the early stages of launching our HR Next Generation platform, which is going to revamp the whole way we work and collaborate together and bring a whole new employee experience to Dow. It means new digital technology that we’re all going to have to embrace, and changing the way we work. Going digital will help our employees and leaders access information 24/7 via cloud-based computing. If we can do all of this, it should mean even more time for HR to meet the needs of our employees and leaders. HRD: What is your number one peoplerelated challenge and how are you addressing that challenge? BC: Finding and developing great talent to help Singapore and Southeast Asia continue to grow and be relevant. This region has high expectations within Dow to deliver on the growth of the region and provide the support for that growth. It means finding and developing great local talent to continue Dow’s expansion in Singapore and the region. This

“I’m very excited about what the HR team in Singapore has been doing the last few years, and I’m proud that we’re getting this well-deserved recognition” Butch Clas means finding solutions that are relevant to Singapore and Southeast Asia. What may work in China or the US may not be as relevant in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, or Vietnam. That’s why we need great people to make what we do relevant and support Dow’s growth in this region. In the last 10 years, the employee population in Singapore and Southeast Asia has doubled. With our upcoming merger with DuPont, the scope will change – some of our businesses will spin off (Agriculture and Electronic Materials) into new companies, while we will get some new businesses from DuPont which will change the new Dow. We’re going to have to manage all of these changes over the next few years while not losing track of our objectives.

www.hrdmag.com.sg

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EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE: OVERALL WINNERS <500 EMPLOYEES

Gardens by the Bay Royal Plaza on Scotts Metro Drug Inc. The Gardens by the Bay HR team

HRD CHATS to Gold winner (<500 employees) Phan Yoke Fei, senior director, human resource and corporate administration, Gardens by the Bay HRD: Congratulations on your Gold award in the under 500 employees category. How does it feel to win? PYF: We are deeply honored by HRD Magazine’s recognition of Gardens by the Bay with this prestigious award. Our ambition is to make Gardens by the Bay one of the best places in the region to work, even though we have only a relatively short history of five years in existence. The award will undoubtedly spur everyone in the company to remain committed and focused on achieving or even surpassing that ambition. HRD: The company finished strongly in several key categories, including ‘WorkLife Balance’. How critical is that element to building a diverse workforce? PYF: Gardens by the Bay prides itself on achieving some admirable success in blending the contradictions, in an ecosystem consisting of a very well balanced (and delicate) coexistence of four generations of employees at

work, that typically face modern-day employers. We are probably most unique due to the fact that we have almost equal 25% spread of baby boomers (born prior to 1965), Generation X (born 1966–1979), Generation Y (born 1980–1990) and Generation Z (born 1991 and after) in the active workforce, for a Company with only five years of operating history. As such, we have to resort to many innovative employee-friendly approaches to attract, retain and prolong the life cycle of our employees of all generations, by providing work-life harmony initiatives applicable to their individual needs. Flexi-time and flexi-place work arrangements have been individualised according to the needs of individual employees. We also have an array of leave types exceeding statutory requirements available at the disposal of our employees. Other initiatives include flexi-benefits, staggered work schedules, flexi-lunch time, family day, annual dinner, workplace health, wellness and recreation activities. In addition to the aforementioned, our monthly fruit day and unlimited complimentary access to the two conservatories are among the more unique or out of the ordinary work-life

“Our ambition is to make Gardens by the Bay one of the best places in the region to work, even though we have only a relatively short history of five years in existence” harmony practices peculiar only to Gardens by the Bay. HRD: What’s next for you and your HR team? PYF: We are really glad that the HR team has enjoyed a 0% attrition rate for the last one year to provide stability for the company. Understanding the changing business environment of a maturing organisation is key to the team’s continued success. There will be efforts to beef up the competencies of the team to respond to future demands. We will aim to embark on more ambitious digitisation initiatives to provide the team with more options for accurate data and analytics. This will drive core innovation and strategic thinking within the HR team to prepare ourselves for what’s in the store in the coming months.

www.hrdmag.com.sg

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FEATURES

SPECIAL REPORT: EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

REMUNERATION TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Aviva BreadTalk Group Dow Chemical Hewlett Packard Enterprise

“In 2016, we led the industry to conduct a salary benchmarking study involving the top insurers here. This study looked at areas including remuneration, performance distribution and attrition, with the aim of helping participating companies benchmark themselves and see how/where they can improve and retain talent”

ACROSS SOUTHEAST Asia, regional economic factors are dictating talent demand and salary trends. According to KellyOCG’s Workforce Agility Barometer, 75% of Singapore’s C-suite leaders expect talent shortages to have a negative impact on their business in the next three years (the figure is slightly better at 61% for Asia-Pacific employers). Clearly, remuneration will be a key way to attract and retain scarce talent. Let’s not beat around the bush: competitive, industry- and role-based salary benchmarking remains a critical component of any organisation’s EVP. To attract and retain top talent, employees need to be awarded appropriately, and not only when they’ve made a significant contribution – which is why a good number of the participating companies have provided summaries of how their pay schemes work, including varying proportions of base salary, variable pay, shares programs and other incentive schemes. Apart from keeping to the mixed-pay scheme, companies also work to tailor their compensation plan according to their business philosophy or culture. One healthcare organisation mentioned how it has moved away from the typical ‘Pay-for-Performance’ principle to a ‘Rewards for Contribution Strategy’, in order to help its employees cultivate a ‘growth mindset’ and “enable top contributors to be awarded appropriately”. Meanwhile, a multinational bank highlighted the principle behind its incentive plan: “It places a stronger emphasis on not just what they achieve, but how they achieve the end result … based on a principle of building long-lasting relationships”. On another note, some employers have added a grocery list of non-monetary benefits – medical and dental, free meals, transportation and phone allowances, etc – to form what one employer described as a “total rewards package”. When talking about salary benchmarking, employers often mention participating in surveys conducted by consulting companies and purchasing market data available to ensure alignment with industry standards. Here’s a more specific case that sheds light on how benchmarking works. A hospitality company described how it resolved the issue of low compensation among certain employees: “We have redesigned jobs to convert rank-and-file single entry level positions to executive-level multi-skilled positions so that salary and job status are not only upgraded but also allow for a more meaningful and progressive career path for the employees. For example, [changing titles] from Cook 1, 2 or 3 to Chef Culinary Fast Track; or floor housekeepers, receptionists, reservation officers, security officers, food and beverage servers, waiters and waitresses to hotel services executives. Old salaries ranged from $1,200 to $1,550. Now, we have multi-skilled salaries of $1,800 to $2,500.”

Aviva

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LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT FROM FRESH graduates through to seasoned executives, Employers of Choice recognise the power of L&D at all levels, and are working to extend more programs that cover both technical and ‘soft’ skills. Quite a few employers described the onboarding process as an important first step. Here’s an example from an employer that involves ‘cultural’ orientation: “While orientation for all new hires is the norm, we’ve made it different by incorporating activities with top management to kick off every session with a game to foster team bonding and engagement. To ensure colleagues’ ability to adapt to the learning culture, a buddy and departmental task list is given on his/her first day of work, [together] with the recent launch of our culture training – as part of their development journey with the company.” What’s worth noting from many of the programs mentioned by employers is that the ‘L’ in L&D programs can just as often refer to ‘leadership’ as to ‘learning’, with some initiatives eventually spilling over to career development as well. Many employers use multiple learning formats (from face-to-face through to e-learning), and the majority also embrace the 70/20/10 philosophy whereby 70% of learning is experiential or comes through experiences, 20% comes from social interactions such as coaching, and 10% comes from formal education and training. Following are a few more examples of what top employers are doing. “All employees have access to our e-learning platform which offers a huge range of training covering our industry and products, leadership, our culture (mission, principles and values), employee shareholding, governance and compliance, and strategy,” one employer explained. “We have a suite of targeted management and leadership development programs specifically tailored to our industry. We develop employees from their first-time management role, transitioning from management to leadership, and through to the executive and C-suite level.” Another company said: “[The leadership academy] is a four-month blended program that includes: pre-class activity program, in-class training, project assignment, coaching process, final evaluation and presentation. The program is [further] categorised into FUNLEAD (fundamental leadership) for staff, HILEAD (high impact leaders) for managers, TRANSLEAD (transformational leaders) for senior managers, and STRATEGIC LEAD (strategic business leaders) for group head level.” For one employer engaged in tourism, it’s about “recognising and allowing staff to continually upgrade their professional competencies and obtain professional certifications before progressing to more senior positions”. The company sees the value of continuous education and extends scholarship and overseas learning trips to key staff in order to further develop their niches. “Our staff are sent for overseas exchange programs to gain international work exposure and knowledge, earning the company an equal standing with other renowned international attractions despite only having five years of operational history.”

TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

BreadTalk Group Dow Chemical Metro Drug Inc. PT Sun Life Financial Indonesia

“Dow ties every development opportunity to its Core Competencies. Based on a needs analysis study and results from the annual engagement survey, the focus areas for 2016 and 2017 centred around influencing, change management and career opportunities. Hence, workshops such as ‘Influencing Without Authority’, ‘Building Relationship Versatility’, ‘Embracing Change’ and ‘Careers and Opportunities at Dow’ were conducted. Employees are also given flexibility to attend external workshops for specific improvements in technical skills”

Dow Chemical

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FEATURES

SPECIAL REPORT: EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

CAREER PROGRESSION TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Aviva Essilor AMERA Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore International SOS

“As part of Essilor’s initiative to recruit and develop young talent, the AMERA (Asia, Middle East, Russia and Africa) HQ has launched pilots of the Emerging Talent Program (ETP) in 2016. The ETP aims to attract students from top universities around the world and help them gain a broad experience of Essilor’s business through rotation in different parts of the AMERA region. It is focused on building the talent pipeline of Essilor’s future Business Unit Leaders or as Functional Leaders through accelerating their development.”

Essilor AMERA

IN THIS space, Employers of Choice are doing everything they can to clear the path for employees to go onward and upward, whether it’s through the leadership programs already in place, or by arranging coaching and mentoring sessions with managers and top executives, or going further to overhaul promotion policies and criteria, as was the case with a large-scale tech solutions company. “There was feedback that employees found the company’s promotion criteria and career pathway unclear,” this employer explained. “Thus, in July 2016, we revamped the career development process. New promotion criteria are established for two job levels – executive and senior executive. We invite nominations from business units and follow up with comprehensive assessments … A feedback session is held afterwards to confirm the result and most importantly, a development plan will be designed for the nominee for his/her future progression.” Talent and career mapping – identifying key roles and suitable successors, and the development they require to move forward – is also gaining traction, as can be seen from the following responses. “Role analysis and insights from key selected individuals on how they successfully achieve outcomes that support the performance of the business are leveraged to create a learning journey for key roles,” one employer said. “Role-based learning equips our businesses with a ‘best in class’ profile to drive performance, such as [providing] coaching and quick reference guides, linking employee development closely to the desired role performance outcomes, accelerating time to competency in roles, and delivering a more targeted curriculum with relevant learning opportunities.” Another wrote: “As part of talent and succession management, colleagues who have the capacity to be developed, take up multi-skilled career paths [and] grow laterally or vertically will be placed on the High Potential Program (HIPP). HIPP allows them the opportunity to handle stretched projects, be personally coached and mentored by senior leaders...” Realising that career growth is not always upward, especially for companies with relatively flat organisational structures, employers are getting creative with what they can offer employees who have hit the ceiling in terms of their career path. For example, they might offer horizontal moves and project-based development opportunities that become accessible when HR also emphasises internal recruitment, as these three employers explained: “As part of our ‘grow from within’ approach, all available roles are advertised internally first. This allows our employees to have first bite and allows them another opportunity to grow and develop by taking on a new or bigger role.” “We encourage innovation in the workplace while developing potential talent through the set-up of the ‘4orth division’ in May 2017, which focuses on brainstorming new ideas and initiatives for the business operations moving forward. A stringent interview was conducted internally within the Singapore headquarters, with talent from various divisions and departments coming together to form the team.” “Promotion policies have been revamped to ease the process of career movement and give more opportunities for all employees to get promoted or take part in lateral career movement … For the last 1.5 years, we have promoted 314 employees and facilitated >1,200 lateral movements. 60% of vacancies were filled through internal recruitment.”

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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION EMPLOYERS HAVE enthusiastically listed several D&I initiatives they have in place, such as company-wide events to celebrate multiculturalism, committees that promote awareness through various activities, and general training workshops and tailored development programs for key minority groups. Gender equality also remains a D&I focus for these employers, with many of them providing the numbers to show how women make up a significant portion of their employee base and management. Meanwhile, multinational companies, with their scale and resources, are able to establish employee groups and networks that look after the interests of specific demographics, whether based on age or gender or other physical/ socio-economic factors. Here’s an example: “To further strengthen our Global Inclusion and Diversity efforts, the company supports more than 120 Business Resource Groups (BRGs) – volunteer communities of employees joining together to help build an even more inclusive culture within our organisation. Our BRGs are based on areas of common interest providing support, a sense of belonging, and camaraderie for our employees … Some of our BRGs across the world that are communities of inclusion are: Ability, Black/African American, Generations, Hispanic, LGBTQ, Women, Multicultural, etc.” To maximise resources and be truly effective, companies ensure that the initiatives they launch are reflective of the immediate needs of their employees and the local community. One employer in the tech industry has a specific initiative for a different office – a reintegration program in Hong Kong for individuals recovering from mental health issues, and special working arrangements and food benefits in Singapore and Malaysia for Muslim employees going through their fasting months. On another note, two companies in the hospitality industry (including one of our top performers) demonstrate inclusion through their commitment to an oftoverlooked segment of the population: the hiring of people with disabilities. One wrote: “We work with the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) to hire employees with special needs, such as hearing impaired, autism, etc.…Department representatives are sent for a training program to understand how to interact with special needs employees. Workplace Safety & Health has worked with HR to evaluate the risk assessment for special needs employees to ensure they are taken care of during work and emergencies.” Another said: “We strongly endorse inclusiveness in the workplace as exemplified through our partnership with SG Enable to offer employment to people with disabilities and being awarded the Certificate of Recognition at the 4th Enabling Employers Awards. A total of nine individuals were recruited and joined our core businesses, taking on roles at our retail outlets as of last year.” Meanwhile, an employer in the insurance space has worked to ensure that its commitment to D&I starts from the recruitment process: “To better equip hiring managers, we introduced a Hire Right workshop for people managers this year … The workshops include real case studies and simulations for the managers to better grasp the concept of hiring fairly.”

TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

HSBC Marina Bay Sands Oracle Royal Plaza on Scotts “To ensure alignment to the company’s D&I strategy and address local needs, we have a Singapore D&I Committee to provide leadership and guidance to local D&I initiatives. We have three Employee Resource Network Groups (ERNGs): 1. ‘Balance’, supporting and promoting a balanced workforce focusing on women, parents, carers and flexibility 2. ‘Millennial’, focusing on initiatives to raise awareness, promote cross-generational understanding and millennial engagement strategy 3. ‘Pride’, supporting our LGBT community and allies to bring their true selves to work and perform at their best”

HSBC

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FEATURES

SPECIAL REPORT: EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

TECHNOLOGY TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Dow Chemical Indosat Ooredoo Marriott International, Customer Engagement Center UBS

“In line with our vision to ‘Create Raving Brand Fans through Amazing Experiences’, we seek to augment our services by further incorporating the use of technology. We are anticipating the launch of a system with omni-channel capabilities by the following year, which will effectively provide a 360-degree view of our customers and strengthen our understanding of their unique needs. In terms of our relationship with our properties, this system will also feature integrated communication with our properties to convey and manage guest needs”

Marriott International, Customer Engagement Center

FROM FREE smartphones and laptops to sophisticated content management systems, Employers of Choice recognise that investing in technology can enhance employee productivity and engagement. Most employers have a basic e-system in place that allows employees to easily access company information and update administrative and HR-related work themselves, such as updating their personal information, filing for leave, etc. Beyond that, some companies talk about the e-learning systems they’ve set up as part of their L&D initiatives. Here’s an example from a pharmaceutical company: “One of our latest technological improvements is the adoption of the Learning Management System (LMS), an online learning tool conceived by our regional office to cater to the demand for an integrated optimal solution to make learning accessible anytime and anywhere … Employees can edit their own profile, attend cross-functional courses and view certifications received in the LMS.” Meanwhile, an employer in the field of tech solutions has added a virtual reality element to their gamification platform, “an internal social media with game elements” that allows them to cover everything from L&D to work-life balance and health and wellbeing: “With the launch of our Gamification X VR360 initiative, all our employees are given a free pair of VR360 glasses. They may use the glasses to view our VR360 orientation video and will later be invited to see other videos and join our e-learning on the gamification app.” Following L&D, employers also consider how they can harness the technology they have to help employees move forward on their career paths. A couple of organisations described the talent management systems they’ve implemented: “We have a comprehensive e-talent system, which allows our business to identify talent for critical roles, succession plan, and develop our people. This technology is providing visibility to our pipeline of talent moving through the organisation and allows us to plan and act for future needs.” “The Talent Construction System facilitates mobility with attractive remuneration packages, creating opportunities for employee relocations … It permits a two-way search – job seeker and candidate allocator … The system has managed a worldwide mobility population of at least 150 employees in 40 countries, 40 home countries and 32 host countries.” Instead of leaving employees to worry about how the tech disruption might render them redundant, employers are striving hard to empower their staff by providing training opportunities to bolster their digital competencies. Here’s what it looks like within one food and beverage company: “At the operational level, automated equipment at the central kitchen were purchased to help ease the workload of production workers and to streamline various work flows. Deployment of self-service facilities at the outlets allowed better optimisation of manpower resources alongside with the auto-scheduling system to optimise manpower deployment.” Meanwhile, most employers in the hospitality sector have invested in systems that allow them to efficiently monitor guest rooms and incidents and streamline requests, while automating the process for less critical issues such as information about flights and tourist attractions and visitor logs, allowing staff to focus on what really matters.

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COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION FROM the top down – and the bottom up – is what sets Employers of Choice apart from the competition. An internal newsletter of some form is pretty much a given for most, if not all, companies and will usually contain highlights of what’s happening within the organisation, ranging from weekly updates on ongoing activities to company strategy and key results, including colleagues’ achievements. ‘Town halls’ are also pretty commonplace, though the extent of engagement/ exchange may vary. Here’s what one multinational employer said: “A series of global townhall sessions were conducted globally in Singapore, China and Thailand to allow sharing by senior management on the organisation’s achievements and business direction for the year moving forward. It was also a good opportunity to strengthen the two-way communication between our employees and senior management through an active and real-time question and answer session which addressed employees’ queries pertaining to all aspects of the business and their personal growth.” Another employer in the banking industry outlined the exchange sessions it has with its leadership team: “[We have a] CEO bi-monthly podcast, which is supplemented by a week-long virtual portal where employees can raise questions, offer views and reactions. To ensure senior management has a pulse check on the broad operating rhythm of its people, a quarterly engagement paper is written and presented at its People Committee. The paper highlights employee sentiment including verbatim comments gathered from the CEO and Exco Exchange sessions [with employees] and forms the basis for future communications efforts across senior and middle managers.” Other than getting feedback about company initiatives, employers are also keen to hear employees’ concerns about their own work. The value of an ‘open-door policy’ was also echoed by several employers, which they viewed as a manifestation of an open and transparent culture. Staff are “encouraged to approach their manager/leaders for a casual heart-to-heart talk, giving them opportunity to share what the company can do for them on a timely basis”. As an example, one employer cited a case of a staff member who “wanted to resign as she needed to take care of her four children [and] the company worked out a work-from-home position, which allowed her to continue her career while looking after her family”. Another employer was especially concerned about talent retention among new hires, and thought to add a communication channel as part of the onboarding process and in keeping with its corporate culture: “We believe it is crucial for new joiners who undergo the three months’ probation to adapt to the culture. HR conducts a new joiner’s chat sometime between six and eight weeks of the joining date to gain feedback and to ensure their onboarding has been well taken care of. This has improved the retention of new joiners between the three to six month period; YTD June 2016, there was 5.9% turnover for those who joined [within] six months and below, and it was reduced to 2.2% for the same period in 2017, a drop of 3.7%.

TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Aviva Gardens by the Bay Hewlett Packard Enterprise Metro Drug Inc.

“Three years ago, results of the Employee Opinion Survey revealed that employees usually hear important organisational announcements through rumours and that there are not enough communication channels in place. Following this, MDI articulated its philosophy and belief in internal communications and crafted a simple Internal Communications Plan and Guidelines for all employees, which had to begin with the people managers. This includes a commitment to make communication the number one task of every people manager wherein face-to-face exchanges is still the best [option]”

Metro Drug Inc.

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FEATURES

SPECIAL REPORT: EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

WORK-LIFE BALANCE TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

BreadTalk Group Gardens by the Bay Hewlett Packard Enterprise UBS

“[We allow] conversion from FT (full-time) to PT (part-time) employment to cater to staff with family commitments, eg taking care of school-going kids, or for staff who need to spend more time on their PT studies, etc. A good number of employees have obtained further academic qualification to complement their career through such flexi-work arrangements. They are allowed to resume their FT schedule upon completion of the course of their choice or end of examination”

EMPLOYERS’ PERCEPTIONS of work-life balance generally revolve around two views – offering flexible working arrangements in order to help employees juggle their various roles in life, and offering more R&R benefits within office hours/space to help alleviate employees’ stress and make work life more enjoyable. One medical and security services organisation gave a preview of what their flexible work arrangement entailed: “Under the arrangement, three programs are offered: Flexi-time, Flexi-place and Flexi-roster. The programs were highly subscribed by staff and follow-up supports such as setup of hot-desking facilities, sharing of best practices, senior management endorsement of the program, setup of a new Flexible Work Arrangement website portal were also made available.” In addition to offering reduced/staggered work hours and technology for working remotely, many employers have come up with various types of personal leave options for employees to take care of their families and other personal matters. A health services organisation introduced an “Enhanced Caregiver Leave, which ranges between 4–16 weeks” and covers maternity/paternity leave, adoption leave, and emergency caregiver leave. Several employers offer sabbatical leave to let employees pursue alternative interests while still remaining employed by them. And more and more companies are allocating volunteer leave to encourage employees to participate in philanthropic activities; this has proven to be an effective strategy for boosting employee engagement and talent retention. Then there are the employers who focus on tailoring the workplace to employees’ personal needs, such as by providing a breastfeeding/lactation room for mothers to take care of their babies while they’re at work. One employer arranges for a day-care program during the Ramadhan period to help out employees with young children. Hospitality companies also have an edge in terms of resources, as they have domestic-related facilities that they allow employees to use for their personal needs. Following are two examples. “We provide the right medical and dental benefits with well-balanced duty meals at our employee restaurant. Midnight transportation, mobile phone allowance, uniform allowance and in-house laundry facilities are also part of the total reward package for our employees,” one employer said. “Work-life balance initiatives include: On-site laundry services, 24-hour convenience store/tellers and regular bazaars to provide convenience to busy working individual,” another wrote. Other benefits often mentioned in this age of ‘work-life blend’ include providing workshops such as “cooking, baking or arts and craft” or team sports and outdoor activities to promote bonding and camaraderie, and specific spaces within the office such as a “games corner” and a “chillax lounge” for the staff to rest and unwind in between work.

Gardens by the Bay

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HEALTH & WELLBEING TODAY, THERE’S general agreement that a healthy employee is a happier and more productive employee, and employers are also doing plenty in this regard, starting with the usual components of food and exercise. One multinational company mentioned how its CEO “leads by example” by being a regular participant in its weekly yoga classes, though it also provides a plethora of fitness activities for employees to choose from, knowing that “employees are different and a onesize-fits-all approach may not work”. Alongside the long list of exercise/fitness activities, many employers mentioned the provision of fruit and healthy food as part of their standard offerings, while those in the hospitality space go a step further in helping their employees eat healthier by curating the ingredients used in the food they serve. The usual health regimen aside, one employer in the medical services space mentioned how it extended its existing business resources to address employees’ health concerns: “We tapped on the expertise of our internal medical team to offer regular health talks for our employees. For example, during the Zika Virus period, our internal doctors held educational talks for staff on how they can protect themselves against the virus. A Zika virus care kit that includes an infoguide on the virus, insect repellents, emergency contact numbers were given to all staff that were pregnant. Within the office compound, insect repellents and hand sanitizers were also made available. Flexibility to work from home for an extended period of time was also given to female employees – to minimise the possibility of them catching the virus while commuting to work.” There is also a greater understanding that wellbeing extends beyond just physical wellbeing and includes mental and financial wellbeing as well: “We also offer counselling services for employees – free confidential, short-term counselling and advice for all employees and their immediate family members. This can be used for any personal or work-related issue impacting well-being,” said one employer. Another commented: “[In addition to healthy eating and exercise options] we are running financial well-being sessions to support them in managing and planning their finances. We are raising awareness around mental health issues through running targeted training sessions for managers and staff to manage issues such as stress through resilience and problem-solving techniques.” This employer, one of our top performers, offers creative solutions that vary according to location in the region: “In Singapore, employees have a flexible dollar account where they can spend on health and wellness items such as health checks, a smoking cessation program, exercise memberships, etc. In Malaysia, we organised quarterly health talks to touch on rising health concerns such as diabetic care and stress management. In Hong Kong, we have an internal wellness consultant engaging team and individuals on exercises and nutrition.”

TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Cigna Essilor AMERA Gardens by the Bay Marina Bay Sands

“The Workplace Health Programme was introduced in 2010 with monthly health and wellness workshops, outdoor activities, cooking classes and weekly exercise classes. Team Member Sports Clubs were formed in 2014 with six official sports and grew with the inclusion of a seventh sport in 2016. The introduction of these programmes creates an opportunity for like-minded employees to bond over a shared purpose of enhancing the employee workplace experience”

Marina Bay Sands

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FEATURES

SPECIAL REPORT: EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

REWARDS & RECOGNITION TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES

Dow Chemical Marina Bay Sands Randstad Royal Plaza on Scotts

“OUR RECOGNITION program encompasses our Values, Leader Attributes, and Core Principles. It is a platform for everyone – employees and managers – to reinforce our culture and recognise performance and behaviour aligned to our culture and values.” These words from one of our participants neatly sum up the vital role of an effective reward and recognition strategy. Such a strategy can be used to reinforce behaviours, foster collaboration, praise high-performers, shine a light on overlooked or neglected quiet achievers, and inspire others to follow suit. In one case, an employer focuses on promoting “Good Decisions” by employees: “Employees can nominate a colleague who has made Good Decisions, based on a framework that guides our employees to use our values to make decisions both big and small by putting customers at the heart of what we do. Winners are selected by on a quarterly basis and receive a significant cash award as recognition. Their stories are also shared with all employees to inspire others.” It’s not just contributions to business outcomes that deserve praise – it’s also appropriate to reward and recognise those who embody ‘organisational spirit’ and inspire ‘wow!’ moments by going above and beyond their duties, as a good number of employers have mentioned. And in line with that, encouraging colleagues to say ‘thank yous’ more often and through different ways may not seem like much, but employers know that the practice helps cultivate an appreciative culture that can have profound impact on employees’ morale. Of course, technology is also shaping this space, with tools now available to provide social and peer-to-peer recognition. The ability to ‘like’ and ‘share’ means recognition has never been more transparent, as a tech company demonstrated: “Colleagues may post an appreciation message on our gamification app, and other colleagues may comment and like the posts. All these recognitions will be seen by everyone on the app across all countries. All colleagues are invited to participate and vote for their ‘Most-Liked Team’ and ‘Most-Liked Individual’ on our gamified app, making recognition transparent to all colleagues.”

“We run an employee engagement program called J1M which stands for ‘Just one more’. This is a program that is run through an internal app for our staff to accord a monthly granted 100 points to anyone in the organisation who has gone above and beyond to contribute to the organisation. This could be for passing a business lead, living the values, going out of their way to help a colleague or going above and beyond in their function … Once a year, we run a Dream Destination Campaign to ensure that top performers are entered in a lucky draw for travel tickets to destinations, priced at $4k, $6k and $8k. There are several initiatives for this which are tied in with our communication and engagement programs”

Randstad

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SECTOR FOCUS

SUCCESSION PLANNING

BUILD YOUR OWN LEADERS Too many companies are underprepared when it comes to grooming future leaders. HRD looks at succession management best practice in 2017 THE PACE of business in 2017 means that longer-term strategic planning can often be jettisoned and replaced with short-term, reaction-based planning, which doesn’t do anyone any favours. One area that should never fall victim to this ‘short-termism’ is succession planning. However, headlines from around the world indicate that this is something large corporates continue to fail on. Research by DDI in 2016 reported that only 15% of HR professionals in 2,000-plus

Three options… DDI’s white paper, Taking your succession management plan into the 21st century, suggested that employers have three options in their approach to succession management. The first option is that they put no plan in place and take an ad hoc approach to talent management. Obviously this approach is not recommended. If no plan is put in place, “it’s only a matter of time before the company erodes from within”. What happens in this

“Succession management is more than just looking at upcoming vacant positions in the organisation” Erwin Lennertz, DDI surveyed organisations rated their future bench strength as strong. Just as worrying, for less than half of the critical positions in those organisations, there were no internal candidates ready and waiting in the wings. “It’s fair to say that succession planning is a challenge for many organisations,” says Erwin Lennertz, senior consultant at DDI. “Even though we see a lot of talent management activities, organisations reach out to us to guide them towards creating a holistic succession management approach.”

scenario is the weakest performers will stay on because they feel safe or, even worse, will become the mediocre leaders of tomorrow. The white paper noted: “This upward seep of mediocrity, coupled with the loss of top performers frustrated because their efforts go unrewarded, can lead to irreparable damage to an organisation.” A second option is to look to the external market for talent. This ‘fresh blood’ approach can benefit the company, especially if it means benefiting from an infusion of new ideas or a

fresh perspective. In fact, a DDI survey of more than 1,000 executives found that organisations prefer to go outside to fill 20–30% of senior leadership positions, opting to fill the remainder from the inside. However, DDI’s white paper warned that going outside for executive talent is an expensive, time-consuming process. It noted: “The search for the right candidate can leave your organisation with open positions and lost opportunities; it can even hamstring your ability to follow through on planned business initiatives. The cost of an executive search can easily stretch into six figures. Meanwhile, the starting pay of a senior leader brought in from the outside is almost always higher than that paid to someone promoted from within.” Clearly, the third option – ‘grow your own leaders from within’ – is preferable.

Making it a business priority The overarching goal of a holistic approach to succession, Lennertz says, is to build a commitment to succession management and to elevate leadership growth into a competitive business priority. This frequently involves forecasting leadership scenarios, gathering precise data about the organisation’s people, and propelling emerging leaders into new challenges that build skills. “We’ll help clients think about the assets they already have that can be transformed into sources of energy and acceleration so that they can generate the leadership they need when and where the business needs it,” he says. “To create sustainable overall talent management, the business landscape needs to be clear and the organisation needs to know what the talent implications are in order to define the right succession management approach.”

A leadership approach With DDI’s goal of holistic and sustainable succession management in mind, leadership plays a critical role. Indeed, DDI aims to

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THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY hardwire leadership capabilities into the future of the clients they work with. The goal is to align talent to the business with: • a definition of the key drivers for your organisation, which include the strategic priorities, the business landscape, and the challenges your leaders will face • a holistic profile of leaders in the organisation, by defining the competencies, experience, knowledge and personal attributes required for them to be successful And while the focus of most succession management has traditionally been only on senior roles, Lennertz says that with a solid “leadership approach”, an organisation can take a much broader approach and look at a variety of crucial positions. Lennertz hastens to add that whether an organisation has a lot of movement or not – or even hierarchical layers to move to – will influence the succession management

While Erwin Lennertz of DDI is happy to see that many organisations have succession management on their strategic agenda, there’s still work to be done in terms of utilising all tools available to make succession processes as efficient and user-friendly as possible. Lennertz explains: “Within DDI we have shifted our paradigm from seeing technology as an enabler to seeing technology as an integral part of our approach and solutions. For instance, online assessment solutions and virtual learning solutions are part of our daily practice. The tools used to support the execution of succession management are increasingly based on technology.”

approach. However, it shouldn’t exclude succession management; it merely means the organisation should adjust the ‘planning’ part of the process. “Succession management is more than just looking at upcoming vacant positions in the organisation,” he says. “The organisation will have to anticipate trends relating to growth, change, turnover, etc. In general, and maybe even more within a flatter structure, there is a need and opportunity to cater for horizontal growth that might lead to vertical growth in the organisation.” Indeed, development based on horizontal movement can help a person become more

of an ‘all-rounder’ and help to build holistic leaders for the future. If the business landscape is clear, strategic priorities are defined and eventually a clear view of future capability needs is outlined, the ‘career lattice’ can be part of the answer when there appear to be fewer opportunities for upwards development.

Acceleration Pools There are other possible strategies to ensure that growing leaders from within becomes the default option. First, it’s time to shift existing processes to the 21st century. DDI’s research indicates that many succession management systems are outdated.

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SECTOR FOCUS

SUCCESSION PLANNING Brought to you by

WHY IS SUCCESSION A PRIORITY? DDI has identified five key reasons why succession management should be at the top of the strategic agenda: • An exodus of baby boomers in many countries is creating a shortage of experienced leaders. As a result, millennials – with different expectations and views on leadership – will be filling open slots from the C-suite down. • High-quality leadership plays a key role in employee engagement. When leaders don’t have the skills to engage their workforces, business productivity and talent retention suffer. • Digital disruption is requiring a new set of competencies, such as 360-degree thinking and hyper-collaboration. • Leadership is very much becoming a global value proposition. Organisations must find, develop, and nurture leaders who can work across cultural boundaries and manage multiple operations in different countries. • Inclusiveness is becoming a leadership issue for more than social/cultural reasons. DDI’s research shows that higherperforming companies have double the number of females in leadership compared to their lower-performing counterparts.

DDI We work side by side with people who are relentless about identifying and developing leaders. Because better leaders lead to a better future, we’ve been obsessed with the science and practice of leadership. We help clients define and achieve great leadership at every level of the organisation. Areas of expertise: Strategy, Selection, Development, Succession Management.

This is clearly demonstrated in cases where senior managers are asked to identify replacements for themselves – and sometimes for their direct reports – and estimate when those individuals will be ready to step up into the new role. DDI noted: “In our experience, most organisations with designated replacements fill only about one-third of their management positions with individuals targeted by the system. Constant, rapid changes in jobs, organisational structure, and business strategy render the traditional replacement-planning approach ineffective.” DDI suggests an ‘Acceleration Pool’ system is far more effective. This represents a drastic departure from traditional replacement

freed from the annual chore of completing replacement-planning forms, have more time to focus on tracking pool members’ skill and knowledge development – that is, on cultivating tomorrow’s leaders.” While Acceleration Pool members are not slotted for specific jobs, the variety of senior management positions throughout an organisation must be considered when deciding on the pool’s makeup. Senior leaders must remember that the make-up of the pool equals the make-up of the company’s future executive leadership. There can also be variations of the basic pool structure. A larger organisation, for example, might have two pools – one starting at the supervisory and professional individual

HR is often criticised for becoming too embroiled in the finer details at the expense of looking at the big picture – and the same is true of succession management planning. Instead of targeting one or two handpicked people for each executive position, an Acceleration Pool grooms a group of highpotential candidates for executive jobs in general. As the name implies, the development of these high-potentials is accelerated. Pool members, who can enter the pool at any organisational level or at any age: • get assignments that offer the best learning and highest-visibility opportunities • spend less time in assignments • receive ‘stretch’ assignments • get more training • attend developmental activities designed especially for them The DDI white paper said that in an Acceleration Pool system senior executives no longer needed to worry about who would back up whom in their organisation, except for the top positions. The report noted: “Executives,

contributor level and one starting at the middle management level.

An evolving process HR is often criticised for becoming too embroiled in the finer details at the expense of looking at the big picture – and the same is true of succession management. When the organisation has a clear view of what needs to be developed and by when, it can start thinking about the how. “If the individual is unable to develop needed skills and behaviour in the current role, stretch assignments, projects, job rotation, overseas experience and so forth and so on, can offer the chance to develop these,” Lennertz says. “Time and time again it will be crucial to define and anticipate the added value of the step to be taken.”

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RECOGNISING THE NEXT GENERATION OF HR INDUSTRY LEADERS HRD's second annual Rising Stars report will profile the next generation of HR leaders. If you are working alongside a HR professional making a significant contribution to their team, organisation and the HR industry as a whole in the early stages of their career, submit your nomination online now.

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RETENTION SPECIAL REPORT

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

GETTING BACK TO BASICS Sometimes the bells and whistles get in the way of why recognition is so important in the first place. HRD outlines why the fundamentals matter FEW WOULD disagree that the workplace has changed more in the last two or three years than it probably has in the preceding two decades – and these changes are making it harder than ever to successfully engage employees. Consider the following: demographics have changed; there are more part-time and casual workers; people don’t necessarily have a bricks-and-mortar place to show up to work; and there’s an increasing need (and demand) for flexible workplaces – to name just a few upheavals.

In a complex world, it can pay dividends to return to basics. But just what is best practice reward and recognition in 2017?

Reward vs recognition Firstly, a clarification is needed. While it appears that ‘reward’ is often tied directly to ‘recognition’, it seems some organisations typically favour one over the other – but it may not be the right one. Jeremy Salter, Employee Engagement Lead at Grass Roots Asia-Pacific, suggests

“Many leaders don’t realise the importance of giving frequent, timely and relevant recognition” Colin Ng, Grass Roots “The changes taking place are forcing HR professionals to think about the practices and the ways in which we connect with our employees and the way we facilitate their successes and their achievements on a dayto-day basis,” says Colin Ng, Sales Director, Singapore, Grass Roots Asia-Pacific. Ng says new technology is adding another layer of complexity – but also a new wave of solutions – for employers who want to acknowledge the exceptional work of their employees.

the amount an organisation invests in discretionary rewards is typically far greater than the amount invested in employee recognition. This is perhaps surprising as the evidence suggests that employee recognition is a more effective motivational tool than employee reward. An underinvestment in recognition can reflect an overdependence on reward. In some organisations recognition and reward are joined at the hip. The value of recognition is contingent upon the size of the reward.

One way to reduce this costly dependence on reward is to increase the stand-alone value of recognition within an organisation. Social technologies have helped. Social recognition programs amplify the value of employee recognition by increasing immediacy and visibility. Salter suggests the stand-alone value of employee recognition is further enhanced by integrating employee recognition with other talent management processes, including performance, recruiting and onboarding. One other factor as to why ‘reward’ is less appealing is simply the cost to the business. Industry benchmarks suggest 1–2% of payroll should be allocated to non-cash reward (ie outside of payroll). However, challenges including FBT compliance for employees mean such rates could be excessive. The inverse of course is also true. Too little reward and employees will see that it is tokenistic and not worth the discretionary effort to strive for. “Whilst reward is important and should be used in conjunction with a modern recognition program, it’s the organisations that take employee recognition seriously who are reducing their dependence upon reward,” says Ng.

Getting the foundations right Ng suggests there are three critical aspects to consider for any organisation looking to clean the slate and reinvent its recognition program. 1. Culture. If a company values its culture, it’s essential to define its purpose. Bersin by Deloitte, in its Predictions for 2017 report, suggests that companies with a strong sense of purpose and a clearly defined set of cultural values outperform their peers. So the basis for any recognition program must be the vision, mission and objectives that the business is centred on. “By aligning recognition behaviour to values or priorities, each time a person recognises a colleague they are

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SUCCESS OVER THE LONG TERM

Increasing maturity

Full alignment Impacting EVP Insights Measuring ROI

THIRD FLOOR Engage and align

Moving into steady state Data-driven planning Growth/new programs Communications

SECOND FLOOR Culture of recognition

Launch success Early adoption Sponsorship of multiple levels

FIRST FLOOR Adoption

Back to basics is good, but it is super critical to develop a new approach to R&R with a long-term vision, like the one illustrated above, as it helps sell the concept of what modern R&R can be within a business. First floor – Get the business to adopt the program. Launch it well with a good brand, and promote early adoption via champions and stories. Ensure you have sponsors in each business unit. Second floor – The steady state. Data drives decision-making on what communication campaigns to run to drive further recognition activity. Continue to work with leaders to ensure they know what good recognition is and when to use it. Third floor – The program is embedded as a cultural icon within your business. Show what impact R&R has had and how those results are helping you meet the strategic plan and objectives of the business. A vision, like that illustrated, enables senior leaders to understand the change and impact that is possible with modern R&R.

reinforcing the culture of their organisation,” Ng says. 2. Making the case for change. HR arguably has the chief role to play in creating the case for change. Quite often that case involves tough conversations around reward and recognition budgets that have evolved in the hands of business owners over time. Key considerations include: • Budgets – Are they centralised or decentralised? Do you need to ‘sweep the corridors’ to secure funding? • ROI – What are the measures you will be judged by? Great recognition lowers

turnover – is this what the CEO will buy into or is it more about aligning employees to company strategy through behaviours? • Data quality – Do you have a single view of your employees? • Who are the key business stakeholders that need to endorse your views and plans? • Do technology barriers or other technology projects (ie HRIS upgrade) exist that could influence how your new approach to R&R is prioritised within your business? • What is the profile of your workforce? Are they dispersed, more online than offline, in locations with limited Wi-Fi, or more blue collar than white collar?

3. Bringing the program to life. Ng suggests the best programs start centralised and evolve to feel like the business as a whole ‘owns’ recognition. While HR might be the catalyst for change, when employees feel the act of recognition is within their control, the organisation has achieved R&R maturity.

All about culture Adding to these foundational elements is the culture of an organisation. Does it foster recognition? Although recognition is actually one of the simplest things to do, Ng says we often find it hard, because we may

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RETENTION SPECIAL REPORT

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

TWO RECOGNITION SUCCESS STORIES Telstra completely rethought the way it looked at R&R five years ago to help the organisation put the customer at the centre of its employees’ worlds. Zing was the resulting recognition program – social, peer-to-peer, democratic. The result: a 12% lift in attitudes to how employees are recognised and rewarded at Telstra. And a new, positive recognition language about ‘Zinging’ was created! A regional Asia-Pacific airline determined that the reward element of its R&R strategy wasn’t increasing people’s engagement. By increasing the stand-alone value of recognition, they were able to reduce their reward spend by 80%, yet increase the recognition activity by over 100%. Recognition is no longer contingent on reward.

feel embarrassed about giving or receiving in-person praise; or we are separated by geography or even floors in an office; or the organisation has made it hard through complicated nomination programs that take weeks to get recognition to the actual employee. “Most leaders understand the power of recognition. But many don’t realise the importance of giving frequent, timely and relevant recognition both in person and via programs like those run by Grass Roots,” Ng says. To ensure leaders in businesses know what good recognition is, Grass Roots has launched Achievers University. Available to administrators within Grass Roots programs, the University has modules to help train people in what good recognition looks like and why it’s

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of work’ so employees don’t have to think about recognising someone, they are able to just do it. The Achievers Employee Success platform, now in the Asia-Pacific through Grass Roots, makes it easier for businesses to integrate more recognition activity in the one place. Using open APIs – widgets that can be deployed in just about any application – and modules such as Engagement Pulse, the Achievers hub ensures that employees don’t have to access multiple systems, removing a key barrier for businesses looking to develop their R&R strategy. Native mobile apps then extend the usability of technology. “You can empower your employees now to witness a great act at the end of a day and have an employee recognise another for thinking ‘Customer First’. That person’s manager reads the

“It’s the organisations that take employee recognition seriously who are reducing their dependence upon reward” Colin Ng, Grass Roots

GRASS ROOTS Grass Roots is one of the world’s leading providers of customer and employee engagement solutions. With our Achievers Employee Success platform we help businesses better engage their employees through social recognition, helping increase employee engagement and ultimately creating a happier, healthier and safer workplace. Visit www.achievers.com.sg to find out more.

important to be recognising people every day. This enables HR leaders to work with their peers to implement the best practice R&R for their business. Leaders also need real-time data. Comprehensive reporting suites are needed to inform leaders of how they and their teams are recognising and rewarding their colleagues. Finally, the role of the C-suite should never be underestimated. Telstra’s program (see boxout above) was so successful because former CEO David Thodey was one of the highest givers of recognition. This was visible to all employees through recognition news feeds, helping make recognition a new communication channel.

Recognition in the flow of work To truly create a culture that fosters recognition, it’s necessary to build recognition into the ‘flow

recognition, promotes it via an Everyday Award – think a nominal fixed value such as $50 – and the recognised employee gets a double burst of recognition. And with the mobile app, employees can see the recognition immediately and can even spend the reward on a treat or the basics such as shopping on their way home.”

A helping hand Truly meaningful reward and recognition strategies need to be broader and to encompass more elements than ever, as the nature of what people want to be recognised for, and the different types of reward that now exist, add complexity to a dramatically different HR environment. Technology – and trusted business partners – can ensure your workplace not only survives these tumultuous times, but thrives.

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RETENTION SPECIAL REPORT

TALENT MANAGEMENT

NEVER RUN DRY Succession planning is about ensuring the talent pool never runs dry, yet many businesses are guilty of an ad hoc approach to succession for HR roles. HRD provides some tips for doing it better SOMETIMES HR professionals can be so focused on the big picture in terms of engagement, retention and recruitment that they can overlook disturbing trends occurring closer to home. A key finding of the Frazer Jones 2017–2018 APAC HR Market Trends & Salary Guide was that a significant 56% of HR professionals themselves anticipate changing jobs in the next 12 months. For HR leaders in the region, this should set alarm bells ringing. Thousands of HR professionals across 11 countries were surveyed as part of Frazer Jones’ research, with the intention of identifying not

salary they received. Indeed, 75% of surveyed HR professionals were generally satisfied with their salary and bonuses. “I’m not surprised by the result,” says Tong. “Salary used to be the driver for job change. However, in the challenging market we have right now, HR professionals are very cautious in their job search and will only make a move if there’s an excellent opportunity with a stable organisation. This is why enhanced career prospects and relationship with direct manager have been identified as being so critical.”

“Proactive succession planning really leaves the organisation well prepared for all contingencies” Sean Tong just global but also regional challenges and opportunities facing HR professionals, and to get a ‘pulse’ of the profession. Fortunately, while that job churn may sound worrying, the report also identified what’s likely to keep HR employees in their current workplaces.

While the truism that people join organisations and leave managers will probably always be cited, highlighting the eternal challenge of mismatched personalities and unpleasant bosses, there’s more that HR can do when it comes to identifying internal career prospects, even for themselves.

Internal career prospects Sean Tong, Head of Frazer Jones, Asia, tells HRD that while remuneration for HR professionals remains an important element in retention, it’s not the most important factor when it comes to retaining staff. Their role and responsibilities, career prospects, the relationship with their direct manager, and the culture of their company were all ranked higher by survey participants than the

Talent mapping and succession planning Tong says there’s still plenty of work to be done when it comes to succession planning. Indeed, he notes that in many Asian nations succession planning is handled in a somewhat haphazard manner. “Often it’s done informally,” he says. “There might only be verbal agreements or

plans made, but nothing is formally mapped out either in performance reviews or at other times of the year.” In Tong’s view, succession planning is an ongoing process to ensure that the talent pool never dries up, which also forms a critical part of a talent strategy that ensures employees remain engaged. “People will feel motivated when they see opportunities and growth,” he says. For Tong, succession planning is about proactive talent sourcing, regardless of whether that talent is sourced externally or internally. If it involves going to the external market for talent, the link to effective recruitment is paramount. “Proactive succession planning really leaves the organisation well prepared for all contingencies, whether that’s organisational redesign or other major changes,” he says. “You don’t want to be without suitable replacements in the face of organisational change. If you’re looking internally, it’s about bench strength and ensuring you have replacements ready if you opt to promote someone. Externally it’s more like a courtship, building up relationships over time with key candidates.”

4 HOT SPECIALTY ROLES IN 2017–18

Talent management

Leadership development

Change management

Organisation development

Source: Frazer Jones 2017–2018 APAC HR Market Trends & Salary Guide

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What goes wrong? Tong says there are three fundamental flaws in how succession planning is currently handled by many organisations – and all are avoidable. First, there’s an unfortunate paradox at play – some management teams feel that external candidates are more exciting or more promising than internal candidates. On the other side of the coin is when there’s a great internal candidate and management sees no need to look externally. “It’s best to look both internally and externally,” says Tong, who adds that internal moves can be particularly challenging in cases where the incumbent simply doesn’t leave. This is especially the case where baby boomers are working longer to fund retirement plans or simply don’t wish to stop working. “It’s about managing expectations of successors. It’s impossible to ensure succession plans will work without fault, but we can always ensure expectations are met and communication lines are open with successors,” Tong says. Secondly, too many succession plans focus on past experience and not future success. “If we look at top HR roles, like CHRO or regional HR directors, a lot of those internal succession plans only look at those people with similar past experience,” Tong says. “That’s not really looking at future skills and their ability to grow. Unfortunately, looking at past experience is no guarantee of future success, so it can result in failure in the senior role.” Finally, Tong says succession planning is most commonly considered as HR’s responsibility, which is a mistake. “It’s deemed HR’s job. It’s not a strategic imperative where other leaders get involved – that means it’s not given the priority it needs. However, we’ve seen time and time again what the results are when a key senior leader leaves and there’s no one to replace them.”

Succession in flat hierarchies There are still opportunities to develop future successors in organisations that have few levels in the hierarchy. The traditional ‘career ladder’ is being replaced by the ‘career lattice’, which

4 KEY TRENDS FOR HR HIRING IN 2017-18

More stringent hiring processes to identify strong talents and a focus on culture and personality fit

High emphasis on the total employee value proposition: ADR ideology (Attraction, Development, Retention)

Being a more inclusive employer; diversity in the workplace, advocating for more female leadership, culture building, pro-family policies. (Across the region, approximately 60% of senior HR leadership roles are represented by females)

Stronger demand for HR professionals who are business-savvy and have a strong affinity with and understanding of their businesses across Asia (particularly professionals who have dealt with HR issues in neighbouring countries, emerging markets and China)

Why did you leave your previous position? Enhanced career prospects Management Increase in salary

What's the most important aspect of your role? Direct manager Company culture Role and responsibilities Source: Frazer Jones 2017–2018 APAC HR Market Trends & Salary Guide

allows for greater cross-departmental moves and greater opportunities to work on short- and long-term projects. In addition, as Frazer Jones’ survey indicates, many HR professionals are keen to relocate internationally for the right opportunity. “Seventy-three per cent would consider moving overseas for the right opportunity,” says Tong. “Really it’s all about providing those opportunities as employers.” He adds that in the Asia region there’s a desperate need for HR professionals with global – not just regional – experience. Those candidates will be prioritised by many hiring managers. Tong also suggests that broadening the career portfolio could be a way to get cutthrough while still obtaining great experience. “I’ve seen HR business partners and talent acquisition specialists move into other roles, like talent management, leadership and organisational development roles – all of which are currently in demand in the Asia market. Those moves really change their responsibilities and portfolio. My belief is you want to be an all-rounder, a jack of all trades, before you rise up to HR director level.” In his experience, Tong says the path to senior HR roles is usually best handled by those

who have had 15–20 years acquiring different skills and holding different responsibilities, rather than “rank and file generalists”. He adds: “Of course it’s up to each individual, but those who have spent time in multiple HR specialist roles tend to know what the team is doing and are better advisers to the business.”

Looking ahead The Frazer Jones 2017–2018 APAC HR Market Trends & Salary Guide suggests that, despite modest labour demand, there are positive signs for HR in the region, and the specialist recruiter anticipates demand within HR will continue to increase into 2018. As more job opportunities arise for HR professionals, the onus will be on HR leaders to retain their team members. “Today, salary data is easily accessed, which means competitors within the same industry or even different industries are able to match the salary,” says Tong. “The only option is to be one step ahead when it comes to career opportunities, and also offer what has been proven to attract and retain employees. On that front, we’ll see a stronger emphasis placed on the total employee value proposition and what we refer to as ADR [Attraction, Development, Retention] ideology.”

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RETENTION SPECIAL REPORT

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

HR ROCKS – IN A GOOD WAY With a wide range of companies demanding and actively leading the development of more progressive forms of HR, Ben Whitter asks if a fresh focus on employee experience might provide the answer A wide range of companies are demanding and actively leading the development of more progressive forms of HR. The models and approaches can be quite different, but we get the point completely: HR is changing, and the early convoy of bandwagons is growing in number every day. I say wagons in the traditional sense, but it may be more appropriate to say a convoy of Tesla Model S 70Ds, the ‘Car of the 21st Century’. Perhaps that would better express the supercharged, revamped and sustainable model this new HR represents?

Tesla’s approach

RUN FROM anyone who believes traditional HR is ‘a good thing’. That’s an essential requirement for any prospective HR practitioner at Tesla, says HR VP Mark Lipscomb. The movement to shift HR to a new place continues, and the HR profession is really rocking now. Depending on your view, it’s either rocking in a great way or simply being rocked by changing expectations in the workplace and HR’s evolving role within the business as new HR models continue to rise and shape our collective future.

If any company represents progress, it’s CEO Elon Musk’s Tesla. Its defining mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transport, and it is, at the same time, producing zero-emissions electric cars that are being rated as the ‘best ever’. Globally, Tesla is on the ball too, as it is expecting equal or higher sales in China than in the US by 2021. The challenges this brings, especially within HR in terms of attracting and retaining top talent, cannot be underestimated.

The HR rock star being advocated at Tesla is a good example to take note of. In fact, we didn’t need any deep insights to understand what Tesla’s vision is for the type of HR the company wants to see from the get-go. This type of HR is a fully fledged and integral part of the business. There seems to be a zero-tolerance approach to any kind of disconnect between the business and HR. There are some great one-liners to sum this up. For example, applicants for HR roles must absolutely: “Speak ‘business’, not ‘HR’. We don’t much like ‘HR’ lingo, and some of it is just silly … PIP this!” Here are some more of the criteria (see box) set out in Lipscomb’s recruitment post, which is also used as the standard on Tesla’s careers website for its HR roles. Are you missing all the HR speak yet? This is not your typical HR job ad. It sounds more like an HR role in a Star Wars movie.

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TESLA’S HR RECRUITMENT PITCH Make the impossible possible. Be a leader throughout Tesla – speak up, exert influence to create positive change and manage your boss, when needed. We are all human, except those who are robots. Be a trusted business partner and coach to our leaders. Have some popcorn with them on Wednesday afternoons every now and then. Understand our business and how what you do helps it accelerate at rocket speeds. Please remember to wear a seatbelt when you do this. When you think you are done, make it better. Prove your value every day. Work that doesn’t add value is not valuable. Be you! Being someone else all day is just plain exhausting. Love change; it happens here at the speed of light … maybe faster, but we have been unable to measure it because it is going too damn fast. Be proactive; we move too fast to be reactive. Plus, people that are always reacting have a funny look on their face. Love to be challenged … no, REALLY CHALLENGED. Recognise others and they will recognise you. Most of us like chocolate. Know, learn and keep up to date on the HR stuff. Learn something new every day. Not doing so is just dumb. But how could it possibly be any other way? This is a company that is changing the world and expects its HR team to do the same. World-changing HR: I like the sound of that. This certainly looks and feels more like HR as a true business leader.

A shift to employee experience? We continue to see demand climbing for the new type of HR professional in both operational and higher-level HR roles. This, coupled with the strategic plays to bring together services under the employee experience umbrella on a global or organisation-wide basis, presents a

compelling and potentially extremely successful combination to drive HR forward with confidence. It is different this time round as we transition from engagement to experience thinking. When practitioners talk of engagement it traditionally has felt like something was missing from the discussion. Experience brings the whole of HR and much more into play. It appears somehow more complete, with massive potential to clearly demonstrate value and impact on

growing number of HR practitioners trying on this new (or at the very least evolved) hat and liking its comfortable fit. In saying that, some HR practitioners and business leaders will comment that it’s very easy to create a nice new title and brand for HR, but the proof, as always, is in the pudding. That’s why it’s so revealing to take a look at the accompanying job descriptions for these roles. Companies are lining up behind the titles and setting out the much broader mandate required for success, which

World-changing HR: I like the sound of that. This certainly looks and feels more like HR as a true business leader business performance. We may be seeing shifts in the recruitment of HR folk to keep up with this thinking, but there is no doubt the focus on employee experience exploded around the world in 2015 across sectors. Gina O’Reilly, COO of Nitro and dedicated ‘Nitronaut’, has already experienced the benefits of moving to a strategic employee experience focus. Nitro is a software company that is “changing the way the world works with documents” and a company that has grasped the potential of pressing reset on their HR function. At Nitro, “Employee Experience (Ex) is first and foremost about protecting and supporting employees,” which incorporates Maslow’s work on the hierarchy of needs. For Nitro, what this means is a company focused on creating job satisfaction, happiness and success for its staff. This, according to a company that has grown its revenue “35–40% year-on-year” over the past five years, is crucial to business success. The flood of adverts now seeking a ‘director of employee experience’ provides further evidence and assurance that this is not simply a shiny new concept, thing or HR fad but something that businesses are really taking very seriously in terms of how they develop and connect their business performance. So, a flash in the pan it isn’t, and I note the

generally includes all the key services and functions that affect the employee experience across the business, as seen in companies like Airbnb. Yet, in reality, the models will continue to differ as businesses build their own versions of the new HR. The overwhelmingly positive response from businesses and HR practitioners to this shift to employee experience for HR is very exciting, however, and has the potential to finally position HR in a true business leadership role. What’s the key to keeping this employee experience movement going? Well, that’s the easy bit. To summarise Tesla’s ethos: make the impossible happen, love change, prove value, and be proactive … because nobody within our incredibly meaningful profession would like to see that ‘funny look’ on our faces if we ever realise that the ship (or model S 70D) has sailed (driven off ) without us. Ben Whitter leads the organisation and people development function at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), which was the first Sino-foreign university to open its doors in China. In the top 1% of universities worldwide, UNNC is an award-winning university with a truly global perspective. This article first appeared on Ben’s LinkedIn page.

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RETENTION SPECIAL REPORT

CULTURE

HRD MEETS THE KING OF CULTURE High-school dropout Stan Slap has instilled his people-first management ethos into organisations all over the world. He talks to Nicola Middlemiss about why all roads lead to culture “I DON’T consider myself a role model for a well-planned life,” admits Stan Slap when asked how he achieved his phenomenal success despite dropping out of high school. “It all turned out OK, but that’s more serendipity than anything else,” he insists. “It could have gone bad.” The suggestion that everything turned out OK is a ludicrous understatement. Since starting his namesake organisation, SLAP, 25 years ago, the San Francisco-based management consultant has conducted business in more than 70 countries, earned superlative praise from some of the world’s most respected corporate leaders, and signed a three-book deal with British publishing house Penguin. The latter, Slap says, is one of his biggest achievements. “I’m a huge reader, and writers are heroes to me,” he reveals. “The ability to take a few dozen letters and turn them into these transportational works of art is always something I’ve been stunned by, and I just really wanted to do it myself.”

A people-first approach Slap acknowledges that his best-selling books are far from the fictional masterpieces that have captured his attention since he was a kid. But they’re a refreshing alternative to the typical stuffy management books. Slap’s books offer a muchneeded glimpse into what businesses could look like if leaders dared to shake up their priorities and put people first. “I believe that the lack of humanity in business is a global issue and it affects

everybody,” Slap says, when asked why he decided to write a business book rather than pursue his personal passion for fiction. “No matter how many clients we took on, we couldn’t get through the scale we needed to, so the book was a tool to get to that scale.”

Everyone has to start somewhere It’s clear that Slap is on a mission to change the status quo of global corporations, so I asked him how it all started. “For me, the worst thing that one human being can do to another – short of actually killing somebody – is to make somebody feel small,” he begins. “So the passion that started to drive my company in the early days was the notion that nobody should be diminished by business, working in it or buying from it.” While colleagues shared his compassionate ethos, the same couldn’t be said for everyone. “Everybody in my company loved that idea,

so I naively assumed that every other company would love it too,” he laughs. “I’d go to these meetings with clients and say, ‘You know what’s really important here – nobody should be diminished by business, working in or buying from it’, and I’d get this immediate, intense, rabid disinterest. They’d be like, ‘OK, yeah that’s beautiful. Now back to these numbers’.” This lukewarm reaction led Slap to focus solely on culture. “I realised that if I was really going to change the standard, I’d have to find something that was of compelling interest to people – and that’s what led me to culture, because culture is where the humans gather in business,” he explains.

All roads lead to culture SLAP carved out its consulting niche by starting with a proprietary definition of what a culture is, then figuring out how it operates, and finally identifying the biggest potential gain for an

3 BIG CULTURES 1. Manager culture: “The biggest issue for the enterprise is the gaining of emotional commitment – a company can gain financial commitment, intellectual commitment and physical commitment, but those combined aren’t as important as emotional commitment,” Slap warns. “Emotional commitment will translate as managers taking on a company’s success as a personal crusade. Sometimes you get that in the early garage days or in times of tremendous pain or gain, but you need self-sustained emotional commitment for prolonged success.” 2. Employee culture: “It doesn’t matter how well strategies are planned; it’s how well they’re implemented that counts, and that success depends entirely on your employee culture,” Slap stresses. “Ultimately, the employee culture has the power to make or break any management plan.” 3. Customer culture: “The biggest compliment that a company can be given is if its customer-culture company brands it,” Slap says. “This means you have transferred sustainability of your company to your customer and they advertise themselves for you.”

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3 BIG QUESTIONS You left home at 16 and never finished high school. How would you say that influenced you? “I think it gave me an appreciation for the importance of character and a very well-chosen community of people. I was on my own and had to figure a lot of stuff out, and I think it just gave me different parameters to what I look at – because everything I did had big consequences, and there wasn’t necessarily going to be any coverage for that, so I really had to think through the implications of things.”

“I believe that the lack of humanity in business is a global issue and it affects everybody” enterprise in regard to its manager culture, its employee culture and its customer culture. “Culture is the most overused and often least understood concept in business,” Slap asserts. “Our expertise is in understanding how the three cultures in business actually work, then maximising their commitment to the enterprise. “I knew that if I could reposition these three cultures back to the enterprise as newly precious workable assets, the enterprise would protect them,” he explains. “An enterprise will instinctively protect anything that’s an asset – especially if it’s just been presented as newly squeezable – and you can’t protect these three cultures without protecting the humanity they represent.” The biggest challenge, Slap says, is getting other organisations to realise the true value – and power – company cultures hold. “The problem is that if you don’t understand what a culture is, you don’t understand the manifestations of real cultural impact,” he says. “You wouldn’t understand leadership,

you wouldn’t understand strategic execution, and you wouldn’t understand branding – all of those things are purely cultural play.”

Everyone has an opinion… Many HR professionals are well aware of the vital importance culture can play. However, Slap says some organisations still falsely categorise culture as “soft and fluffy”, so everyone feels confident to assert their misguided opinions – even if they’re not experts. “A lot of the challenge is, without making somebody feel like an idiot when they’re very accomplished, gently but firmly rewiring the definitions of culture and helping them realise what’s really possible,” he explains. Despite quantifiable evidence of his success and gushing testimony from the likes of Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, HSBC, Microsoft and many, many more, Slap says some organisations still stubbornly resist change. “I would say that, without naming them, the toughest companies to work with are the ones that operate with a fundamental contempt

Despite your unconventional start, did you always expect to achieve big things? “I can’t claim that kind of retroactive self-awareness. Really it was kind of a guided missile. I was always – even as a little kid – unusually fascinated by business. Just the act of commerce and business as a conduit for humanity always fascinated me. While some kids were looking at baseball, I always had this thing for business. “Did I think I was going to be successful at it? There’s no way to answer that question without sounding like an arrogant snot.” You’ve done business in more than 70 countries. Is there somewhere you enjoy working the most? “Each country has its own attractions. Then there are a lot of larger countries – some of the Asian ones – where there’s just such a tremendous desire and an eagerness to learn. In Asian culture, the sense of longevity and humility that a lot of companies have is just such a delight. “In Norway, their definition of trust is just phenomenal – it’s distinct from any other country that I know of. You start with trust; you start with that equity that you are trustworthy as an individual, as an enterprise, as a government entity – but if you ever burn that trust you might as well leave the country.” of their employees and customers,” Slap says. “Either that, or the ones that are just trying to divert attention from previously committed heinous acts, when they’re not really repentant. “We don’t do that anymore,” he adds. “Those were very early mistakes we made in the company, but we have great radar for that now.”

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FEATURES

INSIDE HR

ALL FOR ONE Barclays is rapidly becoming the world leader in diversity and inclusion, but it’s in disability inclusion and accessibility that it’s truly blazing a path 46

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‘A SOLUTION for one becomes a solution for many.’ That’s the call to action that Barclays has rallied behind globally for the past several years when it comes to diversity and inclusion. It’s especially pertinent when that solution is designed and implemented for people who identify as having some form of disability. The Barclays global D&I strategy has five pillars: gender, disability, LGBT, multicultural and multigenerational. Mark McLane, head of global diversity and inclusion at Barclays, explains that ‘a solution for one becomes a solution for many’ means fundamentally understanding the accessibility needs of the bank’s customers and employees. “It means we have more inclusive business solutions that, quite honestly, some of us may

be to make the card red, especially if that’s a colour on the spectrum that can be more clearly seen than others. “They could also use a big arrow so it looks like a hotel room key,” McLane says. “For visual impairment across the spectrum, being able to quickly differentiate my ATM card from my credit card, to have that sense of independence in banking, is really what it all comes down to.”

A design-thinking approach It’s not just customers who benefit – it’s also the company’s 120,000 employees around the world. Barclays has made inclusive technology mission-critical. McLane says it may sound simple, but even steps such

“The gravest concern is not knowing what colleagues need to make them successful” Mark McLane, Barclays not even think of as being a solution until we see that in action,” he says. To cite one example, Barclays’ talking ATMs are today being used to help individuals with visual impairment. “As you get older and need reading glasses, sometimes the print at an ATM on a very sunny day can be difficult to see, but once you take your headset out and plug it in, you now have a voiceactivated machine,” McLane says. Another example is Barclays’ highvisibility debit cards, which use the principles and technology of ‘personalised’ debit cards. While many people would use an image of their partner or children on the card, an infinitely more practical use might

as ensuring that all corporate videos are subtitled can make a big difference. “It’s putting the work in at the front end, not the back end, not as a bolt-on,” he says. “That’s transformational for the organisation. With something as simple as subtitling videos, I’ve had colleagues say to me, ‘In this new hot-desking environment, all computers have speakers, but now with my colleagues sitting next to me, I can watch a leadership video and read the subtitling.’ That’s not something I would have thought about in the past, but again, you can see it’s taking something that improves the lives of a few that really improves the lives of many.” In many ways, Barclays has taken a design-thinking approach to its inclusive

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FEATURES

INSIDE HR SHARING BEST PRACTICE Mark McLane outlines three key steps Barclays has taken to lead the company towards the highest-ever score in the UK’s Disability Standard. The Barclays mobile banking app is the first banking app to be accredited by Ability Net for its accessibility.

Able to Enable, a campaign focusing on accessibility in employment, is an expansion of the Barclays internship and apprenticeship programs. It reaches out specifically to those who identify as having a disability to help the company become a better employment destination for them.

This is Me, now in its fourth year, started out as a mental health and wellness campaign focusing on colleagues sharing how they manage their mental health and wellness and their careers at Barclays. Today it has become more generally about disability. In the past three years, Barclays has also partnered with the Lord Mayor of London to launch the initiative into the city. In turn, 80 companies in the City of London have deployed similar campaigns.

Barclays celebrates D&I on five fronts: gender, disability, LGBT, multicultural and multigenerational

solutions. “You must start with the user,” McLane says. “Although I’m the chief diversity officer, I started my career in sales and marketing, so I always think of the end user. You must have the end user in the room. But having you in the room is not enough – we also have to listen. We have to take advantage of your voice being in the room. You have to feel like you’re working in an inclusive and welcoming environment to be able to bring yourself to work, to bring that difference to the table and know that it matters.”

Global benchmarking Wherever he is in the world, McLane says the question he is most frequently asked is,

“How do we rank in this area; where are we furthest ahead?” “I always respond, ‘First give me a country, and then give me a division of the bank’, because even within investment banking, retail banking and corporate banking, there are very different cultures and customer bases. So it’s very fluid.” However, McLane concedes that certain geographical locations are ahead of the pack. He cites some parts of the UK that are ahead of others on accessibility. The US, meanwhile, pulls ahead from an infrastructure standpoint, possibly due to building code changes. He also cites work that his colleagues are doing in Tokyo around

accessibility in employment as leading the way in APAC. Increasingly, the organisation is taking part in benchmarking in various jurisdictions around the world. For example, it has used the Accessibility and Inclusion Index in Australia to step back and assess where the company falls among its corporate peers. Similarly, in 2016, Barclays in the UK was the first company to achieve 98% on the Equality Standard by the Business Disability Forum. “Someone asked me recently at a conference, ‘So, Mark, what’s next?’ I said that for me, it’s working with the Business Disability Forum as one of its founding members to figure out what is next – not to

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rest, but to continue to pull other companies along on the journey. How do we raise the bar? What would 98% or 100% look like three years from now? Getting to 100% doesn’t mean the work is done; it means we’ve reached a good standard today. “Like any benchmark, I’ll use the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index in the US,” he continues, “but every three to four years a new milestone comes into play: What’s next; what are we doing? I think that’s our responsibility to help drive D&I.” He adds that Barclays aspires to be the most accessible FTSE 100 company. “I always say, ‘I don’t know what that looks like – it’s very aspirational.’ But knowing that’s what we want to achieve gives us the energy and drive to figure out what’s next.”

Key tips McLane is keen to dispel some misconceptions about what it takes to become a truly accessible organisation. “The gravest concern is not knowing what colleagues need to make them successful,” he says. For example, it’s common to put in place practices prior to the individual starting work, which McLane deems “well intended but a bit backward”. “I think this goes back to where we started – about listening,” he says. “Even through the interview process, asking potential colleagues what they need to be successful. Some of the concern around employing people with disability tends to go right to this idea about infrastructure – ramps, barrier-free lavatories and things like that – which you should have anyway. But sometimes it’s as simple as: What time do I arrive at work? Do I have any flexibility to make sure I can leave at a certain time? Is there suitable transport available in the city? Sometimes it’s even simpler – for example: ‘I use a certain type of keyboard.’ That’s not a big ask.” McLane, who says his passion for D&I was sparked at Whirlpool Corporation, believes D&I deserves the same level of market segmentation that might occur in a marketing department. The overarching goal, he says, is

MAKING A DIFFERENCE The 10 key areas determined to drive the greatest benefits for access and inclusion of people with disabilities within an organisation are as follows: 1. Commitment: We commit to best practice on access and inclusion for people with disabilities as employees, customers and stakeholders. 2. Premises: Our premises are accessible to people with disabilities, and whenever necessary, we make adjustments for individuals. 3. Workplace adjustments: We anticipate the needs of people with disabilities and have a robust process for making any adjustments that might be needed by individuals. 4. Communication and marketing: Our communication and marketing channels are accessible to people with disabilities, and whenever necessary, we make reasonable adjustments for individuals. 5. Products and services: We value people with disabilities as customers, clients and service users, and address their needs when developing and delivering our products and services. 6. ICT: Our ICT is accessible and usable by people with disabilities, and we also make reasonable adjustments for individuals. 7. Recruitment and selection: We attract and recruit people with disabilities, which gives us access to the widest talent pool at every level. 8. Career development: We value all our employees, including those who experience disabilities, and are committed to their retention and development. 9. Suppliers and partners: We expect our suppliers and corporate partners to reflect and enable us to meet our commitment to best practice. 10. Innovation: We pride ourselves on our innovative practices and continually strive to do better. Source: Access and Inclusion Index Benchmark Report 2016, Australian Network on Disability

“It’s putting the work in at the front end, not the back end, not as a bolt-on. That’s transformational for the organisation” Mark McLane, Barclays to attract great talent to an organisation. “That’s where I fell in love with the work. That’s where I understood the gap – colleagues and customers are not two different sets of people. Colleagues are customers who just happen to work here. If we can start to take some of that discipline around customer understanding into HR and, within HR, the colleague understanding back into the business, we have a full circle, and we’re really adding value to the organisation.” As a final tip, McLane suggests HR be

clear on who is in charge of diversity and how HR fits in. “You need to ask who’s leading diversity for your organisation,” he says. “My role is helping to build the discipline into the organisation – both into the business and into the HR function. For HR, they must understand they have permission to know they don’t know everything. It becomes an iterative learning process for everyone. When you start to have that realisation, you also take some of the fear out of the organisation – the fear of getting it wrong.”

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FEATURES

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ROI

HOW TO TURN LEADERSHIP SPEND INTO LEADERSHIP INVESTMENT The world’s companies spend US$50bn a year on developing leadership capabilities, yet few know whether they are getting any return on this investment. Adam Canwell explains how to instil discipline into the ad hoc practice of leadership development BOARDS AND executive teams have tremendous insight into the value and effectiveness of an organisation’s financial and physical assets. Yet when it comes to the intangible asset of leadership development, boards and the C-suite are flying blind. Even in organisations spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year on executive development, the impact of leadership spend is barely measured. In fact, few organisations know the answers to these fundamental questions:

How much are we spending, and what are we spending it on? Incredibly, many organisations find it difficult to identify their total investment in leadership development – or even to understand where they are spending their money. Activities are usually carried out ad hoc, with little integration and often no attempt to link development initiatives with identified future capability gaps. Coming from different budgets, with different owners – and often entrenched in tradition or aligned with personal interests – leadership development has few controls.

What impact does our spend have on business and leadership performance? Even worse, few companies are able to measure the impact of their spend – beyond tracking the satisfaction of the participants attending leadership programs. Reflecting on the millions

organisational success. It’s hard to imagine any other corporate spend of this magnitude that would be seen as successful – and permitted to continue unchecked every year – without delivering clear impact. If any capital-intensive organisation managed its capital assets in the same way

Many organisations find it difficult to identify their total investment in leadership development – or even to understand where they are spending their money her company had spent on a development program with a leading business school, one executive was of the view that, while leaders loved the program, there was little, if any, evidence that it had improved business performance. The truth is, most boards struggle to get a joined-up view of all their leadership activities, let alone understand whether and how each initiative is aligned to

that most companies deal with leadership spend, the board and CEO would be fired.

Time for a new level of discipline around leadership development It’s time organisations applied the same discipline to their leadership asset as they do to other organisational assets. The frenzied tactical activity we see in most organisations

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is clearly failing. Instead, organisations need a joined-up, rigorous approach to aligning, measuring and controlling their investment in leadership development. In developing this approach, boards and the C-suite need to consider:

Purpose and profit – Organisations need leaders who behave in a way that is in tune with their culture, while also delivering exceptional performance. This needs to be an ‘and’, not an ‘or’.

Individual and collective capability – For too long, the focus of leadership spend has been on the individual leader, with individual capability and performance as the most important unit of measure. Yet we know that most of our work as leaders is in teams or groups. Arguably, the ability to work effectively in high-performing teams has a greater impact on organisational performance – and more leadership investment needs to be focused here.

Prediction and performance – Performance in a current role is a poor predictor of success in the next role up. Yet most organisations base promotion decisions almost entirely on current performance. We need to start using predictors of potential – both tried and trusted psychological assessments and also patterns in data identified by people analytics.

Leadership and context – People often see leadership either as a set of skills and capabilities agnostic to environment, or as entirely context-specific. We believe both perspectives are correct. There are some generic skills and capabilities that all leaders need (such as influencing), whereas others are very definitely context-specific (such as making things happen within a particular culture with the right trade-offs). Organisations need to identify both the broad-context agnostic skills that all leaders require, alongside the contextspecific skills and capabilities needed in this particular organisation or industry.

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU BUILD AN EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP STRATEGY Aligning, measuring and controlling leadership investment starts with a strategy, which in turn needs to clearly support organisational performance. Only then can your focus switch to tactics and processes. Do we have the leadership to effectively execute our strategy?

 Are we selecting the right leaders and investing in the right capabilities?

Are we bearing organisational and reputational risk due to the behaviour of our leaders?

 Are our leaders delivering exceptional performance in the right way?

Do we have a sustainable pipeline of leaders to ensure our long-term success?

 Are our processes aligned and building leadership capability sustainably?

How can we measure our progress against these priorities effectively?

 How are we measuring the impact of all that we are doing?

 Are our leaders delivering exceptional performance? How do we know?

 How do our leaders behave? Is this causing us risk as an organisation?  How well aligned are leaders’ behaviours to our organisation’s purpose and values?

 How will current promotion and retention trends impact the leadership bench in the next two to five years?

 Where are we currently spending and is this investment effective?  Are the board and executive team confident we are producing the right leadership talent?

Boards and executive teams must take action to ensure leadership investment delivers a clear impact The leader and the system – We need to stop pretending that spending on a single time-limited program will have a sustained impact on an organisation’s leadership capability. To build an effective leadership architecture or system, organisations need to consider everything that develops leaders for the long term. This might mean performance management, career mobility, reward, mentoring or development at key transition points rather than broad sheep dips. In the current turbulent business and geopolitical environment, I believe leadership

is one of the true strategic advantages an organisation can build for the long term. Boards and executive teams must take action to ensure leadership investment delivers a clear impact, otherwise they run the risk of a leadership capability deficit damaging the long-term health and performance of their organisation. Adam Canwell is the global leader of EY’s Leadership Consulting Practice within People Advisory Services.

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FEATURES

HR STRATEGY

ARE YOU FUTURE READY? A three-pronged approach will ensure the HR leaders of today have a role to play in the business world of tomorrow, writes Sunil Puri

DO YOU as a senior HR leader ever wonder where you will be 10 years from now? What will be your key responsibilities? How will the HR function evolve? What will the CHRO role look like? And what will CEOs’ expectations be of HR? If you are not thinking about these questions, the only good news is – you are in the majority. Anecdotal evidence suggests that only two out of 10 HR executives are thinking ahead. The balance, eight out of 10 executives, should be worried, because according to the Center for Creative Leadership-Singapore Human Resources Institute joint CHRO 3.0 research, they are putting their HR careers on the line. The HR world in Asia (and globally) is undergoing a transformation, and most HR leaders are not ready for the change. The CHRO 3.0 study highlights that fewer than one in five organisations claim that their HR function is ready for the future. In fact, some senior practitioners in Asia are even in denial mode regarding the rapidly changing HR function. Thanks to the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world we live in, characterised by rapidly evolving technology, disruptive business models, and geopolitical shifts, the business world is changing and changing fast. Most of us underestimate how different the world will look after another decade. In addition to the macro shifts, HR needs to deal with the rapidly changing

talent dynamics, such as the ‘fluid’ workforce and the role of ‘free agents’, the collapsing corporate ladder and the flattening of organisation structures, as well as multigenerational diversity in the workplace. What does this mean for HR? While the HR function is not going to cease to exist as some thinkers predict, it will not exist as we know it today. So, how do we prepare for what we don’t know?

technology to make the function leaner and more efficient.

From metrics to insights. HR leaders often use data like a weather report – describing what’s happening. In the future, CHROs must combine different ‘pipes’ of data to tell a compelling story, and then drive HR and business strategy based on those insights.

While the HR function is not going to cease to exist as some thinkers predict, it will not exist as we know it today The research suggests that incumbent HR leaders need to move the dial on three fronts. Firstly, they must shift their mindset towards business, technology, and new-age HR responsibilities. Secondly, they must fine-tune their skill set. Thirdly, they must arm themselves with an effective ‘toolset’ by undertaking the right set of experiences.

Seven mindset shifts From technology-shy to technologysavvy. There is little doubt that

technology is becoming an increasingly important enabler for HR and all other business functions. Successful HR leaders must embrace this change, and harness

From chief HR (process) officers to chief employee experience officers. As most rule-based processes will be

automated in the future, HR’s focus will be on improving the overall employee experience. HR’s role will be akin to a customer experience function – providing the best one-stop experience to the employee (the customer in this case) while managing all the back-end interdepartmental collaboration.

From doing all to doing what matters most. To meet incremental

expectations from CEOs, CHROs must get some ‘stuff ’ off their table and push back on low-value-adding activities. This will require

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FROM A TO B: GETTING FUTURE READY

Mental shifts

CURRENT HR LEADER

FUTURE HR LEADER

1. Technology-shy to technology-savvy 2. Metrics to insights 3. Chief HR (process) officers to chief employee experience officers 4. Doing all to doing what matters most 5. Inside out to outside in 6. Rule enforcers to equal partners 7. ‘Helpers’ to ‘doctors’

‘Process’ expert Operating in silos Metrics orientation Inward-focused Reactive posture

Employee-experience centred Operating at the intersection of different disciplines Insights orientation

Low value addition Low credibility level (with business)

Outward-focused Action steps

Must-have competencies

 Stakeholder engagement  New initiatives  Coursework and training

    

Self-awareness Learning agility Communication skills Influencing ability Collaboration skills

Proactive posture High value addition High credibility level (with business)

BUILDING BLOCKS

HR leaders to have real authority to drive change related to talent and leadership development, not just to ‘encourage’ change.

From inside out to outside in. In a VUCA world, HR leaders must look outwards for best practices, be open to innovation, and embrace the changing business environment globally and in Asia.

From rule enforcers to equal partners. Rather than being the ‘nanny’

function telling others what they can or can’t do, CHROs need to become partners with other C-level leaders to achieve organisational goals, drive change, and execute strategy.

From ‘helpers’ to ‘doctors’. Instead of being an order-taker, the CHRO needs to diagnose and advise the organisation about how they can use talent and leadership to better achieve organisational aims.

Five skill set shifts HR leaders are best positioned to prepare for the future by investing energy in five fundamental skills. HR leaders need to be self-aware to accept the fact that they are not prepared for the future; to understand their development needs; and then to try to make efforts to improve. Rather than learning new technologies, or developing functional skills, HR leaders need to get better at learning quickly and efficiently. They need to enhance learning agility. To play a bigger, better, more impactful role in the future, the leader will need to influence down, sideways, and up. And finally, since HR’s role may cut across different functions, the leader will need to collaborate effectively and communicate clearly.

Three experience shifts In order to fine-tune the five critical skills, HR leaders participating in the research pointed to three experiences they must undertake over

the next two to five years. Firstly, they should be engaged with stakeholders – interacting with boards and executive leadership teams, having ‘equal-eye’ dialogues with business leaders, and negotiating with vendors and partners. Secondly, they need to be involved in new initiatives – that is, new product design and launches, new operational set-ups, and transformation or change management projects. Thirdly, they should undertake courses and training to build the five critical skills. The three shifts – mindset, skill set, and experiences – are critical for incumbent HR leaders as they plan their careers to be ‘relevant’ in a decade from now. Thanks to the speed at which the world around us is changing, it is unfortunately no longer a choice! Sunil Puri is the Asia-Pacific head of research, innovation and product development at the Center for Creative Leadership.

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FEATURES

MATURE-AGE WORKERS

SOLUTIONS FOR OLDER WORKERS Tools and machinery manufacturer Newera Equipment has utilised three grants under the WorkPro program to ensure age is no barrier to success. HRD chats to Pauline How, customer service manager, to discover what these grants entailed

HRD: Can you provide an overview of the demographics of your workforce? Pauline How: We have 30 staff in total, including managers, and currently 15 staff are over 40 years old. This number will increase in next few years as we have eight staff currently aged 35–39.

HRD: What sparked Newera Equipment’s efforts to facilitate mature-age workers? PH: Mature employees possess valuable skills, knowledge and experience and have made significant contributions to the company. They represent a large portion of our organisation’s human resources, knowledge and skill. For business sustainability, we needed to harness the strengths and experience of mature employees, while at the same time recognising their limitations and developmental needs.

HRD: Had you taken any steps to facilitate and help mature-age workers prior to adopting the WorkPro program? PH: Before tapping into the WorkPro program, we helped mature-age workers in several ways: Older workers (for example our technical consultants) are highly valued for their experience; they are assigned to mentor and coach younger employees (our technicians and

salespersons). Recognising their physical limitation, younger employees would tag along to help with machine repairing at customer sites. At the same time, these young employees benefited from on-the-job training. We set up a recreational committee and organised an overseas incentive trip aimed at fostering cohesiveness and camaraderie among our multigenerational workforce. We implemented a flexible working arrangement according to each employee’s individual needs.

HRD: I understand you utilised three grants under the WorkPro program. One of these is the Age Management Grant, which has a major focus on wellbeing but also how to more effectively manage mature-age workers. Can you outline what you have implemented thanks to this grant? PH: Age Management practices that have been implemented include the following: • Fair employment – an Age Management workshop was run, and the employee

JOB REDESIGN RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS Employers can tap into a wide spectrum of grants and initiatives to embark on their job redesign projects. Among the tools on offer: The Job Redesign Toolkit, developed by the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers, outlines how to future-proof the workforce, identify critical jobs and skills, and match the right people to the right jobs. Under WorkPro, employers can receive up to $300,000 under the Job Redesign Grant to implement job redesign projects and make jobs more suitable for their older workers. The two-day Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) Job Redesign Clinic teaches a structured approach to identifying areas for redesign and taking practical steps to start redesign projects in the workplace. The Singapore University of Social Sciences conducts a one-day job redesign course to equip management consultants with practical knowledge and skills to redesign tasks to suit older workers and ensure a safe and productive workplace. Please contact SNEF Centre for Effective Workplaces at workpro@snef.org.sg or call 6290 7694 for more information.

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handbook was updated and disseminated to all staff. Managers attended a Fair Performance Management Workshop organised by TAFEP. We know the importance of having proper performance management systems in place to align every employee’s strength, energies and efforts with organisational goals and objectives. Managers attending this workshop learnt tips and hints on managing older employees. • Worker wellbeing program. We ran a health practices survey administered by a health provider. In addition, we arranged for mature workers to attend a worker wellbeing course (Effective Stress and Anger Management & Effective Time Management in The Workplace). Our mature workers have benefited from these Age Management practices in two key ways: • A Healthy Lifestyle Survey was done by ST Healthcare. A report was sent to individual staff and a workshop was held in our office, which provided useful tips and recommendations to staff to help them adopt a healthier lifestyle. • Both courses (Effective Stress and Anger Management & Effective Time Management in the Workplace) have enabled mature workers to handle stress more effectively in their daily work.

HRD: Newera also obtained the Job Redesign Grant. How will this grant help you put in place initiatives to help mature-age workers do their jobs more effectively? PH: With the Job Redesign Grant, we’ve invested in an automated storage system whereby we can store the spare parts in an automated storage system. Benefits of this system will include: • Our logistics personnel will be able to retrieve the item quickly without having to search from spare part racks; instead they just need to enter the carriage

number, and the item will be retrieved easily. No more bending, no more searching – and this also reduces the tendency to make mistakes. • Older technicians/sales directors can store the item in this storage system; their parts and tools will be well kept, and they can also retrieve the service manual faster without having to remember where it’s stored and who has it. In addition, the required items are brought automatically to the optimum ergonomic retrieval height. • In annual stock counts, we can arrange

• Part-time – One of our staff members is aged 68. Instead of working week after week, he alternates between one intensive work week followed by one week off, which helps him to achieve higher levels of productivity at work and a richer personal life. He has the flexibility to adjust his work schedule – for example rest for two weeks continuously, or work two to three days in every week, depending on his workload/travel schedule. • Flexi-place – This occurs when a job is performed at a location other than the workplace, for example an employee’s

“Due to the tight labour market, it is important to tap into the wealth of experience and skills of our older workers, who will make up an increasing share of the workforce” Pauline How for older workers to do the stock count on items stored in the system, rather than counting items from the rack. This usually required staff to bend and climb to higher racks using ladders. This new process is less physically demanding and lowers the risk of injury.

HRD: Lastly, how have you benefited from the Work Life Grant, which focuses on flexible work arrangements (FWA)? PH: The FWA grant has allowed our employees the opportunity to reconcile their career and family needs in a manner that benefits both employee and employer. FWA options offered to employees include: • Flexi-time – An arrangement in which employees can vary their daily start and end times to suit their work and personal commitments. Our official working hours are 9am–6pm, but we have staff who work earlier and later – for example from 8am to avoid traffic, or they can report to work after sending children to school.

home. With technology advancements and the nature of the HR job role, our HR executive is working remotely. This helps her work productivity by eliminating unnecessary travel time. She can also better fulfil her family commitments by taking care of two children at the same time. Staff are allowed to work from home when there is a need to, for example when children fall sick – this arrangement can reduce disruption to work.

HRD: Any tips for other employers looking to assist their older workers? PH: Due to the tight labour market, it is important to tap into the wealth of experience and skills of our older workers, who will make up an increasing share of the workforce. We need to create progressive workplaces, helping these workers to overcome workplace barriers so that all employees can achieve their potential without being disadvantaged by age. Both employees and employers can benefit from this WorkPro program.

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PEOPLE

CAREER PATH

NEVER STOP LEARNING Guided by the motto ‘If you never try, you’ll never know’, Evangeline Chau has never shied away from a challenge

Fresh out of university with a degree majoring in social work, Evangeline Chau’s interest in people led her to her first HR role, from which she stepped up to lead the team after only three years. “I knew from the onset that I wanted to be in HR or PR. EM Services gave me a very good platform to learn the full spectrum of HR. It was a steep learning curve but a fulfilling one.”

2000

DOES ‘CRASH COURSE’ IN M&As The opportunity to acquire M&A experience lured Chau to Premas, where a merger and a subsequent joint venture was followed by another joint venture, giving her a wealth of experience in a small amount of time. “Besides setting up the legal entity, we had to harmonise terms and conditions of employment. Negotiating with counterparts in various parts of the world is a different ball game. One has to understand and appreciate the cultural aspects in order to strike a win-win.”

2008

LEAVES COMFORT ZONE The retail arm of a relatively new entity approached Chau and she couldn’t resist the challenge, even though it meant settling into a very new role. “I turned down the CHRO role, and when I was approached for this technology operations role, I decided to challenge myself. It was almost like a start-up, in Singapore. I had to leverage expertise and capabilities to set up a multidisciplinary team. One of my personal mottos is, ‘If you never try, you’ll never know!’”

2016

TAKES ON NEW CHALLENGE Her new role at the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) has inspired Chau to reach new heights. “I often joke that my GovTech CPO title [chief people officer] reminds people of C3PO, the popular Star Wars character. And the ‘3P’ in C3PO actually stands for ‘People, Passion and Performance’. These three simple words were translated into a three-year vision for GovTech to build capabilities and deepen expertise, and infuse a culture of inclusivity and experimentation that embraces innovation to disrupt ourselves.”

1991 FINDS HR

1997

MOVES INTO FINANCE Chau joined Citibank in a job that gave her exposure to three roles when, within two years, she was rotated between country C&B analyst, regional C&B analyst, and country recruitment manager for consumer banking. “The financial industry was in its prime then, and Citibank was a market leader in compensation and benefits. The brand Citi + C&B was, and is, a dream job. I definitely learnt a lot!”

2004

REJOINS CITIBANK A return to Citibank saw Chau take over a regional unit that was subsequently elevated to an international arena supporting all technology needs of the global consumer business. “With this change in mandate, we had to reorganise the organisation in order to be able to support the enlarged portfolio. At different junctures of the life cycle, the leadership team has to be agile and the organisation has to be reshaped to be fit for purpose.”

2013

STEPS INTO THE LIMELIGHT Another return to Citi, initially as HR director, led to the post of country HR officer, Singapore, which stretched Chau yet again, and saw her step into a more public role.

“It was demanding. That’s when I ‘psyched’ myself to step into the limelight of the media and took on speaking opportunities, with the help of my corporate affairs colleagues. I’m glad I was able to reinforce Citi’s branding, especially after the GFC”

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