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HRM 14.8

Contents EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sumathi V Selvaretnam ASSISTANT EDITOR Shalini Shukla-Pandey JOURNALIST Sham Majid SUB-EDITOR Paul Howell

23 All aboard the onboarding express As graduates become a more and more important component of today’s workforce, HRM investigates how companies are devising the onboarding programmes to keep them happy and settled into their new roles

PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATOR Azimah Jasman SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amos Lee GRAPHIC DESIGNER John Paul Lozano ACCOUNT MANAGERS Edwin Lim Jolene Ong MANAGING DIRECTOR Kaveri Ayahsamy PHOTOGRAPHY BY David Teng (xcalibrephoto.com) Frank Pinckers (pinckers.com) PRINTED BY Times Printers Pte Ltd PUBLISHED BY

“Graduates appreciate the opportunities for continuous learning through training courses, accreditation, and on-the-job learning through real challenges and responsibilities from the first role undertaken in the company”

HRM Asia Pte Ltd 121 Telok Ayer Street #02-01 Singapore 068590 Tel: +65 6423 4631 Fax: +65 6423-4632 Email: info@hrmasia.com.sg

– LESLIE HAYWARD, SHELL’S VICE PRESIDENT OF HR (SINGAPORE AND ASIA-OCEANIA OPERATIONS) MCI (P) 163/07/2014 ISSUE 14.8

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HRM 14.8

Contents

12

Check out HRM online:

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36

FEATURES 12 | Keeping your brightest stars Is talent retention a bigger challenge in smaller companies? Eugenio Ferrante, Vice President and General Manager of Cross-Platform Applications for Parallels Asia-Pacific, shares how working in lean teams can improve staff engagement and retention

18 | Get on their radars Stiff competition for talent is seeing companies seeking new and creative ways to attract the best candidates. HRM shows you how to get into the radar of today’s fresh school leavers

27 | Reel them in fast Amidst the reality of an ageing workforce and increasing competition for remaining workers, businesses will need to develop strategic approaches to the early career development and retention of younger workers, especially fresh graduates

30 | What do HR students want?

They are the future torchbearers for HR in Asia. HRM speaks to university students specialising in HR as they share their passion for the function, and prepare to embark on a HR career

27 32 | HR freshers’ salary spotlight HR remains one of the most well-paid back-office support functions, and salaries are rising further in Singapore. We find out what this means for the job prospects and starting packages of fresh HR graduates

36 | StarHubbers shine It’s no surprise that happy employees make happy customers. Chan Hoi San, Senior Vice President – HR, shares how ‘StarHubbers’ shine from within

40 REGULARS 3 | Analysis 4 | News 9 | Leaders on Leadership 47 | Talent Ladder 49 | In Person 49 | Resources

40 | The globalised local

51 | Viewpoint

HRM explores how international schools are crafting all-rounded curriculum programmes for these students

53 | Talent Challenge 54 | Twenty-four Seven

CONTACT US: Read something you like? Or something you don’t? Perhaps there’s some insight we haven’t considered? Have your say on HRM’s news, features, and contributions by emailing: info@hrmasia.com.sg 2

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ANALYSIS

Recruitment

Developing a strong Singapore core The government is making good on its call to groom Singaporean talent and grow the economy from within. The National Jobs Bank is now in full swing, with opportunities aplenty for local workers

By Shalini Shukla-Pandey Singaporeans eyeing job prospects will now have the opportunity to pore over 16,000 job postings via the Jobs Bank. Around half of these vacancies are aimed towards professionals, managers, and executives (PMEs).

Approximately 4,700 users submitted more than 12,100 job applications through it in the first month alone.

Officially unveiled by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) last month, the Jobs Bank is an endorsement of the Fair Consideration Framework, which came into effect at the start of this month.

The Fair Consideration Framework aims to ensure that in matters of employment, Singaporeans are considered first, allowing local professionals greater access to suitable roles.

Firms looking to recruit foreigners holding an Employment Pass (EP) must place job openings on the Jobs Bank for at least 14 calendar days before lodging an EP application.

A trial run of the portal took place in May this year, and over 4,300 employers and 12,900 individuals have since signed up to utilise the website.

Speaking at the launch, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said the Jobs Banks would support current Government efforts and afford another platform for Singaporeans to source and apply for job postings.

It will also enable employers to tap onto a larger base of local candidates. Serene Tan, HR manager for Jason Marine Group, agrees.

“This is especially important now since there is quota for employers to adhere to when hiring foreign workers,” she explains. “Most small and medium enterprises are very much affected by this quota.”

“The downside however, is that it slows down the recruitment process if we want to renew a foreign talent’s Employment Pass,” says Tan.

IT hit hard Relative to other industries, the technology sector, with a

significant number of non-Singaporeans in its workforce, is expected to face a larger challenge under the new Fair Consideration Framework and National Jobs Bank.

“This development will change labour demographics and in the interim adjustment period, elongate the hiring cycle for technology professionals,” says Finian Toh, Associate Director – HR Recruitment, Kerry Consulting.

Functions that are expected to be hit the hardest include software programming and business analyst positions, where nationals from China, India and the Philippines form a sizeable population of IT professionals in Singapore.

“As companies wean themselves from their dependency on the importing of IT professionals, a higher wage budget may have to be built in to chase the smaller supply of local IT talent in the country,” Toh warns.

“Companies will have to evolve their hiring and people development strategies from one which has traditionally been reliant on offshore talent to one that is based on Singaporeans.”

This will impact the type of recruitment companies that companies traditionally work with; and in turn the background of consultants that recruitment companies typically contract. Recruitment firms whose business model is based on importing overseas IT professionals are expected to be hardest hit.

“However, the offshoring and restructuring of certain IT functions away from Singapore may yet create an overhang of IT professionals in the country which should temporary alleviate the shortfall in local talent,” says Toh.

REGISTER NOW All Singapore-registered firms and Singaporean job searchers can register for a free Jobs Bank account using their Singpass login details.

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NEWS

Asia TAIWAN

SINGAPORE

Aviation industry dominates bonded scholarship rankings Local aviation-linked organisations are among the most popular scholarship providers (with bonded scholarships) for Junior College (JC) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma graduates in Singapore.

Rank

Providers who Offer Bonded Scholarships

1

Public Service Commission

2

Changi Airport Group (CAG)

3

Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIA)

4

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)

5

Economic Development Board

According to an annual survey by BrightSparks, Singapore’s most established and popular scholarship portal, those interested in applying for aviation-linked scholarships listed ‘Career opportunities with the scholarship provider’ as their top factor when considering their scholarship options. “(Career) opportunities with aviation scholarship providers are numerous and diverse,” said Jessica

Ang, Director – Marketing, JobsCentral Group. “For example, upon graduation a CAAS scholar may find him or herself involved in an air traffic management role, while a CAG scholar might be helping to plan and develop further extensions to Changi Airport and an SIA scholar might be assisting in the acquisition of new aircraft for the airline.”

“Aviation-linked scholarship providers may thus be seen by aspiring scholars as one of the fastest growing industries in the global arena.”

Important Factors Affecting Scholarship Application

Average Rating (Out of 10)

Career opportunities with the scholarship provider

8.70

Course of study

8.43

General economic outlook

7.43

Destination of study

7.09

Ease of application procedure

6.46

Level of prestige

6.23

Bond period

5.75

Workplace strategy programmes have resulted in

92%

of staff saying their ability to collaborate within small teams has improved Source: CBRE special report: Workplace Strategy—Why One Size Does Not Fit All

Singapore has retained its place as

The world’s top international meeting city Source: Union of International Associations (UIA) 2013 Global Rankings

Most jobseekers open to working in China Eighty per cent of young Taiwanese jobseekers are open to working in China. According to a survey released by 104 Media, the news site of a local recruitment website, most Taiwanese are attracted by better pay and fringe benefits across the Taiwan Strait.

In the past, most Taiwanese who moved to the mainland for work were managerial staff over the age of 35.

Now, younger jobseekers, especially those aged 26-30, are making the move away from Taiwan, where salary levels have been stagnant for years, with starting monthly pay reaching only NT$20,000 (US$670) in many cases.

According to the survey, Taiwanese people can obtain 1.4 times the pay they earn at home. This works out to NT$660,000 (US$22,000) a year on average, with the annual pay for entry-level managerial posts hitting NT$990,000 (US$33,000), that for medium-level managerial posts hitting NT$1.3 million (US$43,500), and that for executive-level managerial posts hitting NT$1.6 million (US$53,000).

Popular Chinese destinations include Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong, in descending order.

SINGAPORE

Jurong Point and Singapore Polytechnic in training partnership Jurong Point Shopping Centre has teamed up with Singapore Polytechnic to establish a training programme specifically for its tenants.

The first batch of graduates from the Jurong Point Step-Up Programme includes 54 service employees from 32 participating tenants – retail and food and beverage personnel through to managerial staff.

Under the programme, selected service staff undergo 30 hours’ worth of Food & Beverage and retail service training via bite-size modules, such as “Restaurant Management and Challenges”, “Menu Design and Pricing”, “Visual Merchandising”, and “Retail Strategies and Operations”.

Organised by Singapore Polytechnic’s Professional and Adult Continuing Education (PACE) Academy and conducted by lecturers from Singapore Polytechnic’s Business School, participants gain 4

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insights and knowledge on service-related competencies through a series of group discussions, role-play and project work.

Upon completion of the modules, participants receive a certification awarded jointly by Jurong Point and Singapore Polytechnic.

William Seet, CEO of Jurong Point said: “Being a people-oriented organisation, we believe what differentiates us lies in the ‘heart ware’, where outstanding service and human touch play a pivotal role in strengthening customer loyalty and satisfaction.

“By empowering front-line service employees through the Jurong Point Step-Up Programme, we aim to move beyond providing better retail offerings to engaging customers to create a superior retail experience and to build a sense of community among them,” he added.

The mall expects to enrol another 500 service staff into the programme over the next two years.

NEWS

Asia ASIA

Identifying tomorrow’s leaders, today Leadership, personal drive and communication skills are the core attributes of emerging leaders within multinational organisations, according to a new report by recruitment and talent management specialist Hudson.

Titled Identifying Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: Determining the Differences that Matter, the report found that emerging leaders are typically extroverts with strong communication and persuasion skills who position themselves as leaders rather than colleagues. However, they also have an aversion to change and tend to employ traditional approaches to achieve results.

According to the report, emerging leaders are also personally driven with a conceptual view and vision for the future and a firm commitment to achieving results.

However, to bridge the gap to senior leadership roles, the report found emerging leaders need to better embrace change as an opportunity, have greater confidence in their ability to make the right decision, and use a participative style to bring people with them on the journey.

Although the report found that emerging leaders typically possess strong communication skills, Simon Moylan, Executive General Manager – Talent Management Asia Pacific, Hudson, said it was interesting to note that social interaction with colleagues was of less importance.

“What our research shows is that emerging leaders, while they tend to be extroverted, aren’t necessarily interested in socialising with their colleagues; they’re much more focused on driving results and are comfortable working independently,” Moylan said.

“They’re not looking to make friendships, they’re looking to lead – and are confident in doing so.”

Hudson’s seven characteristics of emerging leaders: • Leadership: Emerging leaders position themselves as leaders, rather than peers or colleagues • Vision: They possess an ability to create a vision for the future • Conceptual: Emerging leaders are managers with impact who are confident thinking at an abstract level • Results focused: Emerging leaders are focused on achieving objectives and results • Communicative: They are extroverts with strong communication and persuasion skills • Driven: Emerging leaders show the necessary personal drive to achieve results • Independent: Emerging leaders are confident working independently and are less interested in building relationships

INDIA

PM wants to talk to 10 million employees Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to reach out to all government employees on Independence Day. That’s more than 10 million people.

Prime Minister Modi has asked for the first-ever exhaustive database of all 10 million Central and State government employees, such as school teachers, healthcare workers, and village heads in the farthest corners of the country.

According to English-language newspaper dna, the creation of the database, which will include phone numbers and email addresses of all staff, will be first used on Independence Day (15 August). Modi’s speech is expected to be sent directly to all employees by mail and messages.

Many of these staff are not tech-savvy Internet users. So frenetic efforts are under way to implement Modi’s intent, government sources told dna.

The Prime Minister is likely to use the data to connect with all employees and other stakeholders through social media platforms, much as he did with voters during the 2014 general election campaign.

“He intends to do the same now with government employees. It is an exercise to build a bond,” an official said.

The National Informatics Centre has so far collected the information of five million teachers, three million village heads, one million health care workers and 200,000 Municipal Corporation members.

NORTH KOREA

Workers banned from being paid in Choco Pies North Korean employees will no longer receive their bonuses in the form of the chocolate and marshmallow biscuits called Choco Pies, after the treats sparked an unexpected black market trade.

North Korean employees of South Korean companies at the joint Kaesong Industrial Complex will now receive foods such as sausages, instant noodles, powdered coffee and chocolate, the Daily Mail reported.

The move comes after the Choco Pies were found being sold for substantial amounts on the black market.

According to the Daily Mail’s report, when Pyongyang closed the Kaesong Industrial Complex last year

amid heightened tensions in the region, the black market value of the biscuits soared, with some changing hands for up to £14 (US$24) each.

Before the ban, employees could take home up to 20 of the treats after every night of work.

North Korea’s thriving illegal black market for capitalist products includes other banned foods such as pizza, hamburgers and French fries.

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HR INSIGHT

Recruitment

Secrets to rocking that video interview

Not many job seekers nor recruiters know that body language is a crucial aspect of the interview process. With video interviews gaining popularity, can your body language jeopardise your success?

HIRING MANAGERS

RECRUITERS

74%

Video interviews make their jobs easier.

60%

85%

... save them money.

88%

88%

... reduce their time spent to fill positions.

76%

... are easy for them to conduct.

90% 80%

How communication is conveyed

55%

HUMAN FACE

POSITIVE BODY LANGUAGE Head Nodding Shows patience, understanding Maintaining Eye Contact Shows interest confidence Smiling Genuinely Shows positivity, warmth Leaning Forward Shows interest, concern, understanding

38%

TONE OF VOICE

7%

ACTUAL WORDS

NEGATIVE BODY LANGUAGE Furrowed Brow Shows confusion, disagreement, discomfort Lack of Eye Contact Shows discomfort, dishonesty Frowning Shows discomfort, disinterest, tension Leaning Back Shows resistance, disinterest, doubt

Source: Recruiter.com • Hrtechblog.com • PGi.com/learn 6

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49% 66% 93% 6IN10

Since 2011, the use of video onterviewing has risen of candidates prefer to use video during the interview process

Up to

of communication is non-verbal

HR managers use video to interview candidates

6 body language secrets for your next online interview Frame Your Face Adjust your webcam to show you from mid-torso to just the top of your head

Make Eye Contact Look directly into the camera when you’re talking – not down at the monitor

Set The Scene Test the lighting and make sure the background isn’t distracting, messy or cluttered

Trust Your Tech Test the app and practice before the interview to get comfortable with the tech and avoid surprise

Don’t Fidget Not only do you reveal your anxiety, but you also risk muffling the audio

Suit Up Style your hair, and dress professionally – jacket, dress shirt (and tie, for men)

NEWS

International NORWAY

Bosses are social media kings Managers may hate their staff using social media at work, but they themselves are guilty of the practice.

New research from the University of Bergen (UiB) in Norway has found that managers are more disapproving of private social media usage at the office – despite being some of the biggest users. Middle managers and top executives are the most opposed to using social media for private means at work.

“It is very interesting that top executives, who are negative to private web-surfing during working hours, are the ones who surf the most for private purposes when at work,” said Postdoctoral Fellow Cecilie Schou Andreassen at UiB’s Department of Psychosocial Science.

She hinted that this can be explained due to top executives having to clock in longer working hours and that their work and leisure hours are much more assimilated than they are for rank-and-file workers.

Around 11,000 Norwegian workers took part in the researchers’ study Predictors of Use of Social Network Sites at Work.

Some of the main findings in the study were: • Younger workers utilise social media for private pleasure more than their older counterparts do • Men surf the internet more for private usage than women do during working hours • People with higher education are the most prolific social media users • Singles are more involved in social media than those in relationships • Outgoing and nervous people are more involved online “Social media probably has a greater social function for singles than it has for people in relationships,” said Schou Andreassen.

“The finding may also reflect that people with a high socioeconomic status, are not as afraid to lose their job as those in low-status jobs.”

IRELAND

72%

of US employees believe specialised training is more valuable than a degree in the workplace

Skills shortages frustrate HR directors

Source: Glassdoor’s Q2 2014 Employment Confidence Survey

One

in five workers report slipping, tripping or falling at work as their biggest concern.

Source: Staples’ third annual workplace safety survey

49%

of travel managers agree that tightening travel policies within their firms will be “a fact of life.”

Source: AirPlus International survey

UK

British employees ready to abandon 9-5 workday The majority of the British workforce is poised to scrap the traditional nine-to-five workday and evolve to a more flexible working routine.

New legislation, which took effect on 30 June this year, meant that all employees with at least 26 weeks of service can now request flexible working arrangements.

According to a recent survey by LogMeIn and Redshift Research, nearly half (48%) of British employees claimed their ideal workday would begin before 9am.

Only one third (34%) of Brits fancied working from nine to five.

The survey also deduced that one in 20 (seven percent) workers started after 10am, rising to one in five (22%) in London, more than three times the national average.

Across the UK, 40% of employees are not provided with any flexible working benefits by their company.

Only 23% of workers are given the chance to work remotely, while one in five (20%) can receive time off in lieu of working overtime. Only 18% have the freedom to alter their daily working hours.

A third (36%) of employers polled already extended flexible working benefits to their workers.

More than 75% of Irish companies are grappling with the challenge of skills shortages.

According to the PriceWaterHouseCoopers’ (PwC) HR directors survey, 78% of Irish businesses say they are feeling the heat, but only 10% view tackling these issues as a priority over the coming 18 months.

Income tax levels and the cost of the living are deemed to be significant factors impeding the hiring of senior leadership and specialist skills, the report found.

Nevertheless, over 75% of Ireland’s HR managers are optimistic about economic prospects in the year ahead, rising noticeably from 27% last year.

PwC director Gerard McDonough said the results personifed a swing towards a growth-focused attitude among HR managers.

“The mood of HR leaders has shifted from survival to growth,” he said. “The most successful organisations will be those who have the right people and who learn quickly how to harness the opportunities and minimise the risks.”

The data also hinted that nearly half the companies surveyed are aiming to boost their workforce, but a fifth is hoping to decrease their staff headcount.

The report also cited that a lack of data analytics ability was viewed as the greatest barrier to adding value to the company for HR employees, up to 42% from just eight per cent last year.

Along with the skills shortages companies are experiencing, the report claimed that managing current employees’ talents could be improved upon greatly.

Only 54% of firms possess a clearly defined management programme to spot key skills.

“Recruiting key skills is important but retaining them has also come into sharper focus,” said PwC director Ciara Fallon.

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7

NEWS

International EUROPE

Education and training prove fruitless A quarter of European Union (EU) citizens believe their education or training has not equipped them with the skills to secure a job outside of their home country.

According to a new Eurobarometer survey on the “European Area of Skills and Qualifications”, while more than half of the respondents (56%) believed their

qualifications would be acknowledged in other Member States, six percent tried to work or study in another Member State but were not able to do so.

This was because their qualifications were either not recognised by their prospective employer or education institution, or because the respondents lacked information about recognition of their qualifications overseas.

The survey’s findings mirror the results of a separate online consultation by the EU, “Towards a European Area for Skills and Qualifications,” which targeted towards education and training specialists.

It found that there was strong support for moves to simplify Europe’s system of skills and qualification recognition, to ensure greater emphasis on the needs of

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students, workers and employers.

“Our objective is simple: everyone in Europe should be able to have their skills and qualifications understood and recognised, within and across national borders, by employers and educational institutions,” said Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.

“They need to be recognised in a fair, comparable and transparent way, so that people’s skills and qualifications improve their employability or open the way for further learning.”

The Eurobarometer survey was administered in all 28 Member States between April and May, with 28,000 people from different social and demographic groups interviewed face-to-face.

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LEADERS ON LEADERSHIP

Talent Management

Realising their potential How can leaders unlock the potential of their employees?

Lukas Raska

Chief Operating Officer, Asia-Pacific, ESET

In order to unlock the potential of any workforce, it’s important to remember that company success should be measured by the success of its employees.

Companies with poor employee performance lose time, money and resources.

Low staff morale and reduced productivity ultimately have a negative impact on business growth. In fact, poor staff retention is often due to poor relationships between staff and employers. In most cases, employees do not leave their jobs or their companies – they leave their bosses instead.

Providing a good professional working environment, where employees can feel confident to express themselves, talk openly about any challenges they are facing, and seek support, is vital.

Hiring the right people is also crucial – many leaders make the mistake of hiring an “obvious” fit. For example, a candidate from a rival firm might look like the perfect fit for the hiring company, but that is not always the case. A good CV, background and references are important, but leaders should look beneath this layer and consider other factors as well.

It’s also important for employees to feel they are ‘going places’ and have opportunities to further themselves. Giving employees access to training is an excellent way to inspire a workforce to better itself and its performance.

At ESET, we find this particularly important as the IT industry is incredibly fast-paced, so keeping up-to-date with tech trends and the skills associated is crucial to stay ahead of the curve. Ultimately, unlocking potential is all about inspiring and motivating people.

Voal Voal Wong Partner, IN.FOM

As a consultancy firm, talents are our greatest assets. Our clients are not assessing our services based on a fancy office address, but by the value-add that our talents are able to put on the table.

I feel that leaders can truly unlock the full potential of their talents when they understand the importance of creating a culture where talents can thrive and not one where they are just clocking in the hours.

Rules, remunerations, structure and systems – these are mostly self-serving if they cannot function to create an environment where talents are inspired to go the extra mile and to consistently create extraordinary work.

I hold myself accountable to four things when it comes to talent development: The first is ‘values’. Talents need to fully understand the core values, and the “OB markers” of the company in order to know how they can best flex their skills. They need to know the “when, where, what, why and how” of being extraordinary in the organisation!

Second is the clarity of path. Talents must clearly understand their career path in the company and beyond.

Third is ‘empowerment’: Leaders need to provide talents with the room to soar. I strive to give my people the space to explore new ideas and concepts, even if I am not fully convinced, as long as they truly believe in it and keep in mind the company values.

Fourth is the access to resources: You need to surround your talents with adequate resources to give them a shot at success.

Rohit Ambekar

Co-Founder & COO, Acromobile

In today’s business world, employee engagement is as important to the success of a company as customer engagement.

Knowing this, it is critical to understand how leaders can unlock the potential of their employees.

Many businesses still choose to adopt a command-and-control or management-byembarrassment style to “manage” their employees but I believe that this is slowly dying.

People are generally looking to make a contribution and if leaders are able to tap onto this, tremendous results can be achieved for the business.

While there are many tools to be able to tap onto this, I believe that the kernel of being able to understand and nurture this latent motivation originates in communication.

Everything exists in the language - creativity, motivation, energy, contribution and success.

Hence, the single biggest success factor of a leader is his or her ability to empower through communication. This is easier said than done, because a critical element of this is Emotional Quotient (or “EQ”). EQ differentiates a leader’s ability to achieve results by inspiring people to tap onto their abilities and achieve results.

The leader’s role does not stop there and it is important to stay in regular communication to acknowledge them for their achievements, provide regular feedback and coach them to improve.

For a business to maintain a leading edge in today’s increasingly competitive and noisy environment is to have their people engaged and invested in the success of the company.

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delegates with a SOLD-OUT Expo hall

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Jason Marine Group: Talent strategies for SMEs Mature workforce practices Pushing the boundaries at AB Sciex

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Engaging young minds at Accor Asia Pacific Nurturing high performance teams

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Winning workplace strategies

Innovation: A strategic HR imperative

From the

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• Asian labour law update • Teambuilding activities: Maximising ROI

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Internal talent transfers at Mastercard

17,606

Fedex’s head honcho Khoo seng Thiam shares his talent journey

HR tackles the online sphere

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Working across borders

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Power up Performance

The

hrm issue 14.6

Annual reviews done right

How to manage underperformance Rewarding on a tight budget

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Plus: Dealing with employee depression Seven steps to effective leadership development

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BIO BRIEF Eugenio Ferrante is the Vice President and General Manager for the Cross-Platform Applications Business Unit in Parallels Asia-Pacific, a virtualisation technology company. In his current role, he is responsible for driving demand and sales for Parallels Desktop for Mac, the market leading desktop virtualisation product, and for the rest of the CrossPlatform Application portfolio, in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ferrante joined Parallels in 2009 as business manager to the CEO. Shortly after, he was appointed as Director of Customer Satisfaction and Knowledge, where he designed and implemented customer satisfaction programmes for service providers and consumers, and launched Parallels SMB Cloud Insights, the company’s first initiative to share expertise about the cloud and hosting service business with its partners.

Prior to joining Parallels, Ferrante served as a Case Team Leader at Bain & Company, a leading management consulting firm.

Ferrante holds a degree in Business Administration from UniversitĂ Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Italy, and a Master of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, US.

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COVER STORY

Leaders Talk HR

Keeping your

BRIGHTEST STARS Is talent retention a bigger challenge in smaller companies? Eugenio Ferrante, Vice President and General Manager of Cross-Platform Applications for Parallels Asia-Pacific, shares how working in lean teams can improve staff engagement and retention

Q

Could you tell us more about your rise to the top?

I grew up not afraid of trying new things and moving to new places. In 2007, I spent six months working in management consulting in India, for example. After that, I moved from Italy to Canada, the US, and now Singapore. All these experiences have helped define me as an individual as I moved through the various stages in my career. Of course the big part is the willingness and strong motivation to work hard (and smart). You’ve got to invest time and all you’ve got, to the best of your ability, to deliver excellent results.

Also key is having the openness to embrace the opportunities that come your way and enable you to gain new skills. For me, you don’t need to think so much about rising to the top; just do your best to deliver what’s expected of you and you’ll get there.

Another part of the equation is working with people who give you the opportunity and the environment to grow, even as they move ahead on the corporate ladder. So it’s a combination of ‘you’, your work environment, and an open mind about where the next opportunity may be.

Q

What are some of your earliest challenges as you transitioned into a leadership role?

Learning to work well with a variety of people, of various nationalities and cultures, and in different geographic locations present big challenges, but it’s also an exciting opportunity to learn from them – and grow the business with them. Living in Singapore, we are lucky to be exposed to a multicultural environment.

Another challenge is that transition from doing everything by yourself to letting your team deliver. If you are very detailed-oriented, this may be hard at the beginning. You have a clear idea of how something should be done, and you may think that you can get it done faster or better than someone else in your team.

That’s not the point though.

Q

What is the biggest thing that you’ve learnt about people management?

Treat people in the same way your best manager treated you in the past. Think of experiences that you had and what that manager did right. Give them a chance, help them, and motivate them, in a similar way to how someone else did for you – and they’ll give you their best shot at what they do.

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Leaders Talk HR

Q

How would your employees describe you?

They might not say it directly, but I suspect they might describe me as an introvert, quiet and serious, but I’m glad that as they come to know me more, they’ve become more open and find out I am actually quite fun and easy to work with.

The advantage of working in a

small team

is that you can take on more activity across a number of different functions and roles

Q

How do you attract and retain the best talent?

Recruiting and retaining the right talent is always a challenge, especially for a smaller company like Parallels. At Parallels in the region, we are fortunate to have high retention – and key to this is keeping employees engaged. They need to have a strong conviction that they have a stake in that growth in their professional careers. And that’s why we put emphasis on growing effective and successful business leaders.

The advantage of working in a small team is that you can take on more activity across a number of different functions and roles. You need to be able to make decisions on your own, for the benefit of the territory you are managing. And you need to be able to wear a few different hats.

I believe that coaching goes beyond sending someone to a training class. We ensure continuity of experience and exposure as we groom high potential staff to take on more responsibilities for the business. In addition to this, HR can play a really big role here. I believe that designing

and implementing customer satisfaction programmes is pretty much the same as looking at employee satisfaction.

From my previous experience, I brought the NetPromoter score methodology to Parallels, and today we use that both for customers and internally.

Q

Can you share a key staff development programme and the rationale behind it?

Leadership and self-development for all levels of staff – we’re a lean team, everyone needs to be able to lead and drive their own goals with minimum supervision.

Q

How do you incentivise and motivate employees beyond monetary rewards?

Beer and wine! Or on a more serious note, keep them engaged, and give them visibility into the big picture and how what they do relates to that.

Q

With teams spread across different geographies, what is your top tip for crossborder collaboration?

At Parallels, we maximise use of technology to our advantage – whether via the phone, WebEx, Skype, or Facebook (we have an employee-only group on that platform). In addition to that, especially when you are building a new team, periodic face-to-face and all-hands team meetings are crucial. I gather my whole team together every six months.

Q

Your proudest moment When I can convince someone that there is light at the end of the tunnel and we can make changes to an otherwise bleak situation.

• I love: My newborn son, who is now four months old • I dislike: Very long flights • My inspiration is: Immersing myself in a multicultural environment and getting to know people from different cultures and backgrounds • My biggest weakness is: In my previous job in consulting, people were more self-motivated. We spent less time on communication and more time on doing things. Now I must constantly remind myself to over-communicate.

• In five years’ time I’d like to be: Still living in Singapore and involved in the technology field • Favourite quote: “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

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GRADUATE RECRUITMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CONGRESS

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A positive hiring pace is anticipated for the succeeding quarters of 2014*. However, as the government tightens its requirements for hiring foreign candidates, persistent talent shortages will become all the more evident. The question then arises as to the innovative and proactive strategies our organisations are really deploying to appeal to the ambition of graduates in order to help them win the talent war.

One of the hottest topics this year, the 3rd Annual Graduate Recruitment and Development Congress is designed to uncover both strategic and practical elements of designing and implementing successful and innovative graduate recruitment and development programmes to select, attract and develop the best Next-Gen talent and keep them engaged throughout their careers. *Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Singapore 2014

Featured speakers: Eldon Pascoe Director Professional and Teacher Development BRITISH COUNCIL SINGAPORE

Cara Reil Vice President - Talent and Leadership Development SINGTEL

Ho Sze Ming Manager – APAC Graduate Recruitment DEUTSCHE BANK

Anna Fourie APAC University Staffing Consultant MICROSOFT

Carmen Wee Ai Chyun Director - NUS Business School NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

Loh Pui Wah Director – Career and Attachment Office NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Larry Charles Medina Head Postgraduate Career Services SINGAPORE MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY

Kristi Robson Head - Graduate Development APAC BARCLAYS

Eric Wong Head – Talent Acquisition and Development – APJ and China POLYCOM

Shalini Bhateja Director Global Talent Development SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Lim Kar-Men President AIESEC SINGAPORE

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• HR freshers’ salary spotlight ISSUE 14.8

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GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Recruitment

Get on their

radars

Stiff competition for talent is seeing companies searching out new and creative ways to attract the best candidates. HRM reveals how to get on the radar of today’s fresh school leavers

By Sumathi V Selvaretnam

Attracting newly-minted graduates into the fold can be challenge for HR against a buoyant employment landscape. The expectations of candidates today are also rising beyond monetary rewards, with many seeking better work-life balance and job stability, so recruiters need to present a comprehensive and often complex offer.

Fresh graduates today are also more attuned to the world, with more knowledge and information easily accessible via social media. This makes them more aware of the career choices available to them, says Lilian Chew, HR Director at Eastern Health Alliance and Changi General Hospital. “With an increasingly affluent society, most expect good training and development in their career with competitive remuneration to match. Building a good rapport with them is crucial for them to open up and share their honest career aspirations,” she says.

Another common aspiration among fresh graduates is fast growth.

“There is an aspiration, especially in Asian countries, to move vertically up the hierarchy,” says Yogita Kaul, International HR Business Partner – Asia-Pacific, BBC Newsgroup.

However, it is also important to manage their expectations, says Valerie Cheong, Head of HR, Linde Gas Singapore. “Some of them have rather unrealistic expectations about moving up the corporate ladder.”

Not every industry falls under the fresh graduate’s typical dream 18

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list of jobs. Less favoured or more low-profile industries often face additional challenges in attracting the right talent. The healthcare industry is one such example, says Chew. “We face a global shortage of healthcare professionals and on top of that, we are faced with competition from the more glamorous industries like Banking and Tourism. In addition, with Singaporeans having fewer babies, the pool of fresh graduates continues to decrease each year,” she says.

The complex industrial gas industry is another example. Linde Gas Singapore operates one of the most sophisticated gasifiers in Asia. “A number of our operations require highly skilled personnel to run the plant 24 hours a day. The supply of such skilled engineers and technicians is tight, especially on Jurong Island where we are located,” shares Cheong.

Reaching them first The key to netting the best talent is early engagement. Companies that HRM spoke to revealed they start engaging students as early as possible – often when they are still studying in a junior college or polytechnic.

Changi General Hospital for example, organises regular learning tours and work experience sessions, reaching out to junior colleges and graduating students. In addition to career talks by the hospital’s healthcare professionals, these graduating students are given tours

around the hospital and its respective departments to see them at work. “This serves to give graduating students a greater appreciation (of our work), with the hope to entice them to consider a career in healthcare,” says Chew.

Likewise, Linde Gas invites students from tertiary institutions to visit its plant. This gives them a better understanding of the industry and its operations, as well as the career opportunities available. “We also participate in the career talks organised by the local universities, Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore,” says Cheong.

Giving students a taste of working life can go a long way. Local law firm Rajah & Tann conducts annual engagement programmes for students from schools to junior colleagues and up to universities. This includes short attachment stints for school students and structured internship programmes for the undergraduates. The firm also constantly engages with overseas undergraduate student bodies where it links up with potential candidates. “Besides offering attachments and internship programmes, we conduct recruitment drives and sponsorships programmes. Our lawyers also take time to have dialogue sessions with these undergraduates, be it local or overseas,” says Koay Saw Lean, Director of HR, Rajah & Tann.

Greater collaboration needed A US survey by Careerbuilder.com has revealed that 60% of employers are concerned about the costs associated with delays in filling open positions. One in four stated they had experienced losses in revenue as a result. Compromised productivity and work quality as well as a rise in voluntary employee turnover were some of the other repercussions cited in the March survey.

According to the study, one of the biggest opportunities is to get individual companies and colleges and universities talking more to each other. While most academics (96%) agree that their institutions should be asking employers about the skill sets they require, more than half (55%) admitted that this only happens a little or not at all.

Academics are also becoming more sensitive to the realities of the job market. Fifty-four percent of them said that they were adjusting their curriculum based on local demands or shifts among employers. However, the speed of implementation continues to be a hurdle.

The study found that more than half of those changing curriculum (56%) said it would take at least a year to implement those changes, while nearly one in five (18%) said it would likely take three to five years.

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GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Recruitment Engage, engage, engage Fresh graduates often have their attention pulled in a thousand different directions as they enter the job market.

Ensuring that your engagement activities are a cut above the rest will lead to more successful outcomes.

And what better way to do that than to hear directly from those in the know? Linde Gas appoints what it calls ‘Linde Ambassadors’ at its career talks to share with students their experience of working at Linde. “These ambassadors could be graduates undergoing our trainee programme or may have just completed the programme, so the students can relate to and identify with them,” says Cheong.

Changi General Hospital offers job shadowing and observation opportunities to selected students, giving them greater insight into the healthcare careers that the hospital provides. “With the support of our Heads of Departments, we also offer temporary jobs to students on a case-by-case basis,” Chew says. “This helps them appreciate better Changi General Hospital’s ‘Learn, Grow, and Play’ environment.”

Mentoring plays an important role at Visa. “We introduce our graduates to their mentors even before they start. The mentors are with them for the full duration they are in our graduate programme, and after they join, we organise bonding activities for each graduate class, and listen to their ideas on how to improve the programme,” says Adele Png, Head, Graduate and Intern programmes, Visa Worldwide.

Keeping your graduate programme current and relevant is key. “We ask graduates for their interests and we take that into consideration when we match them to their rotations.

We give them roles that will allow that ‘stretch’ and give them that empowerment and ownership to make a difference at Visa,” says Png.

Great expectations Years of work with their first employer upon graduation:

51% expect to work for 2 or 3 years

expect to work for 5 years or more

Most important attributes of an employer:

SOCIAL MEDIA scores high on the most effective means to attract young talent

People attributes

3

Top

Culture attributes

career goals: To be dedicated to a cause or to feel that I am serving a greater good

To have work/ life balance

To be secure or stable in my job

Recruitment channels Without a doubt, social media scores high on the most effective means to attract young talent. “Students are very connected in this digital age and if you have a strong programme or product, they will tell their friends on Facebook and Twitter – and that will draw students to your portal,” says Png from Visa. “We don’t really spend much on advertising, except through our job portal and campus events once a year. So it is really (only) word of mouth,” she adds.

There is also value in career talks and exhibitions. “In our experience, they are the most effective as they provide the opportunity for face-to-face interaction. They give candidates the opportunity to hear from us first hand and ask questions, and for us to explain more in detail what we do and what we can offer in terms of career development,” says Cheong.

At Changi General Hospital, collaboration with the career centres of various institutions also provides it with an effective channel to reach out to young talents. “We need to have constant dialogue with them to align their aspiration and expectations to that of the organisation,” Chew says.

33%

5

Top

employer attributes:

A friendly work environment

Professional training and development

High future earnings

A creative and dynamic work environment

Recognising performance (meritocracy)

Source: The Universum Top 100 Ideal Employers 2014 student survey

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GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Onboarding

All aboard the

ONBOARDING EXPRESS As graduates become an increasingly important component of today’s workforce, HRM investigates how companies are devising onboarding programmes to keep them happy and settled into their new roles

By Sham Majid Picture this scenario.

You are a fresh graduate and after scraping through several nerve-wrecking interviews and finally convincing your would-be employers you are the one for the job, you have been offered the post.

You gratefully accept the job and turn up at your first day of work, filled with optimism and excitement at the prospect of finally embarking into the working world.

However, what appeared to be your big break quickly begins to turn sour, with an ineffective company onboarding programme coupled with unclear instructions and a lack of support from supervisors

– all culminating in a miserable maiden working experience.

You then decide that enough is enough, and you quit: a lost opportunity for both yourself and the organisation which would have been banking on a far longer tenure.

Companies from Hong Kong may be able to attest to this.

According to the jobsDB Q2 2013 Hiring Index in that market, among firms who recruited fresh graduates in the past three years, approximately half of them (48%) possessed a turnover rate of 50% or more for this class of recruit.

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GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Onboarding graduate recruits was just one to two years, while 34% said the average was between three and 12 months.

Meanwhile, a 2013 Onboarding Trends Report found that a combined 71% of its survey respondents were presently in the midst of updating their onboarding programmes (see: boxout).

Even more surprisingly, the Onboarding 2013: A New Look At New Hires report by Aberdeen Group revealed that only 37% of organisations had invested in strategic onboarding that lasted more than two years (see: boxout)

On the ball with onboarding While onboarding programmes are important in enabling new employees to bed in and adjust to their own job scope and company’s operational structure, they are absolutely imperative for fresh graduate recruits, says Leslie Hayward, Shell’s Vice President of HR (Singapore and Asia-Oceania Operations).

“Onboarding programmes are important to help fresh graduates gain the required information, network, and do the role successfully, especially since they are new to the organisation and the working world,” says Hayward.

As a global conglomerate, it is no surprise that Shell boasts a rigorous onboarding programme for graduates. It receives around 500,000 applications annually. Of these, it recruits just 1,200. In Singapore, Shell hires between 30 and 40 graduates each year.

The Shell Graduate Programme provides an industryleading development framework for graduates, Hayward says, and is open to graduating students or anyone with less than three years’ working experience.

The company’s onboarding programme – 12 Global Onboarding Steps – kicks off even before the graduate joins the company, Hayward reveals.

First, the supervisor emails each new recruit basic information needed for their first day at work, and

Bleak outlook of onboarding The 2013 Onboarding Trends Report shed some telling information on the state of onboarding programmes in the corporate world.

According to the report: • The majority of respondents (49%) were presently updating their onboarding programmes • 22% continually update their programmes • 19% updated their programmes within the previous two years • And for 10% of respondents, it had been more than three years since their onboarding programme had been updated • More than 73% of respondents revealed that the biggest reasons behind powering change to their onboarding programmes was to speed up new employees’ performance and to improve employee retention and loyalty • The majority of respondents hinted that HR (87%) and Learning and Development (72%) departments were most involved in crafting and updating the onboarding programmes.

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outlines key milestones to be covered in the first 12 months, including establishing goals and identifying development and training needs.

The line manager also explains the Shell Graduate Programme in detail and discusses how to develop their professional and functional competencies.

All Shell graduate hires also attend Shell Life, a five-month leadership development programme.

This involves a two-month virtual training, five days of face-to-face training, and finally a three-month in-role embedded position.

“Our fresh graduates take on substantial full-time jobs from day one,” says Hayward.

“A significant part of learning and development comes on the job and a structured onboarding is critical to bringing them up to speed quickly.”

Shell’s effusive commitment to graduate onboarding programmes is equally matched by Microsoft.

“Onboarding programmes are essential to help fresh graduates transition from the world of academics to the world of business,” says Anna Fourie, Regional University Staffing Consultant, Microsoft Asia-Pacific.

Microsoft’s onboarding structure begins with graduate hirers joining the Microsoft Academy of College Hires (MACH), says Fourie.

The Microsoft Academy of College Hires is for undergraduate, Masters and MBA-level hires.

The undergraduates and Masters programme runs for two years, while the MBA programme is for 18 months.

Both MACH programmes run worldwide and are designed for graduates joining Microsoft’s sales, marketing and services group.

The programme is focused on the development of technical knowledge as well as the development of “soft skills”, including leadership, team work, development of personal brand, and career guidance.

“Critical to the success of the MACH onboarding programme is the opportunity for our graduates to develop a network which provides them with a supportive community as they grow and develop over the coming years,” says Fourie.

“Our graduate hires receive Orientation Training, Role Guides and attend trainings as part of the MACH community to help them develop their personal networks for success.”

The onboarding programme is split into three core sections.

During the first seven months, graduates focus on learning about the organisation, its customers, and how it works to deliver Microsoft’s commitment in today’s “mobile-first; cloud-first” world.

The next nine months are focused on understanding each individual’s own unique work style and what they can contribute to the team in order to drive impact in their business areas.

Renewed effort with onboarding The Onboarding 2013: A New Look At New Hires report by the Aberdeen Group deduced the key drivers for onboarding among participating organisations. The report showed that: • 68% of respondent organisations drove onboarding to get new employees more productive quickly • 67% drove onboarding for better employee engagement • 51% pushed for onboarding for better employee retention • 49% pushed for onboarding for better assimilation of new hires Among the top pressures for onboarding were: • The need to better engage with employees (50% of respondents cited this) • Pressure to meet company’s growth objectives (49%) • The shortage of required skills (44%) The study involved 230 organisations and was conducted in January and February last year.

During the final stages of the graduate onboarding programme, training is focused on driving performance and impact as well as managing perceptions, leading, and influencing.

“Our focus is on providing our graduates with the best platform for success and a structured onboarding programme will help them ramp quickly in their roles and become valued contributors,” says Fourie.

In addition, the role of the Microsoft “community” is deemed to be extremely vital for the success of a new hire.

“Each MACH hire is assigned a buddy and a mentor on top of access to the global MACH community,” adds Fourie.

Microsoft’s thorough and layered approach to onboarding programmes for graduates is already paying dividends.

“We are glad to note that our graduate hires have lower attrition rates than is commonly experienced in the industry,” says Fourie.

DBS gets personal Another organisation that prides itself on formulating sound and comprehensive onboarding programmes for its graduate recruits is DBS Bank.

DBS hires more than 150 new graduates for entry-level roles each year. In 2013, it received close to 7,000 applications for the Management Associate and Graduate Associate Programmes.

“At DBS, we welcome our new graduates with an orientation programme, First Day@DBS,” says Laurence Smith, Managing Director, Group Head of Learning and Talent Development at DBS Bank.

At this session, new graduates are inducted into the DBS family by learning about the bank’s history, vision, strategy and policies.

After the session, they get to meet senior managers and hear about the various departments and functions within the bank. Mentors and buddies are also introduced to the new graduates to initiate them into the company on a more personal level.

According to Smith, new graduates then undergo rigorous training that is designed to sharpen their technical and personal effectiveness skills, and build up their knowledge on the banking and finance industry before they commence their job rotations.

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GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Onboarding career aspirations. Department managers will also provide feedback on their performance and discuss goals for the first year.

After the first rotation, which ranges from seven to 11 months depending on the programme structure, new graduates are given a performance review conducted by their managers.

This is to enable the new graduates to know whether they are on the right track, and to allow them to fine-tune their approach to their new roles as necessary.

They also receive performance reviews for each of the subsequent rotations. “Buddies” are encouraged to check in regularly with the new graduates to offer personal assistance where required.

Smith says DBS Bank believes that a successful onboarding programme can help to improve the retention rates of new graduates.

“Our own internal data shows a stronger retention rate and quicker progression as a result of this long term investment in our talents.”

Getting stuck in According to Hayward, the Shell Graduate Programme provides a consistent and global standard for early career development and assessment of graduates.

“Graduates appreciate the opportunities for continuous learning through training courses, accreditation, and on-the-job learning through real challenges and responsibilities from the first role undertaken in the company,” says Hayward.

“What many graduates and staff find attractive is that

Top three onboarding mistakes An online article from eLearning Industry has highlighted the three biggest mistakes firms make when devising their own onboarding programmes: Mistake number one: Overloading Trying to force through copious amount of company information in one day is not only over-ambitious but also ineffective. When new workers are overwhelmed with information ranging from HR policies, to roles and responsibilities and to company values, a lot of pressure is placed on them.

Mistake number two: Onboarding in a day Programmes that fail to continue onboarding training beyond a number of workshops can impede the workers’ chances of settling properly within the company. An employee may not be able to inculcate everything learnt from the workshop, and if there is insufficient support after the workshops, it can result in more errors and longer time taken for productivity.

Mistake number three: A one-size-fits-all approach While a one-size-fits-all approach seems to be the most cost-effective manner of transferring knowledge to new workers, it can be a huge mistake when the diversity of new recruits is not factored in. Different people learn differently and ensuring that they learn according to their needs will reap more rewards in the long run.

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they get the opportunity to be involved in a diverse range of challenging projects, working with people from different backgrounds and perspectives.”

For example in Singapore, engineering graduates can work at the Pulau Bukom Manufacturing Site (Shell’s largest wholly-owned refinery) or the petrochemicals complex on Jurong Island.

Singapore is also the global headquarters of two of Shell’s businesses – Integrated Gas and Global Commercial – and the regional hub for its Upstream Exploration and Production activities, and the Downstream Trading and Chemicals businesses.

Hayward explains that employee retention and talent management are key considerations of the design of a good graduate and onboarding programme.

“A comprehensive talent development programme, including strong onboarding, continues to be a competitive advantage to attract, recruit and retain top graduate talent,” he adds.

“Shell has always had a structured approach to onboarding as we recognise that good onboarding is critical to successfully integrate a new hire into the organisation.”

Immersing in the experience To maintain the pipeline of talented employees, DBS entices bright prospects at an early stage in their careers, via the highly sought-after Management Associate Programme, says Smith.

“As part of the programme, our Management Associates and Graduates Associates are given extensive learning and development opportunities, and will undergo rotations that will give them exposure to different businesses and develop a breadth of knowledge,” he says.

In addition, a mentoring and buddy system also provides a support system to assist in helping the new Graduate Associates.

Graduates have a dedicated full-time Programme Manager that manages them during the programme and is able to quickly ascertain their strengths and development areas, and provide guidance.

According to Smith, graduates are also encouraged to sign up for learning and development programmes carried out by the DBS Academy, the bank’s in-house training arm.

“The academy creates integrated solutions which support collaboration and learning across the bank,” says Smith.

“They are designed to support employees’ career progression and new graduates can develop their skills and capabilities by attending orientation programmes and role-specific induction courses.”

In tandem with the bank’s plethora of onboarding expertise and resources, personalised learning roadmaps also enable graduates to assess their individual career progression as well as their development opportunities.

GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Talent Management

m e Reel th in fast More and more employers are looking to “hook” graduates much earlier in their careers. According to a report by High Fliers Research, The Graduate Market in 2014, the proportion of new UK graduates recruited directly through employers’ work experience programmes jumped from 26% in 2010 to a record 37% in 2014.

While employers are indeed looking at attracting fresh talent as early as possible, helping them develop viable careers and retaining them over the long term can be a challenge.

Amidst the reality of an ageing workforce and increasing competition for remaining workers, businesses will need to develop strategic approaches to the early career development and retention of younger workers, especially fresh graduates. HRM finds out more

By Shalini Shukla-Pandey ISSUE 14.8

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GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Talent Management According to a survey by Robert Half, 43% of employers worldwide found Generation Y the most difficult to retain. The corresponding figure for respondents in Singapore was an above-average 59% – the second-highest ( just behind Chile’s), out of the 15 countries surveyed.

When asked why Generation Y employees were difficult to retain, employers pointed to the higher expectations harboured by that demographic.

Eighty per cent of employers in Singapore believe Generation Y employees have “high expectations for career advancement”, while 75% say they “want more remuneration than they are worth”, the survey found.

Keep that employee close The “Right of First Conversation” can help dramatically improve an employer-employee relationship.

Picture this: If an employee decides they want to explore other career options, he or she should commit to talking with their current manager first, so that the company has the opportunity to define a more appealing job or role.

“This doesn’t mean that the employee informs her manager every time she receives a call from a headhunter – this kind of disclosure would be onerous for both employee and manager,” says Ben Casnocha, co-author of the new book, The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age, with Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh. “Rather, the employee should initiate a conversation when they are seriously considering alternate job offers or career paths.”

Similarly, the employee should also approach the manager if they feel strongly that their current tour of duty no longer fits, and that without a change, they would feel obligated to start looking for another employer.

“As with other aspects of the employer-employee alliance, the Right of First Conversation isn’t a binding legal contract,” says Casnocha. “It’s an understanding between manager and employee that carries moral weight if violated.”

Because the employer typically holds the power in the relationship, it’s up to the company to take the first step towards building the necessary trust. Managers need to say they won’t fire people for talking honestly about their career goals, and truly mean it.

Once employees believe that the company will live up to those words, managers can point out the benefits to the employee of granting them the Right of First Conversation.

First, an employee can benefit from frank career advice from a manager on specific industry opportunities. “In a high trust relationship, a manager will not reactively denigrate competitors or ‘say anything’ to keep an employee,” says Casnocha.

Second, perhaps the current company can upgrade the quality of the employee’s existing role. “An employee who provides advance notice allows the company the time necessary to explore and develop more possible options and offers,” says Casnocha. “If the company has weeks to match or exceed an offer from a rival, it has a much better chance of pulling together a counter than if it only had twenty-four hours to respond.”

Finally, even if the company can’t present a compelling counter or the employee chooses to switch firms, the Right of First Conversation helps preserve a longer-term relationship. “The split can be made amicably, and on a timetable that works for both parties, honouring the mutual obligations and investment they have made in each other,” Casnocha explains.

Question to ask yourself: As a manager, would you rather manage a planned separation from an employee who has completed their final tour of duty? Or would you rather scramble to perform damage control on a sudden departure?

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Engaging them early

31%

of employers are planning to hire graduates to plug hard-to-fill vacancies Source: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Fresh graduates can be just as diligent and competent as Generation X or even Baby Boomer staff. With a clear career path ahead of them, many do stay on with their employers for the longer term.

Enterprise Holdings – the largest car rental company in the world – owns and operates National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car as well as its flagship Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand. The company, headquartered in Clayton, Missouri in the US, hires college graduates to join its Enterprise Rent-A-Car management training (MT) programme.

Nearly all of the company’s senior leadership team, including the President and CEO, started out in the management training programme.

For instance, James Davis, a Millennial hired in the MT programme at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, quickly moved up as a training and development specialist in Southern California. He noticed concerns that the training programmes were not as consistent as they

could have been. In 2010, he put together a 60-day new hire survey letting new hires give feedback on how their training compares with what was promised.

The company has since added a formal mentoring programme into the mix. New hire retention increased about three or four per cent and retention of assistant managers climbed about nine per cent in 2012, according to Marie Artim, vice president of talent acquisition for Enterprise Holdings and past-president of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Avery Dennison, an international manufacturer and distributor of labelling and packaging materials, invests heavily in fresh graduates as well. Through the company’s early career development programmes, Avery Dennison makes a long-term commitment to prepare today’s fresh graduates to be future leaders of the organisation and industry as a whole.

One of the programmes is Global Organisational Leadership Development (GOLD), a two-year

rotational, multi-functional, leadership development programme that accelerates careers and continuously develops talent at the company.

GOLD Associates learn and train in two crossfunctional business rotations, chosen based on each graduate’s background, skills and passions, along with the needs of the business.

Within two 12-month rotations, GOLD Associates complete: • Work assignments in different functions and locations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Europe • A three-week programme of intensive leadership development and finance training, with hands-on experience at one of the company’s manufacturing sites • A highly interactive week-long training focused on communication, advanced leadership development, and rapid problem solving GOLD Associates also develop a network of mentors and peers to truly jump start their careers.

TWOTHIRDS

of employers now provide paid vacation internships for penultimate year students Source: The Graduate Market in 2014 report

CASE STUDY

SMRT Corporation With the Land Transport Authority (LTA) Masterplan to expand the rapid transit network across Singapore, the push to attract, develop and retain a highly professional and competent workforce has become critical for any organisation operating in the transport space.

“For SMRT, fresh graduates are a critical talent group,” says Madelene Lee, Director – Human Capital management, SMRT Corporation Limited.

“Engaging our talents at the onset of their careers means that we have a strategic advantage in nurturing their professional capabilities, but also in shaping their values to be aligned with SMRT’s service and people-centric culture and ethos.”

Fresh graduates on the Engineering track typically start off in rail maintenance and rail operations, while those on the Management track take on corporate functions such as marketing, HR and finance. Under the mentorship of experienced professionals, graduates are groomed in engineering fundamentals of rail transport and exposed to ground operations issues.

SMRT has been running its graduate development programme since 2008. The SMRT Engineering and Management Associate Programme is grounded on the “Triple E” development framework. “This is a holistic set of development platforms: Education, Exposure and Experience. This aims to grow our graduates in their leadership capability, broaden their perspectives and deepen their domain expertise,” Lee explains.

The development programme comprises of several building blocks: organisational awareness, personal effectiveness, and functional expertise.

Through intensive business unit sharing, job rotations and cross-functional projects, executives gain an understanding of how they contribute to SMRT’s success, their challenges and future plans.

Each individual is provided with a career development plan that charts out a customised career path to meet their individual aspirations while meeting organisational needs. This is part of the larger employee value proposition framework that looks at the entire HR value chain from identifying, developing, progressing, rewarding and engaging employees.

“In addition, supervisors and senior management play a central role in shaping and grooming our young talents,” Lee says. “As supervisors and mentors, our leaders take personal responsibility for role modelling our values, acting as sounding boards, challenging and broadening perspectives, thereby facilitating the journey of building an enterprise mind-set.”

SMRT began its graduate development programme in 2008, and received more than 1,000 applications during its most recent recruitment exercise. Out of these, 15 to 20 were selected to participate in the Engineering and Management Associate Programme, which has a retention rate of over 80% over the past two years. “In addition to the programme, we also conduct on-going recruitment for fresh graduates who are deployed

straight to the job,” says Lee. Non-graduate staff who join SMRT at entry-level positions are not forgotten either.

If they perform well and acquire the relevant competencies and skills through SMRT’s structured training programmes, they too can look forward to being promoted to executive and manager levels. The additional supervisory grade tiers of Supervisory grades in the new progressive competency-based career scheme serve as progression pathways that point promising supervisory staff to managerial roles.

“For SMRT, continual engagement and customised development by supervisors and senior management is a key retention strategy to ensure that our talents are professionally, proud and engaged, regardless of whether they are a part of the graduate development programme,” she notes.

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GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Talent & Development

What do HR students want?

They are the future torchbearers for HR in Asia. HRM speaks to university students specialising in HR as they prepare to embark on a HR career Sherina Chng Course: NTU Business Specialisation: HR Consulting

Why are you interested in pursuing a career in HR? With the increasingly competitive global economy, the search for talent to sustain growth is getting harder. Pursuing a career in HR allows me to play a part in the search for such talent.

What lessons learnt in university do you think will stand you in good stead when you eventually work in HR? The curriculum at Nanyang Business School is comprehensive and relevant, and covers all aspects of HR including talent sourcing and acquisition, total rewards management, training and development, strategic HR, and managing HR through research. These courses have provided us with much in-depth knowledge of the different HR functions.

Is there any particular aspect of HR that has enticed you specifically?

I am particularly drawn to the area of

Did the interest in HR come from your studies in university?

My interest to work in HR came from my

Lee Ming Yong Course: NUS Business School Specialisation: HR Management

Why are you interested in pursuing a career in HR? I see a meaningful career as one that makes a difference to peoples’ lives. The HR function does just that by taking care of employees and creating an environment whereby they can excel.

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recruitment and selection of talent. I believe that fitting the right people in the right jobs will allow them to develop professionally, and subsequently contribute and add value to their organisations.

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Is there any particular aspect of HR that has enticed you specifically?

I am more interested in the strategic functions of HR, like recruitment, and training and development. The former (recruitment) puts the right people in the right positions to excel, and the latter (training and development) develops employees to their fullest potential to perform.

What lessons learnt in university do you think will stand you in good stead when you eventually work in HR? I remember a recruitment case analysis which taught me that, as much as attracting the right talent is important, putting in enough effort to retain the

fondness of working with different people. Having taken an “Organisational Behaviour” course during the first year of university, I’ve learnt that it’s the people who make up an organisation that really drive it. As a result, my interest to develop and manage people was piqued and I chose to major in HR during my second year of university studies.

What do you hope to achieve in your HR career?

I hope that I will be able to help organisations solve their talent management issues which have been increasing in recent years. I hope that I will be able to play an important role in the recruitment and selection of talent for my organisation. Finally, after gaining enough experience in the workplace, I hope to be able to contribute as an HR consultant.

people that you have already attracted is also important.

Did the interest in HR come from your studies in university?

The initial interest in HR was sparked off at NUS Business School because I found myself very engaged and eager to participate in HR discussions in class.

What do you hope to achieve in your HR career?

I hope to change the perception that many people have - that HR is just a cost centre and a support function.

Increasingly, human capital is becoming more important, and HR will start to serve a strategic function in companies. I hope to contribute to this change.

Lee Kheh Yang Course: SMU Bachelor of Social Science Specialisation: Second Major in Organisational Behaviour and HR

Why are you interested in pursuing a career in HR? With a passionate interest in people and events management, I saw HR as an interesting field where I could widen my knowledge and apply my competencies.

To me, HR is a continuous learning process. It trains you to think on your feet, to understand the motivations and needs of others, to see things in a different light, and then act in the best interest of your stakeholders.

As a psychology and HR major student, I find the human side of HR intriguing. It promises a wide spectrum of exciting business possibilities and opens up

Marcus Toh Course: SMU Bachelor of Business Management Ministry of Manpower National HR Prize for Top Freshman in Human Capital Management, 2012

Why are you interested in pursuing a career in HR? There are two main reasons I have chosen a career in HR. Firstly, over the course of my National Service, studies and internships, I came to realise that I could fit in better in HR-related roles in the various organisations I had worked with, as opposed to other organisational functions.

Secondly, through learning and discovering more about the HR industry in Singapore, I realised that the industry

various career pathways that never fail to fascinate me!

and I have become a sponge with a thirst for knowledge.

Is there any particular aspect of HR that has enticed you specifically?

Sometime earlier on this year, I found myself fascinated by a presentation conducted by a guest speaker from Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). By chance, I landed myself an internship with this awesome organisation some weeks down the road and it was through that first hand experiential learning process in the HR department that I truly affirmed my interest in HR.

Did the interest in HR come from your studies in university?

Since I was young, I have always had a passion to take on a people-centric role. My passion and dedication to this area shone through when I decided to take on various leadership positions during my freshman and sophomore years.

As a young undergraduate, I now begin to see HR as an integral segment of any organisation, as well as its increasing importance in today’s business world.

There is always so much for me to explore, learn and to contribute to the success of HR in any organisation.

What lessons learnt in university do you think will stand you in good stead when you eventually work in HR? I truly believe in the practical, hands-on experiential learning process, which is why I have chosen to make the best out of my university life (through my active engagement in student life and various student leadership positions).

Through my university education, I have learnt to be resilient to take on challenges,

has truly progressed from a largely administrative function in the past, to one which is strategic, progressive and innovative in its dealings today.

Is there any particular aspect of HR that has enticed you specifically?

While I am very comfortable with HR in general, the role of HR as a business partner to the various functions in an organisation is the clincher for me.

Having experienced the role of business partnering in one of my internships, it is truly one which drives you to learn more beyond what you know in HR. What lessons learnt in university do you think will stand you in good stead when you eventually work in HR? The lessons about HR which I have learnt from my university studies can be broadly categorised into: Theory, Situational Application (in use of cross-functional knowledge) and Practical Skills (in

What do you hope to achieve in your HR career?

I would like to continue with my passion in HR beyond my university years. Rather than asking me what I would like to achieve, I would like to be part of the movement that constantly challenges and redefines the boundaries HR has on any organisation.

communicating recommendations, collaborating between departments, and making impactful presentations). The lessons I personally find most crucial in my workplace interactions involve a mix of situational application and practical skills.

Does your interest in HR come from your studies in university?

I was always interested in HR as a subject even prior to my university studies, and subsequently, my university studies then provided the depth and exposure for me to confirm my career choice. Working with like-minded and aspiring individuals in school played an equally important role in defining my career choice.

What do you hope to achieve in your HR career?

I hope to someday become a subject matter expert who can contribute at the forefront of the industry to make it even more progressive and strategic.

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GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Compensation & Benefits

HR freshers’

SALARY SPOTLIGHT HR remains one of the most well-paid backoffice support functions, and salaries are rising further in Singapore.

HRM finds out what this means for the job prospects and starting packages of fresh HR graduates

By Shalini Shukla-Pandey

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HR salaries in Singapore are generally rising in response to the candidate-driven market in the country. “Given demand, employers are also well aware that if they are to attract talent, then they need to offer an increase to those who are moving on from an existing role,” says Ash Russell, Senior Business Director, Hays Human Resources.

According to the 2014 Hays Asia Salary Guide, more than half (56%) of Asian employers say they will increase salaries by three to six per cent this year, and 17% will offer increases above that level. Twenty-two per cent plan to increase wages by less than three per cent and the final five per cent of employers say they will give no increase at all when they next review.

“With demand likely to continue to outstrip supply, salaries in Singapore’s HR industry will remain under pressure,” says Russell.

The Towers Watson 2013-14 Asia-Pacific Salary Budget Planning Report also found that salaries across Asia-Pacific were set to rise, by an average 6.9% in 2014, with China leading the way. Japan, at the other extreme, expected to see no increases.

Fresh graduates can expect to earn

S$2,300 PER MONTH Source: JobStreet.com

“In Singapore, the 2014 projection for salary increase is 4.3%,” says Sean Darilay, leader of Towers Watson’s Global Data Services practice in Southeast Asia. “If HR professionals continue to be in high demand, they could command a higher salary increase this year.”

Still, for recent graduates, the situation is different. They don’t yet have the experience required to perform an HR role, says Russell.

“After three or four years at university, sometimes Singaporean graduates feel they are equipped to enter the workforce at the level that someone with three or four years of working experience would be at,” she notes. “However, despite their degree, they do need to start at the bottom in an entry-level role and gain experience in order to work their way up.”

Today’s trends According to the Robert Walters Salary Survey 2014, junior to mid-level permanent job-movers will continue to expect 12% to 20% pay rises this year.

3

COMMON MISTAKES

in salary negotiations are: • Not doing your research • Bluffing • Being too interested in the package Source: Adapted from TARGETjobs UK

Contract HR hires A key finding from the Robert Walters Salary Survey 2014 was that contract hiring is likely to be on the rise for HR professionals as employers prefer a flexible workforce, in particular for payroll staff and junior HR executives.

“We continue to find the market is short of experienced payroll staff so this skillset remains in demand,” says Leanne Nettleship, Manager – Financial Services Contracting, Robert Walters Singapore. “We have so far in this year seen an increase in junior to mid-level HR roles coming from our clients within the contracting market, looking for candidates to support departments with on boarding, recruitment and general HR administration.”

Contract jobs for HR fresh graduates in particular are on the rise and more jobseekers are expressing interest in temporary assignments.

“Recent graduates should consider these roles because they provide opportunities that can broaden their expertise, expose them to new industries and diversify their skills and experience, which will make them more attractive and employable in future,” says Ash Russell, Senior Business Director, Hays HR. According to the Robert Walters survey, career progression and pay rises are also motivating factors for both permanent and temporary HR professionals.

“As more clients hire temporary and contract staff, it is important to motivate and retain these workers,” says Nettleship. “Especially where the contract is ongoing, an individual would not want to sacrifice their career development if they feel as a contractor they are not being given the same training or opportunities as their permanent counterparts.”

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GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Compensation & Benefits Tips to negotiate salaries It is important for fresh graduates to establish themselves in a role and be able to demonstrate to their employer how they have added value to the business in order to support their salary negotiating position.

“In most cases, the earliest realistic date to negotiate salary would be on their first anniversary with the company,” says Ash Russell, Senior Business Director, Hays HR. “If their employer can’t increase their salary at that time, they could agree a date for another pay review in six months.”

Tips for negotiating an improved package include: • Research the employer and the market • Look at the range of packages offered for similar positions in the adverts online or in the jobs pages.

• Ask for advice from people in your professional and personal network.

• Ask a contact in the industry to advise you – or use his or her own network to access the information.

• Approach your local Training and Enterprise Council.

• If you are a member of a union, they will have information on acceptable salary ranges for your profession.

• Discuss salary as late as possible • Consider the whole package Source: Adapted from TARGETjobs UK

Junior HR staff China

Hong Kong

Japan

Singapore

Malaysia

HR Officer (2+yrs)

100 - 240

150 - 360

5-7

40 - 50

40 - 50

TA/Recruitment Coordinator (3+yrs)

100 - 150

216 - 324

4-6

50 - 80

65 - 85

L & D Officer (3+yrs)

100 - 250

200 - 330

6-8

60 - 80

70 – 85

Compensation & Benefits Specialist (3+yrs)

150 - 300

300 - 540

6 - 10

80 - 120

80 - 90

HRIS Administrator (3+yrs)

100 - 200

180 - 312

5-8

80 - 120

50 - 60

Payroll Officer (3+yrs)

100 - 180

216 - 336

5-7

50 - 80

75 - 80

NOTES • Salaries are represented in local currencies • Typical salary range in ‘000, excluding Japan which is stated in millions.

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Looking ahead While HR pay has gone up steadily over the last few years due to the continued strong demand for high quality HR talent in Singapore, the country shares the same situation with other markets including Hong Kong, China, South Asia. Finding top HR talent has been difficult in all of these markets, says Darilay.

Skills shortages will ensure HR talent across experience levels remain a priority for employers, says Russell. “This will continue to place pressure on salaries,” she explained. “Employers also face

National HR Scholarship

Salary information:

Source: 2014 Hays Asia Salary Guide

“These pay expectations are fairly realistic as the demand for junior to mid-level staff is higher,” says Joanne Chua, Associate Director, Robert Walters Singapore.

HR departments are also prioritising roles in the Compensation and Benefits area as there is a shortage of these candidates. Companies are seeing the benefits of finding new and innovative ways to reward their staff, as well as attracting and retaining them.

Russell advises recent graduates to consider specialising in the compensation and benefits area.

“If the trend continues, salaries in this area are likely to continue to rise.”

The National HR Scholarship was launched in 2011, and seeks to build the HR talent pipeline in Singapore.

Scholars have the opportunity to develop a wide spectrum of skills and capabilities in a dynamic work environment, and are also able to contribute to their company’s growth in regional and international markets: all while being groomed as a leading HR professional.

The midterm scholarship provides the following support for the remaining duration of undergraduate studies: • Tuition fees and other compulsory university fees • Monthly allowances • Sponsorship for approved overseas exchanges and/or attachments and developmental programmes • Hostel fees Scholars are required to serve a bond with their chosen sponsor company. Part of the duration should be served in a role where their HR skills may be applied. The bond duration is: • Two years for a two-year scholarship • Three years for a three-year scholarship • Up to six scholarships are awarded each year to local university undergraduates with relevant business and HR specialisations.

cost pressures. So given the importance of HR talent, employers are starting to offer a higher salary to secure the right person – even if it is above their budget.”

Chua agrees, saying HR salaries are expected to stabilise in the near future. “The days of increases of 25% and above are declining unless the candidates are already under-paid,” she adds. “Hiring managers will indeed only pay premium for top market talent.”

Ultimately, fresh graduates need to manage their expectations and have a practical career development plan that represents a balance between their interests and their skills, says Russell. “Those graduates that do well are the ones who understand the way a company operates, accept the best job offer that they can get, and work as hard as they can to impress and start climbing the corporate ladder,” she explains.

“Of course, there will always be those gifted candidates who can and should command exceptional offers, but in most cases candidates need to work hard to progress from their first entry-level role.”

GMPRS1045 GMP HR Magazine 186x119.5mm pa.pdf

HR HIGH-FLYERS HR graduates can look towards the likes of Daniel Walker, former chief talent officer at J.C Penney in the US, for inspiration when it comes to wages. In 2012, Walker’s salary was US$145,833, with a bonus of US$8 million. Factoring in stock awards and other benefits, his total hit US$20,201,219, US-based HRE Online reported.

Walker didn’t get such a pay check from just sitting around – he held management responsibilities for a total of 159,000 employees in the embattled retail sector.

Regardless, Walker’s pay-check sat at more than US$15 million above the next highestranking HR professional (see: below).

How do some of the other high-rollers break down? Based on HRE’s report, some of the world’s HR heavyweights (after Walker) are:

Benito Cachinero-Sanchez Senior Vice President – HR, DuPont

US$5,068,383

Gregory Besio

Executive Vice President and Chief HR officer, Aon

US$3,777,065

Martha Burger

Lawrence Pope

Executive Vice President, Administrator and Chief HR Officer, Halliburton

US$4,687,979

Anthony Ambrosio

Executive Vice President – HR and Administration, CBS Corp

US$3,652,333

Senior Vice President – Human and Corporate Resources, Chesapeake Energy Corp

US$4,824,165 1

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HR INSIDER

Starhub

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HR INSIDER

Shine StarHubbers

It’s no surprise that happy employees make happy customers. Chan Hoi San, Senior Vice President – HR, shares how ‘StarHubbers’ shine from within

By Shalini Shukla-Pandey StarHub operates in a highly competitive landscape, and its success depends on how competent and passionate its people are in winning and retaining customers. “Hence, it is important that we first take care of our people, affectionately called ‘StarHubbers’, who, in turn, take care of our customers,” says Chan Hoi San, Senior Vice President of HR for the telecommunications icon.

StarHubbers come from diverse cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds. This diversity truly adds to the strength of the telco, as such teamwork contributes many innovative ideas that are critical to the success of the business.

StarHubbers also adopt an informal working culture.

Everyone addresses each other by their first names, regardless of job title or function. Employees are encouraged to speak their minds, and to take the initiative to make changes that add value for customers or shareholders. Above all, everyone is expected to be treated with honesty, respect, dignity and fairness, Chan says.

“In our journey towards (becoming an) Employer of Choice, it is important that our people are positive, energised and excited about serving the customers,” he says.

“And we make this happen by creating a workplace that

AT A GLANCE

• Total number of employees at Starhub in Singapore: 2,800 • Size of HR team: 33 • Key HR focus areas: Talent Management, Leadership Development, Employee Engagement

reflects the vibrancy and excitement of the StarHub brand.”

Shining at StarHub At StarHub, growth is viewed as a self-driven process.

“Employees must take a proactive role in driving their own career development,” Chan explains. “They choose how fast and how far they wish to advance in their careers, and the company’s role is to support and facilitate this journey to the best of its abilities – by equipping them with the relevant tools and development opportunities.”

StarHub’s current job banding structure differentiates between two main career paths: the professional and the managerial paths. The career paths run parallel to each other, recognising that while jobs may contribute through different ways, they are equally valued by the organisation.

The professional career path has been designed for “subject matter experts”. Roles in this career path are usually suited for individual contributors whose jobs are designed around profound experience and expertise.

“Staff in the professional career path contribute to the company by applying their deep knowledge in specific areas, and by providing technical support and thought leadership to the organisation,” Chan explains. “The job holder can be a mentor to others.”

Roles in the management career path, on the other hand, usually entail people supervision or management responsibilities. Employees on this career path focus on managing others and providing people with leadership. These roles contribute to and achieve results through others.

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HR INSIDER

Starhub “Our employees can move from one career path to the other depending on job opportunities, individual aspirations, and person-to-role matches,” Chan explains.

To guide an individual on their own personal growth journey, StarHub has put in place a Career Development Framework. With the help of a supervisor and HR partner, an employee first undergoes a discovery process of reviewing their key strengths and development needs, and then identifies their career aspirations and job possibilities.

Lastly, an action plan is formalised to help the staff member achieve those goals, with regular tracking of progress.

HR also strives to strengthen its executive bench for leadership continuity. It creates a pipeline of future executives through the identification and development of talents at all levels within the organisation.

Besides equipping them with opportunities for wider exposure at work, StarHub goes one step further by helping each of these talents gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their individual strengths, weaknesses and sources of motivation. This is done through self-assessment tools such as the Hogan Personality Inventory, Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory, BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory, and the 360-degree Feedback Survey.

In addition, these selected talents get to attend career planning discussions with HR and the senior management team for closer alignment of their individual goals with business directions and objectives. StarHub also engages professional coaches for a period of up to 12 months for each employee.

“For high-potential development, we provide a holistic approach comprising three pillars to support talents in

The sparkle initiative StarHub is a big proponent of Corporate Social Responsibility, and seeks to engage its employees in each of its outreach efforts. “StarHub’s spirit of volunteering and serving is imbued in our culture and is practised by employees at all levels,” says Chan Hoi San, Senior Vice President – HR, StarHub. “This volunteerism was formalised by the company since 2006, by providing each employee with up to two working days of paid volunteerism leave each year.”

Employees are able to take volunteer leave to participate in social outreach and pro-environmental events organised by StarHub or in which StarHub is participating.

In 2013, employees volunteered a total of 212 days to support a number of social and environmental initiatives, up from 133 days in 2012.

Organisations that have been supported by StarHub’s corporate philanthropy as well as staff-led social outreach initiatives include: the AWWA Community Home for Senior Citizens, Food from the Heart, Moral Home for Disabled, and the Children’s Cancer Foundation.

Over the years, StarHub found that many employees were unable to take part in corporate social outreach activities due to busy work schedules. To address this, as well as to instil greater employee engagement across the organisation, the telco introduced the “Sparkler’s Initiative” in January last year.

This allows employees to create their own social outreach events, for which they can also tap on their volunteerism leave and receive up to $10,000 in matching funds for any donations they raise.

“Some of the Sparkler’s Initiatives executed by employees have even engaged StarHub’s business partners to raise funds for a designated charity,” says Chan.

“Sparkler’s Initiatives also aid in employee bonding within and between teams.”

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their development and accelerate career growth whilst enhancing their ability to contribute to StarHub,” says Chan. “The three pillars are ‘Self-Discovery’ (selfawareness of strengths and leadership styles), ‘Coaching Development’ (coaching and feedback sessions) and ‘Career Development and Talent Engagement’ (project exposure and networking).”

Early last year, HR launched a Manager Ready (MR) coaching initiative as part of Starhub’s Emerging Talents Leadership Development programme that aims to mentor and strengthen new mid-level managers.

The tool allows managers to undergo a simulation assessment whereby they get to handle a variety of challenges and demonstrate their leadership competencies. After the assessment results, the managers partner with their respective coaching buddies to work on their development gaps.

“Those who have been surveyed registered a 92% satisfaction level with the coaching programme, as they found that it led to an improvement in communication and engagement with their peers and subordinates,” says Chan.

Training Starhubbers Rapid technological change is the norm in the industry StarHub operates in. Therefore, continuously upgrading the skills and knowledge of employees is a must.

StarHubbers received 71,066 hours of training – an average of 25 hours per employee – in 2013 alone. The telco spent $2.5 million on training in 2013, compared with $1.5 million in 2012.

Through an extensive Learning and Development Framework, StarHub has significantly invested in in-house training programmes. These include the StarHub Essentials training modules that all employees are expected to complete. Specific sets of “Key Programmes” have also been developed for various job categories to meet their specific learning needs. Attendance at these courses is one criteria considered before promotions are offered.

“Where new legislation is relevant to StarHub, we have also conducted in-house legal training for staff – to raise awareness of the obligations and implement for compliance,” says Chan.

For instance, in 2012, employees attended a number of New Media Development training programmes, seminars and conferences, including sessions on the Data Protection Act, social media marketing, mobile payments and the legal issues of cloud computing andbusiness contract law.

Employees are also provided sponsorship opportunities for attending functional skills training, overseas training and conferences, certification courses, and executive management programmes.

While line managers are responsible for identifying the training and developmental needs of their team members, individual employees are encouraged to also take responsibility for their own life-long learning.

As such, training resources and learning roadmaps are readily available on the staff Intranet. Employees can easily check out the course schedule, sign up for workshops, and

HR INSIDER

WHO’S WHO IN HR

cross-reference the training needed to match their competencies at work.

Flexiwork at telco While StarHub recognises that its employees work hard to support its business, the telco also wants to make sure hey have ample opportunities to have fun and pursue their passions outside work. This is done through an array of company-sponsored wellness activities, as well as volunteering, and other social and environmental initiatives.

“We encourage and foster employee participation and involvement by organising a wide array of social and welfare activities throughout the year, such as lunchtime and after-work exercise classes, marathons, health talks, free health checks, and healthy eating workshops,” Chan explains.

Sports tournaments are also organised to boost morale and team camaraderie across various divisions.

StarHub received the Silver award at the 2012 Singapore HEALTH Awards. Judges cited its continual excellence in workplace health efforts for employees. The company has signed a Health Pledge with the Health Promotion Board to implement its health promotion programmes in the workplace.

StarHub believes that home is where the heart is and has taken steps over the years to improve work-life balance for employees. Examples of these initiatives include an early release from work on the last Friday of every quarter so that staff can spend more time with their loved ones and free credits to watch movies on the company’s Video-OnDemand service.

“We have also allowed staff early release before certain festivals such as Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya Puasa, and Christmas,” says Chan.

These efforts have not gone unnoticed either, with turnover rates continuing to remain lower than those of other organisations within the telecommunications industry and national average (see: boxout).

“We acknowledge that Singapore’s resilient economy and a tightening labour market have resulted in keen competition for a limited talent pool,” she concludes. “Hence, our approach is to continue to review and adjust our HR policies to remain an employer of choice.”

Chan Hoi San

Senior Vice President – HR, StarHub

StarHub employees received an average of

25 hours

Eloise Yeo

Tan Ai Ling

Assistant Vice President – HR, StarHub

Goh Bee Khim

Training Partner, Organisational Learning, StarHub

HR Partner, Shared Services, StarHub

Carol Ng

Andrea Lee

William Su

Teo Kim Gek

of training per employee in 2013

Catching falling StarHubbers StarHub’s turnover rate for 2013 fell to 15.5%, from 18.0% in 2012. “In fact, our turnover rate continues to remain lower than those of the telecommunications industry (20.8%) and national average (25.2%),” says Chan Hoi San, Senior Vice President – HR, StarHub. Fair and objective hiring practices, learning and skill development, career growth opportunities, a merit and performance-based reward and recognition system, and work-life balance initiatives all contribute to keeping the attrition rate low.

“Other than manpower issues, which is a perpetual challenge that we face, we note that employees are increasingly seeking more flexibility in balancing their work and family commitments, and expansion of company benefits for them and their loved ones,” says Chan.

Employee Engagement Partner, Employee Engagement – HR, StarHub

Senior HR Partner, StarHub

Carol Kang Senior HR Partner, StarHub

HR Partner, StarHub

Senior HR Partner, StarHub

Elaine Loh

Senior HR Partner, StarHub

ISSUE 14.8

HRMASIA.COM 39

FEATURE

International Schools

THE

Globalised Local As expatriate numbers grow around the world, many are ensuring their children also integrate themselves with the cultural norms and traditions of their host country. HRM explores how international schools are crafting all-rounded curriculum programmes for these students

By Sham Majid

40

ISSUE 14.8

HRMASIA.COM

The phrase “birds of a feather flock together” could aptly describe some groups of international school students.

As they travel from their native country to settle into a foreign land, many tend to stick closely to their own people, safe in the knowledge that they share the same idiosyncrasies and customs.

Nevertheless, as their education in international schools draws to a close, many grow to regret being stuck in that expatriate “bubble”, mixing only with their compatriots. They later rue the missed opportunities afforded by their host country.

Indeed, the chance to inculcate international students with local experiences and cultures is the chief reason why international schools are now offering all-rounded yet localised programmes for their cohorts.

Global with a local context Eve Rogove, Director of Marketing and Admissions at the Stamford American International School says living abroad involves understanding more about the culture that your family is in, as well as preserving the culture of your home country. “While it may feel natural to lean towards the curriculum of your national identity, choosing a school is a great opportunity to explore different curriculum benefits that might better suit your children’s learning styles.”

FEATURE

Finnish kids struggling at home Research in Finland in 2012 shed some interesting light on the issue of children returning home after the end of their parents’ overseas assignments (see: boxout).

It is indeed a bizarre conundrum facing Finnish expat families.

A 2012 study by researcher Anu Warinowski from Tulku University highlighted the problems encountered by Finnish children returning home after their parents’ overseas assignments.

An academic dissertation from the university deduced that expat children found it tough to reacclimatise themselves back into the country and received no help from Finnish schools.

It found that all children were affected to some degree, as they spoke and looked Finnish but were educated in different nations with varied objectives.

According to the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, while a strong bond with parents and supportive daily routines play a part in enabling kids to assimilate back into local culture, Finnish schools provide little or no specific assistance.

School hours outside of Finland usually run for longer hours and are laden with projects and activities. However, Finnish schools are personified by exams and grades, a system that can place huge strain and pressure on children who are not used to it.

The study analysed children born to expatriate Finns who had returned back to their native country, focusing on 300 families from eight Finnish cities.

Hence, Stamford has a Bilingual Immersion Programme offered for levels from Kindergarten Two through to Grade Two. In these courses, half of class time is taught in English and the other half in Mandarin.

Lai E-Lan, Senior Vice President (Strategic Planning and Administration) of Excelsior International School Malaysia (Raffles Campus), concurs with this assessment.

“Parents typically want children to have an international education, but with sufficient contextualisation so they can relate what they learn to the local context,” says Lai. “While many local parents are still adjusting to the international teaching pedagogies (which can be vastly different from the rote-learning modes of some local schools), many do appreciate the benefits of moving away from the traditional way of teaching and learning.”

Lai says that many parents want their children to better appreciate cultural diversity and to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

She says Excelsior always ensures that the local culture and language are incorporated as an important part of the school curriculum, in every country where it operates.

It therefore recruits international teachers who have amassed the experience of working in different countries to ensure they respect local cultures and contexts. These work alongside local teachers who also have that appreciation for diversity “For example, the teachers teaching Bahasa Melayu and the Chinese language are active members of the academic faculty who offer feedback and input to expatriate teachers on how certain aspects of the international curriculum can be contextualised to bring in elements of the local culture,” says Lai.

THINKING RELOCATION? THINK SANTA FE. We make it easy

Expat children found it

tough to reacclimatise themselves back into the country and received no help from Finnish schools Source: An academic dissertation from Tulku University

Relocation | Moving Immigration | Records Management

ISSUE 14.8

HRMASIA.COM 41

Santa Fe Singapore T: +65 6398 8588 E: sg.sales@santaferelo.com www.santaferelo.com

FEATURE

International Schools German efficiency extends to new frontiers We all know that Germans are famed for their deadly efficiency and precision. Now, it seems this efficiency has extended to schooling also.

According to the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey 2013, expatriate parents ranked Germany as the top nation for cost-effective schooling.

Since relocating overseas, close to a third (30%) of expatriate parents spend less on education than the global average but these lower expenses do not point to a reduction of the quality level of education. Rather, nearly six in ten (58%) of expatriate parents are actually witnessing an improvement in the quality of education their children are obtaining in Germany, as compared to their native country.

Furthermore, expatriate children based in Germany are also more prone to learning the local language (68%) than expat children in other countries (44%).

Outside the classroom In addition to structuring an international curriculum with a dose of local flair, both Stamford and Excelsior make careful and calibrated efforts to assimilate expat students into the local idiosyncrasies of their host nation.

“The students have many opportunities to engage with the local culture through community service outreach and local academic competitions,” says Rogove.

Involvement in the wider Singapore community is therefore a standard at Stamford, and based on the importance of students becoming contributing citizens of the world.

Recently, students of all ages took part in engaging the local creative culture of Singapore through mural painting near Boon Keng.

“They even hosted a Community Painting Party with food, music and painting to highlight the artwork with local Singaporeans,” says Rogove.

Stamford also competes in the Athletic Conference of Singapore International Schools (ACSIS) which allows student-athletes the opportunity to compete in a broad and balanced inter-school programme against other schools in Singapore.

Blending in with local customs and practices does not simply stop at community activities, says Rogove.

“At Stamford, our students have the opportunity to celebrate and embrace all of the unique holidays, celebrations, religions and foods that Singapore has to offer,” explains Rogove.

“We find that having the international experience and broader cultural exposure is increasingly more important to parents of international students.”

According to Lai, Excelsior not only “supports” cultural diversity, but “fully embraces” it.

This can be evidenced by the various festive seasons that are celebrated in the school, giving children an understanding of varying cultures and practices in the local context.

In addition, Excelsior organises field trips to cultural venues as part of its social studies and humanities curriculum.

“For example, we have organised a visit to the Kite Museum where children learn about the history of local kite-making,” says Lai. Other locations include Jalan Trus and Chinese museums in Johor Baru and Kota Tinggi Museum.

“As part of our holistic education, we expose all our children to the various diverse festivals celebrated in Malaysia. They also undertake research into such festivals and organise celebrations through drama and arts to demonstrate their understanding,” adds Lai. ISSUE 14.8

HRMASIA.COM 43

Employee relocation without the culture shock.

We’re already immersed in your next emerging market.

Cartus is already at home in up-and-coming locales where businesses are finding new footholds. Because it’s important for your assignees to arrive with their feet on the ground, we’re their trusted guide for housing, schooling, and transportation. And that’s just for starters. We also provide expert language and cultural training to connect them with their new communities more quickly.

If you’re looking for information on new emerging markets, we probably already have what you need. Take a look at our videos and other tools at guidance.cartusrelocation.com/emerging-markets-resources, or email us at trustedguidance@cartus.com.

Want your assignees to succeed in emerging markets? Scan now. ©2013 Cartus Corporation. All rights reserved.

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ADVERTORIAL

Singapore Workforce Development Agency

One-stop job resource for securing talent The launch of the new Jobs Bank by WDA will put Singaporeans at the forefront of employers’ minds The Jobs Bank is a national initiative by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) that aims to foster more opportunities for Singaporeans to analyse job prospects and allow companies to reach out to a large pool of local candidates.

Launched on 14 July, the Jobs Bank is a free service provided to all Singapore-registered companies and local job searchers (Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents). More than 4,300 employers and 12,900 individuals have since registered to use the website, and there are almost 16,000 job opportunities currently available to Singaporeans.

Log on to www.jobsbank.gov.sg to register for an account today!

GETTING STARTED ON THE JOBS BANK Employers who possess an account on the Jobs Bank can: • Advertise and manage job openings, • Receive job applications and résumés online from registered job seekers • Search and shortlist candidates within the portal’s candidate database.

The Jobs Bank also allows third party entities such as employment agencies, and firms which offer outsourced HR services to advertise on behalf of their clients.

“Very convenient in managing résumés received from job postings” – LARK KOH, HR MANAGER, A & ONE PRECISION ENGINEERING

“Jobs Bank helps me to reach out to our target audiences” – CHARLENE PAY, WANCO MANPOWER

ISSUE 14.8

HRMASIA.COM 45

TALENT LADDER

New Appointments Kelvin Woo

Head of HR, The DRx Group Kelvin Woo has assumed a new role as Head of HR for The DRx Group.

He is responsible for the full spectrum of HR disciplines, and reports to the Chief Operating Officer.

Prior to joining DRx Group, Woo was HR Manager for Fresenius Medical Care Singapore.

He says he left for greener pastures due to the exciting expansion plans and the opportunity to engage in regional HR with The DRx Group.

With 13 years of management work experience comprising of stints in

the Singapore Prisons Service, ACRA, SATS Ltd and Tigerair Singapore, he plans to help The DRx Group, Singapore’s number one aesthetics group, to cascade organisational plans and ensure its workforce remains competent, engaged and committed to stay as a team to strive for results.

As an addition to the management team, Woo is now learning about the Group’s operations and its human capital. Simultaneously, he is driving the HR work for an overseas

expansion project involving the opening of a new flagship outlet.

In the long run, Woo will strategise to ensure that The DRx Group’s Employee Value Proposition remains competitive in order to make the company an employer of choice to and keep attrition low.

“I am happy to join The DRx Group and will lead the HR team to work alongside senior management as the Group expands,” said Woo. “After all, HR is not only operational, but it is strategic too."

Dirk-Jan Rijks

Vice President of Global HR Development, Service, and Attitude, Global Marketing, Accor Luxury and Upscale Brands Dirk-Jan Rijks was appointed as the Vice President Global HR Development, Service and Attitude, Global Marketing for Accor’s Luxury and Upscale Brands (Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure, and The Sebel) in April 2014.

Bringing a wealth of talent management and HR experience to the global Accor luxury and upscale brands, he will spearhead the HR Development function of more than 300 hotels and resorts globally.

Based in Singapore, Rijks’ primary responsibilities are to support and participate in brand experience, while driving and supporting optimal guest experience strategy and satisfaction through HR programmes.

He will also contribute to building brand equity, loyalty and brand recognition with a focus on service and attitude.

Rijks was previously the Vice President of HR for Sofitel AsiaPacific with Accor Hospitality, where

he was responsible for representing the HR function to ensure brandrelated training modules were rolled out across all properties. He also actively participated in various project groups such as the Sofitel Ambassador Programme, the School of Excellence and GM Entrepreneur.

Prior to joining Accor, Rijks held the position of Chief HR & Administration Officer with the Qatar National Hotels Company (QNHC) in Doha, Qatar.

As CPO, Sylvia will also be part of the Group’s Senior Management Committee to actively contribute to the overall strategy management and operation of the Group’s business.

“With more than 20 years of HR experience, Sylvia will be a great fit with CrimsonLogic as we continue to expand our footprint globally,” said Saw Ken Wye, CrimsonLogic Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to joining CrimsonLogic, Sylvia was working with Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited in Hong

Kong as the Regional Director of Human Resources for Asia for close to three years.

“It is great to be back in Singapore and great to be working with a Singapore company that is taking big strides globally,” said Koh. “I am very excited to be a part of a dynamic organisation that has talents from many different nationalities. It will be my responsibility to realise the great people potential that CrimsonLogic already has, and I’m confident that I can make a positive impact to the Group.”

Sylvia Koh

Chief People Officer, CrimsonLogic Sylvia Koh has been appointed as the Group’s Chief People Officer (CPO) by CrimsonLogic, a provider of eGovernment solutions and services headquartered in Singapore.

In this new role, Koh will oversee the full spectrum in planning and implementing people strategies for the CrimsonLogic Group globally. She will lead the Group HR (Human Resources) to develop workforce strategies, drive Organisational & Talent Development, and succession planning across the various offices and business groups.

ISSUE 14.8

HRMASIA.COM 47

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IN PERSON

HR talent Naresh Kapoor

Director of HR, Singapore Marriott Hotel

How many years HR experience?

I have 12 years of HR experience.

Why HR? My passion to meet people was the reason why I joined the hospitality industry. I enjoy working in HR because it gives me an opportunity to assist and guide new joiners to grow in their respective careers.

Why Marriott?

Marriott is a reputed global brand with 4,000 properties worldwide, and growing further.

Marriott has successfully managed to change with the times without compromising its long founded philosophy of putting people first. It is well known for its family culture, people policies, spirit to serve, and training. It is a fun place to work where there is great teamwork and respect for each other. I love the growth opportunities available globally for our brilliant hosts at all levels.

Biggest achievement?

My biggest professional achievement so far was winning the “HR Leadership Excellence Award” for Marriott hotels in Asia-Pacific in 2013. However, I feel that this award was for my amazing HR team who support and live the Marriott culture every day.

I also feel very satisfied when I am able to assist our brilliant hosts to grow in their desired careers.

After hours?

I love interacting with my children at home, reading books and expanding my collection of postage stamps.

Family?

My wife and two children. My son, Aman, is 12 and daughter, Ankita, is eight. By just observing and interacting with them every day, I do get important tips on how to manage generations at work. As both my wife and I are working, weekends are kept aside for family time: doing activities together or just going out for dinner.

RESOURCES

Book reviews

Recruiters, listen up!

Are you finding it tough to master the art of cold-calling? Ever wondered how you can craft and develop your own unique cold calling style?

If you are determined to improve your cold-calling capabilities, this book is an absolute must-have.

Written by a recruiter for recruiters, Robert Paul Hart’s Talent Calling Candidate Cold-Calling Competencies for Recruiters is the ultimate comprehensive guide to improving and advancing strong selling skills in sales, regarded as an absolutely vital element of recruiting functions.

Being a prolific recruiter himself, Hart discloses the actual scripts and techniques he has utilised during the course of his successful head-hunting career.

The book covers a wide spectrum of skills, including how to secure access to top talent, building and developing

better rapport with talented candidates, soliciting ‘yes’ answers from candidates called, and providing candidate value statements to generate interest.

In the first chapter, readers are inculcated with the ten steps that contain the cold calling scripts, which are outlined step-by-step for easy reference.

The second chapter encompasses the actual cold calling scripts, based upon the ten steps as illustrated.

The third chapter then delves into the difference between an ‘objection’ and a ‘condition’. This chapter features 21 objection-handling techniques, devised from both traditional sales techniques and wholebrain thinking.

In the final chapter, the scripts are presented as parts of hypothetical role plays. The main purpose is to illustrate the nuances of an actual head-hunter candidate call.

Armed with a plethora of easy-to-read techniques and concepts, Talent Calling Candidate Cold-Calling Competencies for Recruiters is a definite read for recruiters hoping to transform their “cold” calls into “warm” ones.

Title: Talent Calling: Candidate ColdCalling Competencies for Recruiters Author: Robert Paul Hart Publisher: First Edition Design Publishing Price: USD 14.95 ISSUE 14.8

HRMASIA.COM 49

VIEW POINT Dr. Roland Smith, VP APAC & Managing Director

Center for Creative Leadership

3 questions that hold the key to becoming a better team leader Understanding the specific needs of the team and what motivates them can help create more successful outcomes, says Dr Roland Smith, Vice President, APAC and Managing Director at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) During our careers, we have all been part of a team, some of us might even have the opportunity to lead one. We all had first-hand experiences on how teams will morph, cross and even evolve along the way.

Organisational structures have changed and become more fluid and intertwined. Therefore, the ability to lead teams and groups of all shapes and sizes has become a core skill and the key to getting things done.

So, whatever the role (formal team leader, manager or team member), here are three key considerations one needs to follow when leading teams.

Is result the only metric that matters?

While, teams are often measured by tangible results (i.e: what was accomplished or what the team wanted to accomplish), we often overlook other essential metrics that contribute to the effectiveness of the teams.

• Learning – Team should also build capability and get better through the experience of working on projects together.

• Satisfaction – Team members are energised and motivated if they are engaged in the work and enjoy working together.

Are the needs of the team met?

Teams have needs and when they are neglected, the outcomes will

suffer. Research shows that teams have three types of needs: • Planning needs. Does the team have a shared understanding of goals, roles, strategy to achieve the goal, and team norms?

• Execution needs. Are they clear about how the team communicates, coordinates, collaborates and monitors its effectiveness?

• Interpersonal needs. What’s the level of trust within the team?

How do they handle conflict constructively? Are they motivated to achieve the goals?

By being aware that every team has needs, whenever they underperform, falter or flat-out fail, one can then diagnose the issues and address any unmet needs.

Are you tapping on the collective power of the team?

Knowledge is limited and one will not have all the answers, hence the need to work with other people.

Good facilitation skills draw out the ideas and knowledge of team members as well as their collective best thinking. Leaders should create the space for teams to address their needs, and have the ability to mentally pull back from the action or the topic at hand and observe how the team is functioning, and help it improve.

CCL’s Leading Teams for Impact program has showed that, by knowing the outcomes and needs of a team that drives effectiveness, team leads will become better leaders. While, it is not simple, the process of figuring out how to find the combination of leadership and structure to lead a successful team, will have the deep reaching business impact that the organisation needs to sustain its growth.

Tel: +65 6854 6000 Email: apac.ccl@ccl.org Web: www.ccl.org/apac

ISSUE 14.8

HRMASIA.COM 51

TALENT CHALLENGE

Strategy

Staying ahead of the pack What are some “Out-of-the Box” HR strategies that can be used to boost productivity?

Tricia Lim

Executive Director, Resources Management Division, NTT Singapore

“In motivating people, you’ve got to engage their minds and their hearts. I motivate people, I hope, by example - and perhaps by excitement, by having productive ideas to make others feel involved.” – Rupert Murdoch Organisations that get the best out of each and every employee, despite limited resources, are the ones likely to achieve the greatest success.

Organisations that understand employees’ motivations and respect their need for job satisfaction usually make serious efforts in creating an environment conducive to getting the best out of staff, which in turn helps employers achieve higher productivity.

Open communication, flexible and creative working environments, employee empowerment, and recognition are some of the intrinsic factors that contribute to a happy and productive work force.

Technology may also be a productivity enabler. However, effective technology utilisation for labour intensive industries such as construction, retail and IT can often be a headache as productivity is largely driven by people, not technology.

My experience implementing the “Back-to-Basic” HR strategy based on the Japanese “Kaizen” philosophy in my current organisation is a good example of an innovative and effective approach to boost productivity.

People play an important role in the success of the Information Technology business. The “Kaizen” approach empowers employees to take individual ownership in driving continuous performance improvement. It encourages employees to review and to make recommendations to increase efficiency in what they do.

Alvin Chan

HR Director, Asia Talent Management and Learning and Development, Celestica

In this age of the knowledge worker, we’re all being overwhelmed by email. Valuable time that could be invested on meaningful and productive work, such as strategy and planning, is instead being spent on responding to emails all day long.

Excessive email not only harms an employee’s personal productivity by creating unnecessary workplace stress, but also discourages collaboration – because people are sending emails back and forth from their cubicles instead of actively engaging with each other in much needed face-to-face discussions.

On a typical work day, my inbox receives an average of 300-400 emails but I only send out about 20 to 25 emails daily. How can this be possible? Let me explain.

The idea is to use email as a tool to receive information from your co-workers. I do not respond to emails that don’t require one.

These are emails such as those which are sent to me directly or perhaps emails with updates that include me with dozens of others on the CC list. The rule of thumb is to read the email and then decide if it requires a response or should be filed away – and most emails fall in the latter category, rather than the former.

Should an email response be required, and if I find myself taking longer than 10 minutes to write it or if it exceeds two paragraphs, I then make a decision to either call the person on the phone or schedule a quick 15 minute discussion.

When was the last time you got a call from the HR Director or General Manager?

Wouldn’t you be pleasantly surprised that they took the time to call you to understand what you had prepared and gave their feedback?

Behaviours like this create positive ripples downwards into the organisation and encourage more leaders to behave similarly.

Lim Teng Teng

HR Director, Singapore and Rest-of-Asia, AB SCIEX

AB SCIEX has grown substantially over the years with new hires all over the region, but the size of the HR team remains unchanged.

Currently overseeing approximately 450 people in Asia-Pacific, the four-person HR team, based in Singapore, has greatly increased productivity by implementing the Problem Solving Process (PSP) methodology.

The PSP method is deployed when a challenge becomes present within the HR function where both quantitative and qualitative methods are applied to resolve the problem. Firstly, the HR team conducts data and trends analysis, followed by collaborative discussions with the leaders from the relevant business units to identify the root causes of the problem, generate countermeasures, evaluate and select solutions that could potentially alleviate the situation, and then concertedly implement them.

For instance, at AB SCIEX, the HR team has to hit a KPI of high double digits for the company’s Internal Fill Rate (IFR) on a monthly basis. This requirement corresponds to studies on Internal Mobility Programmes showing that when such programmes are optimised, it helps improve retention rate, minimises the learning curve and subsequently enhances productivity.

As the company expanded, many new positions were made available, but the IFR stagnated at a low double digit for several months. To address the issue, the HR team assessed existing data, grouped with business leaders from respective departments, and came up with both short-term and long-term countermeasures.

The situation improved significantly and eventually in June, we successfully achieved the target of a high double digit for IFR. ISSUE 14.8

HRMASIA.COM 53

TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN

HR at Work 6.00am I have a check in on roll out plans with our Talent Analytics team based in Austin, Texas.

7.00am It’s important to stay connected with the teams in California HQ working on key areas such as talent acquisition, mobility, management and development so I catch up with them at the end of their day.

11.30am Around this time we schedule regional meetings to accommodate the five time zones across APJ to ensure the region is aligned on key themes.

12.30pm I typically try to explore new parts of Singapore for lunch at least 2-3 times per week.

2.00pm I check with our R&D team in China and India.

Anu Datta

Vice President, Human Resources, VMware Asia Pacific Japan

9.00am I do get some time to think about my priorities for the day and capture notes on my tablet.

10.00am I take an hour to manage my inbox and take care of key requests and actions. As I’m still in the process of settling in Singapore, I’m in the world of housing agents and school administrators.

11.00am I attend a weekly recruiting meeting to review our “Architects of What’s Next” employment branding programme.

3.00pm I spend a significant amount of each day with the Regional GM and his direct reports getting to understand the challenges they are facing in the business which allows me to provide context to my HR team.

4.00pm On the first Friday of every month, we shut the office down for Family Day at 4pm.

6.00pm Each evening, I check my to-do list and review my next day’s schedule and action items for the rest of the week. After dinner with the family and kids’ bath time, I unwind with a glass of wine with my wife.

Regional Manager, HR Payroll

Total Rewards Manager

HR Manager

› International brand name › Leadership and operational role › Exciting and challenging opportunity

› Global industrial organisation › Centre of Excellence function › Individual contributor role

› Financial service industry › Growing business in APAC › Exciting opportunity

A well established and respectable organisation, our client seeks a dynamic and experienced Senior HR Payroll Manager to join them in a leadership role in their regional team.

You will provide leadership to a team of payroll specialists in ensuring quality service delivery of the payroll function in the assigned region. You will continuously seek opportunities to improve service quality, streamline processes, and are jointly responsible for service line portfolio, policies and processes. As a Change Agent, you are the regional representative for global projects, strategic and tactical initiatives, lead, communicate and implement changes.

You are degree qualified with minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in large MNCs covering Asia region. You are experienced operating in a HR shared service environment, have broad knowledge of HR labour laws and processes, SOX requirements, and managing vendor. Demonstrated team management experience and ability to work in a fast-paced, demanding and changing environment are essential. A hands-on leader and team player, you possess excellent communication, stakeholder management and problem-solving skills.

A global industrial player, our client is seeking for an experienced Total Rewards Manager to join and perform an integral role within its regional Centre of Excellence team.

You will be lead in the review and development of Total Rewards strategies, policies and programmes to ensure competitiveness.

Partnering with HR leaders, you will recommend and enhance related plans, programs and initiatives to contribute to the overall success of the business through its people agenda. You will participate and lead region wide programmes and projects, and ensure compliance with local laws and governance processes.

You are degree qualified with Compensation & Benefits professional certifications, and have minimum 8 years of relevant experience including regional exposure gained in MNC. Ideally, you have worked within a Centre of Excellence HR operating model with experience integrating related programmes and policies. You are a hands-on team player with high influencing ability, strong analytical, project management, communication and presentation skills, and have worked in a highly matrix and fast-paced environment.

The HR Manager will be fully accountable for the end-to-end spectrum of HR. This spans across performance management, compensation & benefits, recruitment, employee relations and other HR administration. With people being the organizations key asset, there is a strong emphasis on engagement, recruitment and ensuring effective communications throughout the organization.

This role requires a hands-on, independent HR professional with a passion for developing & engaging people, while also having the maturity and credibility to gain the buy in from senior stakeholders.

Oversees daily office administration and operational matters as well as provide assistance to the Executive.

You should have a minimum of 6 years of experience as a HR generalist. You will be comfortable working independently, willing to take ownership of the HR functions. You should be able to communicate effectively across levels in order to engage with the business and able to make decisions and take appropriate action with integrity and professionalism.

Reference number: MH/JD45447A Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

Reference number: MH/JD45026A Contact person: Maureen Ho (Reg. No. R1105976)

Reference number: OL/JD46260 Contact person: Oka Lee (Reg. No. R1216022)

Your Human Resources recruitment specialists To apply, please go to talent2.com and search for respective reference number.

For a confidential discussion, you can contact Maureen Ho or Oka Lee for the relevant position in our Singapore Office on +65 6511 8555  linkedin.com/company/talent2

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Allegis Group Singapore Pte Ltd Company No. 200909448N EA Licence No. 10C4544

1162/0814

8.00am I take time out to have breakfast with my family every morning.

{ WE KNOW RECRUITMENT Senior HR Consultant (Talent Management)

Sales Training Manager

Regional Vice President Human Resources

› Great culture and dynamic environment › Attractive salary package

› Regional role covering Asia, Middle East and Africa › Fortune 500 US multinational company

› Strategic and decision-making role › Excellent career prospects

Our client is a prestigious and renowned US management consultancy with offices in over 35 countries. In this role, you will be required to think strategically when partnering with clients to form unique approaches that align their organisational challenges with your creative solutions, while ensuring they are in line with their business objectives.

You hold a degree from a reputable university in a talent consulting role with a top-tier multinational company or consultancy that is familiar with workforce analytics and planning, organisation design and HR transformation.

Our client is a Fortune 500 US multinational company and leader in their industry. Reporting directly to the Regional L&D Director, you will lead a team and design sales training to setup a sales academy for the entire sales function across Asia, Middle East and Africa. You will work across functional boundaries and organisational levels, working closely with business leaders to set strategic and tactical learning and development goals. In addition, you will liaise with senior stakeholders to implement a gap analysis of current state and future needs.

The ideal candidate will have strong sales training experience in a multinational company, preferably with regional experience.

Close to 5,000 people in 21 countries are employed by this award-winning business, and they require a high calibre individual for their HR team. Reporting to the Group CEO, you will be working across multiple countries and functions within South Eats Asia. Leading a team of seven, you will drive a robust talent agenda, including succession planning, employee engagement and leadership development. The successful candidate will have an in-depth knowledge of all areas of HR, proven strategic business partnering experience in highly complex, matrix environments and regional experience.

Please contact Eugene Wong (Reg no: R1331128) quoting ref: H2338240 or visit our website.

Please contact Ashley Wei (Reg no: R1434529) quoting ref: H2303650 or visit our website.

Please contact Ng Lay-Hoon (Reg no: R1110029) quoting ref: H2323400 or visit our website.

To apply for any of the above positions, please go to www.michaelpage.com.sg and search for the reference number, or contact the relevant consultant on +65 6533 2777 for a confidential discussion.

Human Resources

Get Connected. Stay Ahead.

Specialists in human resources recruitment

#14896 Licence No.: 98C5473 Business Registration No: 199804751N

MICHAEL PAGE

www.michaelpage.com.sg

TOWARDS UNPARALLEL CAREER ADVANCEMENT HR Manager

Learning & Training Development Manager

Established Global Multinational FMCG Company Career Boosting Role

Established Global Multinational FMCG Company Career Boosting Role

Our client is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of personal care and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) products.

Our client is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of personal care and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) products.

They are looking to appoint a HR Manager to lead a team as a strategic business partner. Reporting to the HR Director, this role will cover full spectrum of HR services and you will be a point of contact for HR related matters. Your role will be both tactical and strategic, requiring you to be hands-on whilst at the same time act as a strong business partner, working closely with the business.

They are looking to appoint a Learning & Training Development Manager to be responsible for training activity for core employees up to senior management level. Reporting to the HR Director, this role will cover full spectrum of training, performance management, coming up with incentive schemes for high performers and long service awards. Your role will be both tactical and strategic, requiring you to be hands on whilst at the same time act as a strong business partner working closely with the business.

You will be responsible for the full spectrum of HR functions which includes operations management, talent attraction and development, payroll operations, HR policies and procedures.

To be successful in this position, you should possess a Degree with a minimum of 10 years full spectrum HR experience, good communication skills with proven leadership qualities and a successful track record in operations management from the corporate executive to the shop floor staff level.

If you meet the above criteria, please email your detailed CV in word format to priya_prakash@kellyservices.com.sg

To be successful in this position, you should possess a Degree with 10 to 15 years of HR learning and training development experience, articulate and confident communication skills with inspirational leadership qualities.

If you meet the above criteria, please email your detailed CV in word format to priya_prakash@kellyservices.com.sg EA Personnel Registration No. R1325491

EA Personnel Registration No. R1325491

Kelly Services, Inc. is a leader in providing workforce solutions. For more than 35 illustrious years, Kelly has been partnering Singapore’s leading companies to deliver the best

talent in the market. Today, Kelly Singapore operates from over 10 strategic locations island-wide. Complementing our general staffing capability, Kelly also offers great expertise in the sourcing of specialised professionals across technical disciplines such as Engineering, Technology and Science, as well as functional specialities for Finance, HR, Sales & Marketing, Procurement and Banking.

kellyservices.com.sg

Kelly Services (Singapore) Pte Ltd | EA License No. 01C4394 | RCB No. 200007268E

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Headquartered in Singapore since 2003, Kerry Consulting is Singapore’s leading Search & Selection firm.

Our consulting team is the most experienced, and amongst the largest, in the ASEAN region.

We offer positions in the following sectors: Banking & Financial Services Commerce Finance Engineering & Supply Chain Healthcare & Life Sciences Human Resources Legal Sales & Marketing Technology

Kerry Consulting celebrates 10 years in Singapore since 2003

Kerry_HRM FA_JUL14.indd 1

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TO APPLY: Please submit your resume to the consultant email address listed, quoting the job title and reference number. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For further information on each job, visit the short URL

www.kerryconsulting.com | Returning the Human to Resourcing

Talent Management Director

Senior Benefit Consultant

HR Business Partner

Newly Created Role High visibility Salary circa up to $200K

Fortune 500 company High Tech Consumer goods Salary Circa up to $120K

Growing Regional Bank High Visibility Role Salary circa up to $90K

A prominent public organisation is looking for a Deputy Director/Director to develop and implement a robust Talent Management framework.

An employer of choice, this Fortune 500 industrial giant has won multiple accolades for their cutting edge products and progressive talent management practice. To support evolving business needs, they are now seeking a Senior Benefits Consultant to join their team in Singapore covering Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Singapore is one of the regional hubs in Asia for this growing bank which provides integrated solutions across institutional and corporate banking, financial markets, trade finance, corporate finance, retail banking, private banking and investment banking services.

You will be responsible for developing and executing talent management philosophy & practices so as to develop retain and deploy talent to meet the organization goals. You will partner with senior management and line managers in driving successful talent strategy.

In this role, you will deliver a full spectrum of both strategic and tactical benefits support to managers and employees.

You will engage key stakeholders as a HR advisor and ensure HR initiatives and projects are well understood. more info: http://bit.ly/pc7189

more info: http://bit.ly/1rWymDq Ref No: PC6708\HRM Priscilla Chen / pc@kerryconsulting.com Reg No: R1104327

more info: http://bit.ly/pc7226

Ref No: PC7189\HRM Priscilla Chen / pc@kerryconsulting.com

Ref No: PC7226\HRM Priscilla Chen / pc@kerryconsulting.com

Reg No: R1104327

Reg No: R1104327

Senior HR Communications Specialist

Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist (AVP level)

Country HR Manager, Thailand

Fortune 500 Organisation Strong career development opportunity Salary circa up to S$85k

Global markets (Front office) focus Open to agency recruiters Regional scope

Global MNC Strong career progression potential Salary > THB 200k/mth

This is a global MNC, in a high growth stage with excellent opportunities in the region. There is now an opportunity for a dedicated and high performing HR communications professional to join them in this exciting role.

A global financial institution is looking for a talent acquisition specialist to support their global markets business. This is an exciting opportunity to join an organization, which offers a real opportunity to make an impact, drive growth and partner closely with the business.

This is a leading industrial company with an established global footprint and a leading product pipeline undergoing extensive organic growth. They are aggressively expanding their APAC market presence.

You will partner with Global Internal Communications Director and HR teams to identify the needs and developing messaging for internal communications. You also will have the opportunity to work with traditional, online, and social media formats on projects that support robust internal communications.

You will have at least 5 years of recruitment experience ideally with in-house recruitment or agency environment. Knowledge and experience with the front-office banking sector is an added advantage. You are a powerful communicator with good stakeholder management skills.

This role will manage a team and be responsible for all aspects of human resources business partnering for several business units. As this role will be based in Bangkok, we are seeking a candidate that resides in Bangkok with a strong command for both Thai and English. more info: http://bit.ly/1wp1H7w

more info: http://bit.ly/1p18p0L Ref No: FT7280\HRM Finian Toh / ft@kerryconsulting.com Reg No: R1104310

more info: http://bit.ly/1qCAmwQ

Ref No: FT7158\HRM Finian Toh / ft@kerryconsulting.com

Ref No: FT7070\HRM Finian Toh / ft@kerryconsulting.com

Reg No: R1104310

Reg No: R1104310

Licence No: 03C4828

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Human resources professionals speak to tHe experts total rewards lead, mnc transform the rewards function across asia

Hr manager (Hris & analytics) function expert in Hr analytics & Hris implementation

A large MNC with substantial presence across SEA is seeking an experienced total rewards leader to head its C&B function across Asia. Requiring a deep knowledge of international best practices, this role will entail a large degree of HR transformation projects work. You will enjoy high visibility and autonomy to shape the function regionally. A commercially minded C&B practitioner with at least ten years relevant experience will do well within this organisation, where HR is held in high regard.

This established company in the hospitality sector is looking for an HR Manager to spearhead the implementation and monitoring of HRIS, review the automation of HR processes and facilitate integration with other systems. You will support the development of workforce planning projects and reporting systems to support the company’s talent acquisition, employee engagement, budgeting, succession planning and international mobility functions. With more than five years of relevant HR experience in HRIS management and implementation, you will be highly analytical and able to manage various projects simultaneously.

Hr manager, asset management Hr Generalist handling a regional portfolio A strong HR Manager with a minimum of ten years of relevant experience is sought to join in this stable organisation. You will be responsible for a regional portfolio of around 200 people. This role requires an individual who has excellent working knowledge of Singapore HR practices and policies. You will be the first point of contact for all local HR questions and will be advising on performance management, staff engagement and employee benefits.

associate Director, learning & Development Deliver effective learning solutions This top bank requires a hands-on L&D specialist who is experienced in training employees on the effective use of CRM and other bespoke business tools. This is largely a standalone role and is ideal for an individual who can take initiative and can work independently.

You will need to be comfortable identifying knowledge gaps and designing engaging training materials to help employees learn how to use the bank’s tailor-made software.

please contact ash russell, chris lui or tamara sigerhall at hr.singapore@hays.com.sg or +65 6303 0721.

hays.com.sg

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