The HR Toolkit for HR in Singapore

A reflection of my journey to bring together learning and experiences to put in place a set of HR solutions authentic to

Singapore

Prepared by: Sam Neo

HR

The journey of building a toolkit for HR in Singapore started off with a couple of books and concepts…

Just when I believed that I had pretty much figured out what HR is all about and thought that things worked pretty much the same way, subject to the context we operate in, along came a number of ideas from different thought leaders to shake things up.

I researched, read and listened with a curious mind hoping to find interesting concepts that could be applied to Singapore and true enough, I was totally blown away!

So let me share some of the key reflections I developed with respect to Singapore’s context after I began my journey…

Pro-management, not pro-people

Administrative support rather than strategic

partner

“Hands and legs” for the line managers

“Headcount reduction” unit

“Compliance police” to ensure

policies are adhered to

HR in Singapore is often viewed as a non-strategic role

This seems limiting / boring! Is this really the truth?Is HR capable of doing more?What does HR need to have in order to level up?

BUT!

But Singapore companies still say PEOPLE is their greatest asset!

Lingering Common Perceptions of HR in Singapore

HR in Singapore, which box are we in today? Where do we aspire to be?

• In theory HR can and should go beyond being a support function i.e. Administrative Expert

• With the right vision, HR can take on bigger and more meaningful roles: Strategic Partner, Change Agent, Talent Champion and Employee Advocate.

• But first, HR needs to have a meaningful business based purpose.Develop a HR vision on how HR helps the execution of the

business

10 Important Steps HR in Singapore Needs to Take:

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

• The 10 steps are not in order of importance and definitely not a one-size-fits-all solution.

• It is important for HR teams to have a clear goal in mind (strategic partner, employee champion and change agent) and adopt the tools according to their own unique context.

Moving the HR of today forward

1) Data-driven approach2) Focus on the 2 tails of the performance bell curve3) Have a good balance of internal and external training4) “Wisdom of crowd” approach

Strategic Partner Employee Champion Change Agent8) Remove status symbols9) Endless experimentation10) Nudging

5) Build trust and knowledge through transparency6) Turn work into play7) Create meaning

Issue #1: Insufficient use of data for talent strategy

According to a research by PwC, only a mere 4% of CEOs in South East Asia recognize the value of using data analytics and predictive analysis in their talent strategy1.

CIPD Asia also added that even though companies in the region use data for their people decisions, it is often one-dimensional and in the form of lagging indicators which doesn’t provide HR with predictive capabilities2.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #1: Adopt a data-driven approach

Rely on unbiased data sources, both internal to your company and external to what is happening in Singapore, to achieve an objective view before making people-related decisions. Examples of internal sources: Employee surveys, hiring and attrition

records, exit interviews etc. With unbiased data to back up claims, decisions will be less debatable and HR can

more readily get the buy-in from their stakeholders. HR has to define it’s stakeholders.

Internal data sources can also help HR identify useful patterns to predict organizational/ people issues ahead of time and tackle them effectively. In turn, this will also aid the company in making more well considered business decisions confidently.

Don’t blindly take the data from outside Singapore because it is biased and likely applicable only to where it is coming from.

But first, HR has to build trust with employees so they get truthful data. Second, understand that stories in Singapore are powerful. Back up all data with

anecdotal stories.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Issue #2: Lack of focus on the weaker performers

A notable trend in Singapore is for companies to place a large part of their focus on developing their potentials/performers through leadership programmes while trying to manage out their weaker employees who are delivering below expectations.

It has been observed that one common way of managing employees out in Singapore is the Performance Improvement Programme (PIP)3.

Instead of using the PIP to help the poorer performers improve, companies in Singapore tend to perceive it as a tool that facilitates the exit of such individuals.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #2: Focus on the 2 tails of the performance bell curve

HR in Singapore should continue developing their top talents through targeted programmes but at the same time, appreciate the value collectivism by leveraging on their top talents’ competencies to help the weaker performers improve. Example: Appoint specialists and top performers in the respective

fields as internal trainers to share and help everyone else level up at work. This can come in the form of brown bag sessions, classroom training, coaching etc.

HR in Singapore needs to first identify the bottom % staff with the intention to help them get better, not fire them! The affected staff will appreciate the effort and potentially, be even more committed than before.

Remember, it is more costly to hire a replacement than to train an existing staff4 (replacement cost ranges between 50% - 200% of salary) . That said, if the staff’s poor performance is a result of bad fit, it’s better for both the company and the individual to part ways as soon as possible.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Issue #3: Over reliance on external training

According to a report from Human Resources Online, classroom training is the hottest mode of training in Singapore – 83% across industries5.

HRD Singapore also shared that despite the implementation of L&D programmes, barriers to formal learning still exists within local companies. They come in the form of low relevance to the job, employees not being held accountable for using the learning and weak connections to personal development plans6 among others.

Even though the objective of training is to help employees improve their performance, most companies in Singapore still tend to emphasize more on tracking the training hours and training dollar spent per employee rather than truly studying the impact resulting from the training e.g. behavioral change, productivity, engagement level etc.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #3: Have a good balance of external and internal training

HR in Singapore should identify a good mix of external and internal speakers to help provide employees with insights on the company’s strategy while also exposing them to updated market practices/trends. This will provide their employees with a more holistic view when considering options and making business decisions.

Train the trainers: First, HR needs to equip their best people in the respective fields to be able to train the rest. In a culture where people are generally uncomfortable doing stand up training, it is necessary to provide them with a safe environment and make the process easy for the trainers.

Courses do not always have to be in the standard “2-days crash course” format! Effective training can be done by breaking down courses or skills taught into smaller

components and providing prompt, specific feedback. To examine the effectiveness of trainings conducted, measure behaviors in various

forms Example: Manager and peer feedback, both before and after the training. HR in Singapore needs to encourage a culture of constant sharing and feedback, which may be

tough in the local context, but definitely necessary. It's also important to regularly review the effectiveness of the training and refresh it

according to the ever-changing business needs.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Issue#4: Top down approach in decision-making

Asian values primarily revolve around showing respect towards seniority/authority, collectivism and preference for social harmony7.

These values often result in a top down decision-making culture in many organizations in Singapore.

Even when opinions are seek from the middle to junior level, decisions are still made with strong influence from the top management.

In turn, decisions made can be rather subjective based on several individuals’ interests rather than one that is objective and well-debated.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #4: Adopt the “Wisdom of Crowd” approach

Rather than following the norm and over relying on one or few individuals for important decisions, HR in Singapore needs to build a consultative culture where voices of others can be heard i.e. "wisdom of crowd" approach. Examples: Performance rating/promotion calibration, panel

interviews etc. The approach will benefit the company by helping them make a more

well-informed decision, create joint accountability as well as reduce potential blind spots and personal biasness.

Considering the hierarchical nature in the Asian culture, it is imperative for HR and the senior leaders to create a safe environment for voices to be aired during discussions.

A word of caution for HR teams is to ensure that the group consists of people from different teams/background as much as possible to avoid groupthink.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Issue #5: Lack of transparency

Singapore’s workers have been polled as the world’s unhappiest in 2011. Only 17% of the local workforce see themselves staying with their current employer forever as compared to a global average of 35%8.

One key reason cited for the poor showing by talent management company Lumesse was the lack of transparency.

It was also highlighted that in the context of an Asian country, the lack of transparency resulted from the lack of trust. This in turn leads to bottlenecks in knowledge sharing9.

Strategic Partner

Employee

Champion

Change Agent

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #5: Build trust and knowledge through transparency

Transparency: Open sharing of information is key for knowledge flow and building trust within the organization and across functions.

HR may help the company kick start this practice among teams or across selected processes then move to an organization wide level depending on context and readiness of the company. This is especially so in Singapore where practices tend to be a little more conservative.

A selective approach could be adopted to build confidence and trust in the management team before a large scale roll out. Example: Share information and seek opinion from an assembled

group of people (outside of top management) based on their ability to both represent views of various constitutions and credibly communicate how and why decisions were made. This is a starting point for transparency across the organization where all stakeholders are involved rather than just the typical management team themselves.

Strategic Partner

Employee

Champion

Change Agent

AdministrativeExpert

Issue #6: Poor sense of belonging at work

Besides the fact that most Singaporeans look to move on from their current role, the Ministry of Manpower’s statistics also revealed that the average paid hours worked per employee hovered around 46 hours per week10.

The long working hours ranked in Singapore was ranked number 1 in the world in 201511.

Despite employees spending a large portion of their time in office, companies in Singapore are still not doing enough to create a working environment that evokes a strong sense of belonging.

One important element that is often lacking or included only as an afterthought would the fun factor i.e. turning work into play (Sawyer Effect).

Strategic Partner

Employee

Champion

Change Agent

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #6: Turn work into play

An element of fun will help encourage unguarded exploration and discovery, especially in a stressful environment where people are constantly rushing to meet deadlines and high expectations.

Regardless of the extent, fun can be incorporated into the organization at various touch points to increase the level of engagement and provide “sparks” for people to think out of the box.

It will also create a greater sense of belonging and provide a good platform for the management team to get in touch with the ground. Examples: allowing employees to design their own workspace, “kids at work”

day, durian party in office etc. But first, HR in Singapore needs to break the mental barrier that fun and work

cannot co-exist because workplace in Singapore is rarely associated with anything fun; this often proves to be a tough challenge because of the hierarchical nature at work where a lot of respect has to be shown whether it is to the superiors or work itself.

One way to convince is to experiment with selected groups and show how such fun factor can translate into better staff engagement and in turn, better performance (data-driven approach).

Strategic Partner

Employee

Champion

Change Agent

AdministrativeExpert

Issue #7: Failure to create meaning for individual employees

In an Asian context where companies tend to be hierarchical, the focus is usually on the overarching organizational goals and thereafter, cascading that meaning down to the individuals to ensure that everyone work towards a common direction.

However, such practices by local companies often reflect the failure to recognize that each individual is unique and that their interpretation of meaningful work varies.

Without a strong sense of purpose at work, a large majority of employees in Singapore may simply view their job as a means to an end rather than one that they take pride in i.e. disengagement.

Strategic Partner

Employee

Champion

Change Agent

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #7: Empower individuals to create meaning in their work

Performance at a high level can only be sustained over time if individuals find meaning in what they do.

For HR to effectively unlock maximum output from each individual talent, it is key to empower and help them find meaning at work. When employees feel strongly about what they do, the level of commitment increases and quality of work tend to rise as well.

One way is to allow employees 20% of the time to do something outside their scope or even champion causes. This work should still contribute to the organization in one way or another but does not need to be related to their direct responsibilities. Example: Creating unofficial forums that encourages active discussion on selected

topics. In a relatively conservative culture like Singapore, HR can also consider to divide

and conquer by getting each departments to come up with their own team’s mission and purpose statement. Unlike foreign companies that can consider modifying the company’s mission statement, such gradual change that does not shake up the overall position will more likely be accepted and effective.

Strategic Partner

Employee

Champion

Change Agent

AdministrativeExpert

Issue #8: Hierarchical culture is created through office settings

In Singapore, office layouts/settings ranging from high cubicles to seating arrangements in meetings inevitably reflect the hierarchical nature of the organization12.

As functional as it may be, companies tend to not recognize that such workplace layouts are also a form of status symbols that shape the culture of an organization. Examples: Open concept workplace could reflect a

culture with flatter hierarchy while encouraging greater collaboration. One the other hand, high cubicles could signify difference in power and a more hierarchical approach when making decisions.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #8: Remove status symbols to put everyone on level playing field

To create an environment that brings out the best in all employees, status symbols can be removed as much as possible to ensure that everyone can comfortably let their “voice” be heard and do so constructively.

Not only will this give employees a greater sense of purpose at work, it will probably increase the sense of belonging as well since their inputs are valued by the organization.

For this to work in Singapore, overcoming the hierarchical barrier is once again a critical aspect. HR needs to create an environment that is perceived as safe and initiate platforms which encourages such free flowing exchanges for the greater good of the organization.

A big part to work on will be for HR to convince a shift in mindset of the management team and in turn, sending a strong signal to the rest of the company that they are actively pursuing the change movement.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Issue #9: Strong fear of failure among Singaporeans

While working towards becoming a smart nation, it was highlighted that Singaporeans still need to overcome the fear of failure and be prepared to keep experimenting13.

Such fear has often directed organizations to operate base on “best practices” from the past rather than challenging the norms to accomplish their goals.

Common statements/terms such as “we have always done it this way” or “legacies” are self-imposed constraints that prevent the company from scaling new heights.

People might question them but not do enough to verify if those are the most effective ways around things.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #9: Endless experimentation

Do not just question, test it out: HR can introduce a culture of experimentation to help debunk such myths and legacies to convince everyone when in doubt.

Experiments need to be done with at least 2 groups of people – a control group and one with the variable that you are testing in order to ascertain the effect of the variable involved. Example: if you are testing on the effect of giving flexible hours, try it out on 2

similar groups of employees where one is given the benefit while the other does without it.

Under a conservative setting like Singapore, it’s once again important for HR to take gradual steps when approaching experiments rather than going in full throttle. Example: Pilot testing within a short timeframe

At the end of every experiment, it is ideal to share the results with the entire company/target group to eliminate any wrong inferences/expectations. Results of the experiments will speak for itself!

Remember, failure to fail leads to stagnation; If you never failed, it just means you haven’t tried enough!

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Issue #10: Failure of supervisors in elaborating purpose of assignment

In the Asian culture where people tend to defer to seniority, it’s very common for managers to simply instruct their subordinates to execute a particular tasks with minimal consultation.

This culture is worsen with Singapore’s fast pace of life and often not having time to elaborate on instructions and decisions to the junior staff.

In addition, the rise in literacy rate over the years14 has also equipped the newer generation of workers with stronger abilities to challenge views rather than simply taking instructions.

Considering the Asian values of respect and deferment, these employees can carry out tasks as instructed but may not be as willing/convinced without clear elaboration. This may result in a lack of effort and commitment when delivering their work.

Without a conscious effort to rectify the situation, it could become a stumbling block when building a culture that encourages accountability and initiative.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Tool #10: Nudging

It’s human nature to dislike being forced upon doing things they don’t enjoy. Thus, nudging is a useful and subtle tool which alters people’s behavior in a predictable way without forbidding their options. Examples: Just in time email reminders to get people into action, creating

simple checklist so that it is easy for staff to start working on things without having to think much and placing healthy food options at eye level to encourage take up etc.

Even though it might be easier to instruct employees in Singapore as compared to other western countries, HR should still be wary of the ramifications from such actions.

HR can start off by identifying areas where nudging can be immediately implementable and transform those into quick-wins for the organization.

When employees do things out of their own initiative, they tend to be more committed and produce better quality work to help the organization achieve their goals.

The great thing about nudging is it does not cost much or even comes free for most instances.

Strategic Partner

Change Agent

Employee

Champion

AdministrativeExpert

Define your goals and choose the right tools to achieve the desired outcomes

Data-driven approach

Nudging

Focus on the 2 tails of the

performance bell curve

“Wisdom of crowd”

approach

Good balance of internal and

external trainings

Build knowledge and trust through transparency

Turn work into play

Create meaning

Remove status

symbols

Endless experimentat

ion

Rounding things up for HR practitioners in Singapore…

It’s time for HR to lead the way and make our moves!

References

1. http://www.hrdmag.com.sg/news/why-do-only-4-of-ceos-value-people-data-219550.aspx 2. http://www.cipd.asia/resources/research/business-strategy-insights/evolution-hr-analytics-asia3. http://news.efinancialcareers.com/uk-en/18297/guest-comment-get-out-before-you-get-put-on-a-performance-improv

ement-plan

4. http://sbr.com.sg/hr-education/commentary/why-singapore-firms-need-make-each-employee-special 5. http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/classroom-training-hottest-mode-training-singapore/ 6. http://www.hrdmag.com.sg/news/the-barriers-to-learning-that-squander-landd-experiences-199038.aspx 7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_values 8. http://www.stjobs.sg/career-resources/training-and-development/spore-workers-worlds-unhappiest/a/11402 9. https://books.google.com.sg/books?

id=k_gcBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=singapore+lack+transparency+and+knowledge+sharing&source=bl&ots=zqIBSkBofa&sig=elug-IPlftLyoqlmKHCkPyQKaiQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9x4uXitLOAhXLQ48KHXfYD0oQ6AEILjAC#v=onepage&q=singapore%20lack%20transparency%20and%20knowledge%20sharing&f=false

10. http://stats.mom.gov.sg/Pages/Hours-Worked-Summary-Table.aspx 11. http://statestimesreview.com/2015/06/16/singapore-maintains-its-no-1-ranking-in-longest-working-hours-in-the-world/ 12. http://www.commercialguru.com.sg/property-management-news/2016/4/123209/evolving-office-space-concepts 13. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/attitudes-to-success-and-failure-must-change-for-singapore-to-become-smart-

nation 14. https://www.singstat.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/publications/publications_and_papers/refer

ence/sif2016.pdf