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By WENDY NG
WITH the global economic downturn looking to get worse and the Singapore economy contracting, is this the right time for companies to conduct a study to measure their effectiveness in providing a working environment that engages their employees, and deliver value through their people?
Ultimately, your workforce will be the critical determinant of how well and how quickly you move beyond the immediate financial challenges. Even amid the uncertainty, you can't ignore the fundamentals of what employees are seeking in their work - supportive managers, genuine career opportunities, a chance to make an impact and so on.
At the same time, companies need to identify a few targeted performance and engagement 'interventions' to ensure your workforce is productive and focused on the right outcomes.
The Hewitt Best Employers in Singapore 2009 Study found that best employers face the same external factors as any other organisations. However, they have learned that by focusing on key human capital practices and making adjustments without losing sight of the business goals, this allows them to create business sustainability and better position themselves for the future.
In Singapore, over 50 organisations participated in Hewitt's Best Employers in Singapore 2009 Study. The organisations came from a wide variety of industries such as manufacturing, fast moving consumer goods, the public sector and hospitality/restaurants among others.
This year, 11 organisations made the list of Hewitt Best Employers in Singapore 2009, a twist from previous years where only 10 organisations have been named. The judges felt that these 11 organisations truly lived up to the high standards set and should all be commended.
In examining the best employers, we found a common trait among all of them, regardless of industry or size. They took pains to ensure that their people practices and programmes are aligned to their organisation's overall mission and values.
Their people strategy is tied closely to their business strategy to enable their employees to achieve successful business outcomes. These companies typically choose to focus on one or two key people initiatives and do them well, usually either focusing on leadership, career development or talent management.
- Career development: At Hilti Far East, employees are promised an environment where every employee will be given the opportunity to grow and develop a long-term career. They have taken the step of actively, engaging their longer-serving employees to obtain feedback from them on how the organisation can support them in their development and growth. The management team is expected to follow up with the employees on how they can be supported to perform within their role. The organisation also conducts calibration exercises twice a year to map out development plans for their team members and the possible road maps within the organisation. Sixty per cent of their managerial hires in 2008 were filled internally, presenting huge cost savings for the organisation.
- Talent management: At Singapore Prison Service, talent management starts right from the recruitment process. The organisation believes that recruiting the right people is key to its success. It recognises that potential candidates may get carried away by the notion of Rehab, Renew and Restart, thus short-listed candidates are placed on a two-month job preview exercises to allow them to fully experience the job and determine if it is truly a career meant for them. Once they are recruited, employees are also given counselling and psychological support to prevent burn-out and ensures their mental well-being.
As we can see, these organisations have managed to adapt their people strategies to their business strategies and outcomes. Best employers do not just benchmark their practices; they ensure that the people practices and programmes that are put in place are adapted to suit their organisation's unique nature.
During turbulent times likes these, it may be tempting for organisations to cut back on the 'softer' issues such as employee engagement. Best employers however, recognise that this is the best time to focus more efforts in this area.
While employees may be staying in the organisation now due to a lack of external opportunities, it is important that they choose to stay on even when times are good and best employers are taking active steps to ensure this is the case.
Senior leaders at best employers are holding regular communication sessions with their staff and openly sharing the strategies in place to manage the downturn. This helps to ensure that employees are getting a clear consistent message and also provides an opportunity for employees to clarify their doubts with senior leaders.
Organisations who are keen to retain their key talent even after the economic situation turns around will do well to learn from the best employers in aligning their people practices to the organisation's mission and vision.
They may also take a leaf from the best employers in ensuring that regular communications is being conducted to assure employees of the future of the organisation and to manage expectations.
Strong leadership, coupled with an effective and dedicated HR team, would be essential for organisations to manage the downturn and to becoming a best employer. While the journey would be tough, the benefits are tremendous for the organisation, employees and customers.
The writer is the project lead for Best Employers in Singapore 2009 Study, and a talent & organisation consultant at Hewitt Associates.
This article was first published in The Business Times.
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