By Michelle Tay

LOOKING at the row of more than 20 glass apple figurines lining the window ledge of Ms Caroline Lim's office, one would think that the fruit was a symbol of her management philosophy.

In fact, her real inspiration couldn't fall further from the tree.

Ask Ms Lim, PSA International's global head of human resource and corporate affairs, what helps her run her staff of more than 100 and she replies: 'Fish.'

She is referring to the management philosophy encapsulated in the book Fish! A Remarkable Way To Boost Morale And Improve Results, which is based on the work environment at the famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle.

The philosophy is built on the belief that people like to work in an environment that is fun, energising and where they can make a difference. It purports to prevent burnout and keep employees excited about what they do.

'I've always believed that we can buy brains but hearts and minds have to be won,' said Ms Lim, who oversees PSA's HR affairs in 16 countries.

And she certainly is a winner if you consider that she bagged her second consecutive award from HRM magazine last month. She was honoured for her 'outstanding contributions to HR' while, last year, she won its Best Human Resources Leader award.

So enamoured of the Fish philosophy is Ms Lim that she has rolled out an 18-month programme called Have Fish, Will Travel, which extends across PSA's 9,000 employees worldwide. Essentially, it is an incentive for staff to 'make someone's day', and PSA will send the two most successful employees on a trip to Seattle next year.

She explains: 'To me, Fish underpins the HR mission of being able to build a great workplace where people bring their whole selves to work.

'A workplace where people are energised, engaged and self-empowered really translates into a strategic, competitive advantage for the business.'

Ms Lim, 53, who is married with a son, started her HR career at Apple Computer in 1981 as an HR officer.

She stayed 12 years at what she calls 'a great workplace with a great culture', and worked her way up to senior HR manager before she left to join DFS Singapore.

After nearly two years at DFS, she was headhunted in 1996 to run the HR division at Ernst & Young Global Client Consulting.

It was during her interview for the position that she learnt another important lesson about how to motivate talent in an organisation.

She recalls: 'At the time, I was told my job was to oversee 13 countries in the Asia-Pacific but I said I didn't have any experience outside Singapore.

'But they said to me, 'We are willing to invest in you because we see the potential in you to be able to do the job well'. And that's what got me going.'

She went on to become regional vice-president of HR in Cap Gemini Ernst & Young Asia Pacific for eight years.

Today, as a seasoned recruiter herself, she is able to determine if a candidate is right for the job 'within the first 10 to 20 seconds' of meeting him or her.

Part of it is 'gut feeling', she says, admitting that 'first impressions do count'.

She sums it up in a snappy nugget: 'We hire people for their technical skills but when something goes wrong, it's their behavioural faults.'

Citing an example of a candidate she once flew into Singapore for an interview, she said: 'I looked at the hotel bill and almost fell off my chair. There was a long-distance phone call of about 50 minutes, room service with wine that was very expensive, and tennis lessons. His stay was just a day and a half.'

Needless to say, the candidate was not hired, highly qualified though he was. Ms Lim lamented, half-bemused: 'He didn't have any EQ (emotional quotient).'

In the end, however, Ms Lim has serious advice for serious times.

'People should lower their expectations a little in these times. If there's an opportunity, just take it. Get some work, it doesn't matter what you do,' she advised.

She also has a suggestion for new graduates: 'There are companies that are still hiring. Even if it's as a temp, just take it - the experience is more important.

'When times pick up, that same company may retain you. Or another company may take you because you would have racked up the experience.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.