Singapore firms chose to focus on one thing to keep employees going
LinkedIn this week revealed three key trends that helped organisations in Singapore to thrive through the pandemic:
- prioritise skills,
- support workforce through challenging times, and
- make strong investments in digital capabilities.
The global health and economic crisis hit businesses hard at varying degrees, but LinkedIn found that the ones that made it through focused on the long game instead and invested in efforts to prep for the future of work.
Jason Ho, head of group HR at OCBC Bank, one of the firms highlighted by LinkedIn, said that it’s crucial to enable continuity in employee learning and development to ensure everyone remains relevant and resilient.
“When it comes to our people, we take a long-term view and care for them,” Ho said. “They’re not just an employee of OCBC, they have families that we consider as part of our extended family. The pandemic did not deter us from our commitment to invest in and take care of them.”
READ MORE: Key trends critical in a post-crisis world revealed
Others, like Tam Trang Nguyen, global head of HR, Unilever International cum head of HR at Unilever Asia similarly believes that leaders need to stay focused and prepare for the post-pandemic world. Her team has been working on realising their ‘future of work’ vision with a strategy centred on flexibility, productivity, as well as employee well-being.
“As the future of work becomes increasingly shaped by skills, there is a growing urgency among employers to future-proof talent in order that their business might evolve with the times,” said Chris Anderson, senior editor, Asia, at LinkedIn News. “Likewise, professionals are on the lookout for companies that prioritise employee growth and are willing to invest in training and development programs, so that they too can stay relevant and competitive in the workforce.
“Supporting the workforce through challenging times is another mark of an employee-first company. Take flexible work for example – employees no longer see it as a nice-to-have, but a must-have as the world of work is forever changed by the pandemic.”
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Companies that offer permanent flexible work arrangements thus have a leg up over others in terms of engaging, attracting and retaining employees – especially in a virtual world of work. “Beyond flexible work, leaders also need to keep a pulse on employee health and well-being and ensure they are coping well in this time of the pandemic,” Anderson told HRD.
READ MORE: Is remote work for you? Key factors to consider
Some of the top companies in Singapore that excelled in enabling continuous career progression and development in the past year include:
- OCBC Bank
- Standard Chartered Bank
- Unilever
- EY
- UOB
- Citi
- Accenture
- ST Engineering
- FairPrice Group
- Sea
- IBM
- PwC
- KPMG
- Prudential plc
- DBS Bank