Wooing and retaining talent

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: How does your organisation ensure that it gets its share of top talent?

Alex Campbell Managing Director, Asia Xero

TODAY the key to attracting top talent is having a clear purpose and creating the opportunity for your team to have a substantive and positive impact on the world. The most talented people want to work in organisations that have a social mission alongside their commercial mission. In Xero's case our mission is to create jobs and economic growth by helping small businesses thrive. This allows us to attract people who are passionate about small businesses and who come to work knowing that we can literally change the world by doing what we do. It's more than a job.

Pascal Lambert Group Country Head, Singapore Head of South East Asia and India Societe Generale

IN this complex banking environment, I believe that what truly makes a difference to talent is our culture and the way we work together better. We encourage intrapreneurship where we empower our people to adopt innovation and out-of-the-box thinking in their work and career. We do this through management support, developing our employees for employability, through fully-funded professional certifications for instance, and developing career paths. Internal mobility opportunities are well supported by management across functional and geographical roles. We also recognise team spirit by rewarding collaboration and incorporating this in our leadership competencies and performance management.

Willson Deng Founder and CEO Arcstone Pte Ltd

THE correct talent will make or break a company in the long run. It is important to note that it's a combination of the right talent, not necessarily all the top talent, that will ensure an organisation succeeds. Too many cooks in the kitchen or lacking enough people for critical mass can be equally damaging. The delicate balance is finding the ideal culture, passion and talent fit that gels together as a team to ensure success. We're hiring for exactly that always!

Richard Saynor Senior Vice President, Classic & Established Products GSK

UNDERSTANDING what motivates and attracts talent today is arguably a more nuanced process than when I was starting out, but there are fundamental factors that stand the test of time.

A strong employer brand helps to attract talent, but to continually motivate and retain talent, culture is critical. Whether you're a Gen X, Y or millennial, you're likely to spend most of your day among colleagues. A strong culture promotes a unifying experience, instills a sense of belonging and drives actions rooted in values.

But more importantly, there should be a clear sense of purpose. Knowing why we show up each day and how we make a difference helps us give our best and is, I believe, the most resilient and timeless factor when managing talent.

Teo Lay Lim Senior Managing Director, ASEAN Country Managing Director, Singapore Accenture

AT Accenture, we believe that creating a work environment that brings out the best in our employees allows us to attract and retain top talent. We want our employees to be inspired to do work that matters and makes a difference.

We also focus on maintaining an inclusive workplace, inviting new perspectives, celebrating differences and encouraging each employee to bring out their best selves to achieve personal growth.

Alan Watts President, APAC Hilton

ONE of the keys to attracting and retaining top talent is a great workplace culture. At Hilton, creating a winning culture has been at the core of our philosophy for almost a century. Today, that culture which we have worked so hard to build has won us numerous accolades and recognition, with the latest being No 1 on this year's Asia's Best Multinational Workplaces list by Great Place to Work.

Last year, we took our focus on our team members to the next level by launching Thrive@Hilton, in partnership with Thrive Global founder and CEO Arianna Huffington. Through this value proposition, we encourage our team members to improve their health and happiness in ways that work best for them, whether it is volunteering or learning a new skill.

Hilton understands what it means for our leaders and people to be at their best - and that's what makes our culture so unique.

Chris Foster Regional President Y&R Asia

MAKING sure that we attract and retain the best talent depends on a few key factors. Firstly, creating a healthy working environment where staff feel valued, engaged and feel they can make an impact to the business.

Secondly, in the age of evolving technology and changing business models, it's important to let go of traditional hierarchy, instead letting shining stars reach for the sky, opportunities abound, offering fresh creativity and new thinking.

Sure, competitive remuneration is important - but opportunities to grow, upskill and develop will always forge stronger retention rates, and keep you and your team ahead of the curve and the competition.

Yeoh Oon Jin Executive Chairman PwC Singapore

BEING in the business of professional services means that we must continue to attract and retain top talent as our people are our greatest asset.

We believe that flexibility and empowerment are key to building an environment conducive for innovation and intrapreneurship to flourish, and we are continually looking for new ways to engage and encourage our people to do things differently.

We've recently launched a series of initiatives (including digital tools) that catalyse flexible working all the way from a revised "flex" dress code to working remotely and working flexible hours.

Being awarded top graduate employer of the year (for the seventh consecutive year) shows that we are on the right path, but constant investment to keep up with constant change will be key to continued success.

Kent Chaplin Chief Executive Officer Lloyd's, Asia Pacific

ATTRACTING top talent is not just about hiring great individuals, it's about building a dynamic workplace. At Lloyd's, we embrace diversity and inclusion, and have recruitment practices in place to ensure an unbiased approach to recruitment so all candidates enjoy a level playing field.

In our business, we recognise that the days of the traditional "9 to 5" working pattern are gone. Our employees are encouraged to use flexible working to strike a healthy work-life balance and make time to enjoy the things that they value - whether it's family, exercise or just some breathing space. We have found this not only helps us attract top talent, but also delivers better performance.

Patricia Reed Founder Reed Estate

AGE, gender, ethnicity, too much experience, not enough experience, wrong experience, are used consciously and unconsciously to disqualify candidates. It reflects a lack of imagination and commitment to development by employers. Do employees see the opportunity for growth, or do the plum jobs go to outsiders? Is there an understanding that people are eager to grow and learn, and are supported to do that?

Employers need to recognise that people look at those culture cues, and to attract top talent, commitment to growth must be mutual. Much can be learned, but attitude is key. Candidates should receive consideration if they are driven, interested, curious, coachable and willing to learn.

Max Loh EY Asean and Singapore Managing Partner Ernst & Young LLP

AT EY, our organisational purpose - building a better working world - coupled with our strategic ambition and commitment to diversity and flexibility, is resonating with talent in the market. Purpose motivates by setting out our reason for being while uniting people through a desire to contribute to something bigger than performance and profits.

Also, our multidisciplinary work and being at the cutting edge of delivering digital in every aspect of our services enable us to create opportunities for top talent to challenge themselves to expand their career experiences, innovate and be at the forefront of their respective fields.

As top talent seeks to connect with the organisation at a deeper level, we importantly make listening to our people intentional - after all, our people in addition to being exceptional client service providers, are also our best sounding board and brand ambassadors in talent attraction.

Andrew McGlinchey Senior Director, Asia Pacific Indeed

IN today's competitive talent landscape, the onus is on business leaders to give employees meaningful work and a reason to be excited about their jobs, every day. This is the best way for companies to attract and retain high-performing individuals.

At Indeed, our singular mission to help people find jobs is baked into our company culture and helps keep employees highly engaged and fully dedicated to this purpose. Employees are also more motivated if they feel trusted to get their jobs done. We believe in conveying trust in our employees by giving our team members full ownership of projects and a work environment that respects their individual needs and passions.

Walter de Oude CEO Singapore Life Pte Ltd

SINGAPORE Life is a company that has moved from being a financial technology startup to becoming an established, licensed life insurer acquiring portfolios of $6 billion in a very short space of time. What is absolutely clear through this success is that startup skills and stable experienced hands are both absolutely necessary for rapid and stable growth. The holy grail though is to find the startup mindset with experienced hands. These are not always millenials.

What every entrepreneurial talent wants is a sense of purpose. Offer individuals the opportunity to take responsibility and ownership for their contribution to the firm, and we create a garden for letting talent bloom - and most firms can find the seeds of talent already within. But if that garden is not ready, then externally hired talent will die in the weeds.

Stephen Chow Co-Founder and CEO Sense Infosys

SENSE Infosys is in the big data business, and hence is facing extreme competition against MNCs and startups for the rarest of talents in analytic solution engineering and data science. We cast our net as wide as possible to reach out to talents from interns to PMETs on a mid-career switch.

Our success thus far can be attributed to being very niche in the risk assessment space. This allows us to attract the right talents and create some extent of stickiness in retaining them. Of course, some of them would still use us as a springboard to better paying positions in MNCs, while the stayers are bought into our vision and purpose to grow together from a SME to a MNC someday.

Tan Yoong Heng Singapore Office Leader Arup

ARUP adopts a human-centric attitude towards managing our people, with a focus on creating a purposeful environment for everyone.

The unique trust ownership structure we have maintained for the last 70 years has fostered a distinctive culture and an intellectual independence. This encourages our people to work collaboratively across disciplines and geographies, exchange ideas, and grow professionally. We inculcate a sense of ownership and have numerous company-wide initiatives that encourage our people to innovate and initiate projects in causes that they are passionate about.

These are qualities that resonate strongly with the talent we look for - people drawn by the opportunity to do interesting and rewarding work where they can express their creativity, be challenged, take responsibility and shape a better world.

Tirupathi Karthik Chief Executive Officer Napier Healthcare

I WOULD argue that it is not a war of talent attraction as much as it is for talent retention. If an organisation can retain a talented person long enough, it will start receiving employee referrals - which will serve to deepen the talent pool. Good talent draws good talent - it is as simple as that.

Good people stay only if the organisation is successful in the marketplace as no one wants to be working for a "loser". Success in the marketplace arises only if the organisation empowers and innovates.

At Napier, we have a "destroy bureaucracy" discussion every quarter where we identify incidences that cause lack of empowerment and then work towards changing policies as well as processes. It's our firm belief that federated decision making delivers innovation and consequently market success. In the talent quest, salaries do have to be market competitive but not necessarily the best as people don't work only for financial reasons.

Anand Sanghi President Vertiv, Asia

WINNING the war for talent at Vertiv starts with building a strong pipeline of talented graduates, shortlisting 20-40 candidates each year from universities in Singapore and across Asia. These millennials are technically savvy, global, hyperconnected and have high expectations. We start them off with a 12-18 month training programme that helps them find purpose (enabling the digital economy), provides them with enriching experiences (overseas visits, hands-on laboratory work, team projects), and engagement with the business leaders.

Retaining the top talent has required us to listen with empathy, communicate at hyper-speed, energise our middle-managers, and be more flexible in career progression. A personal relationship with a business elder is fostered by our mentorship programme. Over the last four years, we have achieved great results with this approach.

Jayne Plunkett CEO Asia Member of Group Executive Committee, Reinsurance Swiss Re Asia Pte Ltd

SWISS Re has always offered attractive compensation, but young people today look for more in a job than salary and prestige. They want to learn and lead, have a sense of meaning and make an impact on society. At Swiss Re, we look at various risks, present and future, and for ways to help society mitigate these risks. Whether it is recovering from natural disasters or preparing for the cost of ageing populations, our purpose is to make society more resilient.

With eight offices across Asia and 80 locations globally, our employees benefit from truly international reach and exposure. We foster innovation and creativity through small teams; and continuously encourage employees to think beyond the confines of their roles, for example, to identify new risk pools. Finally, we offer our employees flexible work arrangements so that they can balance work and family life.

Tan Chong Huat Managing Partner RHTLaw Taylor Wessing LLP

OUR organisation is a community of families, and our values and culture keep us together. Engagement remains an important aspect of our ecosystem, and the best suitable talent will gravitate towards an environment that has a good balance of opportunities and engagement. Institutionalised professional training and leadership development, and leveraging on key technologies make us sharp and nimble in an evolving market.

With a strong vision, our people are empowered in a learning organisation where mutual respect and performance share the same podium. It has been a long journey for us, and we are still learning. We always keep things exciting.

Karl Hamann Chief Executive Officer QBE Insurance (Singapore) Pte Ltd

SINGAPORE'S strong local talent is in great demand, which means we need to work hard for the best and brightest. That includes collaborating with various partners to identify interested students early, bringing them into our system and offering important on-the-job experience as they make decisions about their future.

Securing talent is just the first step though - we also need to create an environment where people see real opportunities for development. For QBE, that starts with promoting continued learning, with our international network making it possible to offer employees secondments to new markets. Flexible working arrangements and a best-in-class approach to workflow management through digital also help keep our team productive and motivated.

Kris Day Senior Regional Director, ASEAN NetApp

DIGITALLY savvy organisations demand the highest level of innovation and drive from employees. NetApp strongly believes that only a confident employee will consistently deliver peak performances, which is why we look for the most technically skilled and creative people whose principles are in sync with the company's ethos of trust, integrity and teamwork.

NetApp has been recognised by Great Place to Work Institute Singapore for the last three years because of our shared vision for success, which is complemented by a work culture that encourages everyone to participate in our Fun at Work initiative, to take risks and experiment, personalise their work schedule, and actively take part in organisational-level decision making processes.

While offering the standard remuneration and rewards may be enough to attract talents, retaining them will require companies to do more - they need to make employees feel valued and engaged by empowering them to play an active role in the business and investing in their career development.

Anneliese Schulz VP Asia Software AG

THE battle for the best talent will continue in the foreseeable future as companies across sectors ramp up digital transformation efforts. Beyond factors such as a competitive salary scheme and working infrastructure, Software AG's conversation with our existing and prospective talents greatly considers the role that we play in their future professional and personal development.

Together, we help shape our team's career journeys with the aim of helping individuals realise their full potential through their respective roles. Through our "We Care" culture, we invest in our teams' well-being and skills starting from day one, to motivate them and spark creativity.

Sandie Overtveld Vice-President APAC Zendesk

TO help ensure the continuing growth of our company, we take a longer-term view of the challenges and opportunities ahead, and make the right investments when it comes to our people. The most obvious way to make sure we have great talent is to be a great workplace - one that we are excited to come to each day and feel we are all making a valuable contribution. This approach covers all aspects of how we run our business, how we invest into the community we call home, and how we recruit, develop, retain, and support our employees.

Zendesk remains focused on promoting the customer- and employee-centric culture we are known for, and to be a business that attracts a broad range of diverse contributors and customers that are key drivers of our future growth. This focus has allowed Zendesk to grow by more than 30 per cent year-on-year in both customer numbers and headcount.

Gary Steele Group COO TES-AMM

AT TES-AMM, we take a proactive approach to ensure that our organisational leadership, values and systems genuinely support, champion and foster a culture of collaboration, mutual respect and purpose. It's not about just attracting good talent through a generous package and benefits, it's also inspiring them to stay through listening, empowering, challenging and respect.

By providing our team with an opportunity to contribute to our business, society and the environment, and driving a culture of support, collaboration and mutual respect, our employees are eager to share their brilliance with our organisation and our customers.

Vipin Kalra Chief Executive Officer BankBazaar International

THE talent war is certainly on. As technology transforms various industries, we are seeing a shortage of adequately skilled talent and a growing number of companies - big and small - vying for that talent pool.

In order to attract the best talent, it is important to go beyond monetary benefits. Employees are increasingly looking for career development and the ability to make a difference.

At BankBazaar International, we not only offer the opportunity to work in the fast-growing fintech industry but employees across all levels are empowered to suggest new ideas, drive changes and really transform the way that financial services are consumed and delivered.

Martin Hayes President Bosch South East Asia:

AT Bosch, our key to attracting and retaining employees is through the great variety of work and career possibilities we offer. They work at the forefront of future developments across a wide variety of industries. Our associates are instrumental in shaping a connected world, develop technology to make lives better and protect our natural environment. We also support our associates to achieve their career aspiration. As a company with 400,000 associates, we can offer career advancements across all our businesses, and explore a wide variety of functional areas, industries and countries. This way, associates are able to have an enriching working experience and a fulfilling career path.

Ray Ferguson Founder and Managing Partner Caber Partners

BUZZWORDS like neuro-, gender and ethnic diversity, pay scales all play a role in attracting talent.

My question is: How can management lovingly tend to existing talent that invites more talent to come in and stay? Is the organisation built to withstand the attrition rate of top talents entering and leaving, each leaving an indelible mark? Will existing talent survive this?

Talent for talent's sake is never enough. How they shape the future of the organisation is a far more useful question.

Vivek Nath Head of South Asia and Country Head, Singapore Willis Towers Watson

OUR research tells us that over half of employers in Singapore are finding it difficult to attract employees that are critical-skill and top-performing talent. We practise and advocate that this challenge requires a rethinking of the employer-employee relationship and the value exchange at the heart of the employee value proposition. Being at the forefront of uncovering the latest HR trends puts us in an optimal position to apply these in our own talent strategy. In the quest to remain relevant in the war on talent, we also focus on designing, communicating and delivering a superior employee experience to current and future colleagues.

Pierre Fallion Managing Director Spring Professional Asia (ex-Japan)

BEING able to identify the value proposition of your company and tailoring it to appeal to your desired talent is key to attracting the cream of the crop, especially in the candidate-driven markets of Asia where talent have the benefit of variety when deciding on their potential employers. Millennials in particular require purpose-building above all to drive their motivation to join a particular company.

Beyond having a solid attraction strategy, an equally robust retention strategy is also imperative. Business leaders must follow through to ensure that the values promoted initially are integrated into their employees' daily work environment, while continuing to build constructive long-term relationships to keep their best talent well-engaged and committed.

Foo Mao Gen Head of Southeast Asia Qualtrics

EMPLOYEES are at the heart of any organisation. To retain and attract talent, it is imperative for businesses to build their employer brand image. An effective way to do so is through delivering an exceptional employee experience.

Here at Qualtrics, we believe in the principles of radical transparency - the idea of openness across tasks, data, processes. Besides creating a more positive workplace environment, radical transparency helps boost trust and foster a strong sense of belonging among our employees. This not only motivates our employees to stay longer with us, but also attracts other talents to our organisation.

Ivy Lai Country Manager Philips Singapore

AT Philips, our talent focus goes beyond recruitment to creating a diverse and creative environment. Innovation is at the core of all we do, and talent is our greatest asset that drives this. Our workplace shifts away from traditional desk-bound roles and focuses on flexibility and agility to appeal to younger workers and to foster collaboration. Our employees benefit from a range of extensive courses, mentorship and training to allow them to be their best and contribute to our success. Above all, our mission to improve the lives of people through our innovation and individual contributions unites us in a common purpose.

Bill Lewis Co-Founder Temasys Communications

GETTING your share of talent is not rocket science - you simply become the "go to" employer in your sector. How to become the "go to" employer? Meet these criteria - practise meritocracy; value opinion and input from any level; senior and other managers must not fear constructive comment or even criticism from within (any level of) the organisation; promote (and be seen to promote) on competence; and ban nepotism and cronyism in any form. Do not accept incompetence, dishonesty, politicking, or disrespect for others. And finally, if the CEO can tell any and all of his staff, "Value the concept of helping, offer help when it is not asked for, ask for help whether you need it or not . . . it is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength and being wise." Simple, really.

Sara Cheng Chief Executive Officer Fuji Xerox Singapore

FUJI Xerox believes that the best way to retain talent starts from the way that we attract talent. We identify our candidates' interests and passion, assessing their fit to our values and culture. We do not rely on a one-size-fits-all strategy to attract and retain an increasingly diverse and multigenerational workforce. We draw out the strengths of the different generations to enable greater collaboration. Our retention programmes enable mentorship and coaching to sharpen employees' skills and leadership. As an MNC, lateral movement across organisation, regional and global job rotation opportunities further fuel their growth. In this "war for talent", we actively and creatively engage our employees, keeping them inspired with our vision and values of being a socially responsible employer that commits to the environment and our community.

Josh Ziegler CEO Zumata

AT Zumata, we work on transformational technology to disrupt hotel reservations and customer engagement (across industries) on a global scale. As a result, the work that our team does is often first of its kind. Intellectually stimulating work, visibility over the full project, and the ability to see what has been created in action quickly has allowed us to hire a remarkable team. No matter the marketing claims, anyone who has worked for, or with, a large MNC knows that there are inherent silos of specialisation and an endless stream of bureaucracy confronting any new launch or innovation.

Charles Tidswell Vice-President JAPAC Socialbakers

AT Socialbakers, we believe in cultivating a strong culture and team spirit where our employees are not only part of our close-knit global team, but are also strong advocates for our brand and what we stand for. We have built a very authentic employee advocacy programme where we encourage our teams to share comments, pictures and videos highlighting what they do at Socialbakers and why they love it. Being in the business of social media marketing, we understand the role that our own social currency plays into attracting and retaining talent, across our offices globally.

Lance Wang General Manager, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau YITU Technology

AS an artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on research and development (R&D) and innovation, accelerating the development of the local AI industry is a key priority for us. With the industry still in its nascent stage, building up our talent pipeline is the first step towards bridging the AI ecosystem talent gap.

At YITU Technology, we are committed to grooming bright, young talent and developing their AI knowledge and R&D capabilities. Fostering a startup mindset - agile, open to new ideas and innovative - will be key to adapting to the fast-evolving AI landscape.

Tony Lombardo Chief Executive Officer, Asia Lendlease

AT Lendlease, we put people at the heart of everything that we do. We know that creating places that leave a lasting legacy starts by building great teams of people.

Diversity and inclusion - our guiding principles - is key for attraction, engagement and retention of broad talent pools. We have a strong culture that embraces equality - regardless of difference in thinking, background, culture, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity and life experiences. It allows us to benefit from the many unique perspectives of our people, to spark creative ideas that drive innovation, to create better outcomes for our customers.

We harness a culture that support employees to achieve their goals by giving them opportunities to work across a variety of projects and be part of the team to create the best places internationally. Being a global company, we can offer international exposure, as well as professional development programmes, to empower our people to grow their careers. We put in place the right culture and programmes to provide a conducive environment for employees to excel and thrive in. Collectively, these are critical factors in attracting the top talents, and keeping them continually engaged.

Joanne Wong Senior Regional Director for Asia Pacific & Japan LogRhythm

FOR an industry that has gained prominence recently, cyber security talent can be hard to come by. As a company founded in a university town, we develop future talent through strong internship programmes with universities around the world. To keep up with current needs, our policy to hire top performers regardless of race, gender or age have paid off. To retain them, we invest effort and time to advance their personal and career goals within the organisation. We may be 16 years old but we are committed to keep our entrepreneurial spirit alive and encourage top talents to join us through a culture of openness and strong work-life balance.

Ong Ai Hua Company Group Chairman Janssen Asia Pacific

AT the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, we recognise that employees thrive when their work has meaning and they have a sense of belonging in the workplace. People want to be inspired when they get in to work each morning and to know that the work they do has real purpose. As one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, our purpose is to have a positive impact on people's health every day. By fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that drives innovation in the pharmaceutical industry, Janssen is attracting the next generation of leaders in healthcare.

Cherian Varghese Regional Managing Director & Vice President, ASEAN Oracle

AS an employer in over 175 countries, Oracle recognises that change is imminent in today's global workplace. Employees have always been our focus, and we continue to invest and engage with them. Consistent engagement and feedback helps Oracle attract and retain employees. This includes introducing an upcoming initiative to meet employee needs for mentoring on-the-go locally, and activities to foster a culture of continuous learning and enrichment. Oracle is also a big believer in flexible benefits that suit our employees across different age groups and address the diverse cultural differences regionally. We pursue new talent through recruitment practices that embrace inclusivity and diversity, helping Oracle attract and retain a spirited workforce.

Omer Ali Khan General Manager, ASEAN Avanade

THE influx of smart technologies (including the Internet of Things, intelligent automation and even robots) is dramatically disrupting how and where we work. Not only is it easier to attract and retain the right talent with these new tools, it is also easier for talent to leave.

To compete for talent in this brave new world, we must put in place three critical ingredients:

Jack van der Velde CEO APAC Unit4 Asia Pacific Limited

MILLENNIALS now make up a majority of the workforce, and they prefer working for an employer that provides them with career progression, work life balance and has a strong focus on people in general. At Unit4, our individual and collective success are driven by our commitment to make things positive for everybody that our business affects. We keep the workspace fun with many different activities organised by our employees throughout the year. We offer flexible working hours and work-from-home policies. Everyone is empowered to choose their benefits according to their life stages. Most importantly, we listen. We create opportunities to seek feedback from our employees on how our HR initiatives are aligned with the business and people needs.

David Wirt Vice-President, ASEAN & Greater China Pure Storage

PURE Storage has created a unique culture of innovation and trust where every employee is given complete empowerment. Our culture is centred on developing innovative technology and a maniacal focus on customer success. In this way, Pure Storage has been able to join a very select group of companies to cross US$1 billion in sales within 10 years and achieve the highest customer advocacy scores in the enterprise IT sector. These achievements were made possible only with our highly motivated and talented workforce.

Foo Siang-Tse Managing Director Quann

TODAY'S top talent are looking to forge different paths from those already established, even more so in cyber security, an industry that is undergoing tremendous growth, not just in Singapore but the world over. They are hungry to learn and grow, especially if they do not come from a cyber security background. Quann, with the benefit of our size and pedigree, enables their career aspirations by providing the right environment to thrive. This includes intensive hands-on learning within a "live" environment, opportunities to move across the organisation for wider exposure and growth and room for creative ground-up initiatives and solutions to meet work challenges. We have found that this resonates with fresh graduates as well as mature job-seekers with deep experience in cyber security.

Kevin Chow CEO & Country Director Thales in Singapore

TECH-savvy talents are highly sought-after in today's digital world so attracting these candidates is a major challenge. At Thales, we offer employees the chance to work in some of the most exciting sectors, from aerospace to defence to research, with some of the brightest minds and on some of the world's most advanced technologies. Thales is engaged in a diverse range of businesses so once they are on board, we keep them engaged and retained with the opportunity to work across different domains, functions and geographies to ensure exposure to different businesses and be inspired in a multicultural organisation as they further their career goals.

To get the cream of Singapore's crop, we also partner with local academic institutions to encourage students to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and to keep us top-of-mind as they graduate and enter the workforce.

Seah Kian Peng CEO NTUC FairPrice

THIS is becoming increasingly challenging. Attracting and retaining talent requires a holistic approach that includes differentiating ourselves as a progressive and responsible organisation, having structured and robust staff development programmes. You also need strong leaders with integrity who can motivate and drive change. This is, of course, easier said than done.

Beyond salary and benefits, what sets NTUC FairPrice apart is that as a social enterprise, our social goals, commitment to do good and sustainability efforts shape our policies and provide a higher sense of purpose for our staff. Our HR philosophy looks to enhance long-term employability through ongoing capability development. You also need a core group of leaders to drive innovation and empower their teams to achieve excellence. Today, we have a staff strength of about 10,000 talented and committed people ranging from fresh graduates to seniors, all of whom collectively contribute to the growth and success of FairPrice.

Thomas Holenia President Henkel Singapore

AT Henkel, talent management is a top priority. With an emphasis on developing strong leaders for every level of our organisation, our annual Development Round Table facilitates career dialogue and planning for every manager. We also encourage our top talent to hone their international management and leadership skills through our "Triple Two" concept of job-rotation to two different roles, two countries and two business units. Notably, our talent development programme, coupled with our corporate culture of diversity and inclusion, have resulted in 1,325 managerial promotions and an increase in the share of women in managerial positions to 34.5 per cent in 2017. We also place importance in building our future leadership pipeline and work closely with leading universities to hire young talent or engage with them early through our internship programmes. Through these initiatives, Henkel aims to develop energised and empowered teams, foster an entrepreneurial culture and be an employer of choice for top talent globally.

Magesvaran Suranjan President P&G Asia Pacific and P&G India, Middle East and Africa

WE at P&G believe that the hiring process is a defining moment of truth that can immensely strengthen employees' commitment from day one. As a build-from-within company, we constantly evolve our hiring approach to create experiences that draw the best and brightest talent. We also develop a robust talent pipeline through our strong relationships with the best schools worldwide.

Keeping up with the times is a must. Adopting digital platforms and providing immersive experiences for potential hires give us deeper insight into their fit with our culture and career opportunities. We also continually evolve our employee value proposition to offer flexibility and customisation for today's employees' needs. Each employee has the opportunity to continuously develop and potentially grow to become one of our future leaders.

Damien Dhellemmes Country President Singapore Schneider Electric

WE'VE created a high-performance workplace culture, attractive and motivating to young talent. Such a philosophy across the organisation produces exemplary work, increasing productivity and outstanding business results. Gamified learning, creative corners, a gym and gaming areas infuse well-being to keep all staff happily engaged.

Our Young Talent agenda - attracting innovative digital natives with a growth mindset - necessitates us to do things differently. Proactively participating in campus outreach, we engage these individuals with appealing social media content, excite them about our young talent exchange programmes, invite them to our industry-leading Innovation Summit and Hub events, develop deep relationships via MOUs with tertiary institutions, and inspire them with our diversity and inclusiveness values.

Bindu Bhatia Managing Director, Asia Pacific Carlson Wagonlit Travel

WHILE offering competitive salaries obviously helps attract the right talent, it's equally important to create an environment and culture where people are motivated to come in and do their best work every day. Despite being a relatively large organisation - we have more than 18,000 people globally - we try to ensure that everyone at CWT knows they have a voice. For example, we have an innovation crowdsourcing platform called CWT Spark where employees can submit solutions to challenges faced by CWT and the business travel industry.

Our flexible work policy, too, has helped boost employee engagement. We let our employees work from home, part-time, or have staggered working hours depending on their role, allowing them to achieve a better work-life balance.

Lionel Lim Vice-President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) Pivotal

AT Pivotal, we accelerate digital transformation by enabling our customers to become great at building cloud native applications. We hire and train the next generation of digital talent. Achieving our purpose requires people who share our values: Doing the right thing. Doing what works. Always being kind.

We attract top talent because they believe in our purpose. When we fill a position, we don't only look for skillsets, but for the right fit. We hire for our culture of innovation, respect and empathy. The same filter applies to recruiting developers. We don't only look for strong coders, but those who are able to work effectively with others - a skill that we see as most necessary to building great software.

We have a simple structured process - the RPI, short for Rob's Pairing Interview. It is a 45-minute coding session that candidates complete together with a Pivotal employee. The interview is a two-way street: we evaluate candidates as much as they evaluate us. Through this process, we have been able to hire top talent, who help us achieve our purpose.

Maren Schweizer Director Schweizer World Pte Ltd

ATTRACTING the best talents is comparable to cooking - combining the right flavouring ingredients. A dish in a hawker centre can be as fascinating as one in a one Michelin star restaurant.

I am sharing my learning during my term as chief executive officer of our 169-year-old family business Schweizer Electronic AG together with my brother Nicolas Schweizer as chief human resources officer and Marc Bunz as chief financial officer.

Millennials are looking for work with a purpose. Ours is to contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions with innovation. Training and development opportunities can be as big an asset as the proposed salary. Create a working environment that also benefits private life.

Having inspiring leaders in your firm who share core values. People work for people rather than for a company.

Our family business has been appreciated by winning Best Place to Work in Germany awards by Focus in cooperation with Kununu three years in a row from 2014 to 2016.

Nick Chia Managing Director, Singapore Country Manager Russell Reynolds

AS advisers to companies on attracting and retaining talent, Russell Reynolds Associates believes that minimising the gap between intent and action is key. There is little argument that a holistic approach is needed to motivate employees and to attract new ones; the difficulty comes in putting into practice what one preaches. People notice what you do, more than what you say, and this is even more pronounced for senior executives. Work should have meaning, and that includes aligning oneself with the values and behavior of colleagues; any dissonance in this area leads to dissatisfaction and people vote with their feet.

Tripti Lochan CEO VML Southeast Asia and India

TO attract the best talent, you need to lead by example. People are waiting to be inspired, so set the same standards of excellence for yourself as a leader, as you do for your teams.

Organisations must also recognise that money is not the sole motivator. Rather, employees are driven by something deeper - how connected they feel to the company. Hence, we make it our priority to support personal growth and development, to really listen to our employees, and to expose them to endless opportunities that foster constant learning.

Above all, this needs to take place against the backdrop of an inclusive environment that espouses gender and social equality.

Adam Judd Senior Vice-President of Asia Pacific, China and Japan F5 Networks

TALENT is undoubtedly an organisation's most important asset. Apps are now the face of businesses, and F5 is in a unique position to provide professionals the opportunity to play a part in the digital economy.

Constantly engaging and inspiring our talent is crucial to our workplace culture - we empower our employees with the right tools to experiment on new initiatives, while providing safe space for failure. This approach motivates employees with creative, outside-the-box thinking.

Additionally, to encourage continuous upskilling, our learning and development team has designed programmes to groom our talent and drive performance at both the individual and organisational levels, in order to help the business scale and succeed.

Alex Crompton Managing Director EF Singapore

AT Entrepreneur First, we are working towards establishing entrepreneurship as a default, rather than alternative career path. We provide the resources and network to help ambitious individuals become founders. Our rigorously designed programme fast-tracks individuals - from ideation to scaling on a global level within six months. We have over 1,000 alumni and over 120 alumni companies, collectively valued at over US$1.5 billion. Our community and track record make EF the obvious choice for ambitious people who want to start companies.

Jayajyoti Sengupta Asia-Pacific Head Cognizant

MILLENNIALS' changing priorities reflect the zeitgeist of the digital era, which requires businesses to emulate entrepreneurial qualities - embracing new technologies, applying new thinking, and challenging status quo. Companies that demonstrate these qualities will be more successful in attracting and retaining quality talent. Talent attraction must be an ongoing strategy. If businesses start the process at the actual demand stage, they are already late.

At Cognizant, we put emphasis on meritocracy and are committed to create an ambience where the best minds can collaborate to support our clients' digital journeys. This has helped us attract and retain top talent at all levels. Our in-house Academy has ensured that employees can upskill and reskill themselves constantly.

Lance Little Managing Director, Region Asia Pacific Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific

A STRONG organisational culture is vital for long-term success, and what I find is that people are inherently attracted to a sense of purpose, coupled with an honest, human set of principles, not a job title. At Roche, we are united by purpose - doing now what patients need next.

Each of us has a story about why we come to work every day. We are passionate about transforming patients' lives. We commit ourselves to acting with courage and integrity, putting our people first and becoming better versions of ourselves.

There is no magic formula for attracting good talent. People join Roche for who we are, what we do and the journey that we are embarking on. In the Asia-Pacific, we have over 5,000 employees across 16 markets. We aim to provide a work environment where our employees are encouraged to build their careers and pursue their passions, both at work and outside.

By providing everyone with equal opportunity for career development, offering flexible working arrangements to meet the needs of our diverse workforce and actively promoting employee well-being, we lead the way with our actions. When employees thrive, so does our business.

Steve Wood Vice-President, Asia Pacific Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company

FLEXIBLE working hours and remote working options have become the new normal. We have uncovered fascinating insights about today's professionals - the "GenMobile" who are defined by individuals who are tied to their mobile devices for everything in their lives. With that comes the expectation of unparalleled connectivity - anytime, anywhere - as mobile devices rapidly become the hub of our everyday lives.

In our hires, we are seeing a rising trend towards working smarter, not harder - which in turn places emphasis on productivity and collaboration. At Aruba, we believe in leveraging the best of technology and space by investing in smart workplaces for our employees, including fostering a culture of innovation and connectivity by providing an interactive environment to work in.

Zhou Junjie Chief Commercial Officer and Country Head, Singapore Shopee

PEOPLE are our most important asset. As such, we place great emphasis on talent. Being a predominantly millennial workforce, we have a deep understanding of the demographics' needs and expectations. We've observed that beyond flexibility and mobility, today's employees also prioritise personal growth and purpose beyond remuneration.

To address this, we have moulded our on-boarding and up-skilling strategies to support their learning and development, such as the Shopee Academy programme, to ensure that our employees are armed with a good foundation as they progress in their career with us. This strategy has been gaining traction and success for Shopee, seeing how we have grown from a team of 10 to around 450 employees in under two years.

Magnus Grimeland Founder and CEO Antler

WE have seen many young professionals who want to start their own business, but few pursue their dreams. For those that don't, Antler, a startup generator, gives talented people that extra push to go from dreamer to doer. We want to be that bridge connecting entrepreneurs with the right advisors, partners and capital to increase their chances of success - which is why focusing on mentorship, collaboration and a nurturing environment is so important - giving talented people the most conducive platform to realise their full potential. With this relentless focus, Antler hopes to turn great founders into great companies.

Dirk-Peter Van Leeuwen Senior Vice President & General Manager Red Hat Asia Pacific

RED Hat's foundation of openness, transparency and collaboration are not only the core of our technology, but also the key tenets across our global associate base. We partner with schools and universities to encourage strong engineering talents to work on impactful projects. We work to ensure that associates support one another, and managers actively play a mentoring role to help them grow holistically. Selecting the right talent is critical for our culture, and we often use psychometric tests to assess our candidates' cultural fit. I think it's not just pay or perks - but also a collaborative, open culture that our associates cherish. That is why we work hard to create a workplace that fosters personal and professional growth for our people.

Jessie Xia Managing Director - Singapore ThoughtWorks

AT ThoughtWorks, we work with the best tech talent in Singapore to deliver critical software solutions to our clients. In a competitive market, it's vital to maintain a work environment that champions diversity and inclusion, and allows staff to safely express themselves and explore their passion areas - and this starts with our hiring practices. We believe skills can be taught, so we look for passionate people with a variety of backgrounds and points of view, and invest in their development. We recently announced our new head of technology for South-east Asia - Thao Dang, a ThoughtWorker with over 11 years of tech consulting experience. She is a shining example of what can be achieved when people are encouraged to learn, experiment and grow.

Sheena Chin Country Director, Singapore Veritas

TOP talent matters, as they are the key drivers for an organisation's success. Veritas recognises that career progression is high on the agenda for top talent and offers different possibilities for employees to push their boundaries to be the best that they can be. In today's changing landscape, competitive benefits per se is not enough. At Veritas, we value inclusivity - it is a vital part of who we are and how we work - the more diverse our people are, the better placed we are to spark innovation and attract talent who are driven by challenges. Empowering employees to grow and succeed, as well as promoting a collaborative and flexible work culture are also part of our winning formula to attract and retain top talent.

Kevyn Yong Dean ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific

ATTRACTING top talent to ESSEC is key to our mission: to be a pioneering business school that responds to the challenges of the future. We always strive to nurture an environment where our people feel empowered to explore and innovate. The values they hold are equally important: we seek individuals who embody our fundamental values of a pioneering spirit, innovation, excellence, responsibility, diversity, and humanism.

As an international business school with French roots, based in Singapore, we look for people who can bridge Europe and Asia with their multicultural openness and perspectives. We believe that to thrive in the future is to be open to the world.

Foo See Yang Managing Director and Country Head, Singapore Kelly Service

PERSOLKELLY'S2018 APAC Workforce Insights found that young job-seekers in Singapore greatly value flexibility. This is especially true for Gen Z workers, who are increasingly looking at gig economy roles for more varied and interesting work, a greater sense of agency in their careers, and the opportunity to connect with new people.

At the same time, Gen Z workers crave individual recognition and rewards for their talents, skills, and personal contributions to the company, with the majority preferring to be treated as individuals rather than as part of a team.

Employers must continue to adapt to meet the changing priorities and aspirations of Singapore's diverse and multi-generational workforce. Companies that can make these values an integral part of their employee value proposition can expect to see increased employee attraction, retention, well-being, and engagement.

Chris Burton MD of Singapore and Malaysia Vistra Group

THE greatest talents are drawn to organisations where they feel they can be most successful. Success in this context means personal development, acquiring additional technical knowledge, receiving recognition for their work, and ultimately promotion and improvement in salary and benefits. Equally, talented people like to work in organisational cultures which allow them to show entrepreneurialism, autonomy and a nurturing environment.

My organisation is one of top three corporate services providers globally, with offices in nearly 50 different countries and a dynamic and entrepreneurial culture. There is real scope for growth and development here. Not everything is perfect - but we are focused on fixing our problems. To attract the talent, I find a mix of promoting our career development opportunities, with a realistic appraisal of the organisational issues we are facing, is the right formula. This shows integrity, and helps avoids disappointment from misaligned expectations.

Imad Abou-Haidar Managing Director, APAC Finastra

AS Singapore continues to transform into a Smart Nation, harnessing digital technologies to leap ahead, there is an increasing need for companies to ensure they are part of this journey, by tapping into the right talent and innovation. We see companies joining forces to build environments that nurture technopreneurial talent. At Finastra, we embrace an open culture that encourages employees to be creative, to ignite innovation internally, and to co-create and collaborate to spark innovation outside our organisation too. This puts us in a strong position to tap into talent that will build out the next wave of financial services innovation.

Helen Ng CEO General Storage Company Pte. Ltd

YOUNGER talents have traditionally shied away from the self-storage and logistics sectors, but that is set to change. In recent years, the industry has begun to deploy sophisticated software for valet, on-demand and full service storage. The upcoming Self-Storage Expo Asia in May 2018 will showcase the latest software for inventory management. Companies are also increasingly leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and data analytics to enhance customer service and customer retention. These exciting new developments ensure that our top talents are given the opportunities to channel and acquire cutting-edge skills, while positioning us as an employer of choice to millennial talents.

Angela Campbell-Noë Senior Partner Tulchan Communications

AT Tulchan, we adopt a multi-dimensional definition to talent and have in place various initiatives to ensure we attract and retain the right people.

Beyond offering competitive remuneration and benefits, it is increasingly critical to maintain relevance with the younger generation workforce. To this end, we ensure a collaborative approach towards identifying motivations, and helping achieve the personal career goals of each individual. This effectively positions us as an employer-of-choice and creates a sustainable and committed team capable of leveraging on each other's strengths to drive the organisation forward.

To put it simply, we attract and retain talent through a combination of challenging work, fulfilling opportunities and offering real progression.

Olive Tai Co-founder and Managing Director beautiful.me and Synagie.com

AS a startup, we do get a good share of talent, and really good talent from other tech companies and traditional corporations too. I myself used to work in MNCs before starting out myself, and it was because of having been trained in traditional and proven corporate practices that opened my eyes to wanting to prove that I could step out of the traditional corporate mould and start my own company. Because we are all bitten by the startup bug, yes, it is nice to see big companies trying to emulate the startup culture but a word of caution - rather than adding an element of "forced culture" into existing processes, how about keeping an open mind on restructuring corporations to keep up with fast moving digitisation? And remember, not all startup cultures fit into MNCs, but rather think about what changes you need to make to keep up with evolving work trends.

Ronnie Tan President FranklinCovey Singapore & Greater China

THE 'War for Talent' continues to be the Achilles Heel of many organisations. In reality, working in a borderless world and with technology, nearly everything about an organisation - including strategy, products and systems - can be replicated today. However the real competitive advantage of an organisation lies in one's culture. Our global experience has taught us that a winning culture produces four critical outcomes: Sustained superior results year after year; loyal customers who tell why they come back again and again; fully engaged employees who give their best to their work; and the distinctive contribution the company is making. Many organisations know that winning cultures have the power to boost employee satisfaction as well as attract talented individuals. But great cultures - the kind that become a competitive advantage - don't just happen. They are a deliberate creation and leader-led. Attracting top talent goes beyond the recruitment process. Providing the right culture makes all the difference to successfully engage, retain and unleash the potential of these individuals. And many leaders know that they risk falling behind if they don't make culture a priority.

Leslie Ong Southeast Asia Country Manager Tableau

ATTRACTING the best talent is about empowering people so that they can do their best work and letting them know that their contribution is appreciated and valued. In that vein, creating a collaborative culture and a creative, high-energy and inclusive environment is imperative to not only attract but retain talent.

At Tableau, in order to build a strong culture and live and breathe our mission, we have all new employees go through an orientation programme at our global HQ in Seattle where they learn about our business and products, and immerse themselves in our culture.

These things empower our people to excel and be successful. They are the reason that humble-smart talents who share the same passion in helping customers see and understand data join us. They also explain why Tableau has been named one of 'Best Companies to Work For' more than once by the Great Place to Work Institute.

Hari V Krishnan CEO PropertyGuru Group

FOR a technology company like us, talent is our most critical asset. We have been successful in attracting the best digital talent from around the world as we focus on creating an environment where the 'Purpose' and 'People' elements of our Employee Value Proposition are well defined. Binding our gurus across four countries is our values-driven culture, where the way something is done is just as important as the result. Our employees demonstrate this through the flexibility and agility in their approach towards work and career. We actively encourage our gurus towards fearless experimentation, open feedback and learning fast to benefit the business. These ingredients keep the talents challenged and attracts people with a 'Passion' to work for PropertyGuru.

Ian Lee Regional Head, Asia Pacific The Adecco Group

AS the workforce becomes more diverse and alternate forms of work arrangements such as contract and freelance become more common, talent attraction and retention strategies must also evolve. The Adecco Group is at the forefront of this - providing an employer value proposition (EVP) that is distinct, compelling and credible. Our EVP includes being the "2nd most attractive company in the world to work for" which we achieved by building a great company culture, making tangible contributions to society, and by providing great monetary as well as non-monetary rewards and recognition. The EVP is effectively delivered through a HR strategy that involves future-oriented talent and succession planning, more frequent and tailored rewards and benefits, attractive employer branding and personalised talent development opportunities. We are also developing digital solutions and using social media platforms to attract talent in the gig-economy as well as millennials who are digital natives. In short, we are proactively managing not just our financial capital but also our human and social capital to attract, retain and grow top talent.

Robin C Lee Group COO Bok Seng Group

WHEN it comes to attracting top talent, bosses who can pick up on and reflect their employee's mindset are going to be the more successful one. Gone are the days of judging an employee's diligence and loyalty by the hours they put in and their "lifetime" tenure. Due to rapidly changing socio-economic patterns, the way that people work has been transformed drastically. Work practices that allow employees to be effective, productive, interactive and have more elastic schedules beyond the normal workday are gaining attractiveness, complemented by the proliferation of technologies. Work-life balance should no longer be just an aspiration but a feature for employees, granting them more time to care for their families and their own well-being. Throwing in lots of care and some fun at work, with less politicking, will definitely go a long way.

David Leong Managing Director PeopleWorldwide Consulting Pte Ltd.

ATTRACTING talent for any organisations is really about just three things - content of job, context of job environment, and compensation.

Our industry is highly competitive and it is hard to retain staff based on other attractions. The easiest is to pay well. For us, we imbue the values of compassion and kind-heartedness in the HR business and our staff view the business with a strong social mission - to improve the lives of the job seekers and to uplift careers.

Without this sense of anchor, an over-riding mission of doing good, it would be hard for them to feel rooted to PeopleWorldwide.

Andrew Chan Founder & CEO ACI HR Solutions

THE two things that set successful organisations apart are people and culture. Investing in finding the right talent, and instilling a culture that retains them, create value for the company.

Organisations can start off by first developing a culture that places emphasis on the happiness of employees to give them a sense of security and certainty about their job prospects. On the flip side, an environment of uncertainty about one's future job prospects can cause staff to start to look externally for other career opportunities. Thus, having a culture that is well communicated from the management and practised throughout the organisation is essential.

Ronald Lee Managing Director PrimeStaff

EVEN as a recruitment specialist for over two decades, we are not immune to the same manpower challenges all organisations face, especially those unique to Singapore.

Talent acquisition is generally 'easier' for MNCs and bigger companies that have strong employer branding and larger financial muscle to lure candidates with high salaries and better perks.

For smaller organisations like SMEs, attracting and retaining talent is always a challenge. But smaller outfits can compete for talent by being more innovative in their approach and focusing more on employee engagement and staff welfare.

Learning and development opportunitie may also be more restricted in smaller firms. This also impacts traditional job descriptions and work scopes, which may need to be reviewed and redefined in line with changing customer and market expectations.

Given the context of a more communicative workforce today, the need for higher employee engagement is therefore greater than ever.

Beyond the best practices and strategies, we at PrimeStaff also endeavour to create an environment that helps our people find meaning in their work.

At the end of the day, if an organisation is able to find people who believe in the work, enjoy the work, and find meaning in the work where it's not just about the money and climbing ranks, half the battle is already won.

Matthieu Imbert-Bouchard Managing Director Robert Half Singapore

SALARY remains a significant part of a remuneration package in Singapore and companies realise that they have to offer above-average salary packages to secure high-calibre professionals. However, there's been a steady shift of preferences from jobseekers who are looking for more work-life balance, and even prioritise non-financial incentives over higher pay. Companies looking to attract and retain top performers need to consider non-financial incentives, such as workplace flexibility and the option to work from home, especially if they are not in a position to award pay increases or above-average salary rates.

Lim Soon Hock Managing Director PLAN-B ICAG Pte Ltd

IT is all about creating the right working environment. It is easier said than done, but few companies focus on the hygiene factors, beyond pay, to attract not just talent but the best talent. Google is popular because it goes the extra mile of taking care of the employees - including providing meals, generous paid parental leave and on-site childcare - as some of the perks. It also turns the traditional organisational structure upside down, adopting OKR, ie Objectives and Key Results. that is transparent to all levels, while ensuring that the workplace is constantly innovating, experimenting and keeping things fun.

But to achieve all that, organisations must have strong and positive cultures, which can allow them to attain the all-important alignment between the company's purpose, values, and strategy as well as having a profound understanding of the "buzz at the bottom"-the collective behaviours, norms, and values at the front lines and among the rank and filers of their organisations.

When companies have this healthy culture, they will outperform their peers to attract the top talent, and not just on everything from sales and customer satisfaction to safety and quality and profitability and productivity. Conversely, the absence of a healthy culture can create or exacerbate significant risks, one of which is the company's inability to attract talent.

Culture is the honey that attracts talent, feeds them and holds them together.

Tan Mui Huat President and Chief Executive Officer, Asia International SOS

INTERNATIONAL SOS is in the business of saving lives and protecting organisations' global workforce from health and security threats. Our employees work in a borderless global environment and are exposed to some of the most remote and challenging locations in the world. This inspirational employee value proposition is key to attracting and retaining talented and passionate employees. We have continually focused on attracting and developing young talents through our AIESEC and Graduate Development Programme and providing them with opportunities to maximise their potential. Through our robust talent management framework and process, we develop our leaders through challenging and meaningful cross-border assignments and exposure to a wide array of work experiences.

Our cultural, racial and gender diversity, coupled with our entrepreneurial and digital spirit, has also contributed to an environment that supports mutual learning and growth, and this has fuelled innovative thinking at all levels of the organisation.

Our efforts have resulted in International SOS winning multiple awards through the Asia region including the Best Company to Work for in Asia in China, the Silver Award for Employer of Choice in Malaysia as well as the Global HR Excellence-Diversity Impact Award 2018 in India.

Jay Shah CEO OpenDNA

THE right people with the right skills at the right time in the right place. This challenge is often placed before the HR folks to meet the company's staffing requirements. Over the years, we have seen the direct correlation between the company's success and headcount - indeed, the staff size is termed "company's strength".

As CEO of OpenDNA, I believe it is of paramount importance for every representative of the company, regardless of his/her job title, to have a say in the business. We practise an open work culture where all opinions and ideas are welcome. By doing so, we attract creative and innovative talents who can potentially shape the business through the implementation of new ideas and inventions. Employers should realise that in today's world, the balance of power has shifted from them to the employees. Hence it is crucial to promote employee engagement in all aspects of the businesses. This can potentially be achieved firstly by creating a work environment that encourages positivity and inclusivity. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Adding fun and recreational activities could "recharge the battery" of your staff, which in turn boosts work performance. To retain employees, it is also critical to encourage growth opportunities for these talents within the company. Creating a work atmosphere in which individuals could learn and grow could be the key to attracting the talent you need. Contrary to the belief that it is the pay that attracts new talent, it is critical to note that beyond compensation and benefits, there are other driving factors such as a thriving workplace culture which is the biggest slice of workplace happiness.

Dhirendra Shantilal Board Director Fircroft Group

ACQUIRING top talent is the key to success in any organisation. Thought leadership and building a strong positive brand image have long been the keys to our talent retention and growth strategies. Through continuous engagement online and in the media, we ensure we are visible and credible with a distinct voice in the talent retention and management space. This spurs potential candidates to seek us out and engage with our philosophy, processes and values.

More broadly, we've worked to establish a reputation as a responsible employer focused on the long-term growth of our staff. Investing in and continuing to engage with our employees as well as our alumni of ex-employees, we maintain a network of brand advocates who are always on the lookout for new talent. Ultimately, your current staff will always be your strongest recruiters.

Mark Billington Regional Director ICAEW South-East Asia

ATTRACTING, developing and retaining the best talent into the world of accountancy and finance is core to ICAEW. To appeal to the brightest talents out there, it's important to ensure pathways into the profession are appropriate and sustainable for a fast-changing world. As an organisation committed to providing lifelong career support to its members, ICAEW walks the talk by organising regular regional thought leadership roadshows, networking sessions and training programmes to supplement the extensive pool of online resources.

We also believe that the best companies attract top talent by developing a strong culture and value set. At ICAEW, being an equal opportunities employer ourselves, we are committed to diversity in the chartered accountancy profession. Our diverse workforce is spread across many different countries and embraces many different backgrounds and is integral to our success as a leading professional membership organisation that promotes, develops and supports over 150,000 chartered accountants worldwide.

Edwin Khew Teck Fook President The Institution of Engineers, Singapore

AS the national society of engineers in Singapore, IES focuses on helping the industry attract and retain top engineering talent. Many millennials want to be their own boss or part of a new enterprise or startup as they are keen to be successful quickly. To fast-track their aspirations, IES is setting up a deep tech incubator cum accelerator to help technopreneurs seek funding, rapid prototype and pilot-test their innovation; and provide leadership training and senior engineers as mentors to support the development and commercialisation of their innovation. We also seek to channel more students towards engineering courses as most successful technopreneurs have engineering-trained minds. Engineering graduates have an edge in analytics, system thinking, creative problem-solving and adaptability - traits highly valued across many industries. Many top C-suite executives are trained in engineering.

Tan Boon Yen President The Institute of Internal Auditors Singapore

PEOPLE is the asset that differentiates an organisation from its competitors. In an increasingly competitive environment, chief audit executives (CAEs) must make talent management a strategic priority. This involves assessing the existing competencies to identify and address talent gaps. To retain the best talent and lay the foundation for succession planning, it is important to foster a culture of continuous learning and development. Where specialised or specific skills are not available internally, CAEs can fill the gaps with outsourced or co-sourced arrangements. What propels and sustains a successful organisation is its diverse team of talented and motivated employees. The presence of a competitive compensation and benefits package, conducive work environment and opportunities for growth are key motivators to attract and retain talent. Success is increasingly dependent on creating an agile internal audit function that is responsive to changing demands.

Martin Mackay President and General Manager for Asia Pacific & Japan CA Technologies

ATTRACTING top talent is vital to CA's growth strategy. Alongside this is our commitment to develop and retain talent, and ensure every CA employee has access to resources and opportunities within the company to help improve their skills and drive their careers forward.

Organisations need to be built to change to be built to last. That means being agile, embracing diversity and having a culture that encourages innovation. That is why our talent acquisition strategies include a hiring smart programme to help remove unconscious bias to expand the pool to recruit from. Importantly, it is how we show up. We have an inclusive and flexible workplace, and the CA DNA includes being creative, agile, authentic, self-aware and socially aware. We have programmes that celebrate diversity, like Bring What You Bring. We want our employees to bring their smarts, their savvy, their opinions, and of course their own personal brand of brilliance to CA.

Top talents want to know that they are working for a top company. CA is recognised as one of the world's most ethical companies. We were named in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index. We are one of Barron's 100 most sustainable companies. Our solutions are industry-leading. Our mission is to help our customers remove the barriers between ideas and outcomes. And, top talents should be proud to be working for a company that is consistently ranked as a leader in innovation, sustainability, diversity and customer satisfaction.

Dolly Goh CEO Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF)

SNCF strives to make a difference to the lives of young people, building relationships with them when they are young. Through co-op clubs and campus co-operatives, SNCF provides youths a platform to develop social entrepreneurship skills and learn the co-operative values of self-help, mutual help, equality, care for community and co-operation while building a leadership talent pool for the Co-operative Movement. SNCF constantly engages aspiring young people with a strong desire to do good in the community. Through the SNCF scholarship (which attracts scholars with a heart), internships and youth engagement programmes, we nurture today's millennials to be social game-changers. Upon graduation, scholars may either work in SNCF or a local co-operative in the cause that they are passionate about and feel that they can effect change.

Lee Siang Chief Executive Officer Dyslexia Association of Singapore

ALTHOUGH a charity, the Dyslexia Association of Singapore has pledged to provide quality and specialised assessment and educational service to our clients. To attract and retain good people, DAS emphasises the opportunities for career and professional development in the Special Educational Needs field, a nascent industry that holds great growth potential both locally and regionally. Our emphasis on programme scope and improvement also matches their aspiration to accumulate experience across diverse areas. They are also drawn to our strong support for staff training including postgraduate qualifications and our organisation's unique position as a pioneer in a developing industry.

Joshua Yim CEO Achieve Group

ACHIEVE Group has always focused on attracting and retaining the best talents within the Asia-Pacific region.

Our branding strategy is to distinguish our organisation as a preferred employer, earning that label with strong culture, leadership and teambuilding, providing career development, recognition and rewards.

Evangelising from the top, Achieve has mission, vision and values statements guiding our company's philosophy.

Our company is proud to live and lead our vision: "shaping careers, impacting lives, one person at a time". The management and all our staff have experienced this belief firsthand as we work as a team towards our company's goals. And naturally, each of us is an ambassador for the company. This has greater mileage than any campaign or programme in attracting top talents.

Dora Hoan Group CEO Best World International Ltd

WE create an open, warm and honest corporate culture and working environment which make our employees feel secure. We give clear job descriptions so that our employees know what is required of them. We always give feedback on their work performance and are willing to listen to and address their concerns. We value every employee and provide them with opportunities to grow and thrive. All these foster a sense of belonging, making them want to stay and contribute to growth.

Best World is not a family business. It is a listed company of high professionalism. The company's management rights and ownership are separated. The company posts are filled according to merit. Anyone who has capability and strong commitment will have a chance to take on greater responsibilities and move up.

We provide above-market averagebasic salary, and attractive bonuses and sales incentives to reward good performance, and recognise contributions. Our talents know they are an asset and part of our Best World family.

Toby Koh Group Managing Director Ademco Security Group

ATTRACTING the right talent for any organisation is always a challenge, no matter where we operate in. The government sector and MNCs compete aggressively for the talent pool available alongside all the SMEs.

Ademco invests in recruiting the best talent that can blend into our culture and integrate with our team. I believe that every organisation requires a unique fit of talent. We look for individuals who will enjoy the intimacy of a smaller organisation as compared to a large MNC. We're a company where an individual's effort is clear and visible, and is not only acknowledged by the team but encouraged and cheered on. Where the organisation structure is intentionally flat, and anyone can and often does walk into my room anytime they wish. Where everyone in my team has my mobile number to reach me any time they like. Where we gather together every few months to bond and make merry. Where going overseas on teambuilding trips is valued more by the team than a fancy workspace. Where our work really matters in saving lives and protecting assets. This is how we attract the best talent possible.

Zaheer K Merchant Regional Director (Singapore & Europe) Qi Group of Companies

FIRST and foremost, our organisation researches and gauge the expectations of top talents, bearing in mind at all times that certain key elements such as training, internal opportunities and rapport with immediate supervisors are to be ranked as importantly as traditional factors such as salary and flexibility of working hours, and have to be approached to their satisfaction. Our compensation packages reward our top performing employees at the top end of the spectrum of market salaries vis-a-vis their role. This recognises the shift in thinking that a promotion is not sufficient acknowledgement of effort put in. In this context, we place emphasis on personal growth, believing that this will in turn drive our organisation to new heights.

Annie Yap CEO AYP HR Group

FROM Google's focus on employee happiness to Zappos adopting Holacracy, companies are ramping up their talent management efforts. AYP, too, is big on building a work culture that is value-based to attract and develop talent. Passion, Commitment, Collaboration, Integrity, Value. Based on a selected value, an Employee of the Month is voted and rewarded. Through regular town hall meetings, quarterly surveys and monthly get-togethers, AYP is committed to inspiring open dialogues in a friendly work environment. We also have a 1-1 mentorship programme to groom substitutes to replace managers during temporary absences. Ultimately, AYP strives to enhance employee autonomy and accountability to grow our talents.

Stephen Wang Managing Director Talent Plus Pte Ltd

AT Talent Plus, we aim high and attract those with the personality and outlook as ingredients to success and best fit for job roles. Key traits in a performance-motivated individual such as drive and values, work style, people acumen and ability to influence are some predictors of talent that can be measured and nurtured. Furthermore, in recruiting we are transparent about our company culture and team environment in which new hires will be working, and the strong relationships that they are likely to build to feel engaged and inspired to ensure growth.

Henry Tan Managing Director Nexia TS

TALENT recruitment and retention is one of every organisation's key focus areas but very few can do it well. It's on the minds of the CEO in each organisation. We try to look at this in a more holistic manner starting at the student level, engaging students through platforms including case study competition, career guidance, sponsorships, internships and scholarships. These help raise awareness about our firm among the students, and where we spot talent we talk to them about a career with us. After joining us, we put them in our bespoke Nexia Talent Matrix and develop them from one stage to the next. Every staffer is different so this talent matrix development is tailored. At the more senior levels, we give a lot more autonomy and encourage an entrepreneurial outlook of the business line they are responsible for and leave them to grow and develop that business. We also encourage them to develop skills by pursuing courses and post-graduate programmes to develop management skills.

Lynette Seah Founder and CEO Alpha7

AS someone who is running an SME in Singapore, I think the involvement of the CEO himself/herself is critical in whether the organisation gets its share of top talents. Mentoring employees and making sure they have the resources they need to be creative and grow are what CEOs need to focus on.

Chris J Reed Global CEO and Founder The Dark Art of Marketing and Black Marketing

YOU can't fake fun at work. You can put all the beanbags and have all the hackathons in the world, create an incubator but you're still a boring bank or professional services company.

People choose personalities to work for, people choose cultures based on what their friends say and how that brand comes across on LinkedIn and people choose small companies, entrepreneurs like me and startups over multinationals or giant companies for good reason.

Who wants the politics, the lack of decision making, the bureaucracy of a giant company over a streamlined, flat-structured, get-things-done entrepreneurial venture owned by a founder? We beat giant companies offering more money and more hackathons because people know their culture is fake, is just marketing - scratch the surface , they're still boring to work for.

Smart entrepreneurs like myself offer cool working spaces, flexible working hours (come in when you want, leave when you want, work from wherever you want) and I pay less than market rate because my employees want to work for The Only CEO with a Mohawk and work in a genuinely fun environment.

Where are the personable leaders of companies in Singapore leading by example? Communicating their employer brand via their personal brand? Where's the Singaporean Elon Musk that everyone wants to work for?