Substance over style

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: What benefits and perks are truly valued by your employees? Are these measures effective in achieving their aims, namely attracting and retaining staff, and improving motivation and productivity?

Chris Fossick Chief Executive Officer, South-east Asia JLL

JLL's research on the future of work confirms that quality workspaces act as a strategic differentiator for talent retention. To embrace the diversity of workstyles and tasks, offices now have a myriad of work-points for collaborating, doing focus work, standing at adjustable desks or snacking in the work cafe. Having wellness studios, pocket gardens, rest pods and community programmers helps to foster engagement and belonging. Technology enables seamless flexibility: sensors drive demand-driven services and informed facilities management while user apps grant access to rooms, phones, photocopiers and lockers. We find that the ultimate motivator is an inclusive work culture that mirrors flexible real estate: one that supports work-life balance and empowers employees to achieve their ambitions.

Bill Lewis Co-Founder Temasys Communications

The style of office, beanbags and coffee machines, flexible breaks and so on and so on are secondary in attracting and retaining staff.

People do not normally leave a job. They leave a person or organisation they worked for because the culture within which they found themselves was not empowering and respectful. At one time I created a business in a 30 square metre office which housed between five and seven people - we were incredibly successful at what we did and it had nothing to do with our environment but everything to do with our culture, attitude, participative decision-making, and drive and vision.

If you don't have these latter emotional drivers, no perks, benefits, trendy offices, and potted plants will do anything to ensure the retention and productivity of employees.

Victor Mills Chief Executive Singapore International Chamber of Commerce

No matter how glamorous the physical office is or the quality, or otherwise, of the all-day buffet, what counts most is the company's purpose. That's the starting point from which any business builds engaged teams. The next building block is workplace culture. It is positive where leaders are enablers not autocrats. Where employees feel respected because their opinions and ideas are listened to. Where there is a level of autonomy because employees are trusted to execute with excellence. That's how a business attracts and retains talent. That's how a business serves its clients and grows. Substance over style, every time.

Andrew Chan Founder and CEO ACI HR Solutions

With the rise of gig culture, more organisations are looking to seek a flexible workforce that will cater to the employees who favour more dynamic careers. The revamping of workplace might be good for larger organisations who are looking to change up the traditional workforce culture, but it may be less practical for smaller companies to achieve and tends to be more of a fad. A good foundation has to be in place before moving forward to providing employees with a more flexible work routine, to avoid cases where such a system would be taken advantage of.

James Leong Chief Financial Officer Grasshopper

It's about how you enable your teams to do their best work. Our workforce combines traders and technologists and we have made a concerted shift towards supporting a distributed workforce. If you are a developer, coder or a quantitative analyst, you can use collaboration tools like Slack and Zoom and work from anywhere.

Our traders are required to be physically present in the office, but they're afforded an in-house gym, fully stocked pantry and even a bar. Spaces are designed to offer comforts but also to facilitate robust discussions, team building and camaraderie.

Vikas Nahata Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Validus Capital

A well-designed, thoughtful workspace can prevent silos and encourage employee collaboration and connectivity. As we spend most of our waking hours in the office, we want to make sure it's a space that encourages open dialogue, foster creativity and productivity. Keeping that in mind for our new office, we introduced an organic layout and created purpose-built breakout spaces.

Recognising that one size does not fit all, we aimed to be as flexible as possible, actively asking employees what was important to them. Ultimately, it's having a space that reflected our culture as a business and ensuring it's conducive for all.

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

We believe that a positive workplace culture matters as much as a strong benefits policy to our employees, whose quality of life at work is important to the bank. We foster a corporate spirit based on entrepreneurship, innovation and responsibility and provide autonomy to our people, enabling them to develop key skills and capabilities.

Additionally, our staff benefits, such as our enhanced parental leave policy, flexible working arrangements, internal mobility, learning opportunities (including certification programmes) and social activities for bonding purposes, can motivate and reinforce to our employees that we are a people-oriented, respectful organisation where everyone has equal opportunities to develop, thrive and create value in an inclusive workplace.

Chris J Reed Global CEO and Founder Black Marketing

Flexible working is the key to happy and productive employees. We at Black Marketing let our team work anytime they want from wherever they want.

I don't care as long as they deliver. They can do all their work at the weekend from home or work 6pm to midnight at our co-working space, it really doesn't matter to me, but it matters to them that they can do this and that I trust them to deliver. Many employers are afraid of this.

But ultimately it boils down to: You employed them to represent your brand, so do you trust them to do the work or don't you? Being seen at work is no guarantee that your team is actually doing work!

Andrew Seow Regional Director, South-east Asia and Greater China Rimini Street

We believe that the "work from anywhere" concept helps drives motivation and productivity. At Rimini Street, our version of "the office" is creating your own individual workspace. We invoke a culture of collaboration across borders, riding on the technology of the digital age. We empower our employees with all the necessities of working remotely, from printers to mobile phones and other collaboration tools, so they can create their own personal office environment.

Shahid Nizami Managing Director Asia Pacific, HubSpot

A company's products should address what customers want. Likewise, benefits should align with what employees need. Some of HubSpot's most valued benefits are driven from the ground up. For example, members of our Singapore sales team who need to take time off for National Service receive their sales commissions in full for the period, in addition to quota relief.

Benefits like these are not designed to attract staff or build motivation, but to help HubSpot employees build their work around their life, not the other way around. Unlike perks, culture cannot be bought, and needs to be made a business priority. When employees genuinely care about your values and customers, that's when you'll drive business success.

Helen Ng Chief Executive Officer Lock+Store

Today's employees look beyond monetary salary and expect meaningful fringe benefits in their overall remuneration package. We keep our staff motivated by offering them a monthly refreshment allowance. They can order their favourite snacks and beverages from an approved supplier. We have observed that food plays an important role in fostering team spirit. Employees who eat and snack together also succeed together.

Other staff benefits include an annual Christmas get-together and congratulatory hampers to celebrate the arrival of a new baby. We hope that through these efforts every employee would feel a sense of belonging at work.

Shashank Dixit Founder and CEO Deskera

In the early days of Deskera, we learnt that traditional incentives like flexi-hours and employee stock options were not enough for startups like us.

After much experimentation, we found a strong correlation between empowering teams to set their own schedules and productivity outcomes. This inspired the design of our incredibly flexible perks - such as unlimited leave and team-specific start and end times - that are highly valued by our employees today.

Patrick Lee Chief Executive Officer Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore)

People are our most important assets. We are committed to help them stay competitive by retraining and equipping them with future skills. It is equally important to build a conducive and inclusive environment as they learn and grow in their journey with us. Creating a flexible work environment is part of building an inclusive culture. Flexibility is about embracing different ways of working to bring out the best in employees, as they strike a balance between work and life. Our research has shown that people who have been on flexi-work are more productive, loyal and stay with the bank longer.

Kong Wan Sing Founder and CEO JustCo

Beyond just a space to get work done, co-working provides new meaning and flexibility within a workspace, be it for users to get inspiration, collaborate, network or even unwind. Understanding what employees value is key. From creating a conducive setting with lounge seats, breakout areas and games corners to designing community programmes such as business talks, networking sessions and lifestyle events like yoga and movie nights, JustCo helps members bring value to their own employees, creating a vibrant, engaging and more productive work environment.

Sheena Chin Country Director VERITAS Storage Singapore

Beyond providing a steady paycheck and conducive work environment, flexibility and incentives are key perks that are truly valued by employees. Flexibility in terms of work schedule or locations will enable employees to better balance their time across work and personal life. This could range from having the flexibility to fetch the child from school to taking time off to attend regular classes as part of lifelong learning. This is a simple yet often under-utilised perk that would help to retain employees when they are faced with competing demands. Providing incentives such as prizes or generous bonuses would also help to engage and motivate employees, as this is a gesture of appreciation that their efforts have been duly recognised, spurring them to step up their game.

Seah Kian Peng Chief Executive Officer NTUC FairPrice

As a major employer in Singapore with close to 10,000 workers, NTUC FairPrice strives to provide competitive remuneration and benefits while cultivating a caring and conducive pro-family work environment - achieved by embracing work-life balance through flexi-work arrangements and additional types of leave like family and childcare leave. Our HR philosophy focuses on enhancing long-term employability, with structured and robust staff development and job rotation programmes. It is vital also to have capable leaders who can drive innovation and empower their teams to achieve excellence.

Beyond this, our role as a social enterprise provides a higher sense of purpose for our staff, where they play an integral part towards fulfilling our social goals to do good for the community.

Matthieu Imbert-Bouchard Managing Director Robert Half Singapore

While salary and bonuses are key offerings that drive staff attraction and retention in Singapore, employees increasingly value incentives that go beyond financial remuneration. While it's important to take a personalised approach, perks that actively aide a positive work-life balance, such as flexible working arrangements or the option to work from home, as well as professional development and training initiatives are increasingly prominent considerations for Singaporean professionals.

Yeoh Oon Jin Executive Chairman PwC Singapore

We believe what our people value most are our digital upskilling programmes coupled with a digitally enabled office space and tools that allow flexible working in terms of space, time, as well as dressing and wellness (what we call Flex Space, Flex Time, Flex Dress, and Flex Wellness). We've recently committed to providing hands-on training for all our staff on digital skills such as data automation, data visualisation, robotic process automation (RPA), etc so that we are digitally fit and ready to support our clients for the future! We believe these initiatives would further improve motivation/productivity and make PwC a great place to work.

Alan Watts President, Asia Pacific Hilton

Hospitality is one of the few industries which offer an accessible entry point into the working world, regardless of one's background and educational level. Through hard work and dedication, one can build a successful career and enrich their lives as well as those of loved ones - including the opportunity to travel and live in different parts of the world. To this regard, we have seen team members respond positively to initiatives, such as the South-east Asia Management Trainee programme, which allows aspiring leaders an opportunity to fast-track their career development while pursuing international exposure. A true testament of the success of these programs lie in the fact that Hilton has been named the top hospitality company to work for in Asia-Pacific for three years running.

Lionel Lim VP and MD, APAC and Japan Pivotal

When it comes to deciding what initiatives to implement, we consult our employees and collect inputs on what is important to them. The unique culture at Pivotal was in fact shaped by our very employees. For instance, we provide free breakfast and have a "Stand up" session every 9.06am where employees can share ideas and learn from each other. Why 9.06am? It was picked as the earliest that our programmers would likely make it for the meeting.

Initiatives like these encourage an environment where our employees feel psychologically safe and cared for. These lead to higher engagement and pride and ultimately, long-term employee retention and advocacy.

Vincent Goh Senior VP, Asia Pacific & Japan CyberArk

Whilst foosball tables, free food and the like are great to have, the key to motivating and retaining employees lies in creating an environment that allows them to find purpose and direction in daily work. At CyberArk, we believe that it is important to cultivate a safe environment where employees are valued and supported by managers and leadership. It is important that the culture allows mistakes to be made and learnt from.

Violet Lim CEO & Co-Founder Lunch Actually Group

As a dating SME, we definitely pale in comparison to what MNCs or VC-funded startups can offer in terms of benefits and perks to employees. Hence, we spent time to understand our associates and identify what is most important to them.

When I was an employee myself, I really treasured my annual leave. It always seemed that my leave was "never enough". Hence, to help our associates optimise their annual leave usage on things that matter most to them, we provide four flexi-working days every month where they can come in and leave any time, as long as they clock in the daily working hours. Our associates usually use their flexi-working days to attend their children's school events, bring elderly parents for health checkups or to run personal errands. In the past, they would have had to apply for half-day leave and this would eat into their precious annual leave days. Based on my conversations with my associates, this is definitely one of the most highly valued perks!

David Leong Managing Director PeopleWorldwide Consulting

Workspace improvements that center on employees' comfort for work as well as pastimes can, at best, only be an attractive hygiene factor and will not be the defining motivator, benefit or perk that will retain staffs. The real motivators are the relationship with immediate superiors and management, a culture of care and nurture, career growth, recognition and achievement and the job itself.

A fanciful workspace with a great ambiance will eventually become a forgettable background to the hustle and bustle of real work to be done. Having said that, a thoughtfully designed space with rest space, food and beverages will spur productivity since it provides space for re-charge.

Peter Hamilton VP and Regional Director, APAC Kelly Outsourcing and Consulting Group

To attract the best talent, organisations must reshape their mindsets and start designing work around life rather than life around work.

In KellyOCG's The Future of Work report, we have found that with the proliferation of gig working, companies need to include flexible working policies and equal benefits to accommodate this workforce change. Employees also want their workplace to match their lifestyles, with a variety of amenities and refreshments, co-working spaces, or the ability to work remotely. With today's multigenerational workforce, companies need to understand the complexities and various needs of employees to engage with them meaningfully.

Lee Siang Chief Executive Officer Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS)

At the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS), professional development and support are the two most common issues cited when we recruit and retain staff. New staff are attracted to DAS because of the organisation's emphasis on professional development and many stay because of the availability of this training.

Staff also appreciate the supportive environment where there is help and guidance from a mentoring system. To ensure that we continue to provide meaningful incentives, in 2018, DAS carried out a Work Values study aimed at better understanding what staff value and how we can continue to encourage their dedication to the organisation's mission.

Ali Azarian Head of South Asia Rackspace

At Rackspace, we strongly believe that offering an inclusive environment that enables diversity is key to empowering our employees - we call ourselves "Rackers" - to bring their best selves to work. One way we celebrate diversity and individualism is by hanging flags above our desks that reflect the different backgrounds, accomplishments and achievements of each Racker. Each of our uniqueness contributes to the company's success. We ensure that our diverse teams are cohesive through regular offsite bonding activities such as "fun budget" and overseas reward weekends we call "Rackstar".

We also provide Rackers with the freedom of individual expression such as giving them paid time off to volunteer to causes and initiatives that are important to them. All these efforts have led us to be repeatedly recognised as one of the best places to work, regionally and globally for the past 20 years.

Thomas Holenia President Henkel Singapore

In Henkel Singapore, we have a diverse workforce and our employees have shared that they value our inclusive culture and emphasis on engagement, empowerment and flexibility.

We encourage all employees to step up to become leaders and entrepreneurs in their area of work. We also have extensive programs to support employees in their lifelong learning journey, including our digital learning platform that offers more than 3,500 courses in up to 16 languages. Another important area is work flexibility, which includes the option to work from home and enjoy early day off.

Kevin Fitzgerald Managing Director Asia, Xero

Being #human is at the core of Xero's culture - every employee is unique, with different working styles, passions and motivations.

That's why we have a rotating "culture crew" that come up with activities such as bake-offs, pool tournaments, and roving masseurs. By empowering them to decide what the Xero culture looks like, we create a melting pot of beautiful experiences for all our employees. To make room for our growing team, Xero recently moved from a shophouse to a high-rise office building. While we designed the new office to be comfortable and welcoming, the purpose was not for employees to spend all their time at work. We recognise the need for them to also cultivate interests and spend time with loved ones, and we encourage this through initiatives like wellbeing leave and the option to work from home.

Yann Hamon Managing Director why innovation!

From our work with large enterprises, it's clear that employees truly value physical spaces that are inclusive of different personalities and working styles.

The most successful ones remind us of the kampong spirit, which create a strong sense of belonging and where it's easy to know about what's going on. Collaboration is seen as vital and there are open spaces to facilitate this; balanced by dedicated space for privacy and focus.

Companies often over-emphasise "creativity" through hot-desks and open floor plans, overlooking the benefit of flexibility - reconfiguring a space to suit the varying needs and activities of diverse workforces.

Stephanie Boo MD, Asia Pacific Menlo Security

Maintaining a positive working environment helps any employee be motivated. At Menlo Security, we seek to make our offices as appealing as possible to our wide range of employees, but our main focus is on work flexibility programmes and a healthy work-life balance. Giving our employees flexibility as well as control of their time and work priorities are KPI-driven initiatives that truly drive motivation and productivity.

Lars Voedisch Managing Director PRecious Communications

At PRecious Communications, employees value perks that enhance work-life balance and help them learn career skills. Hence, we provide flexible working hours, monthly training programmes, enhanced medical coverage, and cover the cost of their mobile plans. Every employee gets to order their own snacks and drinks, resulting in a well-stocked, yet personalised pantry. This reflects our company culture, where all of us are trusted to make important decisions for ourselves and our clients. Employees also care about having fun at work, so we've put together a recreation area furnished with a pool table, disco lights, and bar that rivals any other on Club Street.

Masaya Nakamura Deputy Chairman & Chief Growth Officer Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific

To adapt to the changing needs of our business, clients and individual circumstances, more flexibility needs to be applied to working practices.

Our workspace at Dentsu Aegis Network is designed using the agile working approach. An agile workspace goes beyond funky furniture, vibrant wall colours, or foosball tables; agile working is about empowering people to perform to their best; to deliver results with the freedom and responsibility to decide when and where they work. Workplace benefits should be the long-term tools to define and promote our corporate culture.

Khor Hock Seng Group CEO Great Eastern

Employees today want work-life balance which means they look for companies who care about their holistic wellbeing. In 2013, we launched the LIFE Program, a unique workplace wellness initiative that encourages employees to take charge of their own health. They are given time off to exercise and are also incentivised to do so. In the most recent Employee Engagement Survey conducted by AON Hewitt 2018, we achieved an employee engagement score of 84 per cent which puts us 20 per cent higher than the APAC insurance norm and well into the top quartile of all organisations surveyed.

Dennis Yeo Chief Executive, Singapore and South East Asia Cushman & Wakefield

It's important that we engage employees when designing any physical work space, to take their needs into consideration and to find out what they want out of a work space. From the many work spaces we have designed for our clients, one thing is clear - many are looking to create opportunities for employees to collaborate and connect, to have fun while working; at the same time to respect the needs of individuals who need an environment to focus - these are the ingredients that make for a positive work culture.

Tripti Lochan co-CEO VMLY&R Asia

I've found perks in name don't mean as much as those that genuinely contribute to the happiness of the team, and that happiness translates into how we approach our clients' brand, and create the most powerful work.

Our benefits range across flexible hours for parents, custom training for employees, combining internal, external and self-taught courses, cross-office working opportunities and sabbaticals for long-serving VMLY&R-ers. We constantly revisit ways to make our environment a place that represents what is important - whether it is an in-office nursing room or a pantry stocked with healthy (and unhealthy!) snacks!

Dev Dhiman MD, Southeast Asia and Emerging Markets Experian

At Experian, we believe that celebrating and helping employees grow their skills is instrumental to their motivation. Programmes such as international work-exchange programmes and cross-department opportunities allows them to learn from other markets and skills sets, which helps us as a global company. Having programmes that address their mental and physical well-being, such as talks and health kiosks, and an Employee Relief Fund which provides a financial safety net and our Employee Assistance Programme offers expert counselling, helps build a better team.

Gibu Mathew VP and GM, APAC Zoho Corp

As an enterprise software provider, we work in a fast-paced environment where our employees fearlessly experiment and adapt new technologies and strategies. This continuous learning environment plays a huge role in motivating our employees and boosting their productivity. Our teams are empowered by technology built on an ethos of empathy.

It helps them collaborate creatively, and prevent unnecessary tension and burnouts. Employees will want to stay in an environment that nurtures.

Ling Fang Senior VP Asia Pacific Alstom

In this digital age, what we see as the true perks valued by employees are a healthy work-life balance, flexible working hours, international mobility, growth and the ability to contribute value to the organisation. Diversity, collaboration and entrepreneurial spirit are fundamental to Alstom's culture, and employee empowerment is a crucial factor in our success. Another USP as a global company is the geographical mobility opportunities we provide.

Tan Mui Huat President and CEO, Asia International SOS

While an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable workspace, flexible working arrangements, and staff compensation and perks are valued by employees, such measures do not create a culture of excellence nor an employer of choice.

Employee engagement is a confluence of many other factors. These factors include aligned goals and values and having engaged managers and processes that help develop and demonstrate a duty of care towards employees. Increasingly, health and wellness programmes also help to build a resilient workforce for today's agile and disruptive global economy.

For International SOS, having the common goal and purpose of protecting and saving lives is highly motivating and keeps productivity high as every second counts. Detachment is not an option. Just as our employees are committed to enable our clients to meet their duty of care responsibilities, it is even more important that we make caring for our employees, a part of our DNA.

Andre Musto Regional VP - APAC Merck Biopharma

I believe that as an organisation we need to have a good Employee Value Proposition (EVP). This spans across organisational culture, values, substance at work, career advancement and learning opportunities as well as the quality of benefits eg health coverage, education allowance, retention bonus, leave policy, among others. These are the tangible benefits, but it is most important is to understand the team and demonstrate that care, empathy and understanding. Keeping key employees loyal is essential to a successful business.

Benjamin Low VP - Sales, Asia Pacific Milestone Systems

Creating a supportive and energetic work environment is how we keep employees happy. Regardless of where you are in the organisation, we all value an office culture that allows us to pursue our careers, while still fulfilling personal needs.

Milestone Systems' Singapore office sees great success by offering perks for staff that gives them flexibility in getting work done - both in terms of hours, and whether they'd like to do it from home. Every month, employees are encouraged to leave early to tend to their personal lives.

An energetic and fun work environment is also important, and well-received, by our team. We provide wellness benefits that can be used for the gym, as well as by invite employees to take part in team-building activities - like running together.

Leonard Cheong Managing Director AdNovum Singapore Pte Ltd

Trust, empowerment and One AdNovum are some of AdNovum's core values, which prioritises on employees' emotional well-being through work flexibility, autonomy and an open culture.

Flexi-work arrangements and paid time-off awarded in lieu of extra hours worked are some perks attributing to our employees' stay here in AdNovum. Beyond these perks, new and exciting challenges from projects providing them with growth opportunities, a healthy work-life balance, company-wide retreats, quarterly closing off-site celebrations and monthly sponsored pop-up events are what rejuvenate and motivates our employees.

AdNovum's positive workplace culture and employees' satisfaction is reflected with 38 and 16 per cent of the employees still working with us after five and ten years respectively.

Paul Henaghan Senior VP Data Centre Solutions, APJ, Dell Technologies

We believe that work is what we do, and not a place. To successfully recruit and retain talent, we need to develop them, and create an environment where everyone can do their best work.

On that front, we've always been a company built on a foundation of strong ethics. We continue to top the annual list of Ethisphere's most ethical companies in the world. We also have a long history of investing in employee resource groups and a flexible work environment where our team members are empowered to work where, how, and when they are most productive. In fact, we've found that 89 per cent of team members believe this flexibility helps them be successful at Dell, and the engagement score for team members who work remotely tends to be 20 per cent higher than those who do not.

These initiatives are important to us with the results clear, as we believe that no matter how or where our team members work, great business results and employee engagement are one and the same.

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

Flexibility, trust and empowerment, and experiences and professional growth are key elements that today's employees value in their careers. At EY, we introduced EY@Work globally, which promotes a trust-based flexible environment that enables our people to deliver exceptional client service while helping them to harmonise their work-life and achieve their professional aspirations. It provides energising and efficient workspaces supported by technology that enables our people to work fluidly in and out of the office.

Our flexible work arrangement allows people flexibility in choosing their working hours and locations - anywhere in the office, client's office or at home. When our people have greater choice and control on how, when and where they work, they feel more empowered at work, which improves their efficiency, motivation and morale, the team's overall performance, and helps us attract and retain the best talent.

Adrian Jones Executive VP, Asia Pacific & Japan Automation Anywhere

Beyond workplace perks, employees need to see they are learning and making a meaningful difference through their work in order to derive fulfilment from their roles. Companies can leverage technologies like Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Digital Workers to free employees from laborious, repetitive tasks, so they can focus on the value-added work that humans do best.

Automation technologies have often been touted for their ability to enhance productivity, but importantly, they turn our attention towards investing in our employees, hearing their needs and helping to meet them. They can be effective tools in achieving employee upskilling and satisfaction.

Luc Andreani Managing Director foodpanda Singapore

We are proud to retain a startup culture, something that our employees enjoy. We also realised there are three things our employees appreciate - flexibility, their health and well-being, and purpose-led work.

Beyond flexible working hours, our employees enjoy perks like annual birthday and examination leave. In our fast-paced tech environment, there are new advancements every single day and employees are sponsored for courses that are relevant to their scope of work to keep their skill-sets up to date.

We are committed to break silos between departments; we've adopted an open concept office without any traditional offices. To motivate employees and increase interaction, we also organise multiple quarterly interdepartmental activities.

Damien Dhellemmes Country President Singapore Schneider Electric

Our ongoing efforts to create an engaging office space and flexible work arrangements have resulted in happier employees who are highly engaged and motivated to serve our customers well. At our regional HQ in Kallang, the vibrant co-working workspaces are designed to encourage collaborative work, and are fully equipped with digital mobile equipment to support remote work. Employees also appreciate our family-friendly initiatives such as welcoming their children to visit once a month, and leaving early from work on Fridays.

Naveen Menon President ASEAN Cisco

The corner office has always traditionally been a symbol of professional status and career success. As businesses realise that an office space is reflective of corporate culture, these walls are breaking down to make way for the collaborative future of work.

Thoughtfully designed offices don't require high priced, centrally located real estate or art on walls. They promote organic movement of employees within the office, opening up opportunities for creative interactions and faster-decision making. These new ways of working are only possible when supported by flexible work practices and policy. Employees need to be empowered to work when, where and how they want.

Feon Ang Vice President, APAC Talent Learning Solutions APAC

At LinkedIn, we see culture as the secret sauce and competitive advantage that set us apart. A conducive work environment with great perks is one of the many ways that enables us to nurture that culture.

But a bigger element of our culture encompasses a strong drive to empower our employees both professionally and personally - building a common vision together, while also providing them with the flexibility to pursue their own personal interests. This gives our team meaning at work as a purpose-driven company. Our research tells us that employees want learning and development opportunities to upskill themselves too. In fact, two in five employees have left their companies that lacked these opportunities.

Chia Ngiang Hong President Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (REDAS)

Businesses need to rethink the physical setting of workplace and adopt a more a more varied working ecosystem and process to facilitate a more collaborative and flexible way of working which appeals to different demographics and diverse types of employees.

Employees are drawn to companies which promote a healthy work-life balance and offers relatively good remuneration package that may include a flexible work schedule, sabbaticals, emergency childcare or elderly care, relocation or housing assistance and financial planning, etc. Companies also understand that employees value job enrichment, flexibility and career development.

Many companies have established clear career development path which provides employees the opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge to progress their careers.

A company culture rooted in diversity, openness, fairness and inclusivity will keep their employees motivated and relevant.

Wilf Blackburn Chief Executive Officer Prudential Singapore

Environment and culture play a big role in attracting employees. Fun spaces with room for work and play encourage collaboration and creativity. Our employees certainly enjoy our activity-based, open-spaced office. They equally like that they don't have to come into the office because they have the autonomy to work from anywhere, anytime. People value that flexibility.

It's based on having that mutual trust and our belief in empowering our people to do their jobs well. That's also why we have no retirement age at Prudential. Our people have the assurance that they can work at Prudential for as long as they are able to perform.

Jayaprakash Jagateesan Chief Executive Officer RHT Holdings Pte Ltd

While the bells and whistles of new office spaces deliver a feel-good factor, employees truly value trust from their employers. In a highly connected working environment, companies must trust their employees to fulfil their responsibilities without having to adhere to rigid expectations of face-time in the office.

The benefit of such flexibility helps enhance employee's work-life balance. Life goes on outside the office between nine to six, and employees value the flexibility to bend schedules to meet their needs both within and outside the workplace. Employees who benefit from the ability to work anytime and anywhere will certainly be more productive. Performance assessments should also reflect this new reality to value employee contributions and not total hours spent in the office.

Dileep Nair Independent Director Thakral Corporation Ltd

It's trendy to rave about the "cool" perks that many tech companies and some start-ups are offering - free food, wellness programmes, chill spots, concierge services, etc. While attractive for getting new hires, the utility of these perks in retaining staff and, more importantly, improving motivation and raising productivity, is suspect.

What matters crucially to staff is the benefits package. High on their list of priorities would be healthcare plans, vacation days and time-off, flexible work arrangements, and personal development opportunities. The "ultimate" benefit that matters most for staff to feel motivated is to be treated fairly.

Having an arrangement whereby supervisors at every level give their immediate reports regular feedback and have this linked to a transparent performance bonus system, will go a long way in keeping morale high and raising productivity.

Pauline Goh Chairman, Southeast Asia CBRE

Today's workplaces are dynamic and productive communities where employees collaborate to drive business performance and engage to shape corporate culture. CBRE's new headquarters at Paya Lebar Quarter offers a mix of activity-based work spaces which facilitate collaboration, as well as private areas for individual work. Prioritising employee wellness, we offer end-of-trip facilities, ergonomic furniture and a cafe which serves healthy food and drink options. We have observed a positive impact on productivity, employee engagement and client servicing. In the longer term, they reflect CBRE's commitment to support the growth and aspirations of our people, and attracting talent in particular, millennials, whose evolving expectations are keenly watched by employers.

Joshua Yim Chief Executive Officer Achieve Group

Being an SME employer and a practitioner in talent acquisition, I see the intent in sprucing up workplace facilities and especially from the influence of start-up co-sharing spaces. It has its merits, especially in recruitment phase or employer branding to attract and impress candidates.

But is this the X factor of employee engagement and retention? I think otherwise.

What do employees actually want?

They want to love their job. They want to be developed and grow. They long for a great value-centred culture. They also want to be appreciated and recognised by their boss!

As the saying goes: People join companies but leave bosses. Therefore, we as bosses, where should we be deploying our precious resources?

Sandie Overtveld VP APAC Zendesk

We have found there are two main ingredients that attract and retain staff, and boost motivation and productivity.

First it's our physical office environment, which is much like a small town, with a big, central, buzzing public square, and streets leading to different neighbourhoods with their own smaller, quieter meeting spaces.

Tech companies too often go over the top, outfitting their spaces with corny gimmicks like water slides, roller skating rinks, gyms and yoga studios, as well as fully catered meals that discourage people from leaving the office. Our approach is to offer our employees an inviting empty canvas where they can be themselves, enjoy doing their job, and encourage them to explore and contribute to our nearby businesses and communities.

We've found that the kind of workplace our people value most is one that advocates for work-life integration. This is different to work-life balance, which oftentimes feels like we have to make a trade-off between work and life. Work-life integration promotes the flexibility to work the hours our people prefer and in an environment that allows them to do their best work, while leaving time for them to spend on the other things in life that matter most to them.

Henry Tan Managing Director Nexia TS

We look at what employees want. We did a survey and had a long wish list, and then we focused on the key ones and rolled them out. Let me list some areas: Flexibility of work schedules; no fixed dress code, or a "dress appropriately" code; mobility of workplace; a workplace that has fun element and where staff are able to make friends. There are also requests for better medical benefits and ease of submission of claims etc. We have considered all these in our new office and will be working out more.

Sudhir Agarwal CEO Everise

Successful initiatives that raise motivation are those that drive employee recognition and referral programmes through rewards. Global exchanges, town hall toursand mentorship programmes are good mediums to foster loyalty and maintain employee retention. Curating CSR initiatives within the organisation can help employees to build a sense of meaning while at work. Overall, advocating such measures in the workplace can uplift not only employees' welfare but also improve the general performance within the company.

Kho Teck Meng Sales Director ASEAN, Ruckus Networks

Today's working environment is one that runs 24/7. Many organizations today have offices, or business interests, in different countries, with employees required to coordinate and interact across geographies and differing time zones. As such, the younger generation of employees are preferring roles and responsibilities that allow them to be able to work from anywhere.

At Ruckus, enabling pervasive and seamless connectivity through better Wi-Fi and networking infrastructure is at the heart of what we do. The same applies internally as well; the flexibility in enabling our employees of today and tomorrow to be able to connect from anywhere for work has been critical to our success as an organization.

Kunalan Chakravarthy Chief Executive Priority Consultants

Work-life balance has taken on a new meaning, with flexible, remote, part-time and casual work becoming a norm in Singapore.

Within the workplace, there is a "hotpot of cultures" with the Merdeka Generation, the Gen Xs, Gen Ys and/or millennials all defining how work should look for them and others. The need to be inclusive and accept differing definitions and concepts is critical. The fact that the management team is interested in another point of view and their voices are heard is supremely important to the modern day employee.

Flexible time and a focus on measuring outcomes is another aspect that has changed in Singapore in the last decade. We are now more aware of the result of our labour rather than the amount of time. Managers still have a lot to learn and appreciate in how we measure this steadily and grow our people's contribution.

Fundamentally, the onus is on managers and leaders to listen, care and respond in kind. This is the most valuable trait that employees are looking for in their leaders.

Lim Soon Hock Managing Director PLAN-B ICAG

To be able to attract and retain employees, and improve motivation and productivity, a company's benefits and perks will have to be competitive in the industry it operates in, commensurate with affordability. It is good practice for a company to continue to have dialogues with employees and obtain regular feedback on how the work environment can be improved. Let the employees take ownership on any revamp and redesign of the workplace. As our younger employees today are tech savvy, companies must be open to telecommuting and adopting some, if not all of the aspects of a gig economy.

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

Employees and their needs/values are subjective. We have found that certain intrinsic basics have significantly been effective for retention and morale. A clean uncluttered workplace, some recreational space and access to greenery, communal dining area, a "work-life-balance" committee to hear out employees, viable CSR programmes, consultative appraisal and peer-appraisal process, maternity/paternity leave measures, flexible working hours, reduced administrative processes and such like have been instrumental in achieving our aims in retaining and improving motivation.

In reality there is actually no magic in these processes since almost every organisation practises or deploys the same I believe (hopefully not a 996 culture). The special "ingredient", if it can be termed that, in my view, is really how we hear out and treat employees and if they are made to feel that little bit special. We have found that to be the most effective measure.

Jessie Xia MD, Southeast Asia ThoughtWorks

Employees spend more time in the workplace than any other locations - this fundamental fact means that a workplace needs to be more than just a place to do work. This has become increasingly important with the increasing expectations of employees and their need to be empowered. Companies need to create environments and cultures that embraces individuals working styles and spurs collaborations.

Mabel Chiang Managing Consultant Archetype

The office of today needs to be one that is built for tomorrow. It needs to be an environment that fosters a culture of purpose for its employees, beyond just a place of work. At Archetype, we recognise that intangible perks are as important as the tangible benefits, if not more. Employees need to feel empowered, heard and acknowledged. They need to know that they make a difference within the company and to the wider good. The success of any organization is in its people. An organization that gets its people and enables them effectively will go the distance.

Dato' Praba Thiagarajah Founder & Group CEO Basis Bay

As cliché as it sounds, at Basis Bay we have always believed our employees are our greatest assets and we will continue to strive to create a healthy environment that inspires collaboration and innovation. Having the right talent at the right time and wellness in the work place are key. However, it is imperative to understand that the needs and wants of each employee are dynamic and will change in time. We have several employees that have been with us for close to 20 years and many which we are on-boarding who are from and are in different parts of the world. I believe retention of top talent and productivity of employees will come down to them needing to be part of something bigger and making a difference in the organisation while allowing them to be all that they can be.

Terry Smagh Senior VP, Asia Pacific & Japan BlackLine

At the root of BlackLine's culture is a simple mission statement: "Think. Create. Serve." This mantra motivates our employees to go above and beyond to make accounting processes better for clients. Valuing and appreciating our employees are what drive them to perform well both in their work and personal lives. Also, trust and transparent communication between the company leadership and teams is deeply rooted in our culture and that is valued by our employees.

Benedict Soh Chairman Kingsmen Creatives Ltd

The knowledge market is dynamic and individuals often spend a large part of their time facing computers, therefore face-to-face interaction becomes essential. It is therefore necessary for employers to provide the right physical office environment to enable more collaboration opportunities amongst staff. Providing amenities or space where staff can take breaks will certainly help.

Other long term plans are even more important. These will include learning through formal or informal means, pipe-line of interesting job experiences and upward mobility prospects.

Stephen McNulty President, Asia Pacific and Japan Micro Focus

Flexibility in time management is often a subject close to the heart of employees. Building a culture that fosters support of practical needs well are often more critical to ensuring staff motivation and productivity, beyond building an inspiring and fun office space.

At Micro Focus, we make sure that employees feel supported. We celebrate their wins and offer help in challenging moments on personal and professional level. We are big supporters of flexible work arrangements and don't require employees to follow a typical 9-5 schedule.

We also pride ourselves in a culture of 'fit for purpose', which means that our managers and employees are fully empowered to manage their work-life effectiveness while maintaining ownership and accountability for their tasks. I believe that empowerment to do what is right for the employee is one of the greatest levers to increase motivation and productivity.

Joanne Wong Senior Regional Director APJ at LogRhythm

There's one thing that our employees, including me, value the most: work-life balance. At LogRhythm, everyone has fun at work. For example, we have Free Food Fridays, where we take time off work in the office to have good meals. We also have plenty of time to rest (a generous leave policy including birthday offs) and are given company-sponsored volunteering opportunities where we get to give back to the community. We believe work-life balance is key for allowing innovation, creativity and ideas to thrive such that employees are always kept inspired. This has not only paid off in terms of staff retention and happiness but also improved productivity and customer service levels.

Hock Leng Chua Managing Director Pure Storage, Singapore

Human beings are complex and as such, determining what motivates them is not a simple equation. Giving them a fancy office with full meals catered is great but certainly not the be-all and end-all. We have found at Pure Storage that building an open, transparent and inclusive culture that empowers employees has been a powerful way to attract and retain talent. We also believe the challenge in contributing to something meaningful has been a big part of why we are able to keep our best talent. Pure Storage disrupted the storage sector 10 years ago and we're continuing to push the envelope of technology and business model innovation. Many of our employees relish being a part of this disruption.

Ian Lee CEO, Asia Pacific The Adecco Group

Today's job-seekers and employees are looking beyond salary package when deciding whether to take on a new role or to stay. A comfortable workplace with appealing benefits and perks is one of many ways to keep employees engaged and performing better. We have also seen an increased demand for flexible working arrangements such as "working from home" and "four-day work week". Everyone values the myriad benefits and perks differently, so it is vital to understand what is the most important to the individual. While attractive benefits and perks are useful to a certain extent in candidate attraction and retention, other factors such as good corporate culture, strong management with clear direction, supportive co-workers, opportunities for training and advancement, are all critical.

Vincent Tang Regional VP, Asia Epicor

Flexible working hours, a good work/life balance coupled with the utilisation of technology, are key perks we see as instrumental in improving motivation and productivity among our employees. At Epicor, we strive to be a great place to work by embracing the latest innovations and enabling a collaborative working environment through the use of technology. This is crucial particularly in industries such as manufacturing where talent is scarce and technology is seen as an enabler to attract talent, considering the younger generation want the opportunity to work with the latest innovations.

Dr Maren Schweizer Director Schweizer World Pte Ltd

We have seen that jobs are becoming a lifestyle, not a salary.

I recommend purpose-driven authentic transparency. This has proven to be the utmost importance for millennials that largely interact with brands that are open and transparent, stand for more than their top and bottom line, and address environmental and socio-economic issues in the community.