Human Resources Malaysia, Q4 2014

The smart HR professional’s blueprint for workforce strategy humanresourcesonline.net

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RM12 / Q4 2014

HOW TO SECURE AND DEVELOP SUCCESSORS BEFORE A TALENT LEAK TURNS INTO A FLOOD PG28

TRASHINGTHE MILLENNIALMYTHSWHY WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT GEN Y IS RUBBISH

THE ROADTO HR BUSINESSPARTNERSHIPIT STARTS WITH HR, NOT IT, OWNING THE DIGITAL STRATEGY

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Q4 2014 « HumanResources Malaysia « 1

Q4 2014 « CONTENTS

1

COVER STORY12 Q&ARupert Brown, Head of HR at Maersk Line Asia Pacifi c explains the ins and out of navigating succession at a company with a rich, long history.

Features18 Enhancing the educational experienceLearning never stops, but it certainly takes a whole new dimension in the workplace. Akankasha Dewan asks what HR leaders can do to ensure staff leverage on both their academic qualifi cations and corporate experiences.

24 Rewarding it rightAlthough staff appreciate non-cash rewards, they still actively demand cash. How can C&B professionals get the balance right? Akankasha Dewan speaks with HR leaders about the most powerful motivators to drive behaviour.

28 Plugging the holes in your talent pipelineDo you have a tight seal on succession? Aditi Sharma Kalra talks to HR professionals about the leadership development necessary to stop a leaking talent pipeline.

Opinion32 Learning & DevelopmentDon’t pander to the over generalised “whims and fancies” of the younger generation to boost employer branding, warns Wan Ezrin Sazli Bin Wan Zahari, group head of leadership and talent development at AirAsia.

34 People IssuesEnough has been said about HR’s need to become a business partner, but Madan Nagaldinne, head of HR for APAC at Facebook, provides an answer to the “how”.

36 Unconventional Wisdom Conducting an HR audit might seem challenging, but Asha Menon, former vice-president of human resources at Citigroup Malaysia, says it’s necessary.

37 Upwardly MobileNora Mahbob, HR director at L’Oréal Malaysia, explains the four cornerstones of caring for and protecting employees.

40 Last WordIn what has become somewhat of a tradition, Rebecca Lewis outlines the HR trends she’s picked up on in the past year.

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Any suggestions or tip-offs for Human Resources?Email [email protected]

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EDITOR’S NOTE


Rebecca Lewiseditor

Onwards and upwards!Is it the end of the year already? Time certainly does fl y when you’re having fun – and when you’re being kept on your toes by the tumultuous world of HR in Malaysia.

In the three years I’ve been editing this magazine, Malaysia has been one of the fastest moving APAC countries. Over the past couple of decades, Malaysia has transformed itself from a relatively poor country to a dynamic and exciting economy that companies and talent alike are drawn towards. But it’s not an easy ride, and in the few years I’ve been part of the local HR pond, it’s clear there’s a long way to go.

At numerous conferences and events we at Human Resources produced this year in the region, senior HR professionals all tell us they have similar concerns – fi nding talent with the relevant skills, holding onto that talent, and developing them in line with the business structure and changing culture. As the local economy continues to grow, companies are seeing vacancy activity increase in many sectors – vacancies they want to fi ll with local talent.

Much like the rest of Asia, the focus in Malaysia is on local. Homegrown talent is key, and nurturing this talent – or enticing them back from overseas – won’t slow down in 2015. But this localisation is causing certain headaches for HR, who are dealing with increasing salary demands, skills shortages and staff who will jump to another job before their seat gets warm.

People returning to Malaysia are by far the favourites, thanks to external experience, but getting these experienced professionals to see the value in returning when their careers are taking off abroad is a whole different ball game.

And then there’s the issue of language. A slowing profi ciency in English is a problem for a nation that wants to be classifi ed as “developed” by 2020.

Poorly spoken and written English is holding the country back – but I do think the right measures are being taken now (such as mandating English is passed in order to graduate from tertiary institutes) to attempt to rectify it.

Communication skills are key in Malaysia, and fi nding candidates who possess this integral part of strong leadership is diffi cult. In shared

service centres (which are growing very fast in Malaysia and creating numerous new jobs) this is incredibly important if it’s supporting the rest of APAC.

And we haven’t even yet mentioned big data, people analytics, mobile optimisation and security issues, but it’s safe to say that whether you’re in HR or you’re hiring for specialised roles, those who can plan, understand, gather, read and apply data are going to have a head-start in 2015.

These are the skills that will allow Malaysia to join the ranks of developed nations in every way – from how local recruiters fi nd talent and grow their EVP to how performance is measured and tracked.

Suffi ce to say, there’s a lot going on in the HR space locally. It’s been quite a ride so far, and I can’t wait to see what next year brings.

Have a fantastic end of year, and we’ll see you in 2015!

Human Resources Malaysia is published quarterly by Lighthouse Independent Media Pte Ltd. (KDN PP 17051/09/2012 (030949). Printed in Malaysia on CTP process by Atlas Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd No. 2 Persiaran Industri, Bandar Sri Damansara, 52200 Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-6273-3333. Subscription rates are available on request, contact the Circulation Manager by telephone: +603 2072 0355 or by email to: [email protected]

COPYRIGHTS AND REPRINTS. All material printed in Human Resources is protected under the copyright act. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the prior written consent of the publisher and the copyright holder. Permission may be requested through the Singapore offi ce.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in Human Resources are not necessarily the views of the publisher.

Singapore: Lighthouse Independent Media Pte Ltd 100C Pasir Panjang Road, #05-01 See Hoy Chan HubSingapore 118519 Tel: +65 6423 0329 Fax: +65 6423 0117

Hong Kong: Lighthouse Independent Media Ltd Unit A, 7/F, Wah Kit Commercial Centre,302 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong KongTel: +852 2861 1882 Fax: +852 2861 1336

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editor Rebecca Lewis

senior journalist Aditi Sharma Kalra

journalist Akankasha Dewan

intern Jerene Ang

contributors Nora Mahbob

Asha Menon

Madan Nagaldinne

Wan Ezrin Sazli

Bin Wan Zahari

regional art director Shahrom

Kamarulzaman

senior designer Fauzie Rasid

regional marketing executive June Tan

regional directors Yogesh Chandiranani

Jaclyn Chua

Naomi Cranswick

Karen Boh

audience manager Yang Kai Lin

regional producers Nikita Erpini

Kenneth Neo

Jen Rabino

regional head of event services Yeo Wei Qi

regional fi nance director Evelyn Wong

group editorial director Tony Kelly

group managing director Justin Randles

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hrbulletin News from humanresourcesonline.net

» HumanResources Malaysia » Q4 20144

HR’S BIGGEST PRODUCTIVITY KILLERS

As the traditional role of HR continues to evolve, one thing

is clear – HR wants a more strategic role directly related

to the business. That was the key fi nding of a new

study by BambooHR, which polled more than 1,300

US-based HR professionals to gauge how they spend

their time versus how they think they should be spending

their time.

The report found the biggest perceived threat (29%)

to an HR professional’s productivity was employee manage-

ment, while 71% of HR professionals also stated they spent

a lot of time on employee management issues. This was fol-

lowed by spending time on company compliance issues (54%)

and recruiting (42%).

In fact, workforce planning (40%) was also the number one

task these HR respondents would like more training on followed

by professional development (34%) and managing and overseeing

company culture (32%).

The survey repeatedly stressed the need to overcome the gap be-

tween what the HR function is perceived to be, and what it actually wants

to become. Sixty-fi ve per cent and 82% of HR professionals feel that

management, not HR, should be responsible for employees’ job satisfaction

and productivity respectively.

AIRASIA X TROUBLE PAYING SALARIESAirAsia X, the low-cost affi liate of AirAsia, allegedly had some

diffi culty paying staff earlier this year. According to a report

in The Edge Financial Daily, staff were apparently informed

they would receive their fi xed and variable wages on a

staggered basis in October. In a circular cited by the

paper, the company stated basic salary, fi xed allowances,

productivity allowances and overtime would be paid on

24 October, while variable pay such as fl ying allowances

and commissions would be paid on 31 October.

Sources also told the paper AirAsia CEO Tony

Fernandes would take a “more prominent role” to help

manage the airline.

AirAsia X also posted its fourth consecutive

quarterly loss, Reuters reported, with higher operating

costs and foreign exchange losses eating into its margins. It

reported a net loss of RM210.9 million ringgit for the July-

September quarter, versus a net profi t of RM26.4 million a year

earlier. Revenue rose 16% year-on-year to RM698.8 million.

HOME-GROWN TALENT RANKED FIFTH WORLDWIDEMalaysia’s investment in its home-grown employees is starting to pay off,

as the country is now better able to retain local talent and attract talent from

overseas, according to one study.

These indicators of how well a country’s local talent meets its corporate

needs have been developed by IMD, which has just released its World Talent

Report, with Switzerland topping the rankings.

Europe dominates the top of the charts, with Switzerland followed by

Denmark, Germany and Finland. In fi fth place is Malaysia – the only Asian

country to feature within the top 10.

The rankings assess a country’s ability to develop, attract and retain

talent for companies that operate there. It is refl ective of the factors of “in-

vestment and development in home-grown talent”, “appeal” and “readiness”.

The report attributes Malaysia’s strong performance to slow and steady

improvements made by the country’s labour and education systems.

Its score on employee training improved, moving up from 6.17 in 2005

to 7.71 in 2014 as well as a rise in the availability of

skilled labour, and in the access to competent

senior managers. Additionally, Malaysia’s

educational system indicator rose

from 5.54 to 6.86 because of an im-

provement in English language skills

and a rise in the university

education criterion.

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60% OF MALAYSIANS UNHAPPY WITH THE HIRING EXPERIENCEOnly 39% of job seekers in Malaysia say they are happy about the hiring process, citing poor

communication from employers and unclear job descriptions as their main gripe. Malaysian

candidates surveyed by Kelly Services were found to be the least satisfi ed with the recruit-

ment process in all of Asia Pacifi c.

In Singapore, 50% said they were satisfi ed, compared with Indonesia at 45%, Thailand

at 59% and an average of 42% across the region.

The most common concerns given were a lack of communication about the

application outcome or interview and unclear job descriptions,

requirements and salaries in job advertisements. Most

candidates (47%) believe employers should get

back to them about an application or interview

after three to fi ve business days, while 34%

said up to two weeks was acceptable.

Past the initial hiring experience,

however, candidates’ experience appears

to get better, with 60% of new recruits in

Malaysia saying their current employer

has a planned approach to onboarding –

slightly below China at 77%, but above

Singapore at 50%.

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THE HOTTEST JOB SKILLS FOR 2015Analytics is expected to be the most sought-after skill by em-

ployers in 2015, as companies want their employees to not only

make sense of all the information available to them, but to use

it to make smarter business decisions.

For HR professionals, an important skill to possess is

“people analytics”, found a new report by CTPartners. It also

established a leading role for a “chief digital offi cer” (CDO) to

partner across the company’s functions. As a result, the CDO

is expected to play a bigger role in harnessing all this data,

using it to measure various HR performances.

The report attributed this rise in demand for analytical

skills to a proliferation of new job descriptions, borne out

of the infl uence of big data.

The need to remain competitive in the digital age

will prove to be a challenge for Asian companies to

cultivate their data analytics skills.

THE BEST COMPANIES FOR CREATING LEADERSProcter & Gamble (P&G) has once again proven its ability to develop strong,

purposeful leaders, as it emerges as the number one company for leadership.

Based on their overall capability and determination to help their leaders develop

and rise within the organisation, the Hay Group study also ranked General

Electric and Coca-Cola as the second and third best-performing businesses for

leadership. IBM came in fourth place, just ahead of Unilever.

The survey highlighted these top companies all had a continued focus on

developing their high-potential talent. Eight out of 10 of the top 20 companies

had established clear career paths for their employees, compared with only 48%

of all other companies. Eighty per cent were also well ahead of their peer groups

by providing career development experiences for their organisation’s highest

potentials.

The survey also found the top 20 companies provided clearly defi ned and

varied routes to leadership and intentionally sought to develop diverse leaders.

Half of these companies offered special leadership development pro-

grammes for women, compared with 13% of all other companies.

Ready Asset Ready Staff

Ready Notice Board Ready Timesheet

Ready Software Ready Pay

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MODEST PAY HIKES FOR MALAYSIANS IN 2015Wages are only set to rise by an incremental amount in 2015, further corroborating

reports Malaysia’s economy is rewarding shareholders better than workers. The

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) has forecast slight salary increments for

employees in 2015, at less than 0.5% over the actual pay rises given out in 2014.

This past year saw average salary increases of 5.53% for executives,

and 5.43% for non-executives. According to MEF estimates, salary

increments in 2015 are expected at 5.89% for executives, and at 5.78%

for non-executives.

Similarly, the average bonus for executives in 2015 pegged

at 2.19 months of salary is slightly

lower than the 2.2 months of

actual bonuses granted in 2014.

More than half of the companies

surveyed found their newly recruited

executives lacking in leadership skills,

followed by job-specifi c skills (58.2%) and

English oral communication skills (55%).

Newly recruited non-executives also

had a skill gap of a lack of technical

skills (56.6%), followed by

English oral communication

(53%), and job specifi c-

skills (53%).

MALAYSIAN STAFF WORK ON THE WAY TO WORKWorkers in Malaysia appear to get a

surprising amount of work done during

their commute to and from work.

With the increase in time taken

between the home and the offi ce, more

than half of employees are likely to keep

busy with emails (52.8%) and reading

important documents (43.3%). They are

also more likely to access professional

social media websites during this time

(35.4%).

According to a study by Regus,

this increase in productivity could be

a result of increasing travel times – by

fi ve minutes each way since 2012. The

average one-way commute takes 32.5

minutes, compared with 27 minutes

two years ago, equating to more than

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WORK LIFE People »

How did you get to where you are today?I was previously president of Honeywell India from 2010 to 2013. I also held various leadership positions within Honeywell Building Solutions (HBS) for nearly a decade and was part of Honeywell’s global leadership team from 2007 to 2010 as vice-president and general manager – EMEAI, based out of Bracknell, the United Kingdom. I also served on the HBS Americas leadership team from 2004 to 2007.

How would you defi ne your leadership style?Our chairman and CEO Dave Cote always says leadership requires three elements: The ability to mobilise or excite a workforce; the ability to pick the right direction and to do it even in the face of what’s considered the collective wisdom at the time; and the ability to get the entire organisation moving step by step in the right direction. I fully agree with him and have been following these elements to build my leadership style.

A lot of people put a very high emphasis on the fi rst element – and it is important – but the second and third elements are perhaps even more important. While exciting and mobilising the workforce gets a lot of attention, having the ability to pick the right direction, along with demonstrating the diligence and continuous focus required to get the organisation moving in the right direction and keep it moving, can pay tremendous dividends.

What do you enjoy most about your work?I would not point to any one thing. The reality is I am very fortunate to work with great people in an exciting and fast-growing part of the world, and I get to do this while representing a great company. Honeywell offers a diversifi ed portfolio of products and solutions across industries such as aerospace, real estate development, oil and gas refi neries, and turbochargers.

What is the toughest decision you’ve made?As a leader, making tough decisions is part of your life, and the toughest ones are usually about people. You need to make sure you get the right people, motivate them to work together towards the same goal, and eventually help them grow. The

decision making becomes even tougher when you have to end a programme, initiative or investment. You need to make the call and communicate it clearly to the people who have committed to it for a long time, with a sound rationale, and get the team focused on the new initiative.

How do you unwind?Thankfully, there have been a lot more really good days here at Honeywell than bad days, but that being said, we all have to deal with stress and the occasional disappointing day. When something doesn’t go the way I had hoped, I always try to refl ect on the issue with real intellectual honesty. If you put the emotion aside and apply strong critical thinking, or ask others to look at the issue and give their unvarnished assessment, it may not be pleasant, but at least it gives you some answers.

It’s all part of holding yourself and your organisation accountable for performance. It may be a diffi cult process to go through, but if you hold yourself accountable for something, it means that you can do something to change the outcome, and that is very empowering. Feeling empowered relieves stress and builds energy.

How do you engage and motivate staff when they are struggling with work?We have a comprehensive and well-established talent management system aligned with our business strategy that ensures we have the right people, are organised the right way, and motivated to do the best job every day for our customers. We offer employees numerous on-the-job learning opportunities and top-notch leadership and career development training programmes.

I personally host quarterly town halls to inform employees of our global and local performance, key initiatives and to recognise best performers. I also host brown-bag lunch talks with employees to address their individual questions or concerns.

In addition, Honeywell deploys an in-country HR model so we have a very strong HR team in each of the Southeast Asian countries to support me in employee communication and retention.

What’s your view of HR as a business function?We believe people are our ultimate differentiator, so in our view, the human resources team plays a critical role in leading organisational development and growth. HR is more than a business function. It is an important business partner that has real insight about our strategy, products, technologies and organisation framework.

The ability of our HR professionals to help build strong local capability is critical to our growth strategy in the region. Having strong local leadership that is empowered to make decisions allows us to deliver fast and right for our

customers. As we continue to invest in building strong local capabilities, our HR function will continue to play a critical role.

How can HR contribute better?Like all functions, HR is continuously evolving to satisfy the needs of the business and to ensure our organisational development; HR understands business priorities and partners with the business units to achieve them. HR will continue focusing on critical areas such as talent management to attract, develop, engage and retain talent to support business growth. We focus on retaining talent through consistent and aggressive talent management, career progression opportunities and strong employee engagement.

These actions build organisational sustainability, improve our bench strength, increase competency and readies the organisation to take on its business challenges.

You’ve worked in India and across Southeast Asia. Can you share some lessons on working across these cultures?There are two important lessons. The fi rst is that you need to be open to learning different ways of looking at problems and working with people. Each country has its own unique set of circumstances. Whether it is cultural sensitivities, economic conditions or regulatory issues, you need to be immersed in the local environment and build understanding of those conditions.

The second lesson is while the qualities of the local environment are important, you can’t lose sight of what you have in common. At Honeywell we have developed a very strong culture, regardless of geographical location.

While we work very hard to build local capabilities and to empower our local leadership teams to make decisions, we are also very mindful to leverage our global strengths to benefi t our local business.

Jim BujoldPresident Honeywell Southeast Asia

GET INTO THE BOSS’S HEAD

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People WORK LIFE

» Q4 2014 « HumanResources Malaysia « 7

As one of the largest global communications companies, Grey Group has a very team-oriented culture where everyone is welcomed as part of the “Grey family”.

“Awesome employees with a strong company culture makes for success in every avenue,” said Huma Qureshi, PR director for Grey Group APAC. “Productivity, creativity and offi ce morale are driven by an engaging workspace.”

Grey’s new offi ce allows its staff to “interact as much as they would like to in a fun and relaxed atmosphere and in an encouraging environment for creativity and award-winning ideas”.

At the same time, when it comes down to serious business or confi dential discussions,

NOTHING GREY ABOUT THIS WORKPLACE

SpacialAwareness

employees have access to glass enclosed meeting rooms, giving an adequate amount of privacy without completely being cut off from the main offi ce fl oor.

“Each meeting room has different styles of furniture and therefore each has a character of its own.”

When it comes to renovating an offi ce space, Qureshi said having a good understanding of the company culture and employee needs was imperative.

“Renovating an offi ce breathes new life into an existing space. The changes are welcomed and excitement builds up because there is usually a story behind the choices of furniture and decor,” she said.

Greeting you as you enter the offi ce, the “red man statue” is the common feature that connects the

spaces in Grey’s offi ce, she added, and employees normally see it as the “welcome” statue.

And, as for the fun stuff, Grey has a pantry area with an espresso machine set aside for an energy boost, as well as a breakfast counter for its employees’ weekly get-togethers.

Additionally, the leisure area allows staff to bond and have fun together.

A table tennis table and a pool table are also available to play on, but they can be used as meeting tables from time to time.

“But if pool isn’t your game, then we do cut our monthly birthday cake on this table for those employees celebrating that particular month. We celebrate with them in style.”

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WORK LIFE » HR by numbers

Workers in Malaysia appear to get a surprising amount of work done during their commute to and from work.

As the time taken between the home and the offi ce continues to increase, more than half of employees use the time to keep busy with emails and read work-related documents.

According to a study by Regus, this increase in work-related productivity during the commute could stem from the fact that travel times are increasing – by fi ve minutes each way since 2012.

“Although the daily commute represents a productivity drain, workers are keeping active on their portable devices and focusing on catching up on some leisure activities such as listening to music while they travel,” said Vijayakumar Tangarasan, country manager at Regus Malaysia.

50% of Malaysian staff work during their daily commute.

32.5 minutes is the average time it takes to get to work.

74.8% will be making calls to friends during their commute if they’re not working.

Working on the go

Source: Regus Malaysia

52.8% choose to respond to emails

while travelling.

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9Q4 2014 « HumanResources Malaysia « 9

People WORK LIFE

»

Soorya ThemuduRegional HR directorPetrofac IES, SEA

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST HR JOB?I was the personnel executive for a consulting fi rm and was exposed to the basic fundamentals of personnel management. Though the job scope was quite monotonous, I understood that if one wanted a long and prosperous career, it was essential to

get the basics right. Hence, I just took on any task assignment given to me in the spirit of learning and to execute them well.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE HR AS A PROFESSION?In all honesty, I didn’t. I am a biochemist by training and during my fi nal year, all I knew is I didn’t want to be a biochemist, so I started applying for management trainee-type positions. I came from a poor background and the only objective I had was to secure a job and earn a living. I had two offers in hand before my fi nal semester ended and I chose HR over teaching – that’s how it started.

HOW WILL HR EVOLVE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?It has already evolved at a spectacular rate; I am a living example of the evolution so far. Without a doubt, with technology advances, changing demographics and global challenges, the demands for HR have been evolving too:• Datafi cation of HR is the buzzword now. HR departments capture

enormous amounts of data, but these are typically stored in various systems and rarely used for strategic purposes. There will be an increasing use of this data for decision-making processes in talent retention, recruiting effectiveness, performance, total rewards and employee movements.

• Hiring based upon “social credibility”. Social credibility equals reputable social networks plus personal brand plus expertise. Companies will increasingly source and recruit new employees based upon their social credibility.

• The utilisation of social media, video games and simulations for learning and development in organisations. Corporate training as we know it today is transforming into a nimble, social, fun and highly interactive experience.

• Work-life integration will replace work-life balance. Work-life integration reinforces the view that there is no such thing as work time and home time. Instead, the workforce will aspire to have the fl exibility to manage both work and home lives.

• Your mobile device will become your offi ce or classroom. With mobility and migration on the rise, employees will no longer be limited to working in one country. They will be able to work from everywhere.

• The HR focus will move from outsourcing to crowdsourcing Outsourcing of administrative HR activities will drive improved business results; however, HR leaders who want to be in the forefront of change will also create an innovative agenda leveraging the principals of crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing will be used to reinvent human resources and corporate learning.

snapshot 15 minutes with ...

BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ENABLE HR TO CONTRIBUTE BETTER TO ORGANISATIONAL SUCCESS?In my opinion, we could do a lot more. But one thing at the top of my list is to ensure we remain close to the business and understand every part of the organisation, offering our services to help meet business objectives.

This includes creating an inclusive culture that is sensitive to culture, ethnicity, race, age and other differences; being technologically connected and developing corporate communications using a range of social media and tools to connect employees, and personalising the employee experience by developing a systematic approach to deliver a unique, customised experience.

WHICH HR FUNCTION DO YOU LIKE BEST AND WHY?HR business partnering and organisational talent development, but if I had to pick one it would be HR business partnering. Business partnering involves many challenges and issues from the model itself, stakeholder relationships, performance and the tensions that go with the role. However, if the challenges and issues are dealt with appropriately they will almost always reveal opportunities.

WHAT IS THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED?Many, and I am probably gifted with having many mentors and coaches throughout my life. Some of the things I have learnt from them include:• Continuous learning. Your level of effort and your passion for

continuous learning becomes a critical part of your personal brand. I remember during my stint in GE, the chairman and CEO, Jeff Immelt, reminded us that we’ve got to keep learning, keep changing and reinventing ourselves, but be ourselves. Take my example, if I did not choose to constantly learn, I would have been stuck in the “transactional HR world”.

• High say/do ratio. If you want something in life or your career, be prepared to work for it. You have to earn those opportunities by working hard, delivering results and keeping to your commitments. When you say you’ll do a dozen things, make sure you do the dozen and more. Build a reputation as someone who can be counted on.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE A REGULAR WORKDAY AT YOUR COMPANY?I live in a small town in Kajang, just outside of Kuala Lumpur. My day starts at 6am and I am woken by my iPhone, which is my offi cial alarm clock. I hit the road anytime between 6:30am and 7am to avoid the traffi c.

Typically my day consists of meetings which focus on the people agenda. I hold both formal and informal meetings with my team and heads of departments to address both strategic and operational issues. I also interview candidates and analyse HR performance data. A key passion for me is developing young talent. I also try to get time away from the offi ce for lunch or coffee whenever I can.

I typically try to hit the road between 6pm and 6:30pm to be home for dinner with my boys. If there is a need (which is typically the case), I am online after my kids go to bed around 9:30pm for a couple of hours.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK?I am very passionate about what I do. What I enjoy most about my work is seeing employees moving to greater heights through the talent management and development programmes that we put in place in the organisation.

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WHITE PAPER » Leadership


EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ON THE RISE IN APAC

Global – Not only are more employees striving to work harder in their jobs, but there has also been an increase in the number of staff willing to stay in their companies and speak well about its culture and processes.

Combining the above factors together, a report by Aon Hewitt has found employee engagement levels in the region were higher in 2013 compared with 2012.

Surveying 2.42 million employees across nearly 3,000 companies in the region, the report found nine out of 12 countries saw an increase in engagement levels in 2013, and the region’s overall employee engagement score increased by three percentage points to 61%, the same as the global engagement score.

Of the nine countries that showed improvements in engagement in 2013, Singapore saw the highest increase with a gain of seven percentage points (to 64% in 2013 from 57% in 2012), surpassing the 2013 APAC average of 61%.

“All of Singapore’s top engagement drivers of 2012 saw improvements in perception in 2013, resulting in some movement in the top drivers,” the report stated. “While career opportunities, innovation and work tasks consistently remain as the top drivers of employee engagement, managing performance and communication became top drivers for the fi rst time in 2013.

“Recognition, organisational reputation and innovation made signifi cant gains in perception scores in 2013, while communication saw a decrease of 5%.”

Malaysia was also highlighted in the survey among countries with substantial increases in employee engagement levels (6%). The report credited the rise to the country’s new political stability, along with increased spending on people-related programmes, for Malaysia’s positive engagement levels.

“We believe that increasing the retirement age has had a positive impact on overall engagement due to the signifi cantly higher engagement levels among the baby boomers generation.”

While Hong Kong’s overall engagement levels were on the rise, the report warned, however, the

percentage of highly engaged employees in Hong Kong was still far below the Asia Pacifi c average of 21%. Low levels of retention in organisations and poor communication between employers and staff were cited as possible underlying reasons for the country’s under-performance.

“Engagement drivers differ substantially by country,” said Gabriela Domicelj, regional engagement practice leader for Asia Pacifi c at Aon Hewitt. “Operating in this complex environment presents a challenge for leaders trying to drive high levels of employee engagement.

“Organisations that invest in understanding and managing the key drivers of employee engagement across their multiple constituencies will be able to drive performance in more effi cient and effective ways.”

Percentage of engaged employees

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Global 60% 56% 58% 60% 61%

North America 67% 64% 64% 63% 65%

Europe 55% 51% 52% 57% 57%

Asia Pacifi c 59% 55% 58% 58% 61%

Latin America 71% 72% 71% 74% 70%

Source: 2014 Trends in Asia Pacifi c Employee Engagement, Aon Hewitt

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port

Percentag

2009 2010

Global 60% 56%

North America 67% 64%

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Reasons Millennials want to lead

Money 35%

Infl uence 31%

Opportunity for a strategic role 31%

Source: The Millennial Series, Universum with INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute and the HEAD Foundation.

Global – You may be relying on the stereotypes of the Millennial generation to enhance creativity and productivity levels, but how much do you really know about the youngest members of your workforce? Apparently, not much.

Debunking several common myths about Millennials, the largest global research ever conducted on this generation – a combined study by INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute (EMI), the HEAD Foundation and Universum – identifi ed they are independent, do want leadership roles, and don’t feel entitled enough to demand a high salary, but would rather have excellent work-life balance.

Contrary to popular belief, family and friends are not key infl uencers on their careers – with the exception of Asia Pacifi c employees, who do value the opinion of friends. In fact, globally only 5% said they took friends’ opinions about their careers seriously.

“This highlights a disconnect between the notion of ‘helicopter parents’, who hover over their children guiding their choices, and the impact they actually have on their children’s career decisions. The Millennial generation is more independent than fi rst thought,” the report stated.

Similarly, of the 16,000 global respondents,

73% chose work-life balance over a higher salary and 82% value work-life balance over their position in a company. Unlike generations before them, they would rather have no job than one they hate.

Despite wanting better work-life balance and often failing to demonstrate leadership skills, 41% confi rm becoming a leader or manager is a key career driver.

However, the primary drivers for becoming leaders are rather “selfi sh”, with money (35%), infl uence (31%) and the opportunity to have a strategic role (31%) playing the biggest part.

“This demonstrates that for Millennials, the driver to become a leader is inward-focused, not related to the traditional leadership role of managing and coaching other employees,” stated the report.

Added Petter Nylander, CEO of Universum: “Millennials will constitute the majority of the workforce in just fi ve to six years from now.

“From an employer branding perspective, companies that cater to the needs of Millennials will lead in attracting, recruiting and retaining them. The scope and depth of the research has identifi ed regional and national differences, confi rming that a granular approach to managing and communicating to this generation is necessary for success.”

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Rupert Brown « PROFILE

By AKANKASHA DEWAN

Head of HR, Asia PacificMaersk Line

Navigating succession and culture

Rupert Brown

Q How would you describe working at Maersk Line?It’s been just over one year and the experience has been fantastic. My background is not within this industry. I come from a predominantly consumer goods background, coming previously from Procter & Gamble. I was familiar with Asia and regional HR roles, but I didn’t know this industry very well.

Q What did you do to familiarise yourself with the industry?In many ways, Maersk Line is to the shipping industry what P&G is to the consumer goods industry. They are both globally recognised, long-standing market leaders, with a strong reputation for developing talent in their industry.

What I did have to get used to was understanding what’s unique about the company, and some of it had to do with its heritage and its culture in Denmark.

Maersk Line has a very unique culture, and while it was one of the things which attracted me to the company, it was also one of the things which I had to spend time on so I could better understand it.

One of the fi rst things I did was put myself onto one of our container ships to go on a seven-day voyage from Singapore to Hong Kong. Although I am responsible for shore-based employees, I needed to see the industry fi rst-hand to get a feel for it. And there’s no better way than to spend a week at sea on one of our vessels, understanding just exactly what the crew goes through, and seeing the loading and unloading of containers up-close.

Q What are you currently working on?Talent management is a central theme in my role. I shoulder a vast range of HR responsibilities – from working to develop our pipeline of future leaders to ensuring we have the systems and processes to hire the right talent for the future.

Recently I was in Malaysia for this year’s batch of Maersk Line Graduate Programme (MLGP) trainees. We are in partnership with several universities globally that are strong in supply chain management for this programme. This is the fi rst out of the four international seminars the trainees will get to participate in during their two-year MLGP programme.

They are all new hires and are Master’s degree holders with two years of work experience. But like me, they are not from the industry. So they go through two job rotations and four seminars to get industry perspective.

Q How would you defi ne Maersk Line’s culture?It takes time to really understand the fi ner nuances of culture, especially in a company with such a long history. What I have seen so far is a strong, yet humble organisation, that really should feel proud about the role it has played at the heart of global trade expansion.

However, Maersk is not a company to rest on its laurels. We are always keeping one eye on the horizon and planning accordingly. This sense is equally strong with our crew members at sea, who are always looking out for the quality of our vessels. Within my fi rst year, I have had

a number of experiences where I felt that leaders were making values-based decisions even when no one was watching. That for me is the defi nition of culture.

Q How do you maintain this culture?Primarily through focusing constantly on our company values and having our management lead by example. We’re fortunate to have a very strong heritage, thanks to the long-standing traditions of the Møller family. Our values represent something people can relate with, and they are unique. They include constant care, humbleness, uprightness, upholding the family name and our people.

Using simple language when we talk about these values is important, otherwise the message might get lost.

In recent years, we have launched an initiative called “cultural amplifi ers” which is an overview to the values and talks about “focus, simplicity and teamwork”. We had workshops to launch this to staff and also stories and internal articles on how our people globally exemplify these “cultural amplifi ers” in their daily work.

Q How does HR support this culture?HR is at the heart of many initiatives to help us evolve to changing market conditions. Historically, our company has grown rapidly through international expansion, opening up offi ces along all the important trade routes and locations around the world. This year we opened up our own agency in Myanmar.

We’re at the point where we operate just about everywhere, and have been

VITAL STATS

Rupert Brown leads the HR division at Maersk Line for the Asia Pacifi c region. He joined the company in September 2013, and has had 16 years of regional HR and business partner experience across Asia and Europe.

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PROFILE » Rupert Brown


in places such as Bangkok and Jakarta for around 60 years. But looking ahead, the opportunity we have at hand now is to leverage this great scale we have by operating as one company, and developing the next generation of talent who can work collaboratively across regions and functions. To build a sustainable business in the long term, we need leaders who are collaborative as well as commercially minded and technically skilled.

Q How closely do you work with headquarters of these other regions? I report to the regional CEO for Asia Pacifi c (Lars Mikael Jensen) and I have a dotted line to the chief HR offi cer in Copenhagen.

In our HR division, we follow an Ulrich-type model with centres of expertise, as well as a shared service centre and business partners. The regional centres of expertise report to me, but of course they have strong dotted lines to their global counterparts.

This is important because increasingly, we are working in a global, virtual world. I spend a lot of time with my peers, as well as the global heads of talent, learning and organisational development, and

compensation and benefi ts to ensure we are sharing ideas, talents and staying aligned as one global organisation.

Q With 25,000 land-based staff and 7,000 crew at sea, how do you ensure roles and responsibilities are well structured and managed?There are a lot of things we’re doing to ensure a consistent look and feel throughout our functions. It starts with having a vision for what the function does, and consistently having that throughout all of its locations. For HR, it’s about having a global policy and process and in supporting that, we’ve got consistent development programmes.

For example, if you take HR, our focus recently has been to pilot a programme where we develop talent-led business partners focusing on the skills necessary to raise their level of contribution to the business. We often take inspiration for these programmes externally, but then develop and lead them in-house.

Q Tell us about your leadership development programmes.I was fortunate recently to attend a programme called The Bridge. The name comes from the bridge of the ship, from where the captain and crew can see the horizon, plan and navigate the route.

It is a programme designed for the top 300 leaders, with the aim to become more aligned and trained to carry out the company strategy. They work together and understand the strategy behind the business and how it came to be.

A substantial part of the programme is based on leadership development, including how to communicate and drive and lead change. I went for The Bridge programme in May this year and I really enjoyed it as it gave me a clearer understanding of why we are on the journey we are on.

Q What about training programmes for other employees?Once people are on-boarded and have the relevant knowledge, we believe in the 70:20:10 model of learning. While we invest a lot of time and energy into talent management, employees still own their careers and you will see people who have had cross-functional career paths across the Maersk Group.

We have a number of programmes to help people build their skills. Recently we

launched one that focused on helping our leaders be teachers at the right time.

We have developed six short programmes to support our performance management process, which covers subjects such as objective setting, giving feedback, having challenging conversations, career coaching, etc.

But the key is that these are delivered in a short, engaging, 90-minute way by internal faculty, at times when leaders need to be reminded about these issues the most. This is something we’re piloting right now to see if it has any future application, but it looks pretty promising.

We also have a newly launched Maersk Learning Library, which offers development tools for all employees globally. This is an online database with different developmental tools covering a wide range of different topics. It features videos, books, articles and developmental roadmaps covering topics such as leadership, developing and managing people, operations management, and change.

Q What is the core philosophy behind your succession planning programme?We look at performance and potential to identify talent. We spend a lot of time focusing on succession planning and really distilling what potential really means.

A lot of the time we focus on “potential for what?” and remain clear we don’t want theoretical succession plans for jobs we do not have. We want them based on critical positions we have in the company and on a defi nite time frame, so succession planning becomes an actionable plan and we can move people accordingly.

What I’ve seen in other companies is that you have a lot of “what would you do if?” discussions. But when something actually happens, that discussion is a waste of time. So we’re getting much more specifi c about what this potential is actually for and looking at its indicators.

Q Does this philosophy work for all levels of talent? The talent identifi cation process and the philosophy is the same. If you’ve got a fi rst level manager and you think they’ve got the potential to be promoted one level up within two years, you see qualities like leadership skills, maturity or passion that might be applicable at a more senior level.

Of course, the jumps between levels and the associated challenges and risks get larger as you go up the organisation.

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Rupert Brown « PROFILE


Q What particular characteristics or traits do you look for when identifying high-potentials?A big focus of the company right now is not just looking at tangible results, but going beyond the “what” to look at the “how”.

Increasingly, I think what we’re focusing on is the legacy you leave afterwards. So, it’s more about developing the talent to succeed yourself and leaving behind an organisation that is stronger than the one you found.

Often companies just focus on the metrics on the scorecard. Performance is an important part, and the past is the best predictor of the future, but in Maersk Line we want to look at the “how” and the “what” together. Because if we take people on a journey to a bigger role, how they lead when they get there is really important.

Q How do you facilitate a diverse environment and pipeline?I think we need to do more in this aspect, especially because our teams are getting more diverse, international and virtual. The nature of our business is it’s a globally networked business. If you go to our head offi ce in Copenhagen, or here in Singapore,

there are a lot of nationalities working together on complex global trades. It’s important we are conscious of both the global nature of our business as well as the different needs of our diverse organisation.

Q But how do you establish diversity of thought in the organisation?I think diversity is a belief – it’s a belief that the most diverse teams will generate the best business results, and the best leaders love to lead and build diverse teams. Nothing brings this to life better than a leader who walks the talk on this.

Q Everything you’ve talked about boils down to engagement. How do you measure this?We have an employee engagement survey, which we run throughout the entire group, and participation is at about 90%. The idea of getting a collective view is important, and our employees know we want them to be heard. Our engagement levels are pretty good too, around 75%, but we want to be better. We’re aware of certain areas we want to focus on, and are working on getting a better understanding of how

performance management works in order to secure the link between performance and pay.

One of the things we’ve done recently is to align ourselves along one global incentive plan, which includes sales people and non-sales people. One of the things which was getting in the way of understanding this was how the formula worked, and the correlation between how I perform and how much variable pay I receive as a sales person. So, it was a bit of a black box before, but being honest and transparent about how it works, and what works enables people to see the link between performance and pay.

Q What will be the top HR challenges for Maersk Line in the future?I think the culture journey continues ahead of us. We are a successful, global organisation that has grown very rapidly. Our industry and our company are maturing. Now, the focus is more on global systems and processes and on the collaboration skills needed from leaders. That’s going to be our challenge, but I think it will be one at which we’re going to be very successful in overcoming.


SPONSORED CONTENT


THIS ARTICLE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PEMBANGUNAN SUMBER MANUSIA BERHAD

BUILDING NATIONS BY BUILDING PEOPLE

Human resources is like any natural resource; it’s often hidden and unrefi ned, and it requires a combination of luck and effort to fi nd and refi ne it.

In keeping a highly skilled workforce, Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB) is taking an active role in recognising, discovering and enhancing human resources talent to help the country’s business and economic development.

Different companies often require different talents, and identifying which talent suits which fi eld best is an incredibly crucial aspect for any organisation to succeed.

For this reason, PSMB has formulated various schemes, programmes and initiatives through the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) for the Malaysian workforce, with the opportunity to train their employees on various skills and profi ciencies.

These programmes and initiatives were created to meet the training needs of

the country’s workforce by identifying their employee skills while improving their effectiveness. These are:

National Human Resources Standards (NHRS)Allowing an industry to effectively regulate itself will mean greater autonomy with better results. This is why the National Human Resources Standards (NHRS) was initiated by PSMB to cater for the nation’s workforce.

The NHRS was developed by the National Human Resource Certifi cation Committee as a standard for all human resource practitioners. The formulation of the standards was created after nine months of research on HR practices within Malaysia, combined with global HR practices.

The standards were formulated through engagements with HR professionals and industry associations such as the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), Federation

Second from left: HR Certifi cate Steering Committee chairman Abdul Wahab; Ministry of Human Resources minister Dato’ Sri Richard Riot Anak Jaem; and PSMB chief executive CM Vignaesvaran A/L Jeyandran.

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HOW TORECRUITSPONSORED CONTENT

17Q4 2014 « HumanResources Malaysia « 17

For more information, visit the Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad website at www.hrdf.com.my and www.nhrc.com.my or call PSMB’s contact centre via 1-800-4800.

of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Malay National Chamber of Commerce (DPMM), GLCs, federal and state agencies as well as private universities. These standards were developed with the aim to provide a model that defi nes the criteria to measure quantity, weight, extent, value and quality of HR practitioners. Furthermore, they incorporate an “east meets west” concept by blending the best of the managerial skills with theories and techniques to face new challenges to become globally competitive.

Housewives Enhancement and Reactivate Talent Scheme (HEARTS)Finding gainful employment is not limited to companies and organisations. Some individuals are highly independent and often overlooked, such as housewives and single mothers. To increase the percentage of employable women from 46% to 55% to achieve developed nation status by 2020, PSMB introduced the HEARTS programme, an initiative under the 1Malaysia Support for Housewives.

It was launched to train and educate housewives in specialised fi elds, which would enable them to actively participate in the economic growth of the country while maintaining their status as housewives. Additionally, it provides a platform for single mothers to pursue business opportunities without sacrifi cing their household commitment.

Apprenticeship scheme Getting students to join the workforce early is crucial. As experience is a valuable aspect in any workplace, getting an early start can help school leavers kick-start their careers. The apprenticeship scheme emphasises on a dual system to train school leavers on various industry related skills. It provides a combination of practical and theory at approved training centres, with a hands-on approach at the premise of a sponsoring employer. Working on a modular basis, upon completion of training, apprentices will be offered a one-year contract with the sponsoring employer. They will also receive the Malaysian Skill Certifi cation based on their level of training.

Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) Experienced employees without a recognised certifi cation are often a valuable asset. To help deserving candidates, PSMB initiated an experienced-based scheme to recognise deserving employees. The RPEL was introduced by PSMB to recognise experienced professionals while enhancing career prospects of the Malaysian workforce, without formal certifi cation. The scheme was introduced in supporting the government’s aspiration to increase the number of skilled workers in the country.

Expansion Act Handbook PSMB has published the Expansion of PSMB Act 2001 handbook, which gives detailed information for fi rms from various industries to qualify for levies for training grants. These levy grants are categorised into Sectorial Training Committee (STC) to help identify training needs for employers, and the Future Workers Training (FTW) which allows employers to receive fi nancial assistance in terms of skills training and increase the knowledge of their future workers.

Sectorial Training Committee (STC)The STC aims to identify training needs that correspond with the advancement of technology, systems and processes for the sub-sectors covered under the PSMB Act 2001.

These initiatives further enable PSMB to fulfi l its role more proactively. The sub-sectors covered under the PSMB Act 2001 are clustered into several STCs, comprising of members from their industry fi eld. As professionals within their areas, they provide a connection to the industry and PSMB to develop relevant training programmes.

This article was written and contributed by Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad, an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources to encourage employers covered under

the Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Act 2001 to retrain and upgrade their workforce.

Seminars for union workers In recognising the importance of members from unionised organisations, the Department of Trade Union Affairs, in collaboration with PSMB, has initiated a series of training seminars. The Trade Union Training on Leadership and Raconteur (TUTELAR) recognises the rights of union workers to establish clear and direct communication. Union organisations often lack leadership who are versed in rules and regulations under the Union Worker’s Act 1959. This also places them at a disadvantage in regards to negotiations, compensation and workers’ rights known as collective bargaining.

To assist, these TUTELAR seminars allow union members to develop leadership and communication skills. The trainings cover negotiation and other business skills, helping them to understand their rights under the laws of trade unions and industrial relations.

Other programme initiatives Among these many initiatives, PSMB recently organised the “HR Leadership Talk” and the “HRDF Towards Certifi cation Programme” seminars, which aim to expand the HR practitioner’s awareness on current trends and practices.

PSMB also organises an annual national HRDF Conference & Exhibition that serves as a hub for HR practitioners, trainers and business leaders to congregate and share their views and experiences. More programmes are also being introduced and developed to assist SMEs, business owners, training providers as well as HR practitioners to improve their workforce.

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FEATURE » Further Education


ENHANCING THE EDUCATIONAL

EXPERIENCELearning never stops, but it certainly takes a whole new dimension

in the workplace. What can HR leaders do in their capacity to ensure employees leverage equally on both their academic qualifi cations and

corporate experiences? Akankasha Dewan fi nds out.

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Further Education « FEATURE


Developing the skill of learningClearly, both academic knowledge and corporate experiences play signifi cant roles in the development of any professional.

In fact, the survey from the Association of American Colleges & Universities also identifi ed that across all industries, employers encouraged a blended model of liberal and applied learning.

“Employers also strongly endorse practices that require students to demonstrate both acquisition of knowledge and its application,” it stated.

Th e debate between degrees and experience seems to have been resolved in this aspect – albeit in a diplomatic fashion. What has now become critical among learning and development functions today, the three HR leaders suggest, is to ensure the qualities learnt during both academic education and on-the-job learning complement each other to enable a holistic development of a professional’s capabilities.

“Neither experiences nor education on their own can make a perfect person – there is no such thing as a perfect person,” Moore says. “And neither do you want a perfect person. You want someone with diversity of thinking, you want people who are comfortable with making mistakes and learning from them.”

And it is precisely the skill of learning which organisations should work on, Moore stresses, if they wish to enhance the knowledge acquired by professionals through academic and/or corporate means.

“Developing the capability or skill of learning is the most fundamental thing that higher education universities and companies can do.”

She identifi es that developing the ability to learn is crucial for employees who have recently transitioned from an academic environment to a corporate one – mainly because the style of learning varies signifi cantly between the two.

“In JWT, this is what we’re actively doing – developing and continuing to fertilise our learning culture,” she says.

“Th is is because we recognise that candidates who come straight out of university and into a working environment are used to learning in a particular, very linear way. You go to a lecture, you listen to what’s said, you regurgitate that knowledge in an exam, and you get graded for it. And this type of learning isn’t translated in the workplace.

“Part of workplace learning is going to

t’s a debate perhaps as old as higher education itself, and never more relevant than in a tight job market. Do degrees hold more or less importance than experience in

the workplace today?If the current popular catchphrases are

anything to go by, the most desired candidates possess the skills of “critical thinking”, “creativity”, and “leadership” above others – skills not necessarily taught in university.

In fact, a 2013 survey by the Association of American Colleges & Universities found 93% of employers believed “a candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than their undergraduate major”.

Generally, the value of degrees, be them graduate or post-graduate, is changing – and mostly being viewed with a cloud of scepticism.

“Th ere are mainly four values of learning – courage, curiosity, capability and collaboration,” says Carolyn Moore, regional HR director at JWT.

“I think universities and educational institutions used to be good at covering all of those. But now I think they’re good at only covering capability. Th ey don’t deal with broader issues of culture, of what it means to be human. A lot of that sort of stuff is seen as political fl uff , but it is actually really important.

“And so, when it comes to teaching people courage – that is, the courage to question, the courage to put forward your belief, your position, your point of view – you get it on the job.”

But that doesn’t mean the importance of academic qualifi cations and learning should, in anyway, be dismissed, says Patrick Lew, leader, leadership and talent development for Asia Pacifi c and Japan at NetApp.

“As an employer, you need to know the potential calibre of the employee you are hiring,” he says. “Th e education which he or she has gone through gives you a relatively good picture on the level of skills and intelligence required for the role. If you require an electronics or electrical engineer, it is highly unlikely you would hire a graduate who does not have a degree in engineering.”

Dr Nitin More, head of learning and development for APAC at Facebook, stresses it’s impossible to ignore the value of degrees altogether.

“I don’t think the value of education or academic knowledge has decreased, especially for roles that are micro-specialised,” he says.




be some structured training, but what we’re consciously trying to break down is that this isn’t the only pathway to learning. Rather, learning is linked to working on creative projects that expand your horizons.”

Providing the right learning environmentMoore’s observation strikes a possibility of a new debate with regards to the importance of academic qualifi cation versus that of corporate experience today.

Th e issue is no longer which is more important, but rather, if companies want to enhance the development of their staff , they need to provide the right learning environment. Such environments aim to develop what employees have already learnt in an academic setting by providing them with an opportunity to practise what they’ve learnt in a corporate setting.

Th is includes current employees who have been involved in pursuing part-time academic degrees such as MBAs, and juggling between diff erent types of learning environments on their campus and at work.

Th is is precisely why the importance of cultivating eff ective learning environments cannot be underestimated, Dr More says, because if done correctly, companies themselves have the capacity to equip employees with skills acquired both from universities and from corporate experiences.

“APAC is a region which values further education as something which adds credibility to your resume,” he says.

“However, companies like Facebook have

a very diff erent value proposition for youth. Th ere have been articles published in the media which state that working for three to fi ve years in companies such as Facebook is equivalent to getting an MBA.

“Th e question to ask is this: do you acquire core business skills if you work at a company like Facebook? You do. And does that, in any way, compensate for you not having degrees such as an MBA? It does.

“I have increasingly seen non-MBA managers in companies with rapid growth rates.”

He elaborates it is precisely the opportunity to get practical experience by working on specifi c projects with diff erent strata of talent that allows employees to learn skills which overlap with what they may have acquired at university campuses.

“Th ere are a couple of reasons why this occurs,” he explains. “One, you have a lot of hands-on experience here [Facebook], so people will let you experiment and fail. You get to get your hands dirty, and you learn a lot from that. Th e second thing is, you really work with world-class talent. And that challenges you and pushes you and makes you work every day.

“When we hire, we hire for diversity. And as diverse talent comes on board, they teach each other a lot of things they otherwise may not have been exposed to. MBA campuses also interview for diverse candidates who might teach other diff erent ways of working. Th at may be another reason why companies and universities are also on a similar path.”

But just the ability to provide similar skill sets doesn’t necessarily translate to employees actively recognising and acknowledging what they have learnt in companies. And this, Moore identifi es, needs to be overcome especially if learning is to be encouraged in companies as a valuable skill in itself.

“A lot of learning does come from on-the-job, and by working on projects, but often, that is not seen as learning still for a lot of employees,” she says. “So you really have to have that culture where on-the-job learning is seen as a critical part of learning.”

Establishing such a culture is in line with what Moore believes to be the main attributes of learning in itself, which is the ability to appreciate and respect diff erent perspectives.

“In terms of HR, and in terms of our business, what we are doing is saying, ‘it’s not just about the results on the page’. Because over this period, what a lot of universities have brought in is the

Hats off to you: If you’ve explored various pathways to learning.




concept of a test. You must learn what is in the test, you must memorise the answers as those which are right and those which are wrong. Whereas in a creative agency, particularly like we are, there’s not a lot of right and wrong.”

She adds that instead of being seen as a rigid phenomenon, learning needs to become a passion, emphasising that people need to know how to learn, and it needs to be inherent in their nature.

motivated to overcome them, then HR functions need to support such employees to bridge that gap as much as they can and provide them with the platform to do so. Th is includes allowing employees to go for professional courses, within and outside the organisation.

“At NetApp, the learning environment is self-fulfi lling. We have a platform to provide an array of learning interventions to fulfi l career development needs. However, if the individual feels it’s not suffi cient, there are other avenues for them to go to.

“For instance, we have an educational assistance programme to provide support for employees who wish to undertake a course of study to develop their skills to the benefi t of the company and themselves.”

Dr More agrees, and adds that HR leaders and employers can also implement policies to ensure employees who are studying further are able to handle their professional and academic responsibilities well.

“When we invest in talent, it is about how we can grow the talent and, therefore, how we can create a greater impact for the business,” he says.

“From that perspective, it is HR’s responsibility to fi gure out a way to support employees to add to and fi ne-tune their knowledge, skills and experience, because ultimately that will impact their job.

“Th ey can practise policies such as allowing employees to attend classes two to three times a week, or providing them with additional leave for a couple of weeks to study. Th ey can also encourage the formation of employee clubs so these employees can learn from each others’ experiences.”

Lew emphasises, however, the need for organisations to be vigilant when deciding on which candidate to invest in, in terms of sponsoring their professional education.

Th is includes tracking employees, who have gone for such courses or degrees, to see if they are providing better results or are doing their work in more effi cient ways.

“Th e important thing is to be balanced – don’t restrict programmes to certain courses or even for a certain employee demographic, i.e only engineering courses for engineers,” he says.

“But don’t be too fl exible either. It’s important to maintain a rigidity in the system and the criteria which you have set. You need to prioritise your resources, and make sure only deserving candidates get the resources they need.”

“When we invest in talent, it is about how we can grow the talent and,

therefore, how we can create a greater impact for the business.”

– Dr Nitin More, head of learning and development for APAC at Facebook

“And if you teach through tests and encourage the presence of just one answer, the result is a lack of creativity, a lack of critical thinking. Most importantly, it takes away learning as a skill in itself. Learning becomes a rote mechanism – a means to an end. As opposed to learning being a lifelong skill of enquiry and curiosity. And that is what a lot of organisations are getting into.”

Taking responsibility for learningMoore’s emphasis on viewing learning as a passion in organisations seems relevant, considering it is precisely such passion which translates into an active recognition of how much the individual has learnt and grown in terms of their development.

Such passion, Lew adds, involves employees taking charge and driving their own development with guidance from managers and support from organisations.

“In illustration to Formula One racing, the driver is the employee, the team lead providing feedback to the driver during the race is the manager, and the organisation provides infrastructure support to enable the driver to race.

“Th e bulk of responsibility lies with the employees – 70% would be employees, 20% managers and 10% the organisation. If the individual doesn’t feel compelled to develop himself or herself – it would be quite impossible to get them to learn and change their behaviour.”

He adds, however, that if the employee is aware of their development gaps and is


Further Education « FEATURE


Both academic qualifi cations and work experience have an important role in employee development. Akankasha Dewan speaks with Carolyn Moore, regional HR director at JWT, about ensuring both valued educational experiences are aligned.

In recent years, the value of degrees and education has comes under scrutiny. While graduating from college is still important, numerous reports clearly state that skills are increasingly trumping degrees in companies worldwide.

Carolyn Moore suggests this shift in thinking is mainly because of the increasing relevance of skills which staff normally acquire outside of an academic setting.

“Companies like ours, we don’t just want someone who just locks themselves up in a room and who has achieved good grades,” she says. “We also want to see someone who has done extra curricular activities. Because there’s leadership, learning and creative skills involved in those. I struggle to think of many environments where that can’t be applied, where critical thinking isn’t a core element of career success.”

She suggests the growing popularity of workplace experience stems from the fact universities are mainly encouraging linear and rigid forms of learning.

“Higher education institutions have discovered there’s a lot of money in teaching business and marketing. (But) they teach things like – ‘this is the one way of doing marketing’. So your knowledge and your experiences are coming from a very limited and linear avenue of learning.

“From being institutions of learning, and research, and experience, they have become businesses in themselves."

To overcome this gap, Moore stresses the importance of both entities working together to align teaching and learning strategies. Th is is because the importance of degrees cannot be completely overlooked altogether.

“Universities still very much have their place, but I think the main challenge is, moving forward,” she says.

JWT’s Helen Lansdowne Resor Scholarship“One of the things we’re doing is a scholarship worldwide called the Helen Lansdowne Resor Scholarship. She was the fi rst ever copywriter in the advertising industry in the world. She was employed by JWT.”

Moore explains the fundamental part of the scholarship is that it sponsors women creatives, from any background, and not necessarily have undertaken a degree related to marketing or advertising. JWT is working with several universities for the APAC region and provides US$10,000 for the fi ve-year scholarship.

“On one side, we’re supporting our creative conviction, and from the other, we’re looking at this from a diversity point of view. Because globally, only 3% of advertising creatives are women. Th is is one way businesses and HR can work with higher education institutions to develop graduates and courses relevant to the business and to ensure we don’t get cookie-cutter graduates at the end.”

Moore adds JWT also supports current employees who wish to further develop skills through higher education, and has an association with Duke University.

Facilitating an effective working cultureHowever, staff who are inherently passionate about learning will go on to pursue higher degrees with or without fi nancial support from the company. "And these are the types of people we really want and try to hire.”

What you can actively do is practise habits or implement policies which will facilitate a better learning environment, whether corporate or academic.

"Secondly, we can provide people with the fl exibility to balance their workload against what their learning load is. Th e next most important thing is giving them the opportunity to apply it through projects in the job.”

Developing the skill of learning should be done keeping in mind the diff erent stages the individual will go through, to ensure their capacity to learn is enhanced.

“You need to tailor that phase to which that person has developed their own ability to learn, and how you approach the content to what they’re trying to learn."

CASE STUDY: JWT

e pe e ce, t ey a e beco e bus esses t e se es.

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FEATURE » C&B

» HumanResources Malaysia » Q4 201424 » HumanResources Malaysia » Q4 201424

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C&B « FEATURE

apidly changing corporate directives, fewer resources and a smaller workforce are a challenge for most corporate initiatives these days, and is

something that can pose diffi culties for one of the greatest forces driving corporate performance – an eff ective rewards strategy.

“With the way life is today and its demands, businesses are tougher and cycles are shorter,” says Joon Tan, vice-president of talent management, global supply chain, at Schneider Electric.

“Th erefore, your budget is constrained, and the business risk and volatility is high. So you need to get creative around how you package your off ering together. In that sense, the total rewards strategy is important. You can’t just tap on cash rewards to retain and attract talent.”

Increasing value of non-cash rewardsTan’s comments point to a fundamental alteration in today’s HR motivational toolbox – an increasing reliance on non-cash rewards. Th ese include elements such as fl exible working hours, gifts, recognition from superiors, travel allowances and more.

Various studies demonstrate the increasing popularity of such non-cash incentives. A 2013 report by Aberdeen found best-in-class companies (i.e. those with the highest fi nancial and operational results) were more than twice as likely to provide non-cash incentives. Th e

Cash is a powerful motivator to drive behaviour, but it’s defi nitely not the only one. Akankasha Dewan speaks with senior HR leaders about the growing reliance on non-cash rewards to attract and retain talent, and what this means for future C&B practices.

study also highlighted 21% of high-performing organisations utilise these non-cash rewards, as opposed to 10% of all other companies.

But the eff ectiveness of non-cash rewards is marred by an interesting conundrum surrounding the selection of employee benefi ts today: even though employees enjoy and appreciate non-cash rewards more than monetary compensation, they still actively demand cash rewards from their companies.

A study by Wichita State University revealed when given a choice between cash, or a cruise or a TV worth the same amount, respondents chose cash 63% of the time. However, when the same research team asked respondents to rate how happy or satisfi ed they would be to get either the cash, the TV or the cruise, the TV and cruise consistently outscored cash.

Th e results implied employees were more excited by and would actually enjoy non-cash rewards more because of the fun and emotional properties they possessed. From a preliminary reading then, non-cash rewards are a more eff ective tool in generating greater motivation and driving performance. But when given a choice between a tangible reward and cash, the utility of the cash would lead many to make a less satisfying, practical decision.

The utility value of cash rewardsTh is study highlighted one of the most baffl ing



FEATURE » C&B


contradictions in the C&B industry today. Amid the assortment of incentives off ered, which type of rewards should C&B professionals focus on if they wish to cater to their employees’ demands, while not compromising on their motivational levels?

Neha Pareek, business and technical talent leader at IBM global business services for Asia Pacifi c, GCG and MEA, suggests the focus on non-cash rewards is only recommended once an eff ective compensation strategy is in place.

Understanding geographical and generational preferencesTiff any See, executive director of human resources for APJ at Dell, explains the importance of cash and non-cash off erings also varies depending on the geographical location of the employees in question, and the market in which they work.

“If markets and their infl ation levels are stable, compensation ranks third. Our employees tell us having a fl exible work schedule that fi ts with their life ranks fi rst. Second is their desire to learn new things. Compensation follows,” she says.

“Where I see compensation as higher in that stack would be in countries like China because they are still growing pretty quickly. Similarly in India, employees can jump to local companies rather than multinational corporations and get increases in pay. After that, they want to talk about development and learning opportunities. Th is also holds true for any Southeast Asia market such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Th ailand and Pakistan.”

All three leaders also point out the reward preferences of the employees in question can be determined by looking at their age and seniority level.

“Typically at the more senior level, especially in technical functions such as research and development, having a role where you’re constantly challenged from an intellectual and business standpoint is a big plus for executives,” Tan says.

“For entry level professionals or mid-level, a number of factors come into play, such as your personal motivation – whether you need cash to either settle down or you’re starting a family. All of that becomes important.”

Pareek agrees, and stresses the importance of catering for such demands.

“Trends indicate Gen Y has higher career expectations for pay and promotion than all previous generations,” she says. “Th ey do not want to be hired, they want to be courted.

“Hiring them is harder and retaining them requires more eff ort than just the pay package. Employees value being valued, and are motivated when their organisations are going the extra mile. All these factors need to be considered when an organisation is deciding on its non-cash rewards package.

“I would say that HR’s role in crafting a benefi ts strategy is very signifi cant. Th e key is

“In a nutshell, compensation professionals need to play multiple

roles to be eff ective. Th ey need to be fi nancial analysts, psychologists,

coaches, trusted advisors and problem solvers.”

- Neha Pareek, business and technical talent leader, IBM global business services

“If you pick up any study on compensation or read up any article, you will see a common trend – extrinsic motivators such as money, titles or rewards have, at most, a short-term eff ect on desired behaviour. Employees are also motivated and driven by the work content, not just the reward,” she says.

“Having said that, if compensation systems are perceived to be unfair, extrinsic rewards can be powerful de-motivators. So it’s important to maintain a balance and also ensure employees are paid fair to begin with.”

Tan agrees, and adds that salary structures need to essentially fulfi l basic needs of employees before anything else. “Pay, at the minimum, has to be competitive to be able to aff ord someone a decent standard of living.”

Interestingly, this desire for a basic standard of living becomes apparent in the 1999 Wirthlin Worldwide survey as when granted a cash reward, most employees would still use it on necessities rather than luxurious wants.

According to the Wirthlin survey, more than 1,000 people were asked how they spent their last cash reward, cash incentive or cash bonus. Almost 30% said they spent it on bills compared with 9% who used their cash award on a “special personal treat”.


C&B « FEATURE


to look at the entire organisation’s culture and opportunity.”

The changing role of the C&B professionalBut fulfi lling such a role has, over time, become increasingly diffi cult. Given the demands of the market, the C&B professional has taken on a wider breadth of responsibilities to remain eff ective.

“I think it has become a lot more business focused,” observes Alison Crick, director of sales and compensation for APJ at Dell.

“You have to get the right balance between understanding the external market as well as your business requirements, i.e. what are the areas you need to focus on. One size no longer fi ts all – so there’s a lot of diff erentiation even within an organisation on how you manage your compensation.”

She explains that within its business, diff erent internal organisations have diff erent needs, that is, how you pay a hardware person may be diff erent from how you pay a software person. Dell has adopted a diff erentiated approach to its programmes to be more refl ective of the market.

“However the underlying pay philosophy or culture aspect remains consistent across all business units – Dell has and always will be a meritocracy and each business unit compensation decision supports this,” Crick says.

Pareek reiterates the need for today’s C&B leaders to be business-focused, adding this need is even more critical considering the added range of responsibilities leaders have to shoulder.

“In a nutshell, compensation professionals need to play multiple roles to be eff ective. Th ey need to be fi nancial analysts, psychologists, coaches, trusted advisors and problem solvers,” she says.

“To accomplish this, they need to immerse themselves in the company’s business – understanding its strategies, products and services, markets, revenue streams, critical business factors and, of course, employees’ impact on the business, as well as their needs and wants.”

Training for a more holistic roleWith C&B professionals playing a bigger role in the business, it becomes natural they rapidly acquire various new skills to provide better control support to their organisations.

“In C&B today, you are expected to be

conversant about the business, market dynamics and competitive landscape because you play an important role from a design standpoint, including salary structure, bonus or incentive structure or benefi ts design. It is a strategic function, if well tapped. No longer are you just the controller or policy marker of the guy who sets the salary range,” Tan says.

She observes, however, there is still room for improvement. While their functional expertise remains in-depth, a C&B professional sometimes lacks the business knowledge required to make a more holistic decision.

“I think C&B professionals in the Asia Pacifi c region are still fairly tactical. Th ey are good, but sometimes they are not as mature and sophisticated as their Western counterparts in North America or Europe,” she says.

“I think the biggest challenge is they are too inward-looking. A lot of the C&B people I have come across are too focused on the numbers. And they forget compensation surveys are but one tool and one source of the data.”

At the end of the day, she says, decisions must be made on a broader set of data, including the health of your business, where you stand, industry trends and economic dynamics.

“Th at’s most lacking. And therefore they are not equipped to speak to business leaders in a way that is compelling to them. Because all you talk about is from your own handbook, and don’t relate to business decisions and contexts back to the business and the employees.”

Leveraging on data to craft C&B structuresTh e opportunities to learn and grow are, however, readily available. With unlimited access to data, C&B professionals are free to use it to their advantage and leverage on such information to make intelligent decisions. See explains that using data to make decisions is a core element of Dell’s C&B strategy.

She recounts an example when the company was contemplating a car allowance in a mature market for one of its sales employees. However, because her team could not fi nd a signifi cant percentage of companies in the market who were providing car allowances to their sales divisions, she did not go ahead with the decision.

“We have a detailed and structured benchmarking process when crafting our C&B needs every year. We use several salary surveys to basically collate data on what’s happening with


FEATURE » Succession Planning


Do you have a tight seal on succession? Aditi Sharma Kalra asks how HR leaders are nurturing their people and identifying leaders

to prevent a leaking pipeline.

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Succession Planning « FEATURE


he average tenure of a manager has shrunk to less than four years. Companies forced to replace key personnel so often can lead to a drain on the senior team’s time and fi nancial resources to fi ll vacancies. But these costs – be they monetary or non-monetary – are avoidable.

Both line and HR managers can nip the problem in the bud with a strong succession structure around identifying and developing talent. Investing in the pipeline of middle managers and grooming them for future leadership positions is cited as the number one concern of HR heads. A Hay Group study on Next Generation HR listed “developing future leaders” as the top priority for HR leaders for the next fi ve years.

“Developing our leadership pipeline remains one of HR’s critical risks; the revolving door keeps spinning and the competition for the best talent is only getting more intense,” says Mohd Fauzi Bin Wahab, director of human resources

for ASEAN/MENA at Fonterra. “It is therefore imperative we keep a healthy pipeline of leaders.”

Wolfgang Lirk, director of human resources for Asia Pacifi c at Waters China, agrees.

“In Asia, where you have a shortage of talent, you have no other way, but to develop the pipeline. Th ere is a lot of talent in the market, but it is a matter of a lack of experience. I believe in building up your own people.”

Who takes the lead?But here lies the catch. Developing leaders is not just HR’s priority. Another study by Right Management found across 24 industries, both business and HR leaders echo the same talent management challenge – “having a lack of skilled talent for key positions”.

“Th e fi rst thing in career path development is it has to start from the top. If the top management is not clear about their own career path, they would not have any natural interest in grooming somebody else,” says Debashish Chatterjee, director of HR at Bombardier Transportation Singapore.

At Bombardier it’s the management’s role to groom successors, so much so that it’s a parameter of their own evaluation.

“It is a top-down process in which they have to create the bottom part of the pyramid, as part of the talent review process. On the organisation chart for each manager, there is a timeline-based evaluation. It will be very diffi cult for a manager to say that none of their people will be ready to take over their job even in fi ve years.”

It’s this area of leadership commitment that often proves to be the hole in many organisations, leading to a leaky pipeline. Th is also often trickles over to functional heads and line managers as well.

Start at the sourceTh e reasons for these holes could be many, but not having a strong development framework is something Lirk indentifi es as an issue.

“Th e process needs to be stringent and solid, and it starts right from hiring. Th at is the source of screening talent for the entire organisation,” he says. “Managers tend to hire for the current job. Th ey want someone who can do it right away. Th ey are not trained to assess potential, and they also lack the motivation to do it.


FEATURE » Succession Planning


“Companies have to train their line managers to be able to identify and assess talent, and build strong development plans for them.”

Th e dentifi cation of high potential talent should go beyond current job performance.

“High potential managers are defi ned as those who have showed consistent high performance history, as well as the potential to

succeed in increasingly demanding roles,” Bin Wahab adds.

Bring in the expertsTh is is where HR can step up to deliver solutions.

“Everyone knows they need to have talent management, but to really push the organisation and tell the management that it’s part of their job performance – that’s HR’s role,” Lirk says.

HR needs to do a good job of selling the criticality of the process, and make it clear how important talent development is. In addition to being a salesperson, Chatterjee says HR is the supplier of talent.

“For every project, the choice is between internal and external talent. HR’s job is to provide systems and processes to groom internal talent and, at the same time, acquire external talent,” he says. “If a company has 50 expatriates, and HR is able to replace them with competent local talent, then the function can create a direct impact on the bottom line.”

In fact, developing internal talent has moved in the direction of becoming a regulatory requirement recently. Th e Singaporean government, for example, has put in place policies to encourage the hiring of locals, such as the national Jobs Bank and the Fair Consideration Framework.

The many forms of developmentHowever, internal talent development does not only imply an upward rise in the pyramid or a promotion with a new pay package. Chatterjee explains horizontal or lateral movement can be equally eff ective.

Th is may entail a change of responsibilities, function, department or geography; but is not necessarily tied to the conventional style of the up-the-ranks promotion. However, a lateral move does not calways ome with the same perks.

“Compensation and salaries in most companies are fi xed by grade, so in the case of a lateral movement, they don’t change, since the employee has not moved up a grade,” he says.

“What they miss out on is the additional eff ort that an employee has to put in, while ramping up in the new domain, and the fact the company now has one additional person with that kind of expertise. It is enrichment for the individual.”

Bombardier has a very open policy in


Succession Planning « FEATURE


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companies are fi xed by grade, so in the case of a lateral movement, they don’t change, since the employee has not moved up a grade,” he says.

“What they miss out on is the additional eff ort that an employee has to put in, while ramping up in the new domain, and the fact the company now has one additional person with that kind of expertise. It is enrichment for the individual.”

Bombardier has a very open policy in terms of internal movement. It is mandatory for jobs to be published internally and beyond a certain level external hiring is scrutinised. Th is outlook defi nes its commitment to talent development.

Additionally, Chatterjee suggests lateral movements be rewarded, which could take the shape of professional support, alignment with a mentor, a change in salary, a bonus linked to the new deliverables or performance share awards.

The rewards of developmentTh e ability of rewards to motivate can also be leveraged in enabling managers to develop the pipeline, an area Waters China is exploring.

“We are working on how we can make it attractive for line managers to bring in people who have the upward potential, and not only hire for the current job,” Lirk says.

Bombardier, which conducts twice-a-year performance evaluations, also has a system in place to recognise eff orts of high-potential talent.

“After every performance cycle, there is a centralised talent review process that goes bottom-up. It is not only about the performance appraisal, but we also have a rewards mechanism for someone identifi ed as a high-potential,” Chatterjee says.

Bin Wahab says Fonterra has a multitude of avenues for its staff to continue to develop.

“From the learning central portal on our intranet, to providing a future leaders programme for our high-performing managers to step up to the next level – at every stage of their development, we encourage all staff to participate in the available programmes.”

He refers to an example with the recent appointment of the general manager of Fonterra Brands Malaysia and Singapore, Jose Miguel Porraz Lando, who started his career in 2003 at the HQ in New Zealand.

He was given the chance to rotate across a variety of roles, and was then off ered an opportunity as the general manager of Fonterra’s branded business in Vietnam, leading a team of 100 direct and 800 indirect employees. Th en, in August this year, he took on his current role, leading a team of 500 people.

“By providing our staff with development opportunities across a range of markets and roles, we aim to teach them something diff erent, provide opportunities to grow and ultimately be a part of our leadership team.”


OPINION » Learning & development


Don’t get brainwashed: Forget what you’ve been told about the younger generation being “lazy” and “entitled”. It’ just not true.

Trashing the myths about MillennialsDon’t pander to the over generalised “whims and fancies” of the younger generation to boost employer branding.WAN EZRIN SAZLI

BIN WAN ZAHARIGroup head of leadership & talent developmentAirAsia

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Learning & development « OPINION


I’m writing this the day after it was announced AirAsia had risen to the top three of the nation’s most popular graduate employers in a ranking survey.

I was amused, fi rst, because we never “bribed” the sponsor nor graduates for votes, and second because when I go to conferences, talks and career fairs, I preach the extreme opposite of what most employer branding people say when they want to attract the younger generation – that being, we must be accepting how different (or weird) they are, and how we must accommodate their desires and fancies to stay relevant.

Indeed, there is plenty of rubbish written about the Gen Ys and Millennials.

Here are just a handful: They are lazy, narcissistic, yet selfi sh and demanding; they leave work at 6pm sharp; they have unrealistic expectations for their career; they only want to communicate online; they don’t take on much responsibility, but think they should be paid more; they have an over infl ated sense of ability; they are motivated by perks and high pay; they appear distracted at work; they want interesting and exciting work, but cannot deliver; they don’t take criticism well and could resign immediately.

All of the above are sweeping statements. They are unfair to Gen Ys and Millennials and even worse, they are dangerous for employers who blindly believe in them.

In 401 BC (that’s like 2,415 years ago!), the Greek philosopher, Socrates said: “The youth today are insolent upstarts – they do not know their place; and have little regard for tradition, manners or their elders.”

Doesn’t that sound like what we’re all complaining about today? Do we actually think these Gen Ys and Millennials will behave the way they behave today when they are 40, 50 or 60 years old?

What many HR people have failed to realise is that change in behaviour, attitude and motivation is not generational, but evolutionary.

Certainly we have differences between us, but that doesn’t mean Gen Ys and Millennials have mutated into monsters and demons. They are our children. We created them; they grew up with us. So it makes more sense to focus on similarities and things in common than go berserk poking on petty differences.

Those who still disagree may ask: “OK Ezrin, what’s your proof that what you’re saying is correct?”

My proof is simple. My proof is in the overwhelming success of AirAsia. I have hundreds of examples, but for the brevity of this article, I’ll give three: The CEO of AirAsia India was 32 years old when he got the post, our group head of business development is only 26 and our branding guy is just 28.

So let’s try not to compartmentalise people and stereotype them. Make your organisation inclusive for all: Millennials, Gen-Y, Gen-X, and Baby Boomers.Please don’t drive employer branding by accommodating the whims and fancies of the younger generation. Don’t spoil them, and don’t destroy the company by making it weak and diluted.

Instead, focus on making the organisation a better place. Make things transparent, remove hierarchy, keep the organisation as fl at as possible, encourage free-fl owing communication without barriers, encourage passion, grit and determination. Have a great vision – work hard and work smart towards it. Celebrate successes (and even failures, especially after everyone has worked so hard). Celebrate resilience, celebrate capacity to deliver, celebrate multi-tasking. And most importantly – be sincere and have fun doing the job.

What you don’t want to do is “bribe” ranking organisers, and have round after round of promos in colleges, so that you can ask students to vote for you because you are giving them freebies and false promises about how exciting your organisation is.

Stay authentic and sincere. You’ll be successful.

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OPINION » People issues


MADAN NAGALDINNEHead of HR for APACFacebook allow instant communication, free calls

or video messaging.The minute you enable two-way

communication over a 24-hour pipe, you can expect massive productivity gains. When your employees have all the information they need about their projects, how to do them, who to contact, and what is happening in the company, that automatically frees up about 20% of a manager’s time. Managers will still need to give direction, set goals and invest in the development of their teams, but the organic nature of free-fl ow dramatically benefi ts them.

In addition, employees will comment on your products and services on a regular basis because

they now have a voice, and they are directly involved in the success of the company.

More so, all the time that we spend onboarding people, or sending out a memo and following that up with a town hall, can be done via social – that brings 50 meetings down to one post!

Employees get a chance to ask questions, read others’ views, and post their comments, unlike typical top-down communication.

In cases where employees in two offi ces are facing a similar client challenge, the managers may be connecting maybe once in three months. When you open up communication by sharing wins and losses instantaneously, HR can have a real impact on the way work gets done and the way companies innovate, just by allowing people to share ideas, learn and connect.

Keep in mind, you do not need to teach employees how to do this. They already know this, and check social media multiple times a day!

My fi nal point – just like companies do not charge for water or stationery, they cannot afford to be stingy about IT equipment or software. These are productivity tools that we need to invest in to enable and empower our employees.

I believe HR has a signifi cant chance to seize the opportunity here; by not doing it, we risk losing the respect of the C-suite.

HR has to harness the explosion of self-expression, and use that to create a material competitive advantage for the organisation. If you do, you are going to not only get that elusive seat, but you can also take your career, your team and your company to stratospheric levels.

Everyone wants to know how to become a best employer, and create a culture with incredible innovation and adaptability. Most, however, do not understand there is no magic bullet – they need to do a series of small things, enhanced by technology. My passionate belief is HR has to own the conversation on the organisation’s mobile, digital and social strategy; be it a fi ve-location bakery or a global bank.

Let me ask you, do you use social media to communicate with your friends and family? I’m sure all of you are nodding in agreement.

Now, do you use similar services to communicate with your co-workers on work issues? My experience is that one in three will agree to this.

Finally, do you have a company mandated messaging application installed on your phone, supported by your IT team, that serves as a communication vehicle in your company? Only about 2% of people I ask this to have raised their hands to this.

What we all experience between 5pm in the evening and 9am the next morning is the information superhighway. What we experience between 9-to-5 in a working day is the exact opposite – the speed at which communication moves and decisions are made are hijacked by an email dinosaur, which does not allow companies to implement a simple mobile app for the employee base.

So, here is my argument: HR, not IT, has to own the company’s mobile, digital and social strategy.

This strategy impacts key metrics such as productivity, headcount, innovation, communication, culture and leadership effectiveness, and for HR to continue to be relevant, it has to show data on each to the leadership team.

We keep talking about having a seat at the table and this is an opportunity to do exactly that – to have a well-informed opinion on the company’s social, digital and mobile strategy. Of course, each industry will have its own challenges of transparency or encryption, for example, in banking or defence, but we cannot let that hijack our original thinking that communication is good for mankind, and it is good for companies.

This does not require immense investment in enterprise software. There are plenty of free tools available that seamlessly

Harness the explosion of self-expressionWhy should HR, not IT, own the company’s mobile, digital and social strategy?

Seizing social: Allow people to share, learn and connect and impact the way work gets done.

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OPINION » Unconventional wisdom


ASHA MENONFormer vice-president of human resourcesCitigroup Malaysia

“But the philosophy behind an audit exercise is to ensure that everything is in the right place and nobody gets blamed for anything.”

It’s the same I would say that was the idea behind an HRD audit. Auditing is an opportunity for introspection if it’s done voluntarily by the HR managers. Most of us spend a lot of our time and effort in conducting internal surveys, building systems and processes and administering

training programmes without estimating the relevance and impact on our business. The HRD audit methodology addresses this and enables HR managers to assess the ground reality.

The challenge lies in the un-organisation of the companies. The HRD is still the most neglected department. It is mainly confi ned to staffi ng. The whole of the HR department is busy conducting interviews, managing high attrition rates, and in the name of HRD, the manager co-ordinates the dates and logistics for the induction of new recruits. The plight is the vicious cycle never comes to an end.

The way forwardHRD competence and business impact assessment are the magnum opus in this audit process. If all of us in HR undertake auditing in our respective companies and concentrate on the weak areas identifi ed, I am sure we can enhance HR credibility in the business.

“HR audits have proved that business-aligned HR teams tend to create sensible and impactful people policies and processes for the organisation.”

I do not fi nd any reason for HR managers to shy away from this introspection. I concluded by going through some of the books written by the profound writers in this area that the idea is simple and aims at the good of all.

The HRD audit is in a nascent stage. Its adoption will need a very high sense of integrity, an enormous amount of intellect, and an even greater conviction in the betterment of processes. It could very well be linked with the concept of HR accounting.

In future, only the organisations which hold a true value for its people will survive, while the rest will creep into the darkest corners. That’s why there is a dire need of some accreditation for the HRD audit which compels the organisations to follow the basic processes.

When I was fi rst introduced to the concept of HR audit three years ago, the fi rst thing that came to my mind was the scepticism reaction exhibited towards internal auditors.

Auditors are nit-pickers and fault-fi nders. Would HR practitioners be seen in the same light and be branded similarly? Isn’t it bad enough we are already seen to be discharging duties as the corporate “police function?”

Only when I embraced the underlying concept and understood the rationale and missionary behind an HR audit exercise was I able to comprehend and conceptualise the immense benefi t and potential revolution it could bring to the human resource department (HRD).

So, what is an HR audit?A HRD audit is a comprehensive evaluation of the current human resource development strategies, structure, systems, styles and skills in the context of the short and long-term business plans of a company.

Why perform an HR audit?Conducting HR audits is an integral part of an an HR professional’s role in any company. Not only will an HR audit help a company ensure it’s in compliance and conformance with the law, but it will help HR professionals standardise processes, identify risk areas, and tie HR goals to strategic business goals. There are various types of audits designed to accomplish a variety of objectives. An HR audit can be as comprehensive as needed within the constraints of time, budgeting and resources. There are also various steps an HR professional can take during the audit process to make the process run smoothly, effectively and effi ciently. An HR audit attempts to fi nd out the future HR needs of the company after assessing the current HRD activities and inputs available.

Why do organisations hesitate, and what are the challenges?Well, I would not talk of imbibing at this stage because an HRD audit per se is still a challenging idea to be accepted by many organisations, even among the contemporary HR managers. We often feel disgusted at auditors and the checks they perform. We often take the approach, “it’s best not to tell the auditors anything unless they specifi cally ask”.

Why you need to conduct an HR auditWhile HR professionals have acknowledged the value of conducting HR audit exercises, they still struggle with overcoming the complexity of the processes and making them more effi cient.

Surrender to the audit: There’s no reason to shy away from introspection.

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Upwardly mobile « OPINION


NORA MAHBOBHR directorL’Oréal Malaysia

People have always been at the centre of L’Oréal – so providing the most innovative programmes for talent acquisition, talent development and social protection is deeply rooted in the tradition of the company.

Because economic success and corporate social responsibility go hand-in-hand, L’Oréal’s HR policy is a key element of the CSR strategy, placing employee welfare at the core of the HR vision. This is why in 2013, we launched our global social protection programme, L’Oréal share and care.

The share and care goal is to provide the best possible environment where employees can work with peace of mind, knowing their social needs are taken care of. The programme covers four key domains for our employees – social protection, health, parenting and quality of working life.

Before designing the programme, we conducted a comprehensive survey in all 65 countries to assess the existing situation. The results of the survey were very surprising – L’Oréal already offered good social standards on social protection, healthcare, parenthood and wellbeing at work.

Thus, our ambition became to gradually take this further, ensuring all employees were provided at least the same minimum standard treatments, while at the same time, making sure our practices were everywhere at a level of the top performing companies.

We truly believe this strong commitment will also help us to be more creative and innovative, to ensure we are always one step ahead in this challenging domain.

In Malaysia, we highlighted parenthood as a priority because more than 70% of our workforce is female. It is important for our female employees to fi nd balance with their family life and being engaged at work.

With this in mind, we introduced 14 weeks of maternity leave, provided maternity allowance, and a dedicated “Wow Mom” room for mothers to nurse with privacy.

Second, we recognise quality of working life is an important aspect and we want to create an environment which allows staff to enjoy and enhance their motivation and engagement with the company. To do this, we created an internal working committee called WeConnect to introduce fun and engaging events – from organising thematic festive celebrations, family days, CSR events, movie nights and free lunches for all employees every Tuesday and Thursday.

We also introduced a coffee break corner on all fl oors for employees to enjoy during work hours. This is managed by our hearing and speech impaired employees as part of the company’s commitment to CSR and promoting diversity.

Finally, we are committed to taking care of employee health and wellbeing. We wanted to go beyond a reimbursement of medical treatment and encourage preventative initiatives and awareness training. We increased our health protection insurance and now provide health screening subsidies for all employees. We also organise regular wellbeing days where we invite healthcare professionals to provide awareness talks to encourage employees to stay healthy.

I feel that in HR, we are in a profession where our purpose is to contribute to the wellbeing of a person. I’m deeply passionate about this, as I am convinced there is a direct relationship between feeling good and doing well.

A company in the 21st century cannot develop in a sustainable manner without taking into account all the societal dimensions that constitute it. The human and social dimension is, in my eyes, what will make the difference.

Pass it forward: Boost business success by giving a hand to your employees.

The four cornerstones of protecting and caring for employees under the company’s Share & Care programme.

Being a responsible employer

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CAREERS » Personal development


uptheranksTracking HR’s industry moves

Who: Jason HoFrom: OCBCTo: OCBC� Cynthia Tan, head of group human resources at OCBC Bank for the past 15 years, will retire on 30 June next year, the company has announced. Jason Ho, presently the bank’s head of asset and liability management, has

been announced as her successor with effect from 1 July 2015.Ho will be appointed the deputy head of group human resources on 1

January 2015 to “ensure a smooth transition” before he takes up the role’s full responsibility.

Ho has been involved in HR initiatives over his two-year tenure, such as the bank’s mentoring programme as well as during the setting up of its leadership programme for senior leaders.

“I am pleased that our succession planning framework has continued to bear fruit. As part of this framework, we identify talent with the abilities to fi ll senior positions across divisions,” said Samuel Tsien, group CEO of OCBC Bank.

“Jason, though he does not come from a HR background, is one such talent. With his business background, his strong people leadership skills and proven management capabilities, I am confi dent he is well-qualifi ed to assume this important role.”

personalgrowth

WHAT’S STOPPING HR FROM BEING PRODUCTIVE?

Who: CM VignaesvaranFrom: Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB)To: Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB) � Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB) – the body which controls and administers Malaysia’s Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) has announced

CM Vignaesvaran as its new chief executive offi cer. He stepped into this role in an offi cial capacity on 1 November.

Better known as “Vicks” – he has 17 years of experience in various positions and industries in the corporate world, ranging across the construction industry, and the power, telecommunications and manufacturing sectors, a release stated.

He fi rst joined PSMB in 2010 as the general manager of the Training Grant Division, and in 2012 stepped up as the deputy chief executive (operations), before being appointed CEO.

Who: Madan NagaldinneFrom: FacebookTo: Facebook� Facebook’s Asia Pacifi c head of HR is leaving Singapore to take up a role in New York City. Madan Nagaldinne, who joined Facebook in 2011, will be the HR leader for the fast-growing New York offi ce, and also

the HR leader for the global sales organisation. This is effective 31 December 2014.

“Facebook is phenomenal at growing careers of their employees and this is an opportunity for me to partner with Carolyn Everson, our global head of sales, and her organisation, to attract, retain and grow our talent,” he told Human Resources.

HR professionals feeling stuck in the roles need to close the gap between themselves and the business, says Rebecca Lewis.

As the traditional role of HR continues to evolve, one thing is clear – HR wants a

more strategic role directly related to the business. And yet, so many of you feel as

though you’re not getting that opportunity.

In fact, when asked about where HR professionals spend most of their time,

71% said in employee management, 54% said on compliance issues and 42% said

on recruiting, according to a recent survey by BambooHR.

This is a problem because the same group of people said they would actually

rather be focusing on professional development (54%), conducting trainings (47%)

and managing and overseeing company culture (37%).

This disconnect is important because while HR professionals feel as though

they deserve to be taking a bigger role in culture and workforce planning, they’re

stuck hiring, fi ring, resolving issues and disciplining.

How can you as a senior HR leader overcome this gap between what the HR

function is perceived to be, and what it actually wants or needs to become? It all

starts with communication.

From this survey, HR professionals overwhelmingly feel it is the management’s

responsibility to make sure employees are happy in their jobs (65%) and that they

are being productive (82%). They also want more HR-related training (even though

two thirds spend at least an hour or more per week educating themselves on HR

updates).

Whatever the case may be at your organisation, the key to fi xing the

disconnect is improved communication – between yourself and the C-suite, as well

as line managers.

If you feel as though you need improved competencies such as business

knowledge, it’s up to you as an HR professional to skill yourself up and then

approach business leaders with your thought-out ideas and vision for growth and

success.

To change the business’ perception of HR, you need a performance plan which

outlines the business strategies – and the HR strategies which will support each

one. Show you can add value and that your time is better spent elsewhere than

managing the day-to-day activities of employees.

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Good reads to improve your business life shelflife

accurate and reliable information at hand to leverage big data properly and develop an analytical ecosystem

to manage internal and external information.

So many organisations have been sucked into the hype of big data, spending a lot

of money with relatively little return on their investment, as they try

to navigate data without really understanding its potential and the best way to manage it. But

Carter’s main point is that big data is only useful when it provide actionable intelligence – hence the book’s title – that guides our responses and helps us make informed decisions.

Through in-depth chapters, case studies and notes, this book provides a roadmap through a forest of data to help you unveil the true potential of the information at your fi ngertips.

Bookmark this!When gathering data, the main thing to keep in mind is what the data will be used for. By constantly asking that question you can be assured that you will not do unnecessary work when creating the foundation on which to build your successes. Ask yourself where the data will fi t in the big picture. This will also let you make sure that you can answer your strategic business questions – page 51.

Become the Real Deal: The Proven Path to Influence and Executive PresenceConnie DiekenJohn Wiley & SonsS$29.91

Want to be the leader you always thought you could be? All you need to do is become the “real deal”. In this book, well-known executive coach Connie Dieken explains that to become the leader you’re meant to be in your organisation, you need to be someone who can effectively infl uence other people to take action. By enabling others to action, you will see unprecedented dividends for leaders at all level – which the author calls Return on Infl uence or ROI – and discover your own centres of infl uence.

Through her chapters, readers will learn things such as how to push past things like narcissism and anxiety and pinpoint exactly what it takes to be a genuine leader.

In her experience as America’s foremost Fortune 500 communications coach, she helps readers discover their three layers of presence – inner presence, verbal presence and outer presence.

Once you understand these layers and the root causes of why some leaders can infl uence, while others struggle, you can begin to see yourself as the “real deal”.

Bookmark this!If you’re a leader, you’re on the receiving end of relentless and often confl icting advice about how to present yourself to the world. Perhaps you’re urged to be active on social media in order to stay visible and engage others. But what if you’re naturally private? Maybe you’ve been prodded to display your vulnerable side in the conference room so your staff will fi nd you relatable. But what if you feel that exposing your personal experiences leaves you susceptible to career-limiting rumours – or even a leadership coup? “Just be yourself” is well-meaning, but inadequate guidance – page 2.

How Great Leaders Think: The Art of ReframingLee G. Bolman and Terrence E. DealJossey-Bass

Better thinking is the key to better leadership. This book explains the best leaders can reframe and capture a sharper image of what’s going on around them.

The book uses modern examples to show how complex thinking helps leadership, illustrated by an infl uential four-frame model. This model offers leaders an accessible means to understand structure, people, politics and culture, that is, the four dimensions of organisational life.

Using examples such as Howard Schultz, Steve Jobs and Tony Hsieh, the authors help readers develop their own leadership with

Actionable Intelligence: A Guide to Delivering Business Results with Big Data Fast!Keith B. CarterWileyS$68.43

Big data is supposed to be the answer to our business woes. It’s supposed to make our lives easier and help us create actionable plans to improve business outcomes – but what happens when, as the book puts it, “big data means a big headache”?

In Keith Carter’s book, he describes what can happen when teams have usable,

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lessons on how to build morale and motivate people, how to develop a leadership story and how to map the political terrain and build a power base “to navigate the partisan struggles in organisations”.

Bookmark this!The human resource

frame expands leaders’ thinking beyond the rational nuts and bolts of narrow structural thinking to an understanding of how to create conditions that foster high levels of motivation, energy and effort. Leaders who commit themselves to key practices of effective people leadership – developing a philosophy for managing people, hiring the right people, keeping employees and investing in their future, empowering them and promoting diversity – have repeatedly built businesses that thrive on the strength of employee talent, energy and creativity – page 62.

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LAST WORD


Even though it can feel like not a lot changes year-on-year, when you take the time to stop and refl ect on the previous 12 months, you’ll surprise yourself with how much you’ve actually learnt.

Some of the broader things I’ve learnt this year are around my own leadership skills and work ethic, and I’ve also picked up a few smaller tips for life outside the offi ce (such as the best way to get my husband to agree to things is to ask him when he’s drunk. Just kidding ...)

But seriously, every year I constantly pick up new advice and lessons from some of the top stories we run on www.humanresourcesonline.net. As always, here are a few of my favourites.

1. Don’t be like Anton CaseyEvery year at least one person locally makes the news because they made a fool of themselves online. This year, it was the British banker’s turn, after he was shamed publicly and lost his job from posting insensitive and racist remarks on his Facebook page. When will we learn?!

2. Offering cool perks will get you noticedIt might not always be affordable, but you can’t deny some of the companies that got the most attention this year did it by publicising their employee rewards. From Facebook and Apple’s egg freezing for female staff, to Netfl ix’s and Virgin’s unlimited vacations, 2014 was the Year of the Employee Perk.

3. Women need to ask for moreOne of my favourite interviews this year was with Allergan’s Rebecca Port, who spoke about gender discrimination and unconscious bias. Among many insightful things, she highlighted the reason men typically get more than women (opportunities, money, etc) is because they’re programmed to ask,

while women typically wait to be asked. Right from childhood, women are told fairytales about being rescued or asked to the ball, and this mentality has been drilled into us for decades.

4. Flexible working is so hot right now2014 was really the year companies (in Singapore, anyway) started getting behind fl exible arrangements. It has been diffi cult in Asia to enforce this, but thanks to encouragement from the government, fi rms have started to realise the benefi ts of fl exible working, and are beginning to try to make this work for them.

5. Sometimes, CEOs really should just shut up’Twas the year of foot-in-mouth. American Apparel’s Dov Charney got in a whole heap of trouble for things he said/did; Microsoft’s Satya Nadella backtracked on a pretty sexist comment; and Stephen Elop from Microsoft (again) essentially fi red 12,500 by email. Sigh.

6. Stopping the unhappiness is really hardNo matter what companies do, employees in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and everywhere in between are still unhappy. Over the year we’ve reported on decreasing engagement levels, dissatisfaction with pay and plenty of grumbling over working long hours at a desk. How can we turn their frowns upside down? Isn’t that the question of the year!

Whatever you’ve learned this year, I hope you’ve had a great 2014. Here’s to a great year-end holiday and an excellent 2015.

What I learnt in 2014

[email protected]

In what has become somewhat of a tradition,

Rebecca Lewis outlines what she’s picked up on

in the past year.

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Human Resources Malaysia, Q4 2014

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Transcript of Human Resources Malaysia, Q4 2014