Opening Remarks at 17th Singapore HR Awards
Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Manpower, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands
Mr D N Prasad, President of Singapore Human Resources Institute, SHRI
Ms Low Peck Kem, Chief HR Officer and Advisor (Workforce Development) at Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office
Mr Loh Meng See, Former Vice President of Singapore Institute of Personnel Management
Distinguished Guests and Judges
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. Good evening! It is my pleasure to join you at the 17th Singapore HR Awards Presentation Gala, organised by the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI).
2. HR professionals are in the business of supporting people and companies through change, to thrive and maximise their potential. It is more important than ever for HR to develop and implement changes and strategies to strengthen the business and workforce’s adaptability and resilience amid the multi-faceted changing operating landscape. At the global level, there has been a transition from a system that was once open and cooperative to one that is now more polarised. Even within country borders, many communities are confronting divisions that stem from social and economic inequalities. And at the individual level, the average worker is faced with technological changes in the workplace, which necessitates frequent upskilling and reskilling.
3. The theme for this year’s awards is “HR Excellence: Elevating People, Empowering Success”. This aptly describes the value of our HR community in unlocking the potential of our workforce to thrive in this age of uncertainties and constant change. As a small and open economy, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to technological disruptions. For example, just two years ago, few would have imagined using Generative AI tools like ChatGPT that understand context and even humour in our daily work. As HR leaders, you must keep abreast of developments in Generative AI, as well as other HR technological tools to create capacity for more strategic HR work to enable business transformation. Moreover, employee engagement and retention strategies need to change to meet the evolving needs of a new generation of workers. For example, there are increasing demands for flexible work arrangements, a growing emphasis on mental well-being at the workplace, and concerns about career development. HR needs to stay ahead of these developments, and put in place systems, processes, and policies to address the evolving needs of both employers and workers.
4. Tonight, we celebrate the achievements, innovations, and best practices of companies in HR, from talent management, employee experience and well-being, to nurturing a people-centric and innovative culture. Later, I am excited to present the "Workforce Transformation Award for HR, Best-in-Class", jointly conferred by Workforce Singapore and SHRI. This award recognises selected winners who have demonstrated overall excellence in their HR and people management practices. This year, SHRI is also leading the community to award breakthrough HR initiatives through new award categories, namely ‘Excellence in Transformation & Innovation Award’ and ‘Excellence in People Policy & Design Award’. These new categories reflect and recognise the desired progressive HR practices that could address the challenges that I highlighted earlier.
Transformation through innovation and technology
5. There is great potential in using digital HR tools and systems to automate and augment HR processes, better understand the workforce skills profiles, redesign jobs, and develop a skills road map for the workforce. AI will play an increasingly advanced role in human capital management, from emphasising improved employee engagement and talent development, to pinpointing skills gaps within organisations, and planning for upskilling and reskilling of employees. Amongst the award winners today, many have embraced digital transformation, leveraging the power of technology and analytics to create a more efficient, effective, and engaging workplace and workforce for the future.
6. One such company is DXC Technology Singapore Pte Ltd, which has implemented an integrated learning system that consolidates over 2 million learning assets designed to enhance professional growth. Resources that employees can tap on include specialised skills training, virtual technical practice labs and partner network training opportunities. These resources are available 24/7 and accessible with just a click, supporting continuous professional development. The learning system also comes equipped with a robust interface that reports detailed usage statistics. This empowers DXC’s HR team with insightful workforce data such as the most popular courses to analyse employees’ training interest and learning needs.
People-centric HR policy and design
7. I have spoken about the importance of leveraging technology for productivity and workforce development. This leads to a strategic question for companies on how to engage and retain talent, so that they are connected to the company and contributing their best. There is an increasing focus on people-centric HR practices that sometimes involve a fundamental rethinking of how organisations manage and develop their workforce, and the corresponding investment in human capital.
8. I am heartened to see that there are award winners today who engage and build relationships with people and have well-crafted HR policies to attract, retain, and develop talent.
9. One such company is Singapore Land Group Limited, which has demonstrated commitment to building a nurturing workplace culture through deliberate employee engagement and development. SingLand introduced a WISE framework focusing on holistic employee wellness across four pillars: Wellness, Inspire, Socialise, and Energise. Under this framework, SingLand has implemented over 30 employee engagement activities annually. They have even designated every September as their Health and Wellness Month to promote healthy lifestyles throughout the organisation. Through SingLand’s efforts to cultivate a supportive work environment and provide professional development opportunities, they have seen marked improvement in their talent retention, with attrition dropping from 25.5% to 17.2%.
Partnership with stakeholders in the HR ecosystem
10. These HR transformations are supported by a strong HR ecosystem. SHRI has maintained a firm commitment on developing HR best practices, connecting the community of HR professionals, and enhancing the value of the profession. Events like tonight’s award ceremony facilitate the cross-exchange of best people practices and affirm the value of the HR profession.
Conclusion
11. In closing, HR is a key enabler for workforce and business success. Investing in human capital is critical for businesses to reap the full success of their transformation.
12. All the award recipients today have taken a significant interest in the development of their workforce to drive business excellence, and I encourage more companies to emulate such progressive people practices. My heartiest congratulations to all our award winners, and I wish you a fruitful night ahead.