Employer of Choice Winners Revealed: Singapore's Best Companies to Work For

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SPECIAL REPORT
12 www.hrdmag.com.sg
Singapore’s workforce has spoken. The votes are in. Who did employees name
as the best employers in HRD’s inaugural Employer of Choice survey?
WHAT MAKES an Employer of Choice?
Firstly, that depends on what employees want. Whether it’s a
competitive remuneration package, strong company leadership,
training and development opportunities, or work-life balance, every
employee has an opinion.
But it also depends on if management is listening. Employees have
many ideas on things that would make their working lives better, but do
they actually think their employers are using these ideas to improve
their employment value proposition?
That’s why we asked them. In our inaugural 2015 Employer of Choice
Survey, HRD Singapore went out to Singapore’s workforce to give them
the chance to highlight the things they both loved and loathed at their
places of employment.
The result? A list of Singapore’s best employers, the companies that
employees want to work for and are proud to call Employers of Choice.
The results show many things, but one most of all: Singapore’s
employers are doing a lot right in their quest to attract and retain the
best talent. Aspiring companies could do much worse than follow the
example of the best in the market, as they push the boundaries of HR
best practice.
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www.hrdmag.com.sg 13
LEADING
FROM THE
CENTER
HRD: Why has the Center for Creative
Leadership decided to be involved in the
Employer of Choice awards?
ROLAND B SMITH: For more than four
decades, we at the Center for Creative
Leadership [CCL] have been committed to
shaping and accelerating the leadership
journeys of individuals, teams, organisations
and entire communities in Asia and the
world. As a top-ranked global provider of
executive education, we recognise that
of Choice is very critical for employers, and
cannot be understated. It is especially
important for organisations seeking driven
and talented individuals looking to grow in
their careers and unlock their leadership
potential. Such awards also boost the
reputation of employers and can potentially
attract more talent.
HRD: How do you believe such accolades
impactoncandidatesandexistingemployees?
HRD partnered with the Center for Creative
Leadership to bring you the 2015 Employer of
Choice Awards. Speaking to HRD, the Center’s
Roland B Smith explains why being an Employer
of Choice matters more than ever
value recognition, welfare and employee
engagement.
HRD: The overall Gold, Silver and Bronze
winnersonthelisthadtoperformconsistently
well across a number of different categories.
What would your advice be to companies that
aspire to be seen as‘best employers’?
RS: As Asia continues on this trajectory of
tremendous growth, organisations need to be
more keenly tuned to the global scene. This
global complexity and change has greatly
increased the demand for wiser managers
and leaders who are more learning-agile, to
overcome the challenges ahead. Employees
are also in search of a complete and holistic
experience, transcending mere ‘needs’, such as
salary and a good working environment, to
‘wants’ – being constantly engaged beyond the
basic tasks of work, and having a sense of
belonging and autonomy as well.
HRD: How do you think organisations can
maintain and even constantly improve upon
their Employer of Choice status?
RS: Innovation among employees is highly
underrated, and organisations should create
a system to encourage employee innovation,
complemented with a culture that supports
that mindset moving forward. Additionally, the
organisation needs to recognise the importance
of listening to employees. It is the only way that
they can customise solutions that meet the
needs of their employees – there is no one-size-
fits-all approach, and what may work currently
may not work as well in the future. Constant
tweaks need to be made in engagement
strategies to maximise employee potential.
HRD: Do you believe the Center for Creative
Leadership is important to creating the future
Employers of Choice?
RS: Very true. We endeavour to epitomise
leadership development, transforming the way
leaders, their organisations and their societies
confront the most difficult challenges of the 21st
century. This includes developing innovative
solutions and programs to empower employers
and employees alike to recognise the power of
their ideas and aspirations to create the most
ideal working environment, and transform
leaders and organisations that move worlds.
“We think being recognised as an
Employer of Choice is very critical for
employers, and cannot be understated”
RolandBSmith
employers play an integral role in identifying
and maximising talent, so it was easy to decide
to be involved with the Employer of Choice
awards – especially one that celebrates and
recognises the best employers in Singapore.
HRD: Do you think Employer of Choice status
is increasingly important in Singapore, and
why?
RS: We think being recognised as an Employer
RS: Because Singapore employees are
increasingly savvy, and acutely aware of the
value of these accolades, they do recognise
employers that can help realise their potential
to grow in their career. This becomes even
more important in light of the high turnover
rates we see from today’s workforce in many
industries. No longer are employees satisfied
simply with stability; they are constantly on
the lookout for greener pastures, and strongly

SPECIAL REPORT
HRD EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
METHODOLOGY
Dateofsurvey:June–July2015
Method:Onlinesurvey
Numberofrespondents:1,332employeesfrom118companies
EmployerofChoicestatuswasdeterminedbyaveragingemployeescoresgiven
toarangeofquestions/statements.Scoresrangedfrom1(stronglydisagree)to5
(stronglyagree)forthefollowingquestions/statements:
• Myemployerprovidessatisfactoryremuneration
• Myworkprovidessufficientopportunitiesfortrainingandprofessional
development
• Myworkoffersaclearcareerprogressionpathforallemployees
• Myemployerhasastrongcommitmenttoachievinggenderequalityinthe
workplace
• Myemployerprovidesmewithsufficientopportunitiestodointerestingand
challengingwork
• MyemployergivesmeaccesstothetechnologyIneedtodomyworkeffectively
• Myworkplacehasastrongworkcultureandahighlevelofengagement
• Myemployerfostersanenvironmentoftrustandempowerment
• Myemployerdemonstrateseffectiveleadership
• Myemployerhelpsmeachieveawork-lifebalance
• Myemployersupportsmyhealthandwellbeing
Howmanyhoursdoyouworkeachweek?
ShellEasternPetroleum
MarinaBaySands
Singtel
10–27hours
1%
28–47hours
53%
48–58hours
36%
58+hours
10%
“It is our strong belief that people are our key
differentiator at Shell.Our reputation for a
collaborative culture,and a high level of
authenticity,trust and respect for others,is
well known and well regarded by our partners,our
industry and our stakeholders.Likewise,Shell has a
strong culture for work-life balance and being
pro-family,and this is attested to by leaders
who are supportive and walk the talk.”
LeslieHayward,vicepresidentofHRforSingapore&Asia
OceaniaOperations,ShellEasternPetroleum
500+ EMPLOYEES
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
RESPONDENT SNAPSHOT
Gender:
Female
44%
Male
56%
“It is our strong belief that people are our key
well known and well regarded by our partners,our
industry and our stakeholders.Likewise,Shell has a
strong culture for work-life balance and being

Howmanydaysofannualleavehaveyoutakeninthelast12months? Areyoulikelytochangeemployersinthenext12months?
17% 83%
Yes
No
JardineOneSolution Power2Motivate
HotelJenOrchardgateway
Singapore
CegosAsiaPacific
PropertyGuru AluzincAsia
31%
4–10days
8%
21+days
12%
lessthan3days
49%
11–20days
“Power2Motivate’ssuccessisinfluencedbya
strongbeliefthateveryoneinthebusiness
playsasignificantroleinmaintaininga
healthycultureatwork.Havingasenior
leadershipteamthatgenuinelybelieveour
peopleandcultureisourstrongestcompetitive
advantageanddemonstrateawillingnessto
investinemployeeengagement
activitiesisvitallyimportant.”
MarkRobinson,executivegeneralmanager
EMEA&APAC,Power2Motivate
“At Jardine One Solution, staff have
witnessed the constant efforts we are
putting in to improve areas like productivity
efficiency, staff communications, staff
welfare and benefits, and initiatives that
create a fun workplace for employees.We
take feedback seriously, by not only working
on the action plans but also keeping
employees posted on progress.”
LynnPua,SoutheastAsiaheadofHR&administration,
JardineOneSolution
100-500 EMPLOYEES <100 EMPLOYEES
putting in to improve areas like productivity
welfare and benefits, and initiatives that
create a fun workplace for employees.We
take feedback seriously, by not only working
“Power2Motivate’ssuccessisinfluencedbya
strongbeliefthateveryoneinthebusiness
playsasignificantroleinmaintaininga
healthycultureatwork.Havingasenior
leadershipteamthatgenuinelybelieveour
peopleandcultureisourstrongestcompetitive
advantageanddemonstrateawillingnessto

SPECIAL REPORT
EMPLOYEES RATE remuneration as
one of the areas that satisfy them the
least. When compared with all other
categories, remuneration satisfaction
was second lowest, with employers
scoring an average of 3.66 out of 5.
However,thatdoesn’tmeanemployees
are actually dissatisﬁed. The Employer of
Choice survey results show the majority
of employees agreed (39.7%) or strongly
agreed (21.2%) that their remuneration
level was satisfactory, with a total of only
12% saying openly that they disagreed or
strongly disagreed.
But employers would be wise to
remain competitive within their industry
and be transparent about pay levels, as
employees are watching this closely.
“There is still room to improve compared
to the market standard,” one respondent
said. “It’s below industry average pay,
there are no salary grades, and there is a
wide disparity of salary for the same
position,” said another.
Leaders in remuneration recognise
these factors. Aluzinc and Shell both
benchmark against their industries, in
order to satisfy their talent.
“Ensuring our pay is competitive is
but one part of our whole value
proposition to employees, and we do this
through a rigorous process of bench-
marking pay against our competitors,”
said Shell’s regional vice president of HR,
Leslie Hayward. “We pay our employees
more in comparison to similar ﬁ rms in
the industry as we do value our
employees and wish to attract and retain
the best people,” said Aluzinc assistant
vice president of HR Rachel Chew.
TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES
ShellEastern
Petroleum
MarinaBaySands
AluzincAsia
REMUNERATION
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
EMPLOYERS SHOULD be comforted
by one thing: employees want to get better
at their jobs and are enthusiastic about
undergoing training to do it. Most agree
their employers are providing them with
opportunities to develop their professional
skills. “We have two training institutes and
our company strongly encourages training
by using KPIs annually. We never fear that
there is no training,” one said.
Butemployeesarecallingforconsistency
across an organisation, which is not
dependent on their position or department.
“Trainingisverydependentonwhatkindof
leader you are reporting to. My department
does not have any. However, to be fair, at
company level, they do encourage this,” one
respondent explained.
Top-performing companies embrace
innovative approaches. Singtel has regional
leadership programs that provide its future
leaders with the capabilities to shape the
industry.“Oneofthemostpopularprograms
is our annual Learning Fiesta. Last year we
had over 20,000 learning places for 179
topicsduringthefour-dayevent,”groupchief
HR officer Aileen Tan said.
Shell has sophisticated competency
management frameworks, and a genuine
approach to performance reviews.
“Fundamentally, it is really about our
leaders taking a personal interest at
developing our people,” says regional HR
head Leslie Hayward. “While one can
have structured learning programs – and
we have programs for colleagues at
different levels – their learnings are really
embedded while on-the-job with follow-
ups and coaching with their supervisors
and line leaders. It is this culture that
helps drive our people development and
continuous improvement.”
Power2Motivate
ShellEastern
Petroleum
Singtel

“Our HR total rewards team has designed a robust
rewards compensation system to recognise strong
contributors and motivate employees.”
YitFoonChan,seniorvicepresidentHR,MarinaBaySands
“Singtelworkshardtodevelopourpeopletohelpthemreach
theirfullpotential.Wehaveafullrangeoftrainingprogramsto
buildbothtechnicalskillsaswellasmanagementcapability.”
AileenTan,groupchiefHRofficer,Singtel
MY WORK PROVIDES SUFFICIENT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING AND
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
4.90%
7.52%
21.85%
37.24%
28.50%
MY EMPLOYER PROVIDES
SATISFACTORY REMUNERATION
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
8.39%
27.10%
39.69%
3.67%
21.15%

SPECIAL REPORT
Singapore
JPMorgan
NTUCIncomeInsurance
CAREER PROGRESSION
TOP-PERFORMING COMPANIES IF THEREisoneareainwhichemployees
say their employers can improve, it is
career progression. Out of all categories
surveyed, a clear progression path was
ranked lowest by employees, with an
overall score of just 3.55 out of 5.
A relatively large slice of Employer of
Choice participants (15.6%) were moved
to declare that they disagreed or strongly
disagreed they had a clear progression
path. A further nonplussed group (27.1%)
were neutral.
Employee feedback shows it is a lack
of clarity that dissatisfies employees
the most. Many are confused about
opportunities, or if they will be considered.
“Frequent change of management
focus makes career progression a blur and
confusing for staff to keep up, affecting
morale. Such a trial and error approach
jeopardizes employees’ career progression,
making it very hard for them to see their
career path,” said one survey participant.
On the other hand, employees who had
transparency about their future were
enthusiastic about their roles. “I have very
open discussions with my board looking at
the next 3-5 years,” one participant said.
Employers should take comfort that
over half (57.3%) of employees still rated
themselves satisfied or very satisfied,
despite the low overall score. Hotel Jen
Orchardgateway HR manager Derick Ooi
said in the end employees wanted to see a
future. “Indeed they can see their own
progress and glimpse the very clear career
path stretching out in front of them. I
believe this is what they seek, as they
strive to achieve personal goals and
objectives,” he said.
GENDER EQUALITY
ShellEastern
Petroleum
JardineOneSolution
CentralProvidentFund
EMPLOYEES HAVE spoken: when it
comes to gender equality, employers in
Singapore are doing everything right,
and employees appreciate it greatly.
“We have a high proportion of both
sexes in the office,” said one participant.
“We are an equal opportunity employer
and this works well in all respects,” said
another. And this: “Really appreciate
this in our workplace!”
Employees rated their feelings on
gender equality in the workplace higher
than any other criteria tested within the
Employer of Choice survey. A huge
majority (76.6%) of participants said
they either agreed or strongly agreed
their employers had a ‘strong
commitment’ to achieving gender
equality. Only 7.2% disagreed or strongly
disagreed with this statement.
Employers are achieving gender
equality in a variety of ways. Top-
performing company Jardine One
Solution, for example, has a commitment
to rewarding employees based on merit,
rather than gender, and offers equal
opportunities for promotion and training
to male and female employees alike.
Shell has made gender equality a
‘pillar’ within its workplace, and has an
aspiration to fill at least 20% of senior
positions with females globally. “This
starts with the authenticity of our culture
that empowers both genders,” regional
HR head Leslie Hayward says. “It takes a
holistic approach that encompasses
gender specific recruitment targets,
gender friendly policies, management
support at all levels and an inclusive work
environment with women networks,
mentoring circles and appropriate
leadership programs.”

“Ifemployeesknowtheirowntargetsandarepointedin
therightdirection,theytakeownershipanddotheirbest
toensurethesetargetsaremet.”
DerickOoi,HRmanager,HotelJenOrchardgateway
MY WORK OFFERS A CLEAR CAREER
PROGRESSION PATH FOR ALL EMPLOYEES
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
5.07%
10.49%
27.10%
38.81%
18.53%
“Wehavepledgedtobeafairemployerthroughrecruiting
employeesbasedonmerit–skills,experienceandability
–regardlessofage,gender,religion,andnationality.We
rewardstaffbasedontheirperformanceandcontribution.”
LynnPua,SoutheastAsiaheadofHR&administration,JardineOneSolution
MY EMPLOYER HAS A STRONG
COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVING GENDER
EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 10 20 30 40 50
2.80%
4.37%
16.26%
34.27%
42.31%

SPECIAL REPORT
EMPLOYEES WANT a challenge
and generally agree that employers
are giving them the quality work
they seek, with an overall category
score of 3.97 out of 5.
“I am constantly asked to take on
new challenges,” said one participant.
“With new clients and challenges
daily, it means that we can be engaged
all the time,” said another. Others
said they were creating their own
work: “There is a lot of autonomy and
trust given to employees to create
such opportunities.”
The responses of employees not
being challenged showed just how
important this aspect of HR actually
is. “There is a lack of brain stimulation
during work, it’s very stagnant, and
challenges become repetitive so it is
less interesting and not challenging,”
said one participant. “My job scope
does not have any power for decision
making,andIalwaysneedtoseekadvice
from superiors before committing to
the client whenever any demand arises,”
said another.
Top-performing company Cegos
Asia Paciﬁc said giving employees
opportunities actually created “great
coachable moments” that could even
turn into “excellent hot-beds for new
ideas and different ways of working”.
“As leaders in this business we
have deﬁned process and systems to
help us work – in many cases our
employees have challenged this and
evolved the approach, suggested and
championed new ways of working,”
explained regional managing director
Jeremy Blain.
“Where this works there is a
greater sense of empowerment and
ownership across the team.”
Companies like Cegos recognise
thatconstantchangemeansemployees
can actually help organisations be
more agile.
“We need more help in this than
perhaps some leaders are willing to
admit to. Our philosophy at Cegos is
that we have talent at all levels and
we should mine this and be prepared
to learn from our people as much as
us supporting them.”
“Werespectourstafftotheextentthatwe
willchallengethemandnotjustgivethem
menialtaskstocomplete.Wewant
value-addfromeveryoneandwefeelwe
haveemployeesatalllevelswhocanadd
valuebeyondtheirjobdescription.We
activelyencourageandprovidethese
opportunitiestogetstuckinand
demonstratewhattheycando.”
JeremyBlain,regionalmanagingdirector,CegosAsiaPacific
CegosAsiaPacific
JPMorgan
NTUCIncomeInsurance
QUALITY OF WORK
MY EMPLOYER PROVIDES ME WITH SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITIES TO DO INTERESTING
AND CHALLENGING WORK
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 10 20 30 40 50
2.45%
6.99%
15.38%
41.61%
33.57%

SPECIAL REPORT
LEADING EMPLOYERS are wholeheartedly embracing technology as they seek
to make workplaces more efficient and effective, and more collaborative.
And employees are noticing. “My employer encourages me to flexibly use social
technologies that suit the region, culture and networking in the Asia-Pacific
region,” said one participant. “We spend more than some tech firms in terms of
investment in technology, which shows our firm’s dedication to creating the best
possible work environment for its people,” said another.
However, lack of access to efficient technology can be very frustrating for
employees, and they are not afraid to voice their displeasure. “Most of the sites are
blocked, which makes it difficult to do sourcing,” said one. “Always no budget or
themachinesanddevicesgivenarenotbrandnew,”saidanother.Manycomplained
that not enough was being invested in overall IT infrastructure, causing things
like ‘laggy’ computers to slow down employees, or tasks like data entry to be
unnecessarily time-consuming.
It is interesting to note that, although employees generally agree they are being
given access to the technology they need to do their work, there were fewer
employees that strongly agreed in this Employer of Choice category.
Cegos Asia Pacific is one company leading the way, saying increasing demand
for a “personalised human capital strategy” will require appropriate technology
and tools to enable greater levels of cross-organisational collaboration and
communication. Aluzinc’s Rachel Chew agreed: “We ensure accessibility of
technology is readily available to enhance constant engagement in and out of the
workplace among employees.”
Cegos plans to forge ahead: it already uses e-learning and mobile learning, and
has attempted to stave off “death-by-email” by introducing WhatsApp Messenger
groups, which has already resulted in a “massive productivity boost”. “We employ
the best technologies for the jobs in hand, without bamboozling our employees or
customers,” regional managing director Jeremy Blain said.
“Webelieveinworkinghardandsmart,so
technologyisatoolthatwestrongly
embracetoenhanceourworkflowand
processes.Thisinturnminimises
unnecessaryworkprocessesandshortens
turnaroundtimes,helpingustoincreaseour
employeesatisfactionlevels.”
RachelChew,assistantvicepresident,HR&administration,AluzincAsia
CegosAsiaPacific
Cargill
AluzincAsia
TECHNOLOGY
MY EMPLOYER GIVES ME ACCESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY I NEED TO DO MY WORK
EFFECTIVELY
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 10 20 30 40 50
2.45%
6.47%
19.06%
42.31%
29.72%

WITH THE second-highest overall
score of 3.97 out of 5, work culture and
engagement is something Singapore’s
employers are doing right.
Almost three-quarters (74.5%) of
employees either agreed or strongly
agreed they had a strong work culture,
and a further 16.1% were neutral.
“Unparalleled,” said one ecstatic
employee. “Our leadership walks the
talk.” And another said: “We have a
very strong and fun work culture. This
allows us to work efficiently and still
enjoy ourselves along the way.”
Top-performer Power2Motivate said
the company strives to be open and
direct while promoting a challenging
work environment that develops its
people.
“We work as a team with respect
and trust for each other, have fun,
recognise, celebrate and reward our
accomplishments,” said executive
general manager Mark Robinson.
“Power2Motivate has created a
culture that is enthusiastic, dynamic,
high on trust, low on politics, great at
sharing resources and is full of meaning
and signiﬁcance. We all understand
our purpose and vision. We also possess
a strong work ethic with big ideas.”
However, employees were not all
complimentary. Some complained
that the culture had changed over
time with the departure of key
employees, and others that they worked
in silos, which did not foster company-
wide engagement.
Marina Bay Sands offers a range of
social activities, including recreational
clubs for badminton, basketball,
bowling, soccer, dragon boat and
athletics, while Jardine One Solution
credits some of its culture success to a
range of team-building activities
designed to foster collaboration and
team spirit.
“Ourcultureishighenergy,passionate,fun
andcollaborative.Respectalsoplaysan
importantpartinourvalueswherewe
respectnotonlyour‘Gurus’andcustomers,
butalsoprideourselvesongivingbackto
thecommunity.Wethinkitresonateswell
astheteamisyoungandwantasense
ofpurpose.”
ChristineLoo,chiefpeopleandcultureofficer,PropertyGuru
Power2Motivate
CentralProvident
FundBoard
PropertyGuru
WORK CULTURE AND ENGAGEMENT
MY EMPLOYER HAS A STRONG WORK CULTURE AND A HIGH LEVEL
OF ENGAGEMENT
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
3.67%
5.77%
16.08%
39.34%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
35.14%

SPECIAL REPORT
EMPLOYEES VALUE being trusted highly, and Singapore’s employers are
striving to invest more responsibility in their staff to give them a competitive edge.
The Employer of Choice survey results show that employees largely agree they
are being trusted by their employers. Only a small proportion of respondents
(10.3%) disagreed or strongly disagreed with their current empowerment.
When asked if their employer fostered an environment of trust and
empowerment, one employee said: “My board will empower me and supports my
decisions for the long term.” And another said: “Most definitely, even down to
intern level.” The competitive advantage this brings was very clear: “All employees
are empowered to ‘make it right’ with the customer.”
Jardine One Solution’s Lynn Pua said the company’s policies described levels of
authority, and this provided managers at different levels within the organisation
with clear guidelines on approval. “In addition, staff are engaged in important
meetings and projects and offered the chance to bring new ideas to the table for
making improvements to processes and job tasks.”
Cegos Asia Pacific, meanwhile, employs a fairly flat structure without layers of
management, meaning there is an open-door policy running both ways. “We
should all be able to talk freely and openly to one another, share input, provide
feedback and be prepared to receive it in the right spirit,” said regional managing
director Jeremy Blain. “This helps us operate better as a team and allows for more
flexible working, lighter moments and a balance between work and outside of it.
This is appreciated by our valued employees and in return the company gets high
degrees of loyalty, low staff turnover and professional customer-focused working
practices. A win-win.”
Blain said Cegos employees appreciated being able to take ownership of their
part in the company, without being ‘micro-managed’. “We allow for mistakes and
encourage a certain amount of calculated risk taking – sometimes this works and
sometimes not – but every time we as a company and our employees learn from it,
improve and get better the next time,” he said.
“Thetrustinourstaffmakesthemtake
personalprideintheirworkandownapiece
ofthecompany’ssuccess.Itisnoteasyto
seekourmanagers’buy-inforengaged
employeesandtoearntrustand
empowerment,butourtopmanagement’s
supporthasplayedapartinpushingthis
credencefurther.”
JardineOneSolution
JPMorgan
CentralProvident
FundBoard
TRUST AND EMPOWERMENT
MY EMPLOYER FOSTERS AN ENVIRONMENT OF TRUST AND EMPOWERMENT
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 10 20 30 40 50
4.02%
6.29%
14.86%
42.48%
32.34%

“Tohaveasustainablebusiness,weneed
tohavestrongleaderswhocannotonly
developthestrategiestoleadinavery
competitiveindustry,theyalsoneedto
attract,developandengagetalent.”
AileenTan,groupchiefHRofficer,Singtel
OVER 70% ofSingaporeanemployees
who participated in the Employer of
Choice survey agreed or strongly agreed
they had effective leadership.
The resultant commendations from
loyal employees were strong. “They
deliver on their promises and lead by
example,” said one participating
employee. “They don’t rely on their
titles or seniority, rather, it’s the trust
and rapport they build with employees
that gives them their credibility.”
Top-performing company Cegos’s
leaders try to understand the oppor
tunities, pain points and pressures
for employees at all levels of the
organisation to ensure they are attuned
to the realities of the workplace. “We
have pride in our leaders’ ability to work
operationally as well as strategically
and this is good for us, for customers
and for the perception of our leaders
within our employee community,”
regional managing director Jeremy
Blain said.
Being a part of the team – rather
than too far removed – is also a strategy
that works. “We do not set ourselves up
on pedestals, we do not have special
privileges,” he said. “We are part of a
high performing team where everyone
is valued, where we listen and where we
can support and grow.”
Singtel’s group chief HR officer,
Aileen Tan, said the company benefits
from a strong leadership team, and is
“working hard to develop the next
generation of leaders and technical
specialists”. This is being achieved
through its cadet program, SHINE
internships, Singtel Scholarships, a
management associate program, and
talent development programs.
CegosAsiaPacific
TeleflexMedicalAsia
Singtel
LEADERSHIP
MY EMPLOYER DEMONSTRATES EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 10 20 30 40 50
3.15%
7.52%
17.31%
40.56%
31.47%

SPECIAL REPORT
MY EMPLOYER HELPS ME TO ACHIEVE A WORK-LIFE BALANCE
EMPLOYER APPROACHES to work-life balance vary dramatically, something
that is reflected in the mixed survey feedback received from employees.
Some employees think their employers’ demands are an imposition on their
daily lives. “I need to report to work by 07:00 in order to send daily reports to our
headquarters; that means I need to rush to send my kids to a child care centre,”
said one. Another said: “My manager specifically requests staff to stay contactable
until 7pm, despite starting work at 8am.”
Others are revelling in flexibility. “We are allowed to work from home even as
interns and we are free to work out a schedule that best fits employee and
employer,” said one. Another said: “I am able to (within reason) dictate my hours
as long as my work gets done. I can start early and leave early to spend more time
with my kids and also work from home as required.”
However, Employer of Choice results show the bulk (over 70%) of employees
are satisfied or very satisfied with their work-life balance. It appears that top-
performing employers are wowing employees by pushing the boundaries of what
it means to provide flexibility, a flexibility that “in itself is innovative and fosters
innovation and can come about in different ways”, according to Power2Motivate’s
executive general manager Mark Robinson.
For PropertyGuru, this means providing flexible work hours, as well as
balancing work with sports and recreation activities, such as badminton, soccer
and Zumba, and workplace computer games and table football in the office. “We
also respect official country and religious holidays and when appropriate allow
people to leave the office early ahead of a major event, such as Hari Raya or Chinese
New Year,” said PropertyGuru’s Christine Loo.
Aluzinc employs relatively flexible daily working hours, with additional bonus
annual leave each year entitling employees to at least 21 days off.
“Work-lifebalancemeansdifferentthingsto
differentpeople–thereareno‘one-size-fits-
all’approaches.Power2Motivatehasa
shared‘FlexibilityCharter’whichisintended
tofacilitatediscussionsbetweenmanagers
andemployeesaroundbroaderflexibility
optionsaswerecognisethatflexibility,when
managedwell,iseffectiveinimproving
productivityandengagement.”
MarkRobinson,executivegeneralmanagerEMEA&APAC,Power2Motivate
Power2Motivate
MarinaBaySands
PropertyGuru
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 10 20 30 40 50
3.15%
5.24%
20.45%
40.73%
30.42%

ZUMBA CLASSES, StepUp challenges, stress and healthy eating workshops,
fruit days and health checks are just some of the beneﬁts being offered to employees
in Singapore, and the verdict is in: they like what they see.
“Alotofwellnessinitiativesarebeinginitiatedandhaveattainedgoodfeedback,”
said one Employer of Choice survey participant. “We are able to attend yoga and
gym with subsidies from work,” said another.
Employees agree with the overall employer approach to their health and
wellbeing, with a low proportion (7.2%) disagreeing or strongly disagreeing.
Health checks appear to be a widespread initiative among employers – both
appreciated and requested by employees – while health-related talks and
workshops and subsidies for gym memberships are also in demand.
The only criticisms were from those employees who felt they were missing out
on more progressive health and wellbeing initiatives at other companies, or who
thought their employers could be more creative or proactive in this area.
Marina Bay Sands has embraced the chance to keep its employees in good
health, with a range of progressive measures. For instance, it has a dedicated
Member Healthcare Centre, serves 8,000 complimentary restaurant-quality hot
meals a day to its employees, and gives team members access to wellness
workshops, exercise classes and an exclusive staff reward program.
Jardine One Solution organises health-related activities such as lunch talks,
ﬁtness classes, health screenings, sports activities, as well as targeted intervention
programs for weight and chronic disease management. “The programs have been
well received by staff and strongly supported by management,” Jardine One
Solution’s Lynn Pua said.
Hotel Jen Orchardgateway’s HR manager Derick Ooi said “nothing is more
important than employee health and wellbeing” to the success of the hotel. “When
you take care of them, they take care of our guests; so it is an obvious decision to
stay healthy at all times and promote this way of living,” Ooi said.
“Providingahealthyworkplaceisthekey
settingforpromotingthehealthofour
workforce,andthroughitweenhancethe
workenvironmentandculture. Theaimof
ourworkplacehealthplanistocreatea
healthyworkforceandahealthy
organisationthatcontributestohigher
productivityandabetterqualityoflife.”
JardineOneSolution
MarinaBaySands
Singapore
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
MY EMPLOYER SUPPORTS MY HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Stronglydisagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Stronglyagree
0 10 20 30 40 50
2.10%
5.07%
19.93%
39.86%
33.04%

Employer of Choice Winners Revealed: Singapore's Best Companies to Work For

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