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Revealing HR Modernisation: Enriching Employee Engagement in the workplace

gjc on February 25, 2025

Written By: Rose Tan

The global workforce is undergoing a significant shift in HR modernisation. Compelling statistics highlight the urgency of this change. The 2024 State of the Global Workplace report from Gallup reveals that only 23% of employees worldwide feel genuinely engaged. This low engagement leads to a staggering loss of productivity, costing US$8.9 trillion each year. Companies with highly engaged employees earn 23% more profit and see a 14% increase in productivity compared to those with lower engagement levels.

In Singapore’s competitive market, keeping talent is essential. The cost of replacing an employee can reach 150% of their annual salary, especially for specialised roles. 46% of Singaporean employees may leave their jobs within a year. This disengagement can significantly impact finances. Companies need to adopt strategies to boost employee engagement and retention.

The High Cost of Disengagement

Disengaged employees drain resources and hurt productivity. Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report shows a stark reality: only 23% of employees worldwide feel engaged. This disengagement costs the global economy US$8.9 trillion each year. The situation is as worrying in Singapore. Research shows disengaged employees are less productive. They also miss more work and increase turnover rates. This disrupts workflow and team spirit, leading to significant financial losses.

The Benefits of Engaged Employees​

In contrast, companies with engaged employees enjoy many benefits. Gallup’s research shows these companies see a 23% increase in profitability and a 14% rise in productivity. Engaged employees care more about their work, are more innovative, and often go above and beyond. They help make the workplace better, and boost business growth.

Key Transformation Pillars

Flexible Work Models

In today’s job market, flexible arrangements and hybrid models are key to attracting and keeping talent. Employees appreciate the freedom and work-life balance these models offer. They can decide when and where to work. This flexibility cuts stress, raises job satisfaction, and aids in juggling personal and work tasks.

Hybrid models mix remote work with in-person collaboration. This approach balances face-to-face interactions and builds team unity. Companies that support hybrid and flexible work show they care about employee well-being. This approach also helps create a more inclusive and engaging workplace. This adaptability is key for attracting and keeping a diverse workforce. It also helps build a culture of trust and autonomy.

Technology and AI Integration

Technology is growing fast. This change is transforming HR practices. As a result, organisations are using new tools to stay competitive. AI tools streamline tasks, enhance decision-making, and improve the employee experience. They automate repetitive tasks, allowing HR professionals to focus on strategic goals. AI recruitment platforms expedite candidate selection and enhance hiring quality. Employee experience platforms support instant feedback and custom development. This helps create a more engaging workplace, which boosts productivity and keeps employees longer.

Inclusive Policies and Government Support

Creating a supportive and inclusive work environment is paramount in today’s competitive landscape. This means creating inclusive policies for all employees. We should promote work-life balance through flexible work options. We should aim to reduce stress with mental health resources and wellness programmes. These efforts create a workplace where employees feel valued and can do their best.

The Singapore Budget 2025 is a positive step for employee well-being and skills development. The SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant provides significant financial support. It covers up to 70% of costs for companies that train their workers. This includes older staff and those using digital HR solutions. The Progressive Wage Credit Scheme encourages businesses to adopt progressive wage models. It rewards those that focus on employee growth and skills development. Organisations can use these Government Support initiatives to create a more engaged and skilled workforce. This also shows their commitment to a supportive and inclusive work environment.

modern HR strategies for boosting employee engagement in the workplace

Actionable Strategies for Enhancing Employee Engagement

1. Skills Development:

  • Conduct regular skills gap analyses using tools like skills assessments and performance reviews.
  •  Offer targeted training programmes, such as workshops on new software or leadership development courses.
  • Leverage government initiatives like the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant to upskill your team.

2. Personalised Benefits:

  • Offer flexible benefits platforms that allow employees to choose options that best suit their needs.
  • Provide a wide range of benefits, including childcare support, eldercare assistance, and mental health resources.

3. Holistic Wellness:

  • Provide comprehensive wellness programs that address physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
  • Offer mental health apps with confidential support, organise mindfulness workshops, and implement ergonomic assessments for workstations.
  • Encourage healthy work habits with initiatives like step challenges and healthy eating programmes.

4. Feedback and Recognition:

  • Implement regular feedback mechanisms, such as pulse surveys and one-on-one meetings.
  • Create a culture of recognition by publicly acknowledging achievements, offering small rewards, and implementing peer-to-peer recognition programs.

Implementation Strategy

  1. Assess and Plan:
    • Conduct an organisational readiness assessment to identify areas for improvement.
    • Develop a phased implementation plan with clear timelines and milestones.
  2. Integrate Technology:
    • Choose HR tech solutions that address your specific needs.
    • Ensure seamless integration with existing systems to avoid data silos.
  3. Develop Policies:
    • Create clear and concise policies for flexible work arrangements, performance management, and wellness programmes.
  4. Training and Development:
    • Provide training on digital literacy, remote leadership, and continuous learning.
    • Establish clear pathways for employee development, including mentorship programmes and online learning platforms.
HR modernisation data chart showing employee engagement growth trends

Measuring Success

Track key metrics to assess the effectiveness of your HR modernisation efforts:

  1. Employee engagement scores
  2. Retention rates
  3. Productivity metrics
  4. Return on HR technology investment
  5. Wellness programme participation rates
  6. Training completion and effectiveness scores

Regularly analyse this data to make informed decisions and ensure your strategies are driving positive change.

Ready to transform your HR practices?

Embracing HR modernisation and boosting employee engagement are key to success today. Companies in Singapore can create a more engaged and productive workforce by using flexible work options, applying new technologies, and creating welcoming workplaces. This journey of HR modernisation gives organisations a chance to adapt, innovate, and grow sustainably.

Our team of experts at Good Job Creations specialises in providing tailored HR solutions to help organisations navigate the complexities of HR modernisation. 

Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and discover how we can empower your organisation to build a thriving and engaged workforce for the future.

Bridging the Generational Divide: 3 Practical Strategies

gjc on January 20, 2025

by Destiny Goh

  • Some might think younger individuals constantly question and challenge their authority and leadership; the young people might feel unheard and unacknowledged at the workplace.  
  • Change begins when we want to see improvement and to capture any opportunity for growth is to be open to it.  
  • We can enhance the potential of both generations by encouraging organic growth, two-way collaborative mentorship and cultivating healthy, progressive mindsets.  
  • This article is inspired by multigenerational teams at Good Job Creations.  

A perspective of the generational divide

How to build passion through growth, value, and effort

By 2030, Gen Z (1997 – 2012) will make up a third of the workforce, taking over leadership and paving the way for the next generation. Progressive, bright, and vocal, they keep the older generation on their toes, ready for another debate or discussion.

Like most businesses where speed, scale and scope matter, Gen Z’s workplace expectations contrast traditional ways; work-life balance, salary expectations, face-to-face communication, mental health, and inclusivity are regularly discussed.

What the older generation such as millennials (1981 – 1996), Gen X (1965 -1980) and above considers as work taboo topics, the younger ones bring up to strike a balance and understanding between both parties, allowing them to make the most out of their chosen careers.

When unfamiliar changes challenge the status quo, it takes away that sense of security and what feels ‘right’. Some might think these younger individuals constantly question and challenge their authority and leadership. In return, the young people at the workplace might feel unheard and unacknowledged.

So, who should initiate the first step of change?

Here’s an analogy: though a parent forces their opinions or advice on their children, it doesn’t necessarily mean their child will take heed; some might rebel to experience things independently. However, it’s also the parent’s responsibility to educate, nurture and advise their children the best way they know through their experiences of what’s worked well for them.  

Similarly, when a child shares their perspectives or the changes they want to be made, parents might pick out some good pointers and do their best to accommodate (though it would not happen immediately), but not everything that needs to be changed should be changed, in effort to maintain order at home. 

Change starts when we want to see improvement; to capture any opportunity for growth is to be open to it. 

How do we bridge the generational divide to enhance the potential of both parties instead of being focused on our differences in the workplace?

  1. Encourage organic growth  

Gen Z quickly observes the culture, dynamics, working style, leadership and how things are run in any workplace.  

Consultant and fellow Gen Z, Zia Xin, says organic growth was her opportunity to build on intangible and stakeholder management skills; it also taught her independence.  

Experienced individuals should make intentional nurturing a priority. Realise that we all got to where we are now with the learning opportunities and the guidance we received.  

Sharing with them your past learning experiences and the values you’ve learned could help them avoid certain pitfalls; make room for errors and guide them through it; highlight areas for improvement.  

Career growth comes in many aspects—knowledge, skills or even entrepreneur-based. The younger generation ought to be specific in what growth they desire to build on, be actively open-minded to change, ideas and feedback, and be humble and teachable, as this helps them be better learners.   

  1. Two-way collaborative mentorship 

Why not leverage a two-way collaborative mentorship instead of a standard, take-and-take relationship?  

Firstly, it’s important to note that compatibility matters between mentor and mentee, so consider these aspects before building a two-way collaborative mentorship: 

mentor-mentee relationship traits for cross-generational success

Illustration by Author

Mentors are people who have already achieved significant milestones and are aligned with organisation goals (and they don’t necessarily have to be in the same company as you).  

Why you should be a mentor? 

Mentors are a great way to learn from those you mentor. Doing so allows you to build on your interpersonal skills, such as emotional intelligence, effective communication, wiser conflict resolution and more.  

A mentor is likened to a leader; when you provide professional guidance and development, you’re helping one gain actionable and valuable skills to progress in their career. It’s an excellent opportunity to acquire new perspectives, rethink (self-reflection) and re-strengthen your existing skills and knowledge through practising what you preach.   

Team Leader San Li, who works with and manages Gen Z on his team, says, ‘The young ones challenge me to be logical and to get my facts right—providing me with alternative and enriching perspectives that help me see my blind spots.’ 

A mentor should seek to create value in those whom they mentor.  

Why do you need a mentor?  

Know what you’re looking for before you get someone to mentor you. If you’re starting your career, mentors can provide insights, knowledge or even how to develop valuable skills that enable you to succeed.  

If you’re looking for career growth, seek mentors who help you set reasonable goals and keep you accountable. This makes it easier for your mentor to track and assess progress, build on your strengths and iron out weaknesses through constructive feedback. 

  1. Cultivating healthy, progressive mindsets 

The mindset you adopt for yourself affects the way you lead your life. The difference in mindset between the generations has illuminated what Carol Dweck, author of Mindset, has previously discussed: a growth mindset is a starting point for change.? 

A growth mindset is about personal development, believing abilities, skills and excellence can be cultivated and developed. Minds as such seek challenge, curiosity and the hunger to explore.   

Regardless of the generations, here are some actionable points to shape a growth mindset:  

growth mindset strategies in the workplace for cross-generational collaboration

Illustration by Author

Ultimately, we have much to learn from one generation to another, and the shared common goal is to educate, contribute, discuss, exchange, empathise and support.  

Excellence: The Beginning Of It All

gjc on December 20, 2024

In my previous article of this series, I wrote about Grit vs Talent: What’s The Difference and Why Does It Matter? has unravelled what sets apart high achievers and their counterparts and how they exude excellence effortlessly.

In this article, I would like to explain that although we’re all gifted with different talents, born with different genes and into different family backgrounds, these should never be the deciding factors of one’s success. 

The journey to excellence is a road less travelled, and not many are resilient enough to stay on that path. But there’s always a small group of people who do, those are the ones who took the time to figure out their interests and stuck to them with deliberate practise. They are the grittier ones. 

Defying all odds with Grit

Grit mindset for personal and career growth

Have you ever wondered how Chairmans, C.E.O.s, and Directors of a company get to where they are? What about those colleagues of yours who get yearly promotions, and exude nothing short of excellence? You can’t help but wonder out loud if you had half their brains, genes, support system or even their degrees…perhaps you might be in the same position.

There was a period of time when academic performance was the determining factor to what higher education one pursues and in return, which career they end up in. Parents with financial means were able to afford extra tuition and enhancement activities, providing their children with a head start in life, while the rest with less were placed at a disadvantage. 

But, there were also countless stories of children who defied all odds despite their limited resources and poor living conditions, pushed through with grit and created something out of nought, the unwillingness to allow their circumstances to define their future. They changed their destiny.

Rewiring your mindset and changing your perspectives on how you perceive difficult circumstances and limitations determines the actions you’ll take. 

Interest: How it all begins

Contrary to popular beliefs, personal interests do matter—it’s what starts your job search, and what you ultimately decide to settle for, it also influences how you perform on the job.

Not everyone has the luxury of choosing from an array of occupations. Circumstances prevent most from doing so, and the rest take what they can get just to get by. And while we may envy those who proclaim they love their jobs, we shouldn’t be too quick to assume they have started from a different place. 

Here’s the thing: Interests are not discovered through soul-searching, instead, it’s sparked by interactions you make with the outside world.

Before hard work, comes play—it’s something fundamental that’s long forgotten. Long before committing to the ‘real deal’, you should go about experimenting and get your hands dirty in everything you find yourself drawn to because you’ll never know what you may find.

It is only through experimenting, you’ll eventually figure out the interest that sticks, and eliminate the ones that won’t. And when you decide on what you intend to pursue long-term, don’t be quick to abandon the pursuit that you chose to invest in.

Take a marriage commitment for example. After some time, romantic feelings between the couple eventually fade. But we both know that what keeps the marriage going is the effort invested by both parties that keeps it going. 

Just like interest, it must be triggered over and over again, exercise patience to see it develop into something great and keep showing up.Because falling in love is one thing, sticking with it is another. 

Always be bold and ask plenty of questions, seek those who share the same interests and goals, build meaningful relationships, and get a mentor with expertise to lead, challenge and encourage you.

Expect growth in your knowledge, expertise and skill and don’t be afraid to put them to the test. Be hungry for more. 

Practice: A cure to your Achilles’ heel

Starting your journey to excellence after failure or setbacks

Practice is an assiduous desire to do better. It resides in the minds of optimists who only look forward and want to grow further. Management consultant expert, Peter Drucker suggests to be effective is to “concentrate on the few major areas where superior performance will produce outstanding results…“

Grit isn’t purely devoting a large quantity of time to your passion and interests, it’s the quality of time—it’s what you do with your time and to focus on the things that bring you one step closer to your goal.  

A simple illustration is this: Remember when you had your first bike ride, you had exactly four wheels, including those pesky training ones you despise so much the second you get the hang of riding.

But then, dad tells you that you’re not quite ready and that you need to work on your posture and stability, and especially to keep your eyes peeled on the road ahead. Once the training wheels are off, you’re riding freely. And one fine day, on your usual bike ride, in an effort to avoid some crazy cat that sprung past your lane, you hit the brakes a little too hard and fell from your bike.

What do you do then? Get up, keep riding or give up bike riding altogether for the fear and pain it caused you?

The first half of the illustration shows that we all start somewhere and from the bottom. The training wheels are the resources we have, the knowledge we acquire as we deliberately practise.

Soon, you’re riding with ease, there’s a certain flow—a feeling of spontaneity that comes with it. You feel exhilarated because you know all that hard work has finally paid off, and your work is bringing you to places you never thought you could go. 

But success is hard-earned and it’s not in the absence of challenges and setbacks—those things come at you unexpectedly (like that cat). You break down, your ego gets bruised and you feel demotivated, but remembering why you got started in the first place gets you back up and to keep going.

Learn to embrace the failures and setbacks instead of shunning away from them. Make it teach you how to improve your pursuit of success and keep moving forward.

Consider another story of the famous inventor Thomas Edison who invented the lightbulb. No one expected to see him go far in life. In school, teachers labelled him stupid, at work, well, he was fired from multiple jobs. 

But what’s intriguing was how determined he was to not let failure and people define his worth and future. This man clearly knew what he wanted and went pursuing it. Edison was a great example of grit and resilience. 

His interest lay in inventing, and he certainly put it to work. He relentlessly improved one failed lightbulb to the next, figured out what went wrong and changed his tactics, and after what seemed like forever, he succeeded. So, imagine if Edison had given up on his second or third try, the course of history in this modern lifestyle would forever be altered. 

Your interest is what gets you to the starting line, but deliberate practice, resilience and grit are what get you to where you want to be. 

Written & Illustrated by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

Grit vs Talent: What’s The Difference And Why Does It Matter?

gjc on December 20, 2024

At times, exceptional performances at the workplace leave some wondering whether it’s a matter of talent or grit. The article series on Grit will unravel how high achievers succeed and why they stay successful, with part one helping you understand what true passion and perseverance can do for you.

Many will recognize talent from a mile away. When we see someone perform a task almost effortlessly, we often conclude that they’re extremely talented. But what most of us fail to see is the arduous hours spent in toiling, preparation, and practice that’s invested behind the scenes.

Academic Psychologist Angela Duckworth, who wrote Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, has done extensive research on thousands of individuals ranging from military cadets to salespeople to students at a public school and spellers at a Spelling Bee contest. 

Duckworth’s research has pulled back the curtains and unravelled what made high achievers so successful and also staying successful. After fine-tuning the results of her research, she concluded that a combination of passion and perseverance is what makes these people stand out from the rest; in other words,they have grit.

What is Grit?

Grit, in simpler terms, means perseverance and effort—to demonstrate an unusual ability that combines exceptional zeal and a capacity for hard work that strives beyond excellence. It’s a ‘never-give-up’ attitude.

More often than not, our passion for certain interests dwindles mainly due to a lack of commitment and perseverance. If we are looking for a certain outcome or success yet only put in meagre effort, chances are, we might also miss out on the improvement that slowly trickles in. And what’s worse, is that our impatience causes us to walk away just as quickly as we started.

Why does grit matter in what we do?

When we start something, the end goal is always to get the job done. But as for high achievers, they don’t just want good; they want to produce the best work. What separates excellent work from mediocre ones is this: High achievers tend to think they are not good enough; they are satisfied being unsatisfied—a huge contrast to being complacent.

However, some would argue, the ones who are naturally talented are just as capable of producing equally excellent results. So, what are the factors that set the gritty and the talented apart?

William James, a Harvard psychologist, declared “human individual lives usually far within his limits; he possesses powers of various sorts which he habitually fails to use. He energizes below his maximum, and he behaves below his optimum.”

What James was trying to say, is that we humans are only making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources. Hence, merely having talent without investing an ounce of effort, discipline, and perseverance will only remain stagnant—it will never reach its fullest potential. It’s almost as if there’s a gap between potential and actualization.

Therefore, talent alone is no guarantee of success.

Journalist and author, Malcolm Gladwell suggested that talent promotes narcissism in some—a behaviour that encourages short-term performance but discourages long-term learning and growth. We risk leaving everything else that matters in the shadows by placing talent on a pedestal. By doing so, we inevitably send a message to the other factors—including grit—are less significant that it ought to be. 

Nietzsche, a German philosopher, once wrote “Our vanity, our self-love, promotes the cult of genius. For if we think of genius as something magical, we are not obliged to compare and find ourselves lacking…To call someone ‘divine‘ means: ‘here there is no need to compete.’” 

Grit behaves the opposite, it challenges why must we emphasize plenty on talent and fixate such extreme limits on what we might do, rather than the actual effort put in that will decide where we would end up in the long run.

The ‘natural bias‘ is this: There’s a prejudice hidden against high achievers because they worked so hard for it but we would rather be inclined to those who we think arrived at their destination merely by being naturally talented.

By now, you would have understood thatgrit is not something built but practiced—it’s a high level of consistent effort and discipline. It’s about acknowledging your weaknesses and finding ways to improve. It’s not to yield to setbacks no matter the temptation but to press on despite unfavourable circumstances and challenges that come your way and to take rejection as merely a stepping stone to extraordinary achievements.

Grit, or talent, there’s no one better than the other, but rather, it intertwines with one another because what it does, is produce skill. To develop a skill is to spend hours upon hours beating your craft to create something refined.

One thing to take note of about skill is this—it isn’t the same thing as an achievement. To further illustrate this, in the absence of talent, your effort is barely anything more than your unmet potential. In the absence of effort, your skills are nothing more than what you could have achieved but didn’t.

The takeaway is this: A skill is produced when talent and effort intertwine, and at the same time, effort makes a skill valuable.

It’s no secret that there are no shortcuts to excellence. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Grit pivots ‘This is all you can do’ mentality to ‘Who knows what you can do?’

Written by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

Photo by David Köhler on Unsplash

Singapore Burnout Crisis: Symptoms and Solutions

gjc on December 18, 2024

In this article, we discuss the average annual income in Singapore, theaa occupations where you can quickly increase your salary by relocating or changing jobs, and tips for raising your income in Singapore.

3 Strategies on How to Build a Holistic Team

gjc on December 18, 2024

In this article, we discuss the average annual income in Singapore, theaa occupations where you can quickly increase your salary by relocating or changing jobs, and tips for raising your income in Singapore.