Businesses for an inclusive Singapore

Published Business Times, 9 Apr 2012

Are businesses doing enough to help build an 'inclusive Singapore'?

What more should businesses, the government and workers themselves do to achieve this ideal?

Jessica Tan Managing Director Microsoft Singapore

IN a competitive economy such as Singapore, where profit and growth tend to dominate the agenda, companies sometimes overlook the latent capabilities of our older and disabled workers. We believe that every individual has the potential to contribute to society, if given the opportunity to acquire the right skills and knowledge to enable them to contribute to and benefit from economic growth.

To realise this huge potential, there is a need for close collaboration between public and private, as well as people sectors to develop world-class talent and build capability. That is why Microsoft has been working closely with the small & medium businesses (SMBs), NGOs, education and the public sectors to develop these skills. Because through these partnerships, we believe such untapped talent can help secure the country's long-term competitive advantage and economic resilience and make a real impact for an inclusive Singapore.

Hugues Delcourt Country Executive, ABN AMRO Bank NV Singapore and Chief Executive Officer ABN AMRO Private Banking Asia

WE applaud and support the government's commitment to building an open, fair and inclusive Singapore. As the oldest bank in Singapore, ABN AMRO has been an active employer and contributor to the local business community for over 180 years.

We actively support equal opportunity and employment for both local and foreign talent, regardless of nationality, gender and cultural backgrounds. We also invest in our existing talent pool in Singapore with customised development programmes with international graduate schools like INSEAD.

We look forward to further initiatives by the government in fostering sustainable inclusivity in the society. The key is to implement them in a transparent and effective manner for the long term without creating discriminatory sentiment within some pockets of society or community.

It is crucial to ensure that the business environment here remains competitive to allow companies and the economy to grow, paving the way for a better quality of life for all Singaporeans.

Jeffrey Goh CEO NETS

BUSINESSES can do a lot to help build an inclusive society. At NETS, we believe that for the company to succeed, we must help our people to move forward, particularly those at the lower levels.

For instance, our compensation package is designed not just to reward high performers, but also to take care of those at the lower levels by including one-time incentive payments to help them better manage rising costs and inflation. Our sizeable training budget helps our staff to upgrade and keep up with industry best practices.

We encourage our staff to grow with us as we want to develop leaders from within. And we have a sizeable number of long service staff with over 15 years of service and they are as committed and productive as their younger colleagues.

Eiji Koike President & Group CEO Cerebos Pacific Limited

AN 'inclusive Singapore' needs to be built from within and more can be done to achieve this. At Cerebos, it is important for us to have ongoing engagement with employees and address their concerns. We are also currently building growth pipelines from within which will enable employees to be part of the company's growth.

In order to achieve this ideal, we believe in building the right values and aligning them between the company and employees. Since the beginning of this year, we have allowed employees time off from work to volunteer for charitable causes.

It is critical to empower employees instead of forcing them to participate in charitable causes as the values should come from the heart instead of being enforced. Cerebos will continue on our learning journey to build an 'inclusive Singapore'.

Phillip Overmyer Chief Executive Singapore International Chamber of Commerce

FROM the Chamber's perspective, many of our members are doing their part and have several initiatives in place to help build an 'inclusive Singapore'.

One of the key areas is that our members support hiring Singaporeans at the core of their workforce. Companies look elsewhere only if they are unable to find the skills and expertise they need.

In addition, our members are committed to paying their employees fairly and adequately. However, when it comes to outsourced services such as cleaning and security, it is not possible to control pay and working conditions.

Our members hope the government will step in and put in place schemes to accredit companies in these industries and ensure that they remunerate their workers fairly. This would certainly help to lift the industry and go some way in building an inclusive society.

Through collaborations with organisations such as SCORE (Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises), SICC has been able to offer our members an alternative source of workers in the light of the manpower shortage. Our members have been very receptive to this option and a few of them have hired ex-offenders with positive results. It is encouraging to see that employers are prepared to place greater trust in these people in order to give them a second chance.

Stefanie Yuen-Thio Head, Corporate & Joint MD TSMP Law Corporation

I BELIEVE we have already taken the most important step - which is for Singapore to agree that we want to build an inclusive society. One where the old, the disabled and the weak will not be marginalised, but embraced for what they can contribute.

Moving forward, the government - as Singapore's biggest employer - can lead the way by implementing employment policies that will bring us closer to this ideal. It can also promote awareness of what businesses can do, and which agencies can help employers build a more inclusive workforce.

But employers need not wait for government to set regulations or roll out incentive programmes. We recently announced that we will be giving male employees two weeks' paternity leave, to be taken in the first year of their baby's life. We have also worked with charity agencies to hire employees with physical disabilities.

These are all policies that have come about through greater public awareness of the issues. As a small company, we are also able to implement more flexible measures that work for us.

Karin Clarke Regional Director for Singapore and Malaysia Randstad

SINGAPORE is making great strides towards building an inclusive workforce, such as raising the re-employment age and creating opportunities for people with disabilities through initiatives such as the Open Door Fund.

An avenue that should be explored further by companies in Singapore is creating a more flexible workforce. Given the tight labour market, business leaders can benefit greatly from contract or temporary hiring to fill critical skills gaps in demand and as required.

In turn, a flexible workforce can contribute to a culture of productivity, increase the overall labour participation rate and provide greater accessibility to meaningful work for working mothers, mature workers and people with disabilities.

Ray Ferguson CEO, Singapore Standard Chartered

TO build an inclusive Singapore is to make everyone feel included and at home. As Singapore's growth as a financial services hub drives the demand for talented individuals from Singapore and internationally, it is pertinent for businesses to do more to make employees feel included.

The first step is to be a fair employer. At Standard Chartered, we have pledged to the Tripartite Alliance as a commitment that we will continue to recruit employees based on merit; we treat them fairly and with respect; and everyone has equal opportunities for training and development.

This is especially important in our context because we have an international workforce represented by 55 nationalities working with our core Singapore team. So everyone has to feel that they are part of the family.

Annie Yap Managing Director AYP Associates Pte Ltd

EFFORTS in building an 'inclusive Singapore' must be intensified in order for firms to significantly contribute to this initiative. Global competition will only continue to intensify, and so it is necessary for businesses to create an inclusive work environment that can offer dramatic improvements in productivity, quality, creativity, customer service, job satisfaction and talent retention.

Through this, firms will be able to attract a broader pool of skills, talent and perspectives to draw from, for problem-solving and organisation success.

Companies may achieve this by planning ahead and strategically implementing sustainable efforts supported by the senior and top executives. Consistently communicating this to the whole organisation through engagement, accountability, and constant education is vital for success.

Ronald Lee Managing Director PrimeStaff Management Services Pte Ltd

I AM encouraged by the fact that companies have embraced corporate social responsibility more so in recent years. However, more can certainly be done to build an 'inclusive Singapore'.

The recent initiatives in Budget 2012 that were announced by the government a few months ago are very positive steps in creating an inclusive society as they predominantly target the low-income groups, older workers and those with disabilities - while offering employers incentives to hire these minority groups.

Having said that, however, there needs to be a greater paradigm shift in the workplace so that more employers adopt a spirit of inclusiveness and do more to create or redesign jobs to cater to the unique requirements of persons with disabilities and older workers, for instance. With the latest government push for increased productivity, companies should also find ways to improve processes and raise productivity so that the wages of those on the lower-paid rungs can be elevated.

Allen Ang Group Managing Director Aldon Technologies Services Ptd Ltd

HISTORY has shown that societies plagued by inequalities and injustices must ultimately fail. In their new book 'Why Nations Fail' MIT economist Daron Acemoglu and Harvard political scientist James Robinson conclude that the key differentiator between countries is 'inclusive institutions' which provide for the rule of law, level playing field, equal opportunity and respect for human dignity.

The government's role is to provide the institutions. But that is not enough. Businesses can play an important role in fostering inclusiveness. Unfortunately, job discrimination against the elderly, pregnant women, the handicapped and ex-convicts, is still rampant.

Much more can be done to persuade and encourage employers and business owners to accept equal employment opportunity as a good strategy: good for business, good for employees and good for Singapore.

The rapid pace of globalisation and technology advancement has widened the income gap. Employers can help the less skilled and lower income workers to upgrade so that they can have better paying jobs.

Workers must also be willing to make sacrifices and efforts to improve their qualifications and skills so that they are not left behind as the economy grows.

Lim Soon Hock Managing Director PLAN-B ICAG Pte Ltd

I BELIEVE that while more businesses are aware of the need to be more inclusive, they have not found the right time to practise it and, if they do, how to keep it sustainable.

All key stakeholders in Singapore need to be less MNC-centric so as to create a more favourable and congenial environment for our local businesses, especially our SMEs, to thrive and grow. When this happens, I firmly believe that significantly more businesses will be inclusive.

Our SMEs collectively can create more employment opportunities for Singaporeans, including older workers and people with disabilities, which will contribute significantly to our economic development and growth as an inclusive society. SMEs in a single industry cluster can contribute more to our economy than one MNC.

It is therefore vital that our government agencies embrace a more SME-centric mindset to nurture our SMEs in the same way as MNCs in Singapore are incentivised and supported. In doing so, we will not only achieve our economic growth but will also help define the character of our society and the country that we are building.

Low Lee Yong CEO & Founder MHC Medical Network

BUSINESSES can touch lives and enhance the well-being of society. Even SMEs can do so. It is neither about the size of a company nor about the donation of a billion dollars in order to touch lives. Every effort - no matter how small it is -counts for the benefit of society.

To build an inclusive society, businesses should not just look at the bottom line alone. Rather, they should build a culture to make sure that the less well-off in the workforce are taken care of and not left behind.

Businesses should also aim to touch lives beyond this by embracing corporate social responsibility. By embracing its CSR (Goducate), MHC has allowed its staff to get involved in helping the needy to help themselves.

Philippe Huinck Regional Managing Director, South and South-east Asia International SOS

AN inclusive Singapore will benefit all in the long term, as businesses and individuals will gain from greater access to talent and opportunities respectively, which could spur growth.

To achieve this, businesses should not only extend hiring opportunities to the elderly and disabled, but also ensure that their workplace facilities and policies are able to accommodate their needs as far as possible.

Beyond contributing to worthy causes, businesses can also play a more active role to promote social change that benefits a wider segment of society. Workers, on the other hand, should not shy away from taking up the opportunities to upgrade their skills, and recognise that doing so requires time, effort and other trade-offs.

To encourage these practices, the government could encourage this and introduce incentives that would provide businesses and workers with guidance and a call to action.

Deepali Chaturvedi Head of SEA Reed Specialist Recruitment

GOVERNMENT initiatives such as Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices have laid the groundwork for a more fair and inclusive working environment by identifying exemplary employers and best practices to learn from.

By embracing employees from diverse backgrounds and abilities, we make the business stronger by encouraging innovation and creativity.

This also enables organisations to build a reputation as 'an employer of choice', improve morale and attract and retain their best people.

With Singapore facing a shortage of talent, inclusiveness makes a lot of business sense.

A key challenge, however, comes from being able to change employers' mindsets. Inclusiveness must allow for risk taking and mistakes, and the willingness to learn from them.

In some cases, inclusiveness may seem to be an ethical consideration, but the thinking should be that what is 'morally right' is also right for the business. 

Liu Chunlin CEO K&C Protective Technologies Pte Ltd

FROM anecdotal evidence, it would appear that while multinational corporations can institutionalise corporate social responsibility (CSR) including helping to build an inclusive Singapore, SMEs would find it a challenge.

SMEs have many things to juggle, from keeping costs down to staying ahead with innovative services and products in a competitive and turbulent economic world.

The only way is for companies in general to see things in the longer term.

The government can play its part by staying committed to this holistic approach, so that economic growth alone does not come out as the only theme, even as it continually warns workers to be wary of global economic difficulties.

This holistic approach may not just be beneficial, but it may be crucial if one looks at civil strife even in developed countries when economic difficulties strike.

David Leong Managing Director PeopleWorldwide Consulting Pte Ltd

FOR all to enjoy Singapore's growth, the economic dividends must be shared through reallocation and redistribution of wealth to reduce the Gini coefficient and the rich-poor gap.

The slew of assistance programmes that are aimed at improving productivity with an end view of raising workers' incomes is a step in the right direction.

Employers must make the effort to ensure that, while preserving the core of the workforce for Singaporeans, their skills are raised through competency-based training through the Continuing Education and Training (CET) framework.

What the government can provide is stimulus and an enabling environment.

The reaction to this stimulus must come from participatory stakeholders. Only with active participation will there be an inclusiveness in Singapore's growth story.

Thirumalai Chandroo Chairman/CEO Modern Montessori International Group

INCLUSION should not be viewed as a social agenda; all efforts of inclusion are for business opportunities now. A healthy company begets growth.

Company cultures must change to survive the next century as employee profiles and customer demographics are changing rapidly - particularly for the younger generation.

The choice of work for young people is no longer defined by the mandates of salary and benefits; it is now also influenced by the working culture - an inclusive working culture that embraces their opinions and contributions.

Take for instance Google Inc. Their inclusive and convivial corporate culture has people competing for jobs with them.

We may not be able to embrace an inclusive culture immediately, nonetheless businesses should always start with employees feeling integrated in shaping the organisations' goals and with the knowledge that their talent is recognised and rewarded without bias.

Working towards leveraging differences in companies requires a blended approach for a more engaging workforce.

Organisations which demonstrate that they value diversity enable employees to feel esteemed and heard.

David Low CEO Futuristic Store Fixtures Pte Ltd

BUSINESSES, especially the service sector where operations are more visible to the public, do exhibit good signs of inclusiveness in the areas of corporate social responsibility.

We do see older workers being employed in various service lines, keeping the grey population gainfully employed. Likewise with the disabled community.

Keeping everyone engaged and connected to the society is instrumental to building an inclusive Singapore.

The spirit needs to be evangelised and fully acknowledged by individuals, not solely by a directive from the authorities or the government.

That said, to develop a skilled labour force with knowledge intensive centric industries, so as to raise our competitive employability as a whole, requires support and governmental initiatives to drive companies in their strategic moves.

With carefully mapped out measures being adopted by businesses in support of raising skills and productivity of the workforce, and the gradual mindset shift in individuals, inclusiveness is not a high calling.

Paul Endacott Managing Director, Singapore Ambition

TO foster inclusiveness, organisations should drive understanding, create awareness, develop talent and have an open communication policy with its employees in order to get their involvement in building an inclusive culture.

In our recent survey, 60 per cent of employees complained that they are not provided enough training and development to be equipped for career progression.

Supporting employees and encouraging personal development through information sharing and informal mentoring opportunities not only fosters inclusiveness and development, but also innovation.

Teng Yeow Heng Michael Managing Director Corporate Turnaround Centre Pte Ltd

INCLUSIVE Singapore should mean putting Singaporeans first. Businesses should know that Singaporean workers are internationally recognised as being of world-class standard.

Back in the 1970s-1990s, multinational companies based here embarked on programmes to localise their workforce with Singaporeans as these foreign employers recognised the value that Singaporean employees could bring.

They also employed Singaporeans to manage their Asia-Pacific operations.

Our government needs to impose the requirements for companies to justify recruiting expatriates before issuing employment passes if locals can do the jobs. Many countries have such policies to protect their citizens.

Most importantly, our workers need to set a good example to contribute more to employers and demonstrate why they should be given priority in employment.

Dora Hoan Group CEO Best World International Ltd

The two challenges to build an inclusive Singapore are to cultivate a harmonious society as Singapore is a multiracial country, and developing a metropolis. Another challenge is to help businesses, ageing population, needy and disabled people to cope with higher living costs.

Budget 2012 is delivering the government initiatives and direction to deal with the current challenges and to build an inclusive Singapore. The various subsidy schemes will more or less attract and lead the businesses going towards the government direction. To build an inclusive Singapore is a long term process. I think government will need to continue the effort for some time. All Singaporeans, whether local born or immigrant, may have to change their mindset to accept and adapt to this unique Singapore scenario of a multicultural society in order to build an inclusive Singapore.

Eric Hoh Vice-President Symantec, Asia South

In the Budget 2012 announcement, the Government unveiled plans to implement a string of long-term measures and incentives to promote an inclusive society where no Singaporean is left behind. It is heartening to see that Singapore businesses are heeding this call to retain older skilled workers and provide training opportunities to upgrade their employees' skill sets, in particular those in the low income bracket. These initiatives have not only helped businesses maintain and enhance their competitive advantage, but also retain intellectual property and know-how, contributing to the achievement of a healthy and sustainable bottom line.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Symantec believes in embracing diversity and creating an inclusive work environment are the keys to unlocking potential. By putting in place initiatives such as employee development programs, we enable our staff to achieve their optimum potential and excel in their preferred career paths. Ultimately, it is about inculcating a people first mentality in the workplace where workers can learn, develop and be valued, bringing about a win-win outcome to all involved.