The Snitch

Human Resources August 2009

The latest issue of Human Resources magazine is up on the net!

In our fifth year anniversary issue:

• The story so far. We revisit some of the HR practitioners who have been featured on our cover before and ask them how things have changed in the last five years and how things will shape up in the next five years to come.
• Companies that are basing their previous successes to help develop leadership competencies may be setting themselves up for  a disaster.
• Once employees tender their resignation, how should they be treated? HR practitioners tell us how.
• Develop a learners mindset.
• How should you communicate with your employees during a crisis?

The latest issue of Human Resources magazine is now up on the web!

In this issue, we discuss topics such as:

• What are some of the potential health problems that Singapore’s ageing workforce is likely to face in the future? And what can HR practitioners do about it?
• How can HR communicate effectively with their employees during a downturn?
• How do you initiate a talent management programme?
• How can you obtain well-rounded feedback on your leadership strategy?
• What is your motivation?

Is forced ranking a ticking time bomb?

The new issue of Human Resources magazine is now up on our website!

In this issue, some of the topics we explore are:

• Forced ranking is an divisive issue. But can you make this explosive performance work for your company?
• Has L&D taken a backseat during a downturn?
• How can organisations become culturally transparent?
• Survey findings: Stress levels go up, but expatriate benefits hold steady
• Can a simple recruitment exercise help the business generate new customers?

No one is expecting a song and dance, but is HR doing enough to ease the transition for returning expats?

The latest issue of Human Resources magazine has been uploaded on our website!

Some of the topics that we cover in the latest issue include:

• Why is repatriation often a neglected process and what HR practitioners can do about their assignees who are returning home.
• How workplace and employee diversity can help boost your business bottom-line.
• Simon Cooper, president and chief operating officer of Ritz-Carlton talking about how a strong company culture can inhibit change.
• Is HR the new chief integrity officer?
• Get a mentor without looking like a stalker.
• Office policies doesn’t have to be dirty, but you definitely need to play the game.

Do you dare to bare your company's C&B secrets?

Money money money! It’s something we all work for, yet it’s considered to be a taboo conversation topic. In our latest issue of Human Resources magazine, we focus on issues related to compensation & benefits. How do companies benchmark wages? When do you reward someone with a higher salary?

In this new issue, you will find:

• Our cover story: Compensation secrets unveiled.
• OCBC Bank tells about how its flex-plan has worked for them.
• What are some of the executive compensation tools available in the market?
• Gemalto’s formula for employee innovation.
• Tata Consultancy Services’ CEO, S. Ramadorai, talks about talent management.
• What’s the difference between a manager and a coach?
• When do you know if your company has gone crazy with its cost-cutting measures? When staff appreciation lunches now come with a price. You pay for what you order.

The new issue of Human Resources magazine is up!

In this issue, you will find the answers to:

• What you need to know before moving employees laterally.
• How the best service-orientated companies get their employees to go the extra mile.
• How do you go about measuring the ROI of leadership programmes?
• What does it take for a HR practitioner to be a top leader?

The latest issue of Human Resources magazine is now up on the website!

In this issue, you can find:

• Leadership lessons from CEOs under 35. What makes them different from the rest of the pack?
• Should you outsource work to a vendor? And what are some of the factors to consider before doing so?
• What policies do companies have against sexual harassment in the workplace?
• How can you make your old job feel like new again?

The latest issue of Human Resources magazine is now up on the  website!

In this issue you’d find stories on:

• The HR practitioner’s upside to this recession
• A case study of how City Developments Limited weathered the last economic storm
• How will salary adjustments be affected in 2009?
• Retrenchments – what is the best way to go about them?
• Are the brains of effective leaders wired any differently?

Money makes the world go round, so they all say. We just can’t do without it – or why else would we be working? And 2008 has been a rollercoaster year. While the year started off as a bullish economy, we’ve  seen soaring oil prices and spiraling inflation rates in the middle of the year and we’re now headed on a collision course for a recession.

Hence, it’s no surprise that according to our website analytics, C&B stories have been dominating our list of most-read newsletter stories for 2008. (We only started collecting website data in mid-April after our server migration though.)

Stories of shrinking pay cheques, pay increases and retaining employees were hot stories in the beginning of the year. But as the year wore on, stories about treating retrenched employees and retenchments came into prominence as well.

What was a surprise was the number of clicks Bizarre HR garnered – enough to make it the second-most read story for this year. Really?

So tell us, what stories did you like? Do you agree with this list? What would you like to read about in 2009?

Top story of 2008: Do employees have unrealistic wage demands?

Singapore – At least 45% of executives say they expect an increase of 20% or more when changing jobs, according to a survey by Robert Walters.

2) Bizarre HR: Staff use horse power to get to work

US – Half the staff at a dentist’s office in Arlington, Washington have ditched their cars for a more traditional form of transportation – the horse.

3) Is this a good time to increase wages? HR consultants say no

Singapore – Business consultants says companies looking to increase wages to help employees cope with rising food and fuel prices should heed Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s warning that this would cause a further spike in inflation.

4) Want a bigger pay increase for 2009? Forget about it!

Singapore – Forget about asking for a higher salary increment this year, as HR practitioners’ salary increments are likely to range from 0 to 10%. Furthermore, if you are a talent management or a resourcing specialist, you may just find yourself out of a job too.

5) Promote me or I’ll leave

Asia – Employees are demanding for career advancement opportunities and appreciation from their bosses – or they would pack up and leave.

6) Pay cheques shrink after inflation

Singapore – Singaporean workers will not be getting large pay increments in the next 12 months, despite the record high 6.6% inflation rate.

7) The right way to fire someone

Singapore – If a line manager has never fired anyone before, things could get nasty during the termination meeting. This may lead to litigation against the company and loss of employee morale.

8. 10 killer strategies to protect your turf

(Okay, this isn’t a HR Bulletin story per se because it was a cover story in our revamp issue, but I’m still including it because HR practitioners should read it!)

It will be a tough year to hang on to talent as everyone’s on the hunt for better people, so how can you keep the poachers from your door? Here’s 10 real world strategies to protect your headcount from the wolves.

9) The Snitch: It’s all about the money

What will be the size of your year-end bonus, and will you get a raise soon? In our first ever video interview, C&B leader of Hewitt Singapore, Samir Bedi, talks about what salary trends are likely to play out in the coming year.

10) Cutting salaries is no go for some

Singapore – While companies are scaling back on employee wages, one Singaporean company is bucking the trend by increasing year-end and variable bonuses for their employees.

11) Financial sector goes into retrenchment overdrive

Singapore – As the credit crunch really begins to bite for banks and financial firms around the world, more layoffs are to be expected, starting with Citigroup’s plans to cut 52,000 jobs worldwide.

12) Asian employees bogged down by bosses

Singapore – Around one third of Asian employees are frustrated in their jobs despite being highly engaged at work and it all boils down to the lack of empowerment and professional development.

13) Time to give up on print recruitment ads?

Singapore – Despite the rise of companies investing more in online recruitment ads to entice the internet-savvy jobseekers, print recruitment ads are here to stay. Or maybe not.

14) Unhappy employees torn between quitting and staying on

Singapore – More and more employees who are highly dissatisfied at work are choosing to either switch jobs or taking a sabbatical to recharge themselves. But is that a wise thing to do?

15) Christmas bonus might not be so rosy

Singapore – This year’s salary increase has been projected to be at 3.8%, a figure 30% lower than the earlier projection of a 5.4% increase.

The latest issue of Human Resources magazine has just been uploaded on our website!

Some of the stories in this issue includes:

• How to motivate and spur on Gen Y employees
• How to ensure a smooth expatriation process for your employees
• How tough situations make leaders into what they are
• How to develop a resilient mindset