What Singapore's PMEs need to remain job-relevant in a changing economy

The annual MOM Labour Report is recognised as a key barometer of the health of Singapore's workforce. The comprehensive MOM 2015 report and the recent preliminary seasonal adjustments in Q2 have become the litmus test indicating that Singapore's economy continues to slow and is at an eight-year low in spite of cross-sectoral restructuring and increased government support initiatives.

Singapore is also not immune to the knock-on effects of sluggish regional and global economies, which exacerbate the problem.

Not surprisingly, Singapore’s PMEs (especially those aged 40 years and above) continue to be hardest hit for the third year running, making up 71% of those made redundant in 2015. Yet alarmingly, job vacancies were higher than job seekers. Unemployment increased but remained relatively low at 2.1% in Q2, up from 1.9% in Q1.

Furthermore, over-reliance on skilled foreign talent to fill vacancies in services, technology, and manufacturing sectors, continues despite stringent hiring policies in place. These snippets are a reflection of bigger and deeper workforce issues which are untenable in the longer term.

While the NTUC has surged forward as a workforce champion launching mid-career pro-active support programmes, like the Career Activation Programme and GioCareers, it does not account for the career insensitivities of younger Singaporean and PR PMEs who see no urgency in planning for their future.

Neither are they concerned about the fragility of the employment market or the corollary dwindling of their career prospects. Hubris is a strong contributory factor as Singapore’s PMEs hold out for the best deals, not only in terms of salaries but also career prospects. Short-term contracting and job-hopping are common job re-entry practices, which conflate the challenges faced by businesses in it for the long haul.

The muted success of the Fair Consideration Framework, which was set up in 2013 to encourage a symbiotic employment boost to local businesses, has done little to accelerate paradigm shifts in PMEs’ mindset, particularly their employment perceptions, career expectations, management of intellectual property, and cultural insensitivities. Core work values, aptitudes, and attitudes need to be galvanised with value-added specialist training in order to be future-ready.

In the interim, SMEs need to meet respective pre-agreed goals, targets and overcome current economic challenges. It is not surprising there is a continued willingness to incentivise skilled talent with lucrative financial and career rewards. This practice may strengthen Singapore’s position as the top employment hub in Asia Pacific presently but it is questionable whether this is a true reflection of a thriving economy or merely a superficial and inflated façade that will soon crumble.

As a business performance coach and change facilitator myself, I have received feedback from local businesses complaining (rather unfairly) that Singapore’s PMEs are guilty of social loafing, productivity blocking, evaluation apprehension, and indulging in WIIFM (what’s in it for me) syndrome. These are similar to concerns highlighted by the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce recently.

Damagingly, this contagion is multiplying with more collaborative and team-centric practices being replaced with selfish person-centric practices. While some may diffuse the situation as asinine, it nevertheless belies deeper issues.

Training and support are available to those willing to make mid-career changes, (especially with the recent push towards international trading careers) but it does take time, determination, commitment, and effort which many may not have either the patience, tenacity, or willingness to undertake especially as there is no long-term assurance of success.

A new genre is emerging; that of zombie-like employees. Apparently, 68% of medium to large business and 32% of smaller business have reported this phenomenon; where workers are physically present but mentally absent. The toxic combination of inner resignation, lack of motivation, low productivity, and lacklustre performance only fuel the hiatus in Singapore’s economic growth, the temerity of which cannot continue year-on-year.

Getting back to basics, the three A’s need to be reviewed and changed: Aptitude, Attitude, and career Assessment. Without these self-directed changes, any present and/or future training projects and effusive sentiments are meaningless.

Calling for gravitas changes, Mr. Gilbert Tan, Chief Executive Officer of e2i, said that Singapore’s PMEs “must take charge of their learning needs and keep up with the evolving learning landscape to meet the demands of tomorrow”.

Echoing his sentiments, MP and NTUC’s Assistant Secretary General, Mr. Patrick Tay, remarked that there is predominantly a mismatch in three key sentinels: skills match, expectations, and job acquiescence. He called for PMEs to move out of their comfort zones and to be future-ready for career transitions. The way forward, he believes, is to move from “Manpower-led to Manpower-lean economies” with more emphasis on Singapore-led PMEs and Foreign PME lean economies.

Talent analytics is trending presently and is vital in terms of informing on human capital management, decision-making, and designing of pro-active employment trajectories. While these calibrated actions can contribute towards seamless transitions, it is value-empty if it is not linked to SMART business and personal career goals.

The New GroupThink is one of co-operative collaboration, creative learning programmes, and supportive planning designed to elevate the synergy and synchronicity between government, employers, and employees.

Singapore’s PMEs can prepare to be future-ready by following these tips:

1. Be job-relevant, not job-complacent. PMEs need to match their current skills sets to talent employment geo-patterns. The National Jobs Bank is a good barometer as to what is trending presently.

Exemplifying the Pareto 80/20 Principle, PMEs should galvanise their talent with new skills, new experiences, and job confidence and use these as a fulcrum to enhance their marketability and visibility. However, these endorsements are only meaningful if accompanied by job worthiness and skills value par excellence.

To be present- and future-ready, PMEs should utilise current government-sponsored programmes specifically designed to meet needs. Programmes such as the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP), the enhanced P-MAX programme, SkillsFuture, and the NTUC’s learning hub are just a few of the myriad available.

While the paper chase for qualifications is laudable, this needs to be extended to include experimental learning and enriched expertise. Internships are making a come-back and is a good way to apply learning positively.

Succinctly, PMEs need to develop sectoral-specific career ladders. Interestingly, lifelong learning was one of the focal beacons of employment change in this year’s Budget.

2. Network, not netrest. The Internet of Things has made it possible to traverse cultural, educational, political, and social enclaves. PMEs should have confidence to showcase their expertise internationally. LinkedIn is just one of the prime professional networking platforms and with the acquisition of Lynda.com, there are strong rumours of it becoming a prominent training hub.

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) and Singapore Training and Development Association (STADA) are just some of the professional learning platforms where PMEs can come together, embrace traditional and global experiential learning, showcase expertise, and connect with other like-minded professionals.

Embracing JOGO (joy of going out) and finding opportunities to join professional meeting hubs will enrich and expand their contact base. Although social media has many benefits, it is also known to be divisive, insular, and socially restrictive. Faux socialising and textinitus lend to sofa confidence and faux failure which are professionally destructive habits. Negative habits breed negative behaviour and mindsets.

3. Meritocracy, not democracy. Singapore’s PMEs need to leverage their work ethics, skills set to job demands. Highly successful people don’t think about time or money (Forbes). Instead, they focus on values, priorities, and consistent productive habits which imbue their professional outlook and workplace practices.

Meritocracy is about earning meaningful rewards through high achievement and performance rather than having a misplaced sense of entitlement or indulging in reward-sensitivity.

4. Have a fundamental winning mindset, not mind-fog. For change to have real value, it must be repetitive, long-lasting, and consistent. Removing mind-fog requires awareness of personal negative practices and a determination to invest and commit to personal change – the positive and rewarding habits of highly successful industry leaders.

The New Intelligences (beyond Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and IQ), which are currently gaining status quo and momentum are Cultural Intelligence (CI), Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ), Collaborative and Leadership Intelligence.

Concomitantly, new research and accompanying awareness into the neuro-chemistry of motivation will help organisations increase employee productivity through better lateral and linear motivational practices.

Recently, there has been an explosion in the supply and demand for executive coaches, business performance coaches, change agents, and life coaches. The invisible stigma of reaching out for guidance has disappeared. Coaching and mentoring are not only becoming socially acceptable but it is also rapidly becoming a modern day ‘must-have’ to direct deliberate effort and actions towards agreed goals.

5. Work from a managed calendar, not a to-do list. SMART Plan your career pathway, review it systematically, and make the necessary adjustments within realistic time frames. Or as Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”.

Avoid to-do lists where possible. Items on to-do lists can sit there for prolonged periods with priorities diminishing by constant distractions and faux urgent activities. Avoid benchmarking your performance and success to others as this will only serve to highlight your own professional and personal insecurities further.

“You have to learn the rules of the game and then you have to play better than anyone else.” – Albert Einstein