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NIEI Singapore Conducted First Online Training with Chongqing Bashu Secondary School in the 9th Annual Academic Conference

Chongqing, 30 Nov 2020 – NIEI, the training private arm of the National Institute of Education (NIE) Singapore, conducted their first online training with Chongqing Bashu Secondary School during their 9th Annual Academic Conference on 30th Nov 2020.

The session commenced at 6.30pm with Professor Paul Teng, MD and Dean of NIEI sharing his joy in working with Bashu Secondary School since the MOU was signed in Oct 2020.

Professor Paul Teng, MD and Dean of NIEI

At 6.40pm, Principal Tan took over to share with Bashu on the topic: “School management model and challenges faced by schools in the post-pandemic period”.  The session ends at 7.50pm.

Principal Tan, NIEI Course Lecturer

Principal Tan giving a lecture on ‘An Organization’s Adaptability and Resilience in Facing a Crisis’

Mr Li Siao He, Vice Principal, Chongqing Bashu Secondary School (李潇珂, 重庆巴蜀中学副校长)

On 1 Oct 2020, NIEI and Chongqing Bashu Secondary School signed an online strategic agreement to establish a long-term cooperation mechanism in education, training, cultural exchanges and other aspects to promote mutual progress.

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Chongqing Talents Conference 2020

Chongqing, 22 Nov 2020 –

The Chongqing Talent Conference was held successfully in Chongqing Yue Lai Convention Center on 21 and 22 Nov.

Chongqing Party Secretary Chen Min’er and Chongqing Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary and Mayor Tang Liangzhi graced the opening ceremony.

The two-day conference consists of talent recruitment roadshows, competitions and project co-operation signing particularly in the fields of big data, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, integrated circuits, organized by the various Chongqing district governments.

More than 1,800 talents in areas critical to the development and growth of Chongqing have been attracted to work in Chongqing, including the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.  In addition, more than 250 entrepreneurial projects and agreements were being signed.

Over 56 million people watched the exhibition through the cloud, and 77 million people watched the conference through a live stream.

WiseNet Asia’s GM (China), Karen Woong attended the event as a special guest.  According to Ms Woong, “Having worked closely with companies under the ‘Singapore-China Chongqing Connectivity Initiative’ and The Belt and Road Initiative, we have built up a huge pool of talent base which will facilitate the projected growth in Western China over the next decade.  WiseNet Asia is committed to talent connectivity between Western China and Singapore, not just in the area of talent attraction (recruitment) but also in other areas such as talent development and internships for young talents.”

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What the Post-COVID-19 Job Market Looks Like in Malaysia

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2020 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved

 

Globally, a new workplace trend is emerging — one that is digitally-driven, more empathetic in improving society, and more agile in customer needs. And the primary catalyst for this overnight shift? A pandemic.

In Malaysia, the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) to control the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant economic contraction. This is primarily due to the sharp decrease in demand for manufacturing and commodities.

As in many other ASEAN countries, the tourism sector, which contributes largely to the national GDP, has also been hit hard by the pandemic. The international border closure and stringent interstate travel ban mean that people are no longer travelling for non-essential reasons for the time being.

The Department of Statistic Malaysia reports that approximately 745,100 people were unemployed in July 2020

The Department of Statistic Malaysia reports that approximately 745,100 people were unemployed in July 2020. To weather the impact of this adversity, the Malaysian government has introduced several measures in April 2020 in regards to tax relief, wage subsidies and other economic stimulus packages.

It is, however, without a doubt that these government measures are a short-term one; hence, employees must adapt to the new post-COVID-19 hiring trend and demand if they want to remain competitive in the Malaysian job market.

This post explores the top industries that are likely to hire more in Malaysia, benefits of hiring post-COVID-19, top factors that will affect recruitment, the relevant skills needed, and the future of the workplace in Malaysia.

Which top industries will be hiring post-COVID-19?

While it is true that some industries are badly affected, there are top three industries that are experiencing a boom amid the pandemic.

They are:

  • Food retail

As more people become housebound, food retail is increasingly regarded as an essential frontline service. McKinsey reports that not only are consumers simply increasing their online spending on food and grocery, they are also looking for value-for-money products and puts food safety and locally-sourced food as their top priorities.

Therefore, food businesses are providing abundant employment opportunities to people who are currently out of work. The growing demand for delivery also requires them to pivot to digital means more than ever now. Whether finding more drivers or riders to deliver the products or more strategists to reshape their business in a new normal, food retail is the emerging winner to support the livelihoods for millions of people.

  • Health and Wellness

As COVID-19 is the most significant global healthcare crisis in a century, it is only logical to see people getting more health-conscious, thus fueling the wellness economy and health industry, in general.

From healthcare analyst to data scientist, the boom in this industry is evident through many openings in career websites. Beyond the simple precautions of wearing a mask and rigorous hand washing, consumers are now looking into the pursuit of physical, emotional, social, environmental, and spiritual well-being. The proliferation of on-demand healthy food delivery, online health consultation platforms and wellness apps prior to the pandemic will only get bigger now.

  • Information Technology

Being digitally-savvy is a prerequisite for businesses to survive in the pandemic. From machine learning adoption, website creation, to secure online payment, businesses will be restructuring their ecosystem with a focus on technology.

Hence, jobs such as software developers, robotic engineers and digital marketers are in high demand as businesses strive to comply with stringent social distancing measure, while ensuring a seamless and highly-personalised customer experience

What benefits companies get from hiring new staff post-COVID-19?

  • Top talents are in demand

While it is true that many companies resort to layoffs in an economic recession, there are visionary companies and long-term thinkers who go in a completely different direction and start hiring top candidates to fulfil mission-critical aspects of their businesses. Even if you are not being laid off, the time is prime for you to keep an eye out for career opportunities should you be looking to switch industries.

  • Deal with immense growth in demand for labour-intensive activities

As aforementioned, the digitalisation of many businesses and the containment measure of COVID-19 has led to the growth in demand for labour-intensive activities such as product delivery and food retail.

Even if automation and technological substitution take centre stage in this pandemic, they take time to mature. Businesses will still have to hire new staff to meet current customer demands.

What are the top factors that will affect hiring post-COVID-19?

  • Transformed hiring process

With the limited physical interaction, companies will have to adopt a virtual interview process which largely involves video interviews. As a result, HR professionals are finding it harder to decide as candidates could not display the appropriate body language online that plays an important role in hiring.

Due to widespread retrenchments, candidates might also face longer interview processes and need to compete for roles, as many companies still refrain from hiring.

  • New skills needed

The shifting consumer behaviour that we are seeing when the pandemic hit is set to be a permanent change; hence, businesses need to be more agile in catering to consumer needs. Upskilling and reskilling are needed for candidates to remain relevant in the post-COVID-19 job market.

What type of skills will be relevant post-COVID-19?

  •  Soft skills: Communication and Empathy

The work-from-home (WFH) phenomenon, also widely known as remote working, requires office professionals to develop stronger communication strategies and skill. Developing the right digital body language is crucial to get the right message across a specific virtual platform for effective leadership.

The best leaders in major organisations around the world also prioritise empathy and humanity when running a business. In a post-pandemic world, we are expected to learn from the pandemic and pay more attention to the environment as well as local communities in need of societal and economic support.

  • Customer Service

Following the significant spike in e-commerce sales, e-commerce is likely to outlast the pandemic. With it comes the expectation of stellar customer service, as the failure to ensure that will result in customer attrition.

Therefore, job seekers not only need to have the basic skills of communication and problem-solving, but they also need to realise the importance of a seamless customer experience. A multichannel approach where customers can conveniently switch devices and/or channels as they require or like will give customers the ultimate flexibility to engage with businesses.

  • Data Science and Computer Science

The boom in data-driven technologies can be seen simply from the couch in our living room: Netflix, which enjoyed immense popularity at the height of the pandemic.

Without doubt, data science and computer science are playing a key role in many businesses today. The COVID-19 research in many countries is also accelerated by big data to track viruses on a global basis and develop treatment procedures.

Moving beyond traditional means of reports and number crunching, data science and computer science help businesses develop platforms to assess risk, realign strategies, and make stronger decisions based on it.

  • Digital Marketing and Sales

With the onset of the pandemic, most brick-and-mortar stores and events moved to the virtual space to generate leads and drive sales. In contrast to traditional marketing, digital marketing takes place entirely online which is proven beneficial when a stringent physical distancing is in place.

With the enormous amount of data and handy analytics tools, businesses can gain insights and analyze performance to maximize return on investments and make informed decisions.

In Malaysia, there are several institutions that provide digital upskilling to ensure Malaysians succeed in the digital economy. For instance, Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) offers digital skills training and courses for people with different levels of education, and also partners with top employers to provide digital reskilling for employees. Meanwhile, 42KL offers a free peer-to-peer program for people who are interested to jumpstart their career as a software engineer. Other similar initiatives include Akademi General Assembly (GA), NEXT Academy and Forward School.

What will the future workplace look like?

Remote working, once a fringe business practice, has become a required necessity for the masses. To adapt efficiently, businesses start leveraging communication and collaboration tools such as Trello, Slack, and Zoom to optimize work-from-home (WFH) productivity. Despite that, KPMG Malaysia reports that the challenges remain in terms of substandard network issues, digital communication barriers and lack of technology readiness.

Apart from that, during times of economic downturn, automation rapidly displaces human work as human capital becomes expensive in a financially-constrained business. While that is inevitable, automation and machines only primarily focus on data processing, manual jobs and administrative tasks, while humans still have the upper hand in skills such as decision-making and strategizing.

Hence, in a post-COVID-19 reality, robots and humans are expected to be working alongside each other. Workers who choose to adapt and possess a hybrid of soft and hard skills, especially ones that are digitally-driven, will remain relevant in a post-pandemic Malaysian job market.

—End—

Remote Internship: How to make this work for employers and employees?

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2020 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved

Intro

A guide on remote internships for interns and employers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, and China and the benefits that come with it.

Everywhere around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has sent a large percentage of the total population to work and study from home. While the situation in some countries have changed for the better and people have gone back to resuming their daily lives with the ‘new normal’, most countries are still keeping their borders closed and have imposed an indefinite travel ban, making this a challenge for students keen on going for international internship programmes.

According to the Ivy Research Council, 89% of students pursuing a 2020 summer internship would prefer a remote internship over a canceled internship programme. As a result, an increasing number of employers with internship programmes across the world have opted to transition to remote internships, rather than cancelling or postponing their internship programmes.

What Is a Remote Internship?

Remote internships, also known as virtual internships, are unique in the sense the intern does not have to be in a physical office. Interns are interviewed and allowed to work from anywhere, including across states and countries. For example, the intern could be based at home in Singapore and is undergoing internship with a company in Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, or China.

Remote internship enables interns to work anywhere in the world

With the upcoming Industry 4.0, the increasing development of communication technologies, and new remote-working cultures, remote internships are the way forward at this age and time. All you need is a fully-functioning and stable internet connection, a reliable laptop or desktop computer, a webcam, headphones and a bold mindset and you are good to go.

While the working arrangements may be different, the timeline for remote internships is typically the same as collocated internships – 3 to 6 months, requiring 20 to 30 hours work per week.

Which Countries and Industries Offer Remote Internship?

Numerous countries have started to offer remote internships and this includes the world’s second-biggest economy – China. The country saw growth of 4.9% between the months of July and September, compared to the same quarter last year. Moreover, over the previous two decades, China saw an average economic growth rate of about 9%.

Chongqing’s rapid growth over the last 15 years has created remote internship opportunities for overseas students

In the city of Chongqing, located at Sichuan Province, the significant rise in its economy and rapid urbanization over the last 15 years has encouraged the rise in remote internship opportunities from entrepreneurial startups as well as larger well-known companies in a vast range of fields such as software engineering, accountancy, fashion, arts, and green technology.

As Chongqing rises to the 4th place among top 10 Chinese Cities by GDP in H1 2020, surpassing Guangzhou, Suzhou and Chengdu, the city’s rapid economic growth has created thriving business districts, with a diverse range of established companies including Apple, Deloitte, IBM, ZTE, Schlumberger, Schneider Electric, and ABB.

Already, the city attracts an ever-increasing number of career-minded young people from across China and around the world to gain professional experience through their remote internship programmes. With recent travel restrictions, there is no doubt that the numbers will increase.

Besides China, the same can be said with Singapore’s neighbouring countries – Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia. In those countries, remote internships are growing rapidly in popularity as a viable alternative for interns and employers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are the Benefits of a Remote Internship?

Most of the benefits are similar to an in-person internship programmes such as gaining valuable work experience, developing and refining skills, and exploring the possibilities of a future career path. However, remote internships do offer unique benefits that cannot be obtained from traditional in-person internships.

Experience Remote Work

As more and more people in the workforce are encouraged and exposed to the idea to work remotely, landing a remote internship is a timely and smart move. Use this opportunity to gain valuable work experience and learn how to apply remote project management techniques, optimize on current resources, and utilize relevant software applications such as Microsoft Teams and Slack. Seize this moment to gain employability skills.

Reduced Costs

Going on an internship in another country can be challenging and costly for the intern as well as the employer. There is the air ticket fare, extra baggage, commuting expenses, accommodation rentals, and new equipment. With remote internship, cost-savings benefits include reduced traveling expenditures, lower or zero housing costs, and less office equipment expenses.

Greater Diversity and Global Perspective

Remote internship means you are no longer limited geographically. By removing location as a barrier for recruitment and employment, the pool of potential employers and interns open up significantly. You could have a team from Singapore, China, Australia, Malaysia and Thailand working on a project together. The diversity of ideas and backgrounds from people from all over the world create richer work environments and innovative outcomes.

Convenient Working Arrangements

Employers and interns typically find the flexible working package to be attractive. One such example is unlike a typical 9 to 5 office day internship programme, meetings can be done online and scheduled at a time that is convenient for everyone. There are no unnecessary disturbances and interruptions to the current workflow.

Increased Accountability, Productivity and Results

With clear deadlines, self-organization skills, self-discipline and time management skills, remote interns become more accountable when it comes to handling their own schedules and finishing tasks. Their productivity levels increase significantly and they produce better results. Furthermore, with the help of relevant task management software, a supervisor can now support and address the issues of many interns at one time, rather than 1 or 2 interns.

The COVID-19 pandemic has proved that working from home can be done efficiently and is still being done for many jobs and companies. Remote internships or virtual internships would not be any different. In fact, with the uncertain future that lies ahead, it is crucial for interns and employers to adapt to the situation. Even when the virus wanes, a remote internship programme is still a viable option.

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WiseNet Asia and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) Signed MOU to Collaborate on Internship and Entrepreneurship Programmes

Singapore, 26 Oct 2020 – With mutual interest in the field of training and development, and to promote international collaboration, WiseNet Asia and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) have signed an MOU to work together in the following areas:

  1. Co-designing of internship programmes for SUSS students in overseas markets
  2. Expand SUSS entrepreneurship programmes to overseas markets, bridging entrepreneurs through networks and activities

WiseNet Asia will work with employers in Asia Pacific on the placements of interns, which will be on either remote internship or on site, depending on COVID-19 developments and measures in each country.  For the entrepreneurship programmes, WiseNet Asia will co-ordinate with overseas companies interested at expanding into Singapore and ASEAN by matching them with a Singaporean co-founder from SUSS who is equipped with entrepreneurial skillsets.

For more information about the internship and entrepreneurship programmes, please refer to the following:

WiseNet Asia internship programmes:  https://wisenetasia.com/hr-solutions/internship-programs/

Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) entrepreneurship programmes:  https://www.suss.edu.sg/experience-at-suss/entrepreneurship/alibaba-cloud-suss-entrepreneurship-programme

For companies who are keen to participate in either the internship or the entrepreneurship programme, please contact the following:

Mr Wesley Hui
DID: 6238 0982 / HP: 9661 9473
wesley.hui@wisenetasia.com

Annoucement_WiseNet Asia and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) Signed MOU to Collaborate on Internship and Entrepreneurship Programmes.docx

Awesome Tips to Helping You Get the Career You Want

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2020 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved

 

This article outlines a couple of tips for people at different stages in their careers looking to attain growth and advancement in their fields. It presents those tools that are readily available to them and gives an approach to utilizing them effectively to achieve their goals.

Becoming a ‘Breakout’ Star in Your Career – 5 Effective Tips.

Career Growth and advancement comes in a lot of forms, from moving up the corporate ladder to attaining more responsibility in your current position. To achieve any form of intended growth, it is paramount that you have a plan to guide you along the way. Charting a career roadmap will provide you with a basis and a foundation to help you consciously take charge of your career growth.

Here are five tips to get ahead;

Tip #1 – Defining Success

To begin with, achieving progress in your field requires that you define what progress means for you. Every individual has their own definition or understanding of success. Success is a relative term, and there is no wrong or right way to define it. For a fresh start-up employee, success might involve evolution from an entry-level position into a managerial role. On the other hand, veteran employees may define growth and success as venturing into a more powerful role with additional responsibilities and perks.

Whatever it is to you, it matters that you can recognize and define what’s most important to you in your career momentarily and futuristically. This level of forward-thinking will do you a lot of good moving forward because goals always require change and adaptation. Your aims may look different from what you want in five or ten years.

An active way to stay on top of your goals is a chart out where you are currently in your career and where you aim to be in a couple of years. A physical chart or e-document would do in this situation – to be kept handy and reviewed as you grow. This is the first step in building your career road map.

Tip #2 – Timelines and Goals

Another important step to actively achieve growth is the creation of goals and timelines. These two go hand in hand. Without timelines, it will be considerably more difficult to achieve your goals. On the other hand, timelines are just random schedules without goals attached to them. Setting goals give you something to gun for, whilst timelines reflectively keep you accountable and in lane deflecting diversions that may come along the way. Using these two tools effectively is a tested and proven formula for success in any field.

You should keep track of the biggest long-term goals and plans contained in your career road map. Then it would be best if you further break these into smaller actionable short-term goals. These goals and steps may require that you grow in certain ways or develop a budding skill or the other.

Whatever these goals demand, to achieve the grander plan, you’ll need to consider and chart out these little steps carefully. Once you’ve recognized and outlined those fleeting details, you’ll need to add them to your career roadmap. This step is very important, and the more details you add, the easier it becomes to achieve impossible goals.

Goals and timeline go hand-in-hand in achieving career growth

Tip #3 – Feedback

A great resource that is one of the most underutilized by career-oriented individuals is feedback. Feedback is a tool that helps you take note of your progress and ensure that you are on the right path to achieving your goals. A common mistake made by career professionals is that they limit feedback to just those given by their superiors.

In actuality, feedback should not just come from your bosses but also from your colleagues and peers. The insight received from your peers is invaluable, even more so as they offer a different view and perspective from what may be offered by your principals.

It would be best if you asked your peers to assess your strengths and shortcomings, especially individuals that you have worked together with in the past. If you have formal reviews on an annual basis, you should arrange a check-in meeting with your manager in between reviews.

If your current position is one of managerial capacity, you should ask your employees or subordinates for criticism as well. The goal here is to attain an external perspective of your flaws and strength so you can properly improve on yourself. Try to cast a wide net when sourcing for criticism and feedback, the more diverse your sources are, the more insight you stand to gain.

Tip #4 – Communicating with your Manager

When you are looking to grow career-wise, the more information and insight you have about your particular spheres of possibilities, the easier it will be become to find those roles that are better suited for you. Mostly, people do not realize the number of opportunities that pass them by because they were not informed or aware of them, to begin with. You need to know those career possibilities that exist within your company or field.

You should be constantly aware of those openings or slots that might suit your particular skills. Having a conversation with your manager is a good place to start. Let them be aware of your goals and aspirations and see how they can assist you in achieving them. This helps put you on their radar even if there are no openings at that moment and leaves you open to their help and consideration.

Let your manager know your goals and aspirations. They may be able to help you attain your goals

Tip #5 – Utilizing your Network

To achieve advancement in any stage of life, career included, you must have the help and support of your peers. ‘No man is an island.’ This popular phrase expresses the fact that human beings need each other to attain any level of growth or development.

Your network is your most important resource. Whether you realize this or not, it is an asset of individuals that make your goals a lot more attainable. When you need to define what success means to you, you can refer to your mentors or trusted accolades. When you are outlining your short- and long-term goals, you can refer to individuals that already achieved some of these goals and ask them for advice. The more understanding you have of these things, the more feasible your goals become.

An important thing to note is that nothing is set in stone. Your goals will continually evolve as you grow, and your network grows. Update your plans and goals as time goes and be patient with yourself; there are no perfect formulas to success. Best of luck!

Confidential Executive Search

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2020 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved

Updated in October 2022

Intro

The rules of engagement when it comes to the firing and hiring of company executives can be perceived to be very “executive” in its execution as they are usually spared the ignominy of being informed of their soon-to-be-terminated contract status. Just like the hiring process, the firing process is most times shrouded in secrecy. This secrecy is carried out to, sometimes—outlandish heights, such as procuring an iron-clad non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to ensure the executive scouting process is kept confidential.

That said, there is more to the intent behind outsourcing the recruitment process than embarking on a face-saving, and blushes-sparing exercise for a soon-to-be-fired executive. Most often, the process begins with a call from a recruiter or a recruiting firm with the recruiter electing to discuss an opportunity with the candidates in the most confidential terms. Usually, this implies a withholding of information such as the name of the company and other details of similar nature in terms of the candidate’s prospective employer.

The reasons for this are manifold. It may range from internal incumbency (as the soon-to-be-vacated role is still being occupied) to competitive reasons. While companies might from time to time, ply the unfamiliar routes of having to secure the services of a recruitment firm due to factors such as lack of time, improving the quality of the hire, and unavailability of in-house hiring expertise; when it comes to executive recruitment, strict confidentiality and an extensive network of candidates is needed, along with the right experience in negotiation.

Confidential executive search – Key steps

As with most goals, it all starts with a clear definition.  You commence your search by defining the scope of qualification you expect of the soon-to-be-hired executive. Concepts like the job role, the job description, and specification should be considered in the event that you want an employee with niche skills, or a one with a one-size-fits-all ability. You should also know the right recruitment agency to hire through a credible process.

Hiring a temporary staff would mean that you secure the services of a staff recruitment agency. For executives, you might want to look at the services of an executive recruitment agency. You also want to make sure they are affordable and competent. Competence for executive recruitment agencies can be measured by their testimonials, social media presence, and professional associations.

If the recruitment agency does not have such information on their company website, you may proceed to ask for a commendation letter or client reference to testify to the capabilities as a competent recruitment firm. The role of these validations cannot be over-emphasized, given that the executive role is one that could make or mar an organization. Thus, a wrong fit is too much of a risk that you don’t want to take.

Upon finding the right recruitment agency for your executive search, job details like performance expectations, job descriptions, remuneration, and other specifics associated with the job are communicated to the recruitment firm to begin its search.

Roadblocks and Hacks

With employers open to remote hiring job candidates from anywhere in the world, some first interviews are conducted online.  The initial first rounds of interviews are crucial for exchange of information between recruiter and job candidate.

With online interviews, it is more challenging for recruiters to draw out information during a confidential executive search

However, for the recruitment agency, one task that is a derivative of online interview is the task of making the candidate feel safe enough to divulge as much information about his or her qualification over the phone. This is because candidate information is deemed highly confidential and sensitive, especially for a high ranking role like that of an executive.

The key here is for the recruiter to secure the trust of the candidates through various tactics. One of them is to venture into an information trade-off where the recruiter relinquishes just about enough information to secure the confidence of the candidate who, in turn, gives back information about themselves in exchange until a compromise is reached.

Key Success Factors of Confidential Executive Search

Another rationale behind the requirement of secrecy is that it is the moment such an executive discovers that he/she is about to be laid off; this person may become disinterested at work. The person may try to put the company in an unfavorable spot out of a new-found animosity towards the company. Such an executive may try to influence the company’s commercial activities in a way that suits his/her personal agenda rather than that of the company.

This is why one key factor for attaining success with a confidential executive search boils down to skills that are demonstrated by the recruitment firm’s competence and experience. This factor is a non-negotiable one because securing executive talent means the company is vulnerable and that only recruiters with expertise can navigate such perilous waters with the company coming out unscathed.

Another touchpoint is the uncanny ability to negotiate. This is just as important for any recruiter, but most important for executive recruiters because form the get-go—the telephone/audio/video conversation, the recruiter’s negotiation skills would be put to the test. Clearly, the recruiter has the unenviable task of having to extract information from the candidate, most times with the candidate being understandably reluctant due to:

  1. The sensitive nature of the information being required of them
  2. The anonymity of the hiring company

Moving on, for executive recruitment hiring companies, the ability to leverage the synergy between the search consultant and the account manager from the beginning of the assignment to its end is of equal importance. This is to guarantee a uniformity of purpose and objectives while attempting to land these executive talents.

In today’s interconnected galaxy of information, the requirement of secrecy can be quite tasking to fulfill. However, the importance of keeping matters of executive recruitment as top secret cannot be whittled down.  For executive recruiters, it is the key element to protecting the integrity of the hiring company and the recruitment process while not compromising on whatever progress that may have been made on the recruitment front. That said, it is also worth mentioning that while there may be no foolproof plan for a successful executive confidential search, the key insights that we have shared with you are more than capable of keeping your executive confidential search from veering off course.

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Youth Career Coaching: Everything You Need to Know

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2020 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved

Are you worried about the direction of your life? Or the next steps to take? Or what the future holds? Are you confused about your career path? This worry is called ‘quarter-life crisis’ and affects 86% of millennials. In fact, it has been said that for millennials, it is not a question of ‘if’ it will happen but rather, ‘when’ it will happen.

Do you need an objective and honest opinion about your chances in the job market and your career field? Have you often set out to achieve goals but were unable to do so because of lack of motivation? Perhaps, you are not a millennial, you are just unsatisfied with your present career but do not know what to do to get your dream, desired job. We are here to help you get through this phase and walk with you till you get to your dream destination.

In a society like ours where a premium is rightly placed on respecting and obeying the wisdom of elders, this might be a source of concern to you because while the elderly people in your life are prudent, sagacious and perceptive in handling life matters, they might either be too busy or simply do not have modern skills and insights needed in today’s highly competitive working world.

WiseNet Asia Youth Career Coaching Location and Reach?

You can find us in Singapore and Chongqing. Subsequently, we shall expand our reach to include other countries that are part of the Association of South Eastern Nations (ASEAN) and other parts of China.

Why do you need Career Coaches?

Post covid-19, businesses that are badly affected have to resort to retrenchments or reducing working hours to cope with the damages.  For employees or for those who are looking for jobs, this has led to a lot of anxieties and uncertainties about the next steps to take. Career coaches are essential for this period and beyond to help position your dream job. Career coaching is not merely for the unemployed, it is also for those who are not satisfied with their present jobs. For both of these groups of people, career coaches help to bridge the gap between the current situation and their desired goals.

Here’s a look at how a professional career coach can make a difference in an individual’s career path:

  • A professional career coach gives practical advice that will enable a job seeker to make informed decisions. They will be able to do this by effectively studying the market, career trends and through working with top professionals who know the steps to a successful career and ensuring that the job seeker is the right fit. Some of our career coaches are retired professionals with years of experience behind them.
  • A professional career coach knows how to engage in the right conversations to explore a job seeker’s strengths and weaknesses, with the major aim being to help the individual consolidate their strengths whilst also working on their weaknesses. This helps to ensure that the job seeker is trained and prepared to fit into the demands of the market.
  • A professional career coach advises steps for job candidates to sell themselves in a captivating manner. Most employers get a lot of job applications daily. How can one stand out in the midst of such stiff competition?

Career coaches ensure that a job seeker is developed in such that they do not need to search for jobs but they will be needed. This might be done through mock interviews by the Coach or generally building their confidence or scouting out places where an internship may be done to gather skills and experience.

Career coaches, by training and experience often unearth problems to a successful career that clients, most of the time do not realize are hindrances to achieving their set goals. Career coaches help a person to leverage on their existing network as well as expand the scope of their connections. At the end of the training by a coach, clients are fitted with skills necessary to thrive in the competitive job market.

What is Included in a Career Coaching Package?

Generally, career coaching packages differ and it would depend on what the client seeks. The entire package is determined by:

  • The number of sessions that a client wants to have with a Career Coach
  • The services that a client wants (do you want your resume repackaged or your remuneration increased or a boost of your confidence?)
  • The level of accountability that a client would want through follow up calls

Does Career Coaching Works?

Certainly! Our career coaches have personal interactions with clients as such, when advice is given, it is given not just from the wealth of experience of the coach but will also contain advice suited to the particular circumstances and even temperament of our clients.

Additionally, private enterprise career coaches constantly have to keep in touch with the market and career trends and as such, they are up-to-date in every aspect of work. This is very important to note as the career coaching offered by Universities are restricted to either employment guidance or by dealing only with career planning’

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Post Covid-19 Job Market Opportunities in Singapore

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2020 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved

A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE FUTURE OF THE EMPLOYMENT MARKET IN SINGAPORE AND ITS NEARBY COUNTRIES; MUST HAVE SKILLS FOR YOUNG GRADUATES AND MID LEVEL MANAGERS

The future of work predictions for many businesses has arrived sooner than many expected. Most consulting firms like McKinsey and Deloitte already made projections towards the year 2030, and no one could have predicted with any level of certainty that a pandemic would restructure how work gets done. This post takes stock of the industries and companies that are likely to hire more in Singapore, the skills necessary for fresh graduates, how mid-level executives should approach reskilling, and what the future of the market holds for Singapore and other Asian countries with similar economic structures.

TOP HIRERS

A lot of businesses, companies, and industries have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. The labor market has not been spared from the harsh realities that the spread of COVID-19 has now ushered in. Many workers have lost and are still losing their jobs. Perhaps, a likely reason for how largely COVID-19 is affecting jobs in Singapore and neighbouring countries in the South Asia is as a result of these countries’ economic relations with China. CNBC, The Consumer News and Business Channel reports that Singapore is more vulnerable economically because her close trading partner, China, has not had it easy with the spread of the virus.

Already, the tourism and transports sectors are at its mortifying lowest ebb in Singapore and other countries of the world. People are not so likely to travel anymore and have been mandated either by government orders or a simple need to self-preserve, stay indoors, and to limit non-essential interactions to the barest minimum.

The government of Singapore, through its ministries have already taken steps to ensure that employees do not feel the full economic effect of the virus on businesses. As of 26 March 2020, the government set aside S$48.4 billion Resilience Budget to help businesses and households stay afloat while the pandemic persists. This is a Supplementary Budget that complements the Unity Budget presented on 18 February 2020.

Even with all of the government support, employees are still encouraged to look inwards and at the economy to find and create opportunities for themselves. Even as certain sectors have fallen apart as a result of the pandemic, there are businesses, companies, and industries that have recorded an increase in economic growth and market share. Employees should pitch their tents with these emerging winners from the global crisis. They are:

  • E-commerce

Statista reveals that 85% of Singapore’s population are avoiding crowded places. This means that stores, religious institutions, tourist centers, commercial hubs are simply in a flaccid state now. Even though establishments are not physically open, they have been able to conduct operations digitally. Statistics report that people in Singapore are spending more on online shopping. Therefore, large businesses with digital presence are getting bigger and will be looking at expanding their customer base. These stores will need more customer relations persons to handle their phone lines, more drivers to deliver products, and more content to engage their customers on social media.

  • Digital Media and Entertainment and Video Conferencing Services

Due to lockdown and social distancing measures, persons no longer have access to traditional means of entertainment. However, the demand for entertainment is sky-rocketing, thereby necessitating a shift to digital media. Social Media applications like WhatsApp, Facebook, and WeChat are recording increases in usage. As an example, Kantar Group, a reputable consulting firm, reports that Chinese social media apps like WeChat and Weibo are experiencing a 58% increase in usage.

The success of this social media applications has created job opportunities for content creators and digital marketers. Persons who are capable of creating compelling content and can help brands market their products digitally are being hired by businesses and companies to help them stay relevant.

  • Health and Wellness

Hospitals and pharmacies are swamped at the moment because there’s a surge in demand for medical services and pharmaceutical products. In the United States, huge pharmaceutical companies like Walgreens and CVS have opened about 70,000 new positions combined. Career websites in Singapore have openings for positions in pharmacies relating to data analysts, sales agents, sales promoters, and technicians, among others.

TOP NEEDED SKILLS FOR YOUNG GRADUATES

During challenging times , acquiring new skills is more relevant than self development for young graduates

A time like this is very instructive to perceptive fresh graduates. It underscores the importance of self-development to meet up with global trends. Developing skills is necessary to help graduates develop. Given the fact that the world is facing a different reality than one, it faced a couple of months back; newer skills are necessary to help young ones develop. Here are some of the skills a young graduate should possess:

  • Flexibility

Young graduates should learn to first adapt to current realities. The world is not as you want it to be. Or the way you think it should be. The world is the way it is. Therefore, learning as much as you can from other disciplines is a way to go in the future.

  • Tech Skills

Most businesses are beginning to discover that having a digital presence is essential. What has set successful businesses and failing businesses in the COVID era is their ability to leverage technology. Therefore, every organization is looking to get stronger as far as technological capacities go. Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, The Internet of Things, Augmented Reality are technologies that will only get accepted more in the future. It is time to get to learn about these technologies.

  • Data Analysis

Data is responsible for the success of many huge corporations today. Learning to analyze data to use it to help companies meet the needs of their clients is a valuable skill. Don’t sleep on it.

  • Critical Thinking

This simply means being informed. Young graduates will need to stay current as far as local and global affairs go. The market will favor those who can help companies in avoiding loopholes and helping them to stay strategically and globally relevant.

  • Digital and Coding skills

As companies are looking to transform digitally, the help of coders, programmers, and web developers will be needed. Coders are less likely to be out of jobs. Websites need them to run.

  • Emotional Intelligence

The ability to understand one’s emotions and those around him indicates a high EQ. Persons with high EQ are well balanced and productive individuals. Who does not want productive workers?

RESKILLING FOR MID LEVEL EXECUTIVES

McKinsey Global Institute estimates that as many as 375 million workers would have to acquire new skills or switch occupations. This indicates that all types of workers should start considering reskilling lest they get swept by the tide of change. The above skills identified for young graduates are just as crucial for mid-level executives if they want to remain relevant.

Customer relations, digital skills, coding, software programming, emotional intelligence, flexibility, digital marketing are skills all necessary to be globally relevant.

An important factor to consider when reskilling is identifying where the new destination is. An executive at a pharmaceutical company that is preparing to go digital must focus more on honing digital skills. He must start to pay attention to becoming aware of how these technologies work and what he might be able to contribute to help his organization use these technologies efficiently. Mid-level executives are suited for analyzing data as a result of their experience. They are better able to identify data that will get customers and clients closer.

Identify a new destination. Learn the skills necessary to succeed at this new destination. Set a period for getting these skills. Be relevant.

Workforce Singapore (WSG) is helping mid-level executives reskill and stay relevant in this difficult time. They have professional programs taught by career coaches to help persons gain these skills faster. Mycareersfuture (Singapore) also offers opportunities to persons in Singapore who are looking to start new jobs.

THE FUTURE WORKPLACE

Singapore is a developed country. By inference, the future of work in Singapore is consistent with globalization and big-tech bringing shifts in workplace culture. Artificial Intelligence is threatening to make complete automation a reality with the help of other technologies. Nonetheless, there is still one job too many for those who are willing to learn fast. A report by the World Economic Forum indicates that 75 million jobs may be displaced with complete automation but also that 133 million new jobs may also emerge.

The future has always been hard to ascertain. However, there are strong possibilities that should not be ignored. For instance, the concept of having traditional brick-and-mortar stores and offices seems to be overrated. Workers have been working remotely from home and have done so efficiently. It is expected that even after the virus, many companies will still choose to operate remotely.

Whatever the future brings, the workers who adapt will remain the most relevant. So, what to take away? Adapt.

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Post Covid-19: How employers can maximize on recruitment opportunities in China

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2020 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved

Change is the only constant in China. This is rule number one when thinking to enter or do business with this market. But in the year 2020 change got renamed into COVID 19. No matter how big or small you are, you could not but surrender to the traumatic experience of doing business in the world of the pandemic. Markets shivered, stock exchanges stood in shock and the job market stared in fear. It was time for another change.

Was COVID-19 a game changer for businesses all over the world? Absolutely yes. Yet, no adversity ever comes without a hint of opportunity and potential gain. Even in this situation businesses, management, staff, and employees are called to grow and grow dramatically.

RECRUITMENT IN CHINA ON THE MOVE

With the world on a standstill hiring new employees can be quite a struggle. In big cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing finding a competitive workforce can be challenging even in good times. But this doesn’t mean your business has to suffer, it only needs to evolve.

In picture: Chongqing city view. In big cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, finding a competitive workforce can be challenging even in good times.

By focusing on the downsides of the pandemic, we lose valuable options and realities the world has set in front of us. Recruitment in China is changing again and trying to figure out what the best practices are now. Can this time of post-COVID era actually become a blessing for businesses and recruiting practices? Let’s take a look.

NO JOB FAIRS, NO PROBLEM

At this time of the year, employers would usually turn to the job fairs to find local talents. However, due to the pandemics, this practice is put on hold. At least offline. Luckily the magic of doing business in China, also means there has to be another solution to the problem. And the solution came fast. Job fairs shifted from offline to the online sphere and started a life of its own.  Benefits are multiple. First and foremost, your business is contributing to the prevention of spreading the virus by helping potential candidates to maintain social distance and avoid risk. Secondly, the costs of recruitment are significantly lower while at the same time the quality of the recruitment process is not jeopardized.

Furthermore, the government in China fully supports online hiring and motivates businesses to be less conservative when it comes to this option.

GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT LOWERS COSTS OF HIRING

Good news for recruiters is the devotion of the government of China to mediate the consequences of the epidemics. They are ready to go the extra mile in the attempts to curb unemployment and prevent increase in the number of people who might be out of a job due to COVID-19. The goal of the Chinese government is to stabilize the job market in every possible way. Even if this means supporting nontraditional methods of recruiting such as online hiring platforms, or recognizing new job titles such as VR engineer or drone fixer.

In picture: People Assembly Hall in Chongqing. The Chinese government is taking strong counter cyclical measures such as extending grace periods, disbursing unemployment insurance, providing additional funds for the businesses at preferable conditions

At the same time, the government is taking strong counter cyclical measures, aiming to lower the survival pressure businesses face. Extending grace periods, disbursing unemployment insurance, providing additional funds for the businesses at preferable conditions, goes well in hand with new trends on the job market.

This is an opportunity to invest more in employees as the cost of hiring is going down. Comparing to the previous year when government policies increased labor costs per employee, this year and the post COVID era, brought a different picture. The government is trying to stimulate stabilizing the job market, by tax relief and lowering the social insurance costs. This is the opportunity to divert those means towards helping human capital to catch up with the changes. Investing more in the skills and flexibility of the employees is a necessary and wise approach in the challenging times.

OUT WITH THE OLD; IN WITH THE NEW

Post Covid-19, cost efficiency is a top company agenda

Adaptation is needed, and in the world of COVID-19, we are obliged to think rationally. This might even mean rethinking our established ways of doing business. When it comes to recruiting the time has come to think in a minimalistic way. Many businesses use this situation as a motive to reorganize the workload, cut extensive teams, or even lower the number of employees. For some, this will mean going online rather than having fixed in-office positions. Recruiting individual freelancers, contractors, or talents, will incur lower recruitment costs at no expense to the working quality. It is estimated that most of the businesses will not only go through reorganization but also that this reorganization will yield in new job openings, recognizing new demands and job definition and making both the company and the employees more flexible and resilient in the changing times.

GOING LOCAL

COVID-19 locked us down in one place, calling for finding solutions locally. This had also been the case with recruitment in China. We are called to look locally when looking for new talents or employees. In the time when hiring foreign employees and bringing then to China, has been virtually impossible, focus shifts to local job supply. This is a fantastic opportunity not only for the workforce but also for the recruiters because now they have to look for local talents to fill in open positions.

After the pandemic, Chinese companies are increasingly focusing on local talents search and reducing expatriates hiring

There has been extensive fear as to what is going to happen with estimated 600000 graduates who are entering the shaky job market in China. Their chances of finding suitable jobs in the time of business resizing and reorganization had been initially seen as meager. However, this might not have to be the case. As recruiters go online and are being stimulated to find local talents to fill in the demand this brings new chances for graduates looking to enter the job market.

OPPORTUNITY TO EVOLVE

In summary, though the situation is not easy for any participant on the job market, regardless of which side one is, supply and demand for quality workers will continue to exist and balance out in real life.

With enough flexibility and openness to thinking in new ways, businesses and recruiters can use the post-COVID era to reorganize their teams, find quality local talents and work hand in hand to make their companies more resilient to change. Sometimes the best policy can only be to bend with the wind and learn to adapt.

Recruiters and businesses need to work together closely to achieve win-win objectives, and to ensure that they are using every possible option to mediate the effects of the pandemics. Think flexible and think positive.

—End—

Images by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Tackling the challenges of C-suite recruitment

WiseNetAsia Knowledge Center
Copyright © 2020 WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd.  All Rights Reserved

 

What are some barriers and biases in the hiring process for C-level executives, and have things changed over time? Here we explore some common factors faced by recruiters and how to overcome them.

Age, gender and looks are factors that still consciously and subconsciously impact the final decision in the hiring for C-level positions.  Leaders that carry themselves well and dress up appropriately conveys confidence, credibility and respect to other people.  People are more likely to trust the ‘professional’ looking individual as opposed to a sloppy looking individual, simply because they do not convey self-confidence and do not look trustworthy!

Leaders that carry themselves well and dress up appropriately conveys confidence, credibility and respect to other people.

C-suite roles have greatly evolved over the years, but one thing remains: leadership ability and a sound grip on business fundamentals are still highly sought after. However not all is merit-based, as other factors prone to human bias such as age, gender and appearance also make a huge impact on who gets the role.

Recruiters must be selective in approaching prospective candidates, as hiring parties have much to consider such as timing (the best candidates might not want to wait), profile (whether candidate has the required qualifications and experience) and compensation (the possibility of hiring someone less experienced for a lower sum).

Below are some factors that may affect hiring for C-level positions, including what both recruiters and candidates should be aware of.

Is age just a number?

While having solid experience is certainly valuable, candidates must also stay relevant to compete with younger talents who have similar levels of experience.

Sometimes, in a subconscious act of age discrimination, employers prefer hiring younger candidates because they associate certain qualities with youth. Such qualities may include tech-savviness, energy and stamina, general adaptability and expectation for lower remuneration.[1]

Of course, an older candidate can also embody all these qualities accompanied by years of work experience. To demonstrate this as a candidate, one should stay abreast of the latest developments and software in your specific industry, and keep your resume fresh by showing only experience from the last 10-15 years (nothing older than that unless it’s highly noteworthy).

All is not lost for mature candidates, particularly those in C level positions, as the number of older people continuing to work is expected to rise in the coming years and companies may well benefit from hiring senior candidates, as they can be more proficient at relating to clients and customers under an older demographic.[1] This group may also form the base of legacy customers for some companies, bringing value in terms of loyalty and maintained revenue.

Ultimately, being adaptable to change and staying relevant by keeping up with current trends are efforts to be made by individual candidates, regardless of age.

Does gender make a difference?

Are certain competencies tied to a specific gender? It appears not.

In terms of skill set, both male and female executives in the finance industry were found to have similar levels of competency, with women outperforming men (47% vs 39%) in financial expertise within emerging markets.[2]

According to the December 2019 S&P 500 list, women currently hold 31 (6.2%) CEO positions at these S&P 500 companies.[3] Globally, the percentage of women on boards has increased – from 17.9% in 2018 to 20% in 2019 – based on the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) published in 2019.[4]

However some countries still lag behind the global average, which in itself has much room for improvement by having more women in senior management positions.

While personal characteristics and motivations certainly influence real-life decision making, a psychological study found that although both genders were equally strong in terms of willpower, resilience and openness – men tend to have a higher willingness to take risks as compared to women.[5]

Besides personality, this aversion to risk may often be due to family considerations, which is something women tend to display more than men. This could also be due to societal expectations on women to be maternal and family-oriented, which may lead to some women taking a step back in their careers to focus on family.

At the same time, this should not colour the view of recruiters when hiring female candidates, because individual ambitions are vastly different – particularly within recent generations of women who are more educated, informed and independent.

Generalizing the expectations of a whole gender group would cripple the search for promising talents. The focus should be on merit and experience, discarding the lens of long-established gender biases.

Female executives at C-level, possessing their wealth of experience and business acumen, can further mentor younger and less-experienced candidates. Having women in management positions also serves to empower women in junior or managerial positions – demonstrating that this is a reality which is open to them – and that they have as much opportunity to achieve success as their male counterparts.

How much does appearance influence the outcome?

Is it shallow to judge someone based on their looks? Maybe, but it happens all the time.

“Beauty bias” is what makes us attracted to good-looking people, and physical appearance does impact a person’s job prospects and chances for promotion.[1] Looking well has helped people get ahead at work, enabled them to be more persuasive, boosted cooperation with colleagues and increased sale of products.

Obviously, this can lead to overt discrimination e.g. where an employer might prefer an attractive candidate to be the face of their brand, as opposed to a more qualified candidate who may not have the preferred looks.

To stay clear of this, here is a good practice to maintain: what always makes a difference for every candidate is to be well-groomed and professionally dressed. This conveys determination, attention to detail and respect for the task at hand.

Hiring companies can definitely expand their search by looking beyond their current pool of talent and getting rid of common biases. Just as candidates should constantly update their profile, hiring practices should also be updated every once in a while, to ensure the brightest leaders don’t slip through the cracks!

—End—

[1] Source: https://www.jobscan.co/blog/age-discrimination-older-applicants-vs-young-pretty-people/ 

[2] Source: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/0218/pages/hiring-in-the-age-of-ageism.aspx

[3] Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/more-women-directors-in-singapore-companies-but-number-still-lags-global

[4] Source: https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-ceos-of-the-sp-500/

[5] Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/more-women-directors-in-singapore-companies-but-number-still-lags-global

[6] Source: https://www.iomcworld.org/open-access/age-and-gender-influence-upon-selfreported-leadership-attributesduring-recruitment-2471-2701-1000140.pdf

[7] Source: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/beauty-work-physical-appearance-impacts-job-search-careers/