SINGAPORE - Three online playbooks will be made available in the next 12 months to boost skills-based hiring for tech roles and human resources (HR) management in the retail and construction sectors.

Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad made the announcement at the HR Tech Festival Asia held at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday.

Companies with strong HR capabilities are 5.5 times more likely to be significantly more profitable than their peers, and six times more likely to be more innovative, Mr Zaqy said, citing a recent study by research analyst Josh Bersin and tech company IBM.

Seven HR playbooks – for sectors such as food services, financial services and manufacturing – that address common or industry HR issues have been introduced by the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) since 2021.

Support for Singapore’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will also be scaled up with more Transformation for Growth workshops run by IHRP, said Mr Zaqy. SMEs account for about 70 per cent of local employment.

These workshops will provide SMEs, through the Human Capital Diagnostic Tool, with an assessment of their strengths and opportunities. The diagnostic tool will be available in Chinese later in 2023, he said.

The workshops will also support SMEs in drawing up action plans based on the playbooks and the diagnostic tool.

Mr Zaqy also launched the five-year HR Industry Transformation Plan, a two-thrust approach to bolster HR professionals’ contribution to the Singapore economy.

Based on recommendations put forth in 2020 by an advisory panel of government, union, employer, human resources and business members, the plan aims to shore up enterprise HR capabilities as well as sharpen HR workers’ skills and mindsets.

Getting HR professionals certified through training by IHRP is a key prong of the strategy, said Mr Zaqy.

“Certification recognises the individual’s knowledge and experience as an HR professional. It also provides the individual with access to extensive HR networks and resources, including latest industry practices and manpower requirements,” he said.

The tripartite group of union, employers and the Government hopes to raise the number of IHRP-certified HR professionals from over 6,800 to 12,000 by 2025. The plan lists a target of 15,000 IHRP-certified professionals by 2027.

The number of HR practitioners in Singapore had risen to 40,000 in 2020, from 23,000 in 2010, after a decade of economic growth triggered rapid job disruptions and a war for talent.

Mr Zaqy said: “Employers should view their HR as strategic assets, as key partners to the success of your business – not just in name, but as partners in your management meetings and boardrooms.”

In recent years, the Government has provided enterprises with tools and tech solutions to build a competitive edge through talent management. 

For instance, employers could now use portals run by the Ministry of Manpower to benchmark their HR practices and data against those of their peers to help with workforce hiring and retention.

One initiative, the Productivity Solutions Grant, has received more than 11,000 applications since 2018. The grant supports firms in digitalising procedures such as recruitment, payroll and benefits.

The Job Redesign Centre of Excellence, run by IHRP, will be set up later in 2023. The centre will be a one-stop destination for firms making job redesign efforts.

In response to queries, IHRP chief executive Aslam Sardar urged HR professionals to be confident about stepping up to drive strategy for their firms. “The ability to think strategically and apply a data-driven approach is a crucial quality that HR professionals should equip themselves with,” he said.

Mr Bersin said the world of hiring has changed drastically.

Speaking via a remote link, he told the audience: “Virtually everywhere we go, employers tell us they can’t find enough people. It is not going to change for some time because it takes a while for the children to grow up and go to school and go to work. And we aren’t having enough children.

“We have to find technologies and tools to deal with this new world of hiring.”