Forum: Companies can help staff build career resilience
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Recent reports of restructuring and retrenchment across different industries have understandably caused concern among workers. However, the discussion should not lead to panic or to a search for a supposedly “retrenchment-proof” employer.
No company can guarantee permanent job security. Business models change, technology advances, and organisations may redesign or remove roles.
A more realistic form of security is career resilience: maintaining relevant skills, gaining transferable experience and being prepared to move into another role when work requirements change.
Employers could introduce an annual career-resilience review, separate from the usual performance appraisal.
During this review, employees should be given a clearer understanding of how automation, artificial intelligence and business restructuring may affect their roles over the next two or three years. Employers and employees could then agree on appropriate training, job redesign, or internal-transfer opportunities before a position becomes redundant.
This would allow workers to take action early, rather than discovering too late that their experience is no longer aligned with available jobs.
Workers, too, need clearer guidance when assessing a new job. Salary and company reputation are important, but applicants should also consider whether the employer provides regular training, supports internal mobility, has a responsible plan for adopting technology, and offers sustainable career progression.
The type of employment arrangement also matters, as temporary and contract positions may carry different renewal risks from permanent roles.
Employers, industry associations and training providers could work together to develop a simple career-resilience checklist for workers.
This could help employees assess their current skills, identify future job requirements and plan suitable training before their roles are affected by restructuring.
The objective should not be to create excessive fear whenever an organisation restructures. Instead, continual learning, transparent workforce planning and early career preparation should become normal parts of employment in Singapore.
Pang Chong Liu
