Throughout his 15 years at global technology company KLA, Mr Uldarico L. Olaguir Jr loved the family-like environment so much that he even referred his two sons to join the company.
The 55-year-old associate test engineer in manufacturing production referred his two sons, Darien, 26, and John, 30, to KLA through the company’s employee referral programme.
Mr Olaguir introduced Darien, 26, and John, 30, to work at KLA because he felt they would have great chances to learn from this technology-oriented company.
“It fosters an environment where experienced employees share their knowledge with newer staff,” adds the 55-year-old.
At the global tech solutions company, employee referrals are a valuable hiring tool. Mr Gregory Grant, vice-president of Singapore operations at KLA, says that from 2020 to 2022, 40 per cent of his department’s new hires were referrals. “It’s one of the best sources of finding talent,” he says.
The family-like warmth that pervades the workspace aside, KLA staff often like to recommend friends and family because of the company’s competitive wages and non-monetary benefits.
These are the qualities that earned KLA a spot on this year's list of best 250 employers in Singapore, which was compiled by global research firm Statista in collaboration with The Straits Times.
Mr Grant himself joined KLA as a junior engineer in California fresh out of school 35 years ago. The 58-year-old, who has been based in Singapore since 2008, remembers being excited about the many opportunities to surround himself with the latest technology at the company, which ranges from cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing process control systems to artificial intelligence-enabled image processing and data analytics algorithms.
But it was the family-like culture that appealed to him most and gave him a career he describes as being “a fun ride”. In his first year at KLA, his senior leaders would chat with staff freely at the company cafe. Mr Grant also fondly recalls how he and his supervisor would drive to a nearby playground to play basketball during lunch.
“There was never a sense that I couldn’t talk to someone up there. I have tried to keep this culture, even now in Singapore.”
Helping employees excel
This openness and sense of belonging keeps employees engaged. Darien is part of a chess group at the company and looks forward to the many non-work events that KLA organises. These include bowling, laser tag and Amazing Race-inspired games.
Mr Grant says new employees are given the opportunity to organise these events as well as appreciation dinners so that they can make friends across departments and experience the KLA culture early on.
These employee-driven activities help foster a sense of camaraderie and work-life balance, which is particularly appealing to employees like Darien. “Every day at work is a learning experience. And as much as we work hard, we also play hard,” he says.
Darien recalls his father, who oversees a team of 10 in the manufacturing department, sharing passionately about his job over dinner and was won over by his stories of camaraderie among his colleagues.
“My father told me about the company's inclusive working environment – how people from different walks of life were working together cohesively to achieve a common goal.”
The family works in different divisions within the manufacturing department at the company and they are working on different products.
Darien, who has a diploma in media and communications from Singapore Polytechnic, was doing freelance writing and online content creation when he joined KLA in 2022. Making the switch from media to mechanics was daunting.
Thankfully, this was made easier with the company’s many rigorous on-the-job and web-based training programmes.
“I didn’t know all the jargon but KLA structures its training very well so that someone outside the industry can easily digest the information,” says Darien.
He also picked up new mechanical skills as he was trained to set up hardware and software products like servers with varying configurations.
Darien is not the only one who has made a successful career switch from a non-semiconductor background. He is part of the Workforce Singapore Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Employers in Singapore. To date, KLA has trained more than 300 employees under the CCP. Darien’s successful transition from media to a technical role exemplifies KLA’s dedication to nurturing talent and supporting career growth, even for those new to the industry.
This open and supportive environment is a core part of KLA’s culture and values.
Says Mr Grant: “We are committed to investing in our people to ensure they have the necessary skills, resources and support to excel in their roles.”
For instance, Global Corporate Learning Centre courses are open to all KLA employees. Since 2023, KLA has also partnered NTUC LearningHub to equip managers with soft skills like helping staff to grow in the company.
Staff who wish to further their studies can apply for sponsorships for their courses.
There is also a mentorship programme where identified talents are matched with a senior colleague for six months to two years to gain useful career advice and insights on how to improve in their work. This also allows senior staff at KLA to give back to the workplace.
In addition, staff who meet criteria such as favourable performance rating and service tenure of 18 to 24 months can bid for new job openings. “This has been a good opportunity for employees to chart their career aspirations,” says Mr Grant. “Being supportive of their aspirations also means better staff retention.”
