7 Crucial HR skills, Competencies & Qualifications for HR Professional in Singapore

October 08, 2022

7 Crucial HR skills, Competencies & Qualifications for HR Professional in Singapore

Understand Skills Framework for Human Resources Professionals in Singapore 

Besides supporting the company’s goals, strategic HR empowers employees to achieve their best. Read on to discover how to create more strategic HR practices.

The HR industry in Singapore comprises over 40,000 HR professionals and over 2,300 HR services firms providing HR consultancy, HR outsourcing, HR information systems, as well as recruitment and executive search services. HR services firms generated about $3.9 billion in operating receipts. As Singapore’s economy restructures and our society

matures, HR professionals need to move beyond administrative functions to be strategic business partners, to help businesses and their employees transform, adapt and grow. HR professionals need to facilitate the adoption of progressive HR practices to attract, develop and retain talent, and collaborate with senior management on people strategy, succession planning and managing employee relations. As a key enabler of human capital development, HR professionals play an important role in adopting the Skills Frameworks relevant to their companies. They should also lead by example in embracing the spirit of continuous learning and development that is crucial for a competitive workforce.

Understand Skills Framework for Human Resources Professionals in Singapore

Skills Framework for Human Resource – SkillsFuture Singapore

The Skills Framework (SFw) is a SkillsFuture initiative developed for the Singapore workforce to promote skills mastery and lifelong learning, and is an integral component of the Human Resource (HR) Industry Manpower Map. Jointly developed by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), Workforce Singapore (WSG), and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), supported by the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP), together with industry associations, training providers, organisations and unions, the Skills Framework for HR provides useful information on:

  • Sector information
  • Career pathways
  • Occupations and job roles
  • Existing and emerging skills
  • Training programmes for skills upgrading and mastery.

According to Glassdoor’s Jobs and Hiring Trends for 2020 report, the future for companies is all about adopting an employee-centric business model. An employee-centric approach can mean many things, but it basically describes a workplace where employees are given the autonomy to explore and communicate their ideas and are encouraged to lead a healthy work-life balance. Such workplace environments will eventually result in a higher employee engagement rate, which can increase the company’s profitability by 21%, based on findings by TechJury. Other benefits of engaged employees include better work performances, lower absenteeism rate, and lower risk of burnout, to name a few.

7 Tips To Make HR be More Strategic in their Approach

HR plays a central role in creating an employee-centric company culture. Besides the administrative factor, HR can be considered successful if they strategise in recognising and honing each employee’s strengths, and utilising them to drive business results. At the end of the day, the organisation should operate as efficiently and effectively as possible, and a strategic HR team is an answer to achieve its long-term goals.

Charting Growth and Opportunity for HR

Charting Growth and Opportunity for HR

In order for HR to be more strategic, they should look at developing and implementing programs that integrate into the organisation’s most vital objectives. If you are an HR professional or planning to have a career in this field, always aim to get a seat at the table, at which you can contribute to creating company-wide policies. In this article, we have provided a few tips on how you and the entire HR team can propose initiatives that not only propel the company forward, but also empower employees.

1. Be Future-Ready HR Leaders

The Master of Science in Global Human Resources Management degree is an IHRP (Singapore) accredited program. Modern organizations realize that people are the key to sustainable business success, and HR has evolved from a support function to a revenue driver. Today’s HR practitioners need to understand how business strategy ties into people strategy.

Be Future-Ready HR Leaders

Technology has helped us in many aspects of our lives, but one of its most significant benefits is providing convenience and improving efficiency. This is especially true in the working world, where every company can make use of technology and automation to enhance their productivity and operation, regardless of which industry it is in. HR teams can embrace this technological change by investing in automation in certain areas that do not require as much manual labour. 

One way to do so is by applying software and web-based applications that assist in managing the internal system of the organisation, such as employee management software and payroll system. Aside from reducing the risks of human errors, automation can also take the workload off workers’ shoulders and allow them to concentrate on their essential tasks.

2. Apply HR Analytics and Improve Employee Engagement

According to the analyst firm IDC, big data is expected to be worth around USD53.3 billion by 2025 in just Asia Pacific alone. This statistic is consistent with the fact that companies are increasingly likely to be data-driven in order to meet consumers’ needs and preferences. To retrieve relevant and accurate data, HR can request assistance from data analysts, be it a freelancer or someone working directly with the company, to research and collect critical insights. From there, HR can utilise this data information to make better decisions and present an effective business plan that promises a good ROI rate.

3. Provide Training and Workplace Learning Solutions

Provide Training and Workplace Learning Solutions

Attracting talents into the organisation is not enough. When it comes to thinking about the future and how the company can continue to grow, HR should work towards promoting a learning environment in the workplace, where employees are motivated and given the opportunities to upgrade their skills and have the knowledge to apply these skills to optimise the company’s performance. For example, you can conduct educational programs every once in a while or offer promotions to outstanding employees. These actions will enable employees to feel valued and appreciated, giving them an incentive to stay in the organisation.

Workplace Learning is the acquisition of knowledge or skills by formal or informal means that occurs in the workplace. The Graduate Diploma in Workplace Learning Design & Solutions aims to develop individual skills to provide innovative workplace learning solutions.

4. The Skills Framework for HR

Like with most things in life, technology has its good sides and bad sides. Technology brings about many advantages, as mentioned above, but some people have learned to use technological features to commit crimes. We are talking specifically about cyberattacks, which companies pose a great risk as they are vulnerable to information theft, ransomware, data leakage, and many more. All of these can lead to the organisation suffering from a damaged reputation, loss of profits, and disruption to its operation. As a lot of sensitive data is held by the company and its employees, HR can also step in to ensure this information and any restricted activities are kept secured at all times. For HR professionals who are not as savvy in this department, you can consider undertaking cybersecurity training.

The Skills Framework For HR

The Skills Framework for HR contains information on trends, career pathways, occupations, job roles, skills and competencies and training programmes. This section provides information on the Skills Framework for HR, including information on trends and workforce profiles in the sector.

Career Pathways for the Skills Framework for HR

The Career Pathways show the possible options for vertical and lateral progression for advancement and growth. Seven (7) tracks, i) Operations and Technology, (ii) Performance and Rewards, (iii) HR Business Partner, (iv) Talent Attraction, (v) Employee Experience and Relations, (vi) Talent Management and (vii) Learning and Organisation Development have been identified, which encompass 21 job roles. Skills Maps: The Skills Maps covers a total of 21 job roles, critical work functions, key tasks and skills and competencies aligned to the seven tracks.

5. Prioritise Employees’ Needs and Concerns

Yes, HR has to, first and foremost, protect the company, but that does not mean that they are unable to establish a happier and more productive workplace for employees. These days, everyone knows the correlation between engaged employees and a lucrative business. If companies acknowledge this association and take the necessary steps to be more employee-centric, they can look forward to gaining many benefits. HR can emphasise this approach by reaching out to employees and listening to and addressing their needs. Let’s say HR can facilitate a feedback session on a monthly basis in order to understand employees’ experiences in the company.

6. Be a Human Capital Leader

HR professionals are in a unique position in the company, being able to see the whole picture and consult with top management to improve the company’s operations. If you encounter a problem or realise that a particular initiative is not working as effectively as thought, do not wait around for top management to raise questions and failures to happen. Instead, immediately take charge of the situation and come up with solutions to counter these difficulties. This is why knowing the organisation’s goals is crucial, as you can develop programs that align with the company’s vision.

Be a Human Capital Leader

7. Desired HR Attributes and Skills in Demand

Desired HR Attributes and Skills in Demand

Today’s HR professionals entering the job market have entirely different expectations and demands than those from a decade ago. To avoid bringing in the wrong people to the company, HR should do extensive research to develop a clever strategy that maximises the company’s hiring efforts. One example is updating the job description to provide a clearer picture of the job’s tasks and responsibilities and ensuring that the right questions are asked in the interview process.

Conclusion

To conclude, a strategic HR approach is to invest in employees and help them to unlock their potential in being a part of creating a high-performance culture in the workplace. The nature of the working world is constantly evolving, and in order for companies to keep up with the game and stay competitive, HR has to find ways to address these changes and advocate long-term resources. This is where strategic HR practices come into play, which is achieved with these methods listed above.

If you need more guidance on implementing a strategic HR approach, Aventis can offer the assistance you need through our Graduate Diploma in Human Capital Development or Master of Science in Global Human Resources Management. Both of these courses will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to deal with human capital challenges and plan for organisational change according to unique business conditions. 

 

Aventis offers other courses specially designed for adult learners to continue expanding their skill set. Whether you are interested in a Diploma in Cybersecurity in Singapore or taking up a part-time MBA in Singapore, Aventis has everything you need to enable you to achieve your aspirations. Check out the range of courses offered at Aventis here.

About Aventis Graduate School

Aventis is a Global Graduate School, headquartered in Singapore with more than 60,000 learners across the world. Established since 2007, Aventis collaborates with leading universities across the United Kingdom and the United States to deliver best in class graduate education for working professionals across Asia. Aventis offers an exciting suite of business programmes including Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science in Global Financial Management.

The Part-time Master of Science in Global Human Resource Management programme offered by Aventis from Roehampton University is a marketing course worth noticing. The course is great for you if you are a busy working professional as it is 9 months part-time. 

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