The people at ST Engg are its most important asset. In the
Group’s global thrust, they form the primary driver
of growth, and are ambassadors of the brand. And they are
key to the Group staying ahead of the increased competition
in this era of globalisation and rapid technological changes.
Correspondingly, the Group’s policies and practices
are targeted at maximising this valuable resource.
It does this by emphasising continual learning and skills
upgrading, and fostering a culture conducive to change and
innovation, backed by a system of performance-based rewards.
The result is a team of professionals who are empowered,
motivated and passionate about the business.
Sustaining this environment of learning and innovation are
regular and open communications. ST Engg management keeps
its people updated on important decisions, creating a unity
of purpose across the Group.
(I) Nurturing a Global Mindset
Expanding its international business is a key element in
ST Engg’s strategy for growth. To be a successful global
player,
ST Engg needs leaders who are passionate and committed
to the cause of the Group. ST Engg seeks to nurture a global
mindset that is performance oriented, adaptable and sensitive
to local cultures and practices.
With this in mind, ST Engg has developed a programme for grooming
global talent within its workforce. Leaders who are earmarked
for senior overseas assignments are sent on various executive
programmes – training at top foreign institutions and
universities – and postings to
ST Engg operations in the US, Europe and other
parts of Asia, like China. These programmes and
postings allow staff to interact with their counterparts
from around the world, exposing them to different
cultures, value systems and business practices.
They also provide opportunities for staff to develop
their social and business networks.
ST Engg also adds to its talent pool by recruiting
committed and capable leaders, who share its values
and vision, in the countries where the Group operates.
Foreign talent is inducted into ST Engg to help
grow its operations.
(II) Building a Learning Culture
Dr W. Arthur Porter, an international authority
on technology commercialisation and the management
of collaborative projects, once said, “The
innovate point is the pivotal moment when talented
and motivated people seek the opportunity to act
on their ideas and dreams."
In this fast changing knowledge-based economy,
the upgrading of skills and the acquisition and
creation of new knowledge are key to the Group’s
continued success. The Group encourages learning
by creating an environment that recognises and
rewards improvements and innovation.
Learning in ST Engg is done both formally, through
courses and seminars, and informally, through self
learning, sharing and collaboration with others.
Throughout the market volatility
of recent years, ST Engg remained steadfast in
its commitment to provide staff with the required
training. In 2003, the Group invested in an average
of seven days of training for each employee. Courses
are conducted by ST College and external service
providers. In house subject matter experts also
play an important role in imparting knowledge and
skills. Today they run programmes to prepare staff
for assessment or certification by external professional
bodies. An example is the Certificate in Aircraft
Maintenance Programme introduced by ST Aero to
build up its pool of Licensed Aircraft Engineers
(LAEs). Conducted in accordance with the Civil
Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) standards
and syllabus, trainees would ultimately sit for
a CAAS examination and be certified by CAAS as
LAEs. The Group’s investment in training
has helped build the required expertise to ensure
that the workforce stays
relevant to customers in a fast changing marketplace.
The second thrust of ST Engg’s learning
strategy is to encourage self learning and
knowledge sharing among the Group’s 12,000
strong global workforce. As the organisation
moves up the value chain, knowledge management
tools and processes enable knowledge sharing
and creation.
ST Engg has developed several portals to encourage
and facilitate internal learning and sharing – a
technology portal for the sharing of engineering
knowledge; a risk management portal for project
management teams and business unit leaders;
and OASIS, a collaborative platform piloted
by ST Dynamics this year to evaluate new and
emerging technologies.
In today’s highly competitive environment,
learning faster and better than the competitors
provides ST Engg with the edge to stay ahead.
(III) Rewarding Performance, Staying
Competitive
ST Engg believes in performance-based rewards
for individuals as well as teams. Both the
performance of companies in the Group and that
of the staff count in deciding on rewards.
The Group employs two measures for performance.
Economic value added measures financial contribution
while key performance indicators (KPIs) focus
on aspects such as customer focus, safety, people
excellence and operational excellence. KPIs are
reviewed regularly to adapt to the Group’s
changing requirements.
(IV) Conclusion
ST Engg’s human resource strategy is
nurturing a workforce bound by a common set
of values – professionalism, integrity
and adaptability. A workforce with a global
mindset, equipped with the knowledge and skills,
to compete on the international stage.
