Singapore - Despite the downturn, InfoPrint Solutions is still looking to invest in its leadership development with its Asia-Pacific Management University.
Because the company was only founded in 2007 as a joint-venture between IBM and Ricoh, it is now looking to build up its leadership capabilities, says Colin Chong, HR director of Asia Pacific for InfoPrint.
The APAC Management University brings about "23 to 25" senior managers in the APAC region for a two and a half days seminar. Conducted twice a year, university management professors, consultants and leading industry experts are brought in to talk and train leaders around competencies that they are lacking in. Some topics which was touched on before include change management and how to handle the media.
Motivational speakers are also invited to speak so as to inspire employees "to see that the world is not [just revolving] around the office," Chong says. One of such motivational speaker is Singaporean adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow, who spoke about his motivation to perform his feats such as climbing the seven summits, scaling the North and South Poles as well as perform the world's longest scuba dive ever.
With the investment in the APAC Management University shows that the company believes that this would bring about results for a young leadership team, Chong adds that employee development can also increases retention rates among employees as well.
"If you work for a company that believes in it, and your bosses believe in it, you find that you will grow," says Chong.
However, he warns that employees should not think that training is a given to all employees, as that would create a culture where training is taken for granted and the investment value lost.
