Q How long have you been with Changi Airport?
I’ve been with them for more than 10 years taking on several roles, including marketing and promotions. In 2004, I began my career in HR. At that point, Changi was in the midst of a transformation – trying to change HR into a more strategic role. When I was asked to join HR, the department was still in its infancy so it needed people who understood the company and could contribute to its development.
Q So before 2004, there wasn’t a solid HR structure for Changi Airport?
There was, but the initial HR structure was what people traditionally associated with the function, where it mainly focused on administration, processing and some aspects of policies. A large part of HR
then wasn’t really connected to the business – it wasn’t looking at what the business needs were or being forward looking.
Q What is HR transformation to you?
When we talk about transformation we’re not looking at getting results overnight – we’re looking at a period of adjustment and that requires understanding and finding meaning behind the work that you do. You may not see concrete results very quickly. Encouragement comes from the angle you adopt; the visions and values you bring and also when you talk to top management.
Q How did you transform HR to be more strategic?
I started working on leadership development, so we introduced talent development concepts by looking at how we should think about our talent, and how we defined our talent and prepared them for the needs of the business. Another aspect I worked on was employee engagement. It was a fairly new concept at that point in time.
Q How did employee engagement play a part?
We moved beyond the concerns of traditional staff welfare, and made efforts to really engage at ground level – understanding them, hearing them and getting to know the needs of the individual employee. Communication was the key – we put in place a more robust communication platform, including convening in town halls, lunches, employee surveys and compiling the information into surveys and doing an action plan from there. It was very challenging, but at the end of the day, the real value really is in touching people and hearing how things have changed for them.
Q What were some of the challenges in the transformation process and how did you overcome them?
One was establishing leadership, which included bringing on board new leaders, and aligning everyone to a new set-up. We also had to define what a new organisation was. In the beginning, aside from planning for a smooth transition, which is more of an operational move, a lot of the work was around asking what was the kind of company we wanted to build.
Q What questions did you ask to help define the transformation?
What should the new organisation stand for? How do we then define our new role and find meaning in that role? The new management took quite some time to align everybody, and we did that through retreats and discussions to talk about the company we wanted to build.
Q Was it harder to redefine the culture of a company that was already established?
It was more interesting because we had people with different beliefs, different mindsets and different reservations coming in. There was a big group of people who started bringing up concerns and asking questions such as “what’s in it for me in this new organisation”, “what does this change mean for me”. I think there was a lot of uncertainty and that required many leaders to be clear on what they wanted to have set up in the new organisation, and then really engage the staff through town hall sessions, which included the CEOs talking to individuals. This is subsequently reinforced by leaders talking to those on the ground and advising employees on the direction to go.
Q How did having those discussions help?
We needed to let them know we heard them and we were aware of their immediate concerns, but to let us work through them and we would keep them informed. This process is rather time consuming. At the end of the day, the real asset we have is our people. Through the transformation, we thought about what it means to value our people.
Q Do you think there’s an end point to this transformation journey?
I don’t think there is. The reason is that even if the organisation reaches a certain level, the environment around the organisation changes. That necessitates us to take stock of where we need to go again. But I don’t think it’s necessarily a gloomy picture. I think along the way, what’s really important is to celebrate our success and to see how the organisation has grown and developed. You don’t see it as an instance where there isn’t light at the end of the tunnel.
Q You must also have a close relationship with your CEO and senior management. Is that really important?
Yes it is, and I think one aspect of it is trust. The reality is if you want to bring value to HR, then you need to have trust from the senior management team to talk through the greatest challenges. You need to have an honest conversation with them over what needs to change, what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes these conservations are not easy, but it is established on the principle of trust and the belief in terms of what we’re setting out to do – which is to transform the organisation. That’s the point from where all constructive conversation starts.
Q You mentioned HR being more strategic towards your organisation. What do you think the business really needs from the HR function?
HR needs to really understand the organisation and where the organisation is heading. From the business point of view, how do they fit within that broader strategy, and then meet them in their immediate point of need and advise them in terms of where to go. Sometimes you’ll find the different divisions are fairly aligned, but there are also instances where they may have a more pressing immediate need. That’s where we come in and have a conversation with them – making them think and reflect about where the organisation is heading.
Q You mentioned passion as one of the key things you look for in candidates, but how do you identify and measure passion?
The fact is many feel a certain association with Changi. They share a passion for the aviation industry. They like the environment and many feel thrilled when they see airplanes. Those are some of the answers that come through interviews. They feel
the connection; they cite school experiences where they come here to study. What you can see is that many of our employees have such stories to tell.
For us, that works.
Q That connection before they join the company is important?
They know the facilities and the brand. And they feel for the brand. Some of them share the experience that they can see how this is a touch-point for Singapore – and therefore they feel they can actually contribute to making a difference in their particular area. You ask me how do I measure passion – I can’t, but people feel it.
Q How can HR stay aligned with the organisation?
HR needs to understand the context of the organisation and its stage of development as well as its needs and direction. We then adapt what we learn to suit the organisation and what would work for it – tailoring it to have the biggest impact. This all involves knowing the business, the drivers of the business and seeing areas where HR can work with business units to really bring out value.
Q What are you looking forward to in 2012?
We’re in the process of doing our work-plan cycle. It’s about taking stock of how far we’ve come. Looking ahead, there’s much more room where we can improve. We’re really excited about things that we can do to bring our brand forward. I think many people know Changi Airport today, but they don’t know the organisation behind it. So that’s one of the challenges to take up from the HR angle – helping people appreciate that part of it, putting our name in the market and understanding the various options we have.
