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As Karen Quek, Senior Assistant Director, Talent Acquisition & Branding, shares, this intentional partnership mindset is what fundamentally shifts HR's role from a reactive administrator to an indispensable strategic partner.
The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) knew that its current isolated efforts to build a robust, home-grown talent pipeline to combat escalating cyber threats, would not suffice.
The gap? Creating an employer brand and structured programme that is competitive to secure top graduates. That is where the CSA team decided to create a cohesive ecosystem that would spark interest in students, and nurture future technology leaders.
This hunger to stay competitive in an AI-driven environment, is how Cyber Security Agency of Singapore earned itself a bronze win for 'Excellence in Graduate Recruitment and Development' at the HR Excellence Awards 2025, Singapore.
In this interview with HRO, Karen Quek, Senior Assistant Director, Talent Acquisition & Branding, Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, shares how her team made its way to victory through focusing on developing an appropriate talent acquisition strategy that successfully attracts the right talent.
Q Tell us about your inspiring HR initiative – what sparked the idea, and how did you know it was the right path to take?
Our inspiring initiative was building an integrated graduate strategy from the ground up at the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA). The spark was a critical national need, the escalating cyber threats demanded a robust, home-grown talent pipeline, but we lacked the employer brand and structured programmes to compete for top graduates.
We knew isolated efforts wouldn't suffice. The right path was a cohesive ecosystem, from 'CyberXperience' programme to spark interest in students, the Smart Nation Scholarship to nurture future technology leaders, a professionalised internship to cultivate talent, and the Cybersecurity Development Programme (CSDP) to launch graduates into meaningful cybersecurity careers. Leadership and partner agencies' buy-in confirmed we were solving a core business and national problem strategically.
Q Every journey has its ups and downs – can you share a challenge your team faced and how you worked through it together?
A significant challenge was the initial hesitation from other public agencies to take in forward deployed officers from our Cybersecurity Development Programme (CSDP). They were skeptical that our graduates could match the readiness of experienced hires. We tackled this as one unified team. HR worked with our CSA Academy and other tertiary institutions to develop the CSDP classroom training curriculum.
Simultaneously, our own technical divisions co-designed the on-the-job training curriculum to ensure immediate relevance and impact.
"By presenting a united front and tailoring our value proposition for each partner, we systematically transformed skepticism into trust."
This collective, cross functional effort turned a major adoption barrier into a strategic breakthrough, ultimately leading to formal requests from 21 agencies for our graduates, solidifying CSDP as a valued pipeline for cyber talent.
Q What impact has this initiative had on your organisation so far, and what do you hope it inspires in the wider HR community?
The impact has been the creation of a comprehensive home-grown talent development ecosystem that directly strengthens Singapore's national cybersecurity posture. Quantitatively, we have onboarded over 200 officers through our CSDP, with 80% retention in critical roles, while our internship achieves a 60% conversion rate and the Smart Nation Scholarship attracts over 450 competitive applications annually.
Qualitatively, we have shifted from ad-hoc hiring to a more strategic talent acquisition approach that focuses on proactive sourcing, building a strong employer brand and ensuring a positive candidate experience. We are learning to do these better and are already yielding good results.
For the wider HR community, I want to share that developing an appropriate talent acquisition approach is essential for attracting the right talents and it pays to give focus attention on it.
Q Looking back, is there a moment, person, or value that kept you and your team motivated throughout the journey?
The value that consistently motivated us was 'Purpose over Process'. This was embodied by our senior leaders who constantly connected our work to the mission of safeguarding Singapore's cyberspace. A pivotal energising moment came from a CyberXperience participant's testimonial: "Just go for the CyberXperience programme!... you get to have hands-on experience on the different cybersecurity domains."
Hearing that raw enthusiasm was a powerful jolt. It was tangible proof that we were succeeding; that we were not merely processing hires, but sparking passion and shaping the career aspirations of Singapore's future cyber defenders. This sense of shared purpose, knowing our HR work was a national imperative, was the fuel that pushed us through every obstacle.
Q If you could offer one golden nugget of wisdom to HR professionals aiming for excellence, what would it be?
Be a bridge builder, not just a programme builder. True excellence in HR is achieved when we transition from being a siloed administrative function to becoming the organisation's essential connective tissue. This means proactively embedding yourself within the business, not just waiting for requests. Invest the time to deeply understand the core mission and the specific challenges your divisions face, so that your HR initiatives are not perceived as "HR programmes" but as integrated strategic solutions to their problems.
Whether it's co-designing an internship with divisions to solve their talent pipeline issues or aligning a scholarship with overarching national needs, this intentional partnership mindset is what fundamentally shifts HR's role from a reactive administrator to an indispensable strategic partner. It is a lever for transforming ambitious strategies into tangible award-winning results that deliver real organisational impact.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets section!
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