Talent & Tech Asia Summit 2024
Winning Secrets: How Adventus Singapore rolled out new working arrangements for employee wellbeing

Winning Secrets: How Adventus Singapore rolled out new working arrangements for employee wellbeing

Adventus Singapore was nominated by the jury as a finalist for 'Excellence in Workforce Mobility' at the HR Excellence Awards 2021, Singapore.

In this interview, Calvin Ng, People & Culture Manager, Adventus Singapore, tells us how the organisation patiently assisted and address the concerns of staff, ensuring they were well-supported during the period of change.  

Q Congratulations on being a finalist! What is your organisation’s HR strategy, and some milestones you’ve accomplished along this journey?

Flexibility and mobility within our workplace had been granted to our employees since the Circuit Breaker in 2020. Given the severity of the pandemic and to protect our staff against COVID-19, remote working-from-home arrangements were implemented to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our staff.

The working arrangements were subsequently tailored accordingly to meet the needs of both our employees and the business such that it is a win-win situation for all.

adventus singapore provided 1

Q How has this strategy helped you achieve your HR priorities, and what role has the leadership played in helping make this initiative a reality?

Doing so (the working arrangements) was also aimed at enhancing the productivity of our staff, reducing time and cost to commute, and giving them more time and closer interactions with their families.

The management team has been fully understanding and supportive of this arrangement, which was instrumental in the effective rolling out of this initiative.

adventus singapore provided 2

Q Unexpected roadblocks are part and parcel of executing any initiative. What were some of the barriers that you and your team experienced while rolling this out, and how did you successfully get past them?

One of the bigger challenges faced during this period and regarding implementation was that many employees were not initially used to the idea of changes in their working arrangement and took some time for some to adapt accordingly. The response to this was to patiently assist and address the concerns our staff had, ensuring that they were well-supported during such a period. Eventually, everyone started to get acclimatised to the new norm, along with the help and support rendered by the company.

adventus singapore provided 3

Q This initiative clearly delivered some amazing results. What was your gameplan for measuring ROI? What are some proud achievements you can share with us on this front?

Overall, the plan has shown that traditional notions surrounding work typically associated with the office are not necessarily the most effective and, in fact, are outdated. Providing both mobility and flexibility through a proper method to our employees in the past year especially due to COVID-19 has proven to not just protect our employees, but also allowed us to function well despite the circumstances.

adventus singapore provided 4

Q We’re now seeing HR manage portfolios that were previously considered far from their job description. In your view, what are the top three skills and attributes of today’s successful CHRO?

  • Adaptability
  • Inclusiveness
  • Empathetic

Photos / Provided by Adventus

Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets' section!

Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region! 

Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region!

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