Agenda
Registration
9.00am
Opening address
Priya Sunil
Deputy Editor, Southeast Asia
REWARDS OUTLOOK & STRATEGIES
9.15am
Responsive rewards: Wielding employee benefit programmes that are aligned to business objectives
In order to attract and retain high-quality staff, it is important to have a broad employee benefits package that is cost effective, yet which does not come across as impersonal or transactional.
In this keynote session, we analyse:
- The challenges of tailoring employee benefit programmes to meet the diverse needs of a modern workforce, considering demographics such as age, job role, and cultural differences.
- Approaches to incorporate an individual and tailored approach to benefits, with the aim of supporting talent retention.
- Strategies for organisations to measure the return on investment (ROI) of their employee benefit programmes, as well as fitment to business goals.
9.55am
Aligning pay transparency with benchmarking: Maintaining equity in a hybrid work environment
No talent or organisation wants to be part of a wage war which leaves both parties with less room to negotiate or have a conversation. What today’s society does need is leaders who are sensitive to individual needs and circumstances. This is more so in Asia, where the concept of ‘pay transparency’ is layered with gender advocacy, cultural norms, and mindsets.
This conversation will aim to provide insights into:
- Aligning the necessity for establishing internal equity standards with the calls for greater pay transparency in a way that matches the organisational culture & goals.
- How to put a dollar value against the skills & experiences of each employee in order to assess human capital better.
- Analysing the approaches to make data-driven compensation benchmarking decisions rather than relying on unfair and outdated practices.
- Forward-facing methods for establishing salary data reliance and validity that tally with market & industry standards, and contribute to building company culture.
- Setting up accessible yet centralised benefits avenues that provide equitable opportunities for recognition to all employees, regardless of hybrid/in-person setups.
10.35am
Morning coffee break
11.05am
Managing a regional rewards portfolio: Navigating the volatile regulatory outlook in APAC
In a constantly evolving economic landscape, employers continue to seek effective strategies to optimise their APAC-wide benefits operations.
In this session, two leaders take the stage to converse about:
- Assessing the impact of changing regional dynamics on rewards strategy, such as the industrial relations & unions outlook, regulations, and cost of living variations.
- How to process the information about regional market rates, economic projections, business affordability, and inflation to make adjustments to regional rewards strategies, and communicate these changes.
- Setting up an appropriate technology architecture that supports rewards-related decision making, while ensuring linkage to the entire talent management cycle.
- The implementation of a total rewards philosophy to position your company as a go-to employer in multiple markets.
11.45am
[Case study]
Employee benefit cost management: High-impact measures that don’t compromise on the value of benefits
The only thing more important to most business leaders than attracting & retaining talent in 2024 is cost management, be it through enhanced business efficiency, improved cash flow, or increased customer satisfaction. So how can rewards leaders contribute to this strategic focus?
Discussions on this topic will include:
- Managing the rewards budget similar to a bank statement: Monitoring and tracking your spend vs returns.
- How the approach of defrayed employee gratification can potentially drive retention while also matching business requirements around spreads cost over a longer term.
- Differentiated strategies to reward and communicate with high performing and high potential staff.
- The importance of building resilience into the budgeting process scenario analysis, stress testing, and contingency planning, to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
12.25pm
Networking Lunch
1.25pm
Reward yourself
1.45pm
Redefining the onus of workplace wellness: Empowering employee welfare, not enabling it
With increased pressures for organisations to take on a greater proportion of their employees’ welfare costs, company leaders will need to reevaluate their strategies towards employee welfare in the workplace. These steps need to be taken to more clearly define the boundaries between personal responsibility and organisational responsibility towards employee welfare.
Those who attend this panel can look forward to discussions on:
- A framework for organisations on creating conducive environments and ecosystems where employees feel empowered to take care of themselves.
- How organisations can and should define the boundaries of this redefined shared responsibility clearly and effectively; and how this communication can go a long way in promoting a sense of transparency and equity across all job levels and departments.
- Creating wellbeing champions in the workplace to better understand the needs and desires of employees; and how long-term wellbeing solutions can be tailored.
REWARDING WORKFORCE SUCCESS
2.25pm
Rewards as a leverage of talent attraction and retention: The new rules of employee loyalty
Gone are the days where retention bonuses or matching the competitor’s salary package were the #1 ways to attract and retain talent. With a more purpose-driven workforce in place, many have stopped linking their job with money, but rather with ‘value’ – the value they generate for themselves, their families, and the society.
As such, rewards & recognition have been elevated for their contribution in engaging talent. In this session, facilitated by an experienced HR leader, let’s come around and identify:
- How the composition of the rewards & recognition package has evolved to include career development, regular performance alignment, talent exchange programmes, and upskilling.
- Best practices for aligning employer branding efforts with the cultural and business values of each organisation.
- Creating a strong communication loop that ensures open & timely feedback, avenues for appreciation, and project-based developmental opportunities.
3.05pm
Afternoon Tea Break
3.35pm
Reviewing performance management evaluations: Creating a simplified narrative for employees’ career development
From once-a-year performance evaluations to quarterly conversations, and now weekly check-ins, managing performance has gotten snappier and more current. Has performance-based compensation kept up with these developments?
This case study will appeal to attendees seeking insights into:
- As organisations transition from traditional models to ongoing feedback mechanisms, how can we better align performance assessments with real-time goals and employee growth trajectories?
- Ways to empower employees with actionable insights and clarity by simplifying the process of performance management evaluations and the linkage with rewards.
- Integrating the values of timely feedback and coaching into compensation discussions, such that people managers can foster a greater sense of direction and purpose among employees.
4.15pm
Upskilling as the most in-demand benefit: The percolation of skills-powered rewards programmes
As we emerge from a wintery economic climate that entailed restructuring across various sectors, what the workforce wants is to future-proof themselves so as to escape any further jolts. This, in addition to intrinsic motivation, is creating a demand of professional development opportunities among workers.
Stay tuned as two speakers take the stage in quick succession to discussion their philosophies around:
- The means to implement skills-based talent approaches, such as building a skills inventory, redesigning job descriptions, aligning KPIs, and defining success metrics.
- How leaders can overcome challenges around skills-based rewards, including data silos, mismatch around skills classifications, and differing managerial expectations.
- Creating an innate culture of training-for-the-future by preparing employees for future roles and responsibilities.
- Determining the frequency and nuances of conducting skills-based assessments and using this data to adapt compensation models.
- How organisations can leverage technology to provide flexible, accessible, and personalised learning experiences for employees of all ages and backgrounds.
4.55pm
Closing address
Priya Sunil
Deputy Editor, Southeast Asia
5.10pm
End of day one
8.15am
Registration
9.00am
Welcome Remarks
Priya Sunil
Deputy Editor, Southeast Asia
SPECIALISED SUPPORT SYSTEMS
9.10am
[Thought leadership keynote]
The psychology of rewards: Peeling back the layers on employee motivation and incentivisation
There is a complex interplay between workforce motivation and the psychological perspective of rewarding employees. While we agree on the importance of nailing one’s values & drivers to reward them in a way they find truly ‘meaningful’, other workplace challenges remain.
In this special session, attendees can deepen their understanding of the psychological nuances of motivation, such as:
- The evolution in human behaviour across generations, and how this has impacted organisational dynamics.
- The psychological implications of recognising and rewarding high-performing talent, and how this affects perceptions of equity and increased performance expectations among employees.
- How leaders & people managers can navigate the delicate balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in fostering employee engagement.
- Strategies for incentivising psychological resilience, agility, and a high level of adaptability to change.
9.55am
Legal clinic: Anticipating legislative emphasis on salary transparency and skills-based pay schemes
As Singapore’s landscape evolves to address emerging trends, organisations must be able to predict and adapt to regulatory changes that affect their rewards practices.
The insights shared in this legal-themed session will include:
- How organisations should shift their pay practices to an increasingly skills-based policy as a means of promoting fair compensation and skill development.
- Aligning with national readiness, how to ensure organisational readiness for upcoming legislative changes, and the gradual cultural shifts that can be adopted.
- Potential strategies to ensure companies’ compliance with new data protection regulations alongside maintaining transparency and accountability in handling wage statistics.
10.35am
Morning coffee break
11.05am
[Panel discussion]
Restructuring the EVP: Incorporating rewards valued by Gen Z and Millennial employees
Fuelled by a ‘passion-driven’ workforce, where job security is no longer the primary focus, but doing meaningful work is, understanding the aspirations of generational demographics remains paramount. In this panel discussion, you can look forward to the panellists & moderator analysing:
- EVP refresh: How employers are rethinking job scopes, total rewards, and redefining the concept of ‘careers’ to win the talent war.
- Ways to ‘slay’ talent practices for the youngest working generations in light of their technology dependence and savviness.
- ‘Squad goals’: Multi-generation workforce management approaches that create a workplace driven by respect, inclusivity, and harmony.
- Is there an opportunity for HR leaders to incorporate a ‘green budget’ in helping employees living sustainable lifestyles?
FORWARD-THINKING REWARDS
11.45am
[Case study]
Tech-infused talent management: Harnessing transformative tools for a happier workforce
Inspiring leadership, growth opportunities, meaningful work, and a healthy culture – these are often considered key to successful employee engagement. And in Singapore’s vibrant economy, engaged employees continue to be the #1 source of driving productivity. So how can employers boost employee engagement to deliver better business outcomes?
Let’s discuss strategies to better leverage technology for employee experience (EX) through this case study that covers:
- How technology has transformed the employee experience, and what specific initiatives or tools are having the most significant impact.
- Challenges that HR & people leaders are facing in implementing tech-powered human capital strategies.
- Strategies to utilise data and analytics for valuable insights into employee sentiment and engagement, as well as measurement of EX.
- Leaders’ approach to proving effectiveness and ROI on employee experience approaches.
12.25pm
Networking Lunch
1.25pm
Impact of generative AI on rewards in 2024 and beyond: The new era of employee engagement
Generative AI has significant transformative potential – above and beyond what traditional AI has been able to achieve. While this space is developing dynamically, it also comes with risks and unknowns. The use and impact of AI will be discussed by the two speakers who join us on stage in quick succession to discuss:
- Exploring the use cases of applying generative AI technology to rewards & recognition, performance management, KPI achievement, and more.
- How organisations can create a new system of collaboration between human employees and AI systems to effectively leverage each other’s strengths and capabilities, and liberate HR teams from manual work.
- Addressing common obstacles and risks in integrating AI for the purpose of employee listening and analytics.
2.05pm
Rewriting the prescription for rewards: Shifting the focus of healthcare benefits from reactive to preventative measures
Ensuring employees are aware of the range of wellness programmes available in their rewards packages, and have easy access to these measures, is key to creating an environment where employees feel incentivised to take charge of their health. To explore this topic further, we dive into this session to understand:
- How a framework for holistic healthcare can take into account five pillars of wellbeing: physical, financial, workplace, social, and family wellness.
- Going beyond medical & insurance coverage to offer incentives or a gamification approach to help employees change their mindsets towards preventative healthcare.
- Understand deeply and describe simply: Strategies to instil knowledge of available healthcare solutions, as well as equipping line managers for such conversations.
- Partner selection criteria: Unlocking value-driven conversations with the vendor ecosystem to brainstorm workforce insights beyond just healthcare data.
2.45pm
The currency of choice: Optimising the utilisation of personalised and flexible employee benefits programmes
Having gotten used to flexibility in their work routines, employees are keen to use the power of choice in determining their individual benefits portfolio as well. However, choice comes with challenges – wherein employee opinions must be aligned with managerial priorities and company budgets. In this facilitator-led interactive session, let’s bring out the following takeaways:
- Highlighting the role of employee participation in aligning rewards strategies with goals, and driving business outcomes by building flexibility into total rewards.
- Exploring the closer linkage between effective, cost-friendly technology platforms, and the human-centric approach required to elevate flexible rewards policies.
- HR’s responsibility to facilitate the whole process, including stakeholder management, unravelling complexity, and creating culture readiness.
3.25pm
Afternoon Tea Break
3.55pm
Roles of the future: Accelerating leadership & managerial awareness on leveraging compensation smartly
Most leaders & managers understand why rewards are important – but do they truly grasp the ‘how’ and ‘when’ of using rewards most effectively and to their advantage? In this coaching-style session, we brainstorm on the most effective ways to impact knowledge about the rewards strategy to your most important stakeholder – people managers. Key takeaways will include:
- Effective strategies to build leadership awareness on external and internal trends that impact compensation decisions, and how to communicate these better.
- Skills to hone for holding difficult but transparent discussions about business needs, individual asks, and crafting a path for getting people where they want to be.
- How a rewards oversight team or CoE can be established internally so as to support people managers with timely market intelligence, data analytics, and anticipate shifts in employee preferences and organisational dynamics.
4.35pm
Cash over culture: Strengthening organisational culture through meaningful employee recognition
The Open mic is a safe space where all are welcome to share their thoughts and experiences, as the mic is passed around the room. In this high-impact Open mic, we probe people practices for managing change, showing empathy, and building skills. Delegates are welcome to contribute meaningful ideas around:
- How organisations that truly see, hear, and value employees to turn empathy from a buzzword into an impactful, teachable practice for decision makers.
- An approach to combine proactivity with perseverance, such that change management sees a greater focus on people rather than processes.
- Ways to encourage the management team to move past traditional methods of leadership, top-down tactics, and “business as usual” mentality.
4.55pm
Closing Remarks
Priya Sunil
Deputy Editor, Southeast Asia
5.05pm