Singapore’s skills shortage—all in the mind?

“The most important skill I’ve learnt has been to unlearn,” says Michael Tan, ServiceNow’s HR director for Asia. “Some of the things I’ve picked up over the years may apply, but a lot also don’t.”

After more than 20 years in Procter & Gamble, Tan joined ServiceNow toward the end of 2021. He found himself constantly challenging the way he’d always done things. “Every morning I have to tell myself: this is not P&G,” Tan admits. “That growth mindset, approaching this new role as a student and asking those questions, has made the transition much easier, both in picking up new things and building that rapport with my colleagues.”

It’s a mindset that is being increasingly cultivated at ServiceNow and many other organisations around the world.

“From Day 1 of joining us, we encourage our people to think about how their careers are going to transform,” says Ann Ann Low, LinkedIn’s senior director for talent development in Asia Pacific. “We’re constantly asking very specific questions, like what skills do you need to get to your higher level of performance? What areas are you interested in? That helps to then identify areas where they can develop and practise the skills they need, which not only broadens their capabilities but cultivates this ongoing readiness to learn and grow.”

LinkedIn uses a range of methods to develop employees’ skills and improve their experience at the company. They include quarterly surveys of employee sentiment, along with midyear reviews and tools for managers that focus on better aligning employees’ individual goals to opportunities in the business.

LinkedIn facilitates internal mobility via an internal talent marketplace, “job fairs” for internal roles, and skills development courses that prepare employees for new roles. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this approach boosts retention rates and helps retain skilled individuals who would otherwise have left for competitors.

“We try to be as deliberate as possible in making sure that the right conversations happen at the right time for our employees to be constantly moving forward,” Low explains. “It’s a matter of making sure we create platforms and resources to support employees on their journey.” Standardised tools and processes make it easier for managers to help employees navigate those career transformations. One example: Motivator Mapping, which employs a 15-minute questionnaire that helps managers identify what factors motivate and demotivate each person on their team.

“The one thing that can’t be stolen from you are skills that you put into practice,” says Low. “Tools like Motivator Mapping help to create these honest, candid discussions that help us set goals tailored to each individual, and then give them the exposure and experience in skills they need to get to those goals.”