Leveraging employee engagement to drive workforce transformation

Transparency and authenticity in communication is key for leaders in Singapore to strengthen trust and partnerships with their employees.

Unfortunately, more than half of employees (54%) deem their organisations’ internal communications to be unsatisfactory, with the figure jumping to 59% for large organisations hiring more than 500 employees, according to a new study published by Allison Singapore.

The study also revealed that employees who view internal communications efforts positively are significantly more likely to understand company goals and strategy and appreciate its core values.

What then, can leaders do, to truly engage with their employees and understand what they want?

“The ability to be transparent and authentic comes from the willingness and ability to be perceptive and empathise, to want to have two-way conversations with people.” – Adeline Goh, APAC Corporate Lead and General Manager, Allison Singapore.

“Many successful leaders in the 21st century are great communicators because they are great listeners,” said Adeline Goh, APAC Corporate Lead and General Manager, Allison Singapore. “The ability to be transparent and authentic comes from the willingness and ability to be perceptive and empathise, to want to have two-way conversations with people. This means being able to put ourselves in another’s shoes and working with them to come up with solutions and create shared purpose and vision.”

Goh was speaking to HRM Asia during a recent insights event organised by Allison Singapore to discuss the latest trends and strategies in employer branding and employee engagement, which included a panel discussion taking a deep dive into The Transformative Power of Employee Engagement.

Listening and responding, she added, is the vital first step in staying truthful, honest and real, in turn making others want to listen and participate.

Naturally, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, particularly when organisations are having to manage the needs and expectations of different generations in the workplace, as Allison’s study revealed.

The challenge is to find common ground, as Goh explained, “People gravitate towards organisations that live and breathe values that resonate with them personally. An organisation’s values system is the common thread that rallies employees and brings them together.”

“One of the common pitfalls is for communicators to take the easy route of articulating these values through a broad corporate narrative without creatively thinking about how to help it resonate with audiences across age groups, geographies, cultures, gender, and backgrounds.”

Fostering a culture of open communication with AI

While there is little doubt that AI is transforming the way organisations work, defining AI’s relationship with people is very much a work in progress. Organisations, on their part, need to leverage effective communication to address concerns such as job security.

“By creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns about AI, organisations can build a collaborative and inclusive workplace.” – Jo Ling Sun, Senior Trends Analyst, GWI.

“Organisations need to emphasise how AI can enhance roles and create new opportunities, rather than threaten job security,” said Jo Ling Sun, Senior Trends Analyst, GWI. “The right messaging can help employees view AI as a tool to enhance their work and bring new opportunities, rather than as a threat to their jobs.”

Sun, who was part of the panel that discussed the transformative power of employee engagement, spoke on how the use of AI has evolved from “heavy-duty” tasks like generating original ideas or analysing complex data, to being deployed as a copilot that assists, as opposed to replacing human tasks entirely.

“By automating repetitive tasks, AI empowers employees to focus on more complex and engaging work. Emphasising AI’s role as a collaborator rather than a job displacer is crucial in shaping positive employee perceptions.”

In this ongoing transition, fostering a culture of open communication is critical, said Sun, who encouraged organisations to establish regular feedback mechanisms and promote two-way communication.

She continued, “By creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns about AI, organisations can build a collaborative and inclusive workplace. This approach not only facilitates a smooth transition in AI adoption but also ensures that employees feel valued and heard.”

Underpinning these efforts are the three key pillars of proactivity, transparency, and inclusivity, which strive to provide clear and essential information on how AI will be integrated into the organisation.

“Transparency helps demystify AI, reducing fear and uncertainty. It is also crucial to communicate openly about the impact of AI on job roles, reassuring employees about the company’s commitment to their growth and job security,” Sun concluded.

Unilever’s purpose-driven culture starts with their people

For many employees, finding a purpose that transcends their job roles can be challenging. To allow them to experience a deeper sense of fulfillment and engagement, the onus is on organisations to help their employees see their roles as more than just jobs, said Syahirah Osman, Employer Branding Lead, Unilever Singapore.

She highlighted, “At Unilever, people stand at the heart of everything we do, and we know that our greatest assets are our people. That’s why we’re committed to fostering a workplace culture that is both purpose-driven and supportive.”

“We believe that to build truly purposeful brands, it’s important for our employees to bring their own sense of purpose into their work. We encourage them to see themselves as entrepreneurs and owners within our organisation and instil the belief that anything is possible through teamwork and open collaboration. This empowerment is key to cultivating a growth mindset among our employees, enabling them to embrace challenges, explore the unknown fearlessly, and make a positive impact.”

For example, Unilever’s “Discover your Purpose” workshop is designed to help employees identify their personal purpose and integrate it into their development and career. To date, over 57,000 employees globally have participated in this initiative, enhancing their engagement and connection to the company’s mission.

To address employees’ desire for flexibility and autonomy, Unilever also introduced U-Work, an alternative employment model that introduces the concept of “dipping in and out of work.”

“At Unilever, people stand at the heart of everything we do, and we know that our greatest assets are our people. That’s why we’re committed to fostering a workplace culture that is both purpose-driven and supportive.” – Syahirah Osman, Employer Branding Lead, Unilever Singapore.

Aligning with their skills and experiences, employees under this employment model will have the freedom to choose when, where, and which projects to take on. With the option to work for a few days, weeks, or even months at a time, U-Work provides Unilever access to skilled professionals during cyclical or peak demand periods, keeping them agile and responsive to business needs, while also giving employees maximum flexibility to pursue personal interests and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

When employees are healthy and feel supported in all aspects of their lives, they can then play a more inclusive role in shaping workplace transformation, as Syahirah described, “At Unilever, workplace transformation isn’t just about creating an environment where employees feel empowered to contribute to our shared mission of making sustainable living commonplace – it’s also about reimagining the future of work, aligning with the needs of today’s born-digital workforce.”

Unilever’s “Future of Work” programme equips their workforce with the critical skills needed to navigate and lead in a dynamic environment, focusing on digital proficiency, leadership development, and building resilience. “Shape Your Own Adventure”, a recently introduced internal career proposition, equips employees with the resources and tools to shape their career paths.

“At Unilever, we acknowledge that the future of work is driven by flexibility, choice, and empowerment. By entrusting career ownership to our people, we’ve transformed our traditional career framework into a dynamic and ownership-based model that will further unlock employee’s potential through clarity, transparency, and supportive leadership,” Syahirah concluded.