Singapore to require certified HR professionals at firms with more than 200 staff from 2028

From 1 July 2028, organisations in Singapore with more than 200 employees will need at least one certified HR professional on staff, as part of measures to raise HR standards amid technological change and longer working lives reshaping the workplace.

The requirement comes from the recommendations of the Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development (TWG-HC), which the government has accepted. The workgroup is co-chaired by the Minister of Manpower, the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation, representing government, labour and employers.

Minister of State for Manpower Foo Cexiang said certification would give employers confidence that their HR teams can advise leaders well. Workers, in turn, would have greater assurance that decisions affecting their careers follow recognised professional and ethical standards.

“As technology makes workforce decisions more complex, this foundation of trust matters much more,” he said.

With other tripartite efforts, the move is expected to double the pool of certified HR professionals from 9,000 to around 18,000, or about 40% of the HR workforce, by 2030. Additional subsidies will be available for those who certify before the requirement takes effect.

Convened in February 2025, the workgroup consulted more than 1,000 stakeholders over 18 months. Its five recommendations aim to benefit more than two million workers, support at least 2,000 enterprises and build the capabilities of 20,000 HR professionals and people leaders.

The report, titled Opportunity by Design: Strengthening Human Capital in Every Workplace For Every Worker, holds that a good job is measured by the opportunities it creates over time as well as its role and pay. It warns that businesses that neglect their people may struggle to turn AI investments into lasting value, while workers experience the change mainly as disruption.

A multi-agency initiative, People-Centred AI Transformation for HR (PATH), will develop AI “starter kits” that pair suitable tools with implementation guidance, consultancy, training and funding.

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Foo cautioned against stripping out the early-career work through which expertise is built. “If we automate every entry-level task, we may improve efficiency today but weaken the pipeline of expertise for tomorrow,” he said.

He urged organisations to redesign jobs and learning pathways together, using AI to augment experienced staff while giving newer workers structured exposure to more complex responsibilities. “There is no shortcut to judgement. Before we can expect workers to connect the dots, we must make sure they first have the opportunity to collect the dots.”

Other recommendations build on the Singapore Opportunity Index, a national benchmark launched in 2025 that tracks how employers shape career mobility. A human capital programme for senior people leaders will also launch in 2027, led by the Human Capital Leadership Institute with government funding support, reported The Straits Times.