Attract and Retain Talent - A Workplace Learning Circle

Get and keep talent for your business, at sustainable cost.

Facilitated by Freelance Total Rewards

No schedules on the calendar

Who is it for

Learning level

Learner profile

Certification

Certificate in Workplace Rewards

This is the first of a 4-part series of Workplace Learning Circles relating to the basics of compensation and benefits and total rewards. Those who complete the series will receive a Certificate in Workplace Rewards from the ASEAN Total Rewards Institute, offered by Freelance Total Rewards.

Backed by an industry panel, all content has been validated by senior ASEAN regional compensation and benefits practitioners.


Location

  1. 73 Ubi Road 1, #09-52 Oxley BizHub, Singapore, SG, Singapore View Map

Google map

Premise

Your business needs talent--the right talent. But must you only compete on salary? Fixed costs will choke your bottom line, and underpaying won't attract the best. Learn how large successful employers apply the total rewards approach to align reward practices to the needs and preferences of today's talent. Get, and keep, your talent at sustainable cost.

Description

This is a "workplace" learning circle--for employers--that equips them to attract and retain talent through smart total rewards practices, including salary levels, allowances, bonuses, sales commissions, employee benefits, flexible work arrangements and other strategies. The learning circle is a starting point for employers wishing become knowledgeable in the core concepts and prevailing practices of larger employers (>1,000 employees) in the area of compensation, benefits and other rewards.

Smaller employers will gain an understanding and appreciation of non-cash rewards, as tools for attracting and retaining talent. These include recognition, growth, workplace flexibility and choice.

Key Learnings

  • Why we need to consider the total rewards "package"

  • Select which types of rewards, other than salary, to offer

  • Motivate staff through fair pay, incentives, recognition and good job design

  • Learn what other employers (including other participants) do to attract and retain talent

Pre-requisites

This learning circle is ideal for those who have hired or intend to hire people, or for consultants who help their clients with hiring and pay practices. You should be an employer, human resources, entrepreneur, etc. This is a business course.

Format

Methodology

Learning stakeholder

Pre-learning

None required.

Post-learning

Workplace application and continuation in the "Attract and Retain Talent" workplace learning circles is recommended.

Tags

Topics and agenda

  • 1. Gearing Up

    Live and digital | 20 Minutes

    Covers navigation, settings, mobile access, house rules and other relevant highlights

    To help participants hit the ground running and maximize their learning experience and outcome


  • 2. The Total Rewards Approach

    Live and digital | 30 Minutes

    See each reward element as part of a total package; consider current and future workforce demographics and needs and preferences; consider both tangible and intangible rewards

    Able to mix and match rewards elements to design the total rewards package that will best cater to the needs and preferences of the talent you need to attract and retain.


  • 3. Creating the Rewards Mix

    Live and digital | 40 Minutes

    Identify and use the rewards elements that will have most impact for the cost, in terms of attracting, retaining and motivating your people.

    Distinguish total reward elements, and how they stack up; understand and predict whether a reward practice will be motivating; apply pay for performance practices. Fixed v variable cash.


  • 4. Developing Compensation Programs

    Live and digital | 40 Minutes

    Develop "jobs" and a job hiearchy to clarify roles and create a career development pathway, to pay people fairly, promote growth and retain people with potential.

    Understand the process for developing pay programs; know the elements of fair and competitive base pay practices; understand different types of incentives and set total cash compensation.


  • 5. Job Descriptions and Grading

    Digital |

    Job descriptions as a basis for grading jobs. How to write a simple job description. Simple methods for grading jobs to build the job hierarchy and identify career paths.

    Purpose of job descriptions and how to write them effectively. Purpose of job evaluation and how to grade jobs into a basic pay structure.


  • 6. Benchmarking Pay and Salary Ranges

    Digital | 45 Minutes

    Create salary ranges aligned to market compensation levels. Where to find market data and use it properly. Funding opportunities in Singapore.

    Why salary ranges? Salary range structures and key parameters; sourcing market data; matching survey data job by job; "smoothing" out the data to calculate midpoints.


  • 7. Bonuses, Benefits and Other Rewards

    Digital |

    Set up a simple annual cash incentive plan, i.e. performance bonus. Establish core benefits for health, retirement and time off.

    Why cash incentives?; types of cash incentives, when to use them and how they differ; core employee benefits; flexible working arrangements and other rewards.


  • 8. The Employment Value Proposition / Q&A / Online Discussion

    Digital |

    Discovering and Positioning your employment value proposition (EVP) to attract and retain talent. This is the final session, to be held live via skype exactly one week following Day.

    Why have an employment value proposition; examples; how to create one; how to use it well.


Professionals

Thomas Farmer
Owner, Freelance Total Rewards Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Unique combination of corporate and consulting experience in total rewards and global mobility, both in the U.S. and in Asia. Running an independent management consultancy serving both local employers as well as global MNCs.

Over 15 years management level corporate experience in total rewards and global mobility including five years senior executive experience as Vice President Compensation and Benefits at the world's largest hotel company, first for the Americas, then for Asia Pacific. Both global and regional experience in high-tech, semiconductor, manufacturing and service industries.

Over seven years combined consulting experience with Hewitt and Mercer, at the senior/principal level, having sold and delivered more than US $5 million in compensation and mobility-related initiatives for over 100 clients, including Coca-Cola, General Electric, Verizon, CapitalOne, The Home Depot, MeadJohnson Nutrition, Synovus, Wachovia, Northrop Grumman Shipping Systems, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Western Digital, Sunrise Senior Living and many others.

Specialties: Total rewards strategy, alignment and integration; expatriate management, talent mobility localisation of rewards, compensation, benefits, incentives and performance management. Custom training solutions for HR leaders, senior management teams and line managers.

What I do best: I can concieve and deliver highly effective and sustainable solutions for attracting and retaining talent, including global deployment of expatriates and non-local talent. I have a solid track record of accomplishments that last, improve employee engagement and control costs.


Organization Icon Image

Freelance Total Rewards

Freelance Total Rewards is an ASEAN-based centre of excellence for total rewards, offering consulting and learning in the area of compensation, benefits as well as important intangible rewards such as work-life support, recognition and growth. Founded in 2013 by Thomas A. Farmer, CCP, SPHR, ACTA, the firm serves clients primarily in Singapore and Southeast Asia, as well as China and the U.S.

The ASEAN Total Rewards institute is a Southeast Asia learning and certification initiative offering three levels of certification.

Tom has consulted mega-MNCs such as the The Coca-Cola Company, General Electric and Sinopec. He has also consulted companies as small as 10 people, on pay issues. In all, Tom has consulted over 150 companies on base pay, incentive design, job evaluation, health benefits, flexible work arrangements, annual salary review, global mobility, regional and global harmonization and many other topics.

His firm consists entirely of freelance consultants, working virtually.