The NUS Office of Human Resources (OHR) warmly welcomed a group of 29 delegates on 25 August 2023, guiding them through a half-day programme on Human Resources (HR) strategies at NUS. Hailing from HR offices across 18 public universities in Malaysia, the delegates represented the Human Resource Committee of Public Universities Malaysia (Jawatankuasa Sumber Manusia Universiti Awam Malaysia: JKSMUA), and engaged with OHR as part of a benchmarking visit.
Designed for participants to acquire new tools and skills for specific areas of focus, benchmarking visits enable organisations to improve or revamp existing practices, through learning of best practices and exposure to peers who have displayed successful implementation of solutions for similar issues.
Setting the context at a sharing session to kick off the visit, NUS Chief People Officer Dr Janson Yap first provided an overview of the current work environment and the future of work, as well as the work culture within NUS, against the backdrop of societal trends and evolving HR best practices worldwide.
Emphasizing the importance of collaboration and sharing, Dr Yap said: “Our employee value proposition is to enable our talent to be at their best selves to do their best work. Our work-culture statement is to nurture an engaging work culture. As such, sharing best practices and learning from each other across regional talent communities is very important. This is vital as we navigate our way through the future of work.”
Subsequently, various staff members from OHR also elaborated on various aspects and practices for HR at NUS, such as how the university manages professional and talent development for staff, and HR frameworks currently in practice. Through these guiding HR policies and strategies, NUS has been able to create a positive and inclusive work environment that fosters growth and innovation.
These topics gave the delegates a bird’s-eye view of the practices within NUS, as well as possible concepts and practices that they could adapt and implement into their own university HR practices. The delegates also had the opportunity to network with staff members of NUS OHR, where best practices and personal experiences were exchanged.
Highlighting the importance of innovation and excellent HR practices in his speech, Mr Rafizi Rahmad from Universiti Teknologi Mara said: “Our interaction with NUS will provide us with a unique opportunity to explore HR management strategies within the context of a prestigious educational establishment.”
“We are eager to discover the key factors contributing to NUS' success and how they nurture and prioritise the well-being of their human resources,” he added.
The delegates were deeply immersed in the session and gained many insights on applying their newfound knowledge to their own HR systems. This was echoed by Mr Norazilee Bin Abd. Aziz from the International Islamic University Malaysia, who said, “It has been a fruitful meeting in NUS which has energised us to continue doing the work that matters, realise our full potential, and do great things. Thank you for the sharing and knowledge exchange!”
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