Institute for Human Resource Professionals

27/02/2026

From conversation to capability — our 26 February webinar, “Skills‑First in Action: Transforming Work and Workforce for the Future,” brought HR professionals together to explore how skills‑first thinking translates into practical workforce transformation.

Hosted in partnership with the Institute for Adult Learning’s Centre for Skills‑First Practices (CSFP), the session moved beyond buzzwords to focus on what organisations need to build internally: in mindset, skillset, and toolset to make skills‑first operatable.

Dr Yang Silin (CSFP, IAL) first outlined CSFP's focus areas, and the growing need for skills‑first practices. She unpacked what skills‑first means in practice, shared case studies on implementation, and highlighted the internal capabilities organisations and HR teams must intentionally develop.

Building on this, Jocelyn Chua (IHRP) addressed the mindset shift required for skills‑first adoption. Drawing on macro workforce trends and insights from the Jobs‑Skills Insights research by IHRP, she explained why skills‑first thinking is becoming essential, and the leadership actions needed to embed it meaningfully.

Swechha Mohapatra (IHRP) then focused on the skillset gap, drawing on multi‑source research to show why hiring and training alone are insufficient for skills‑first adoption. Through job redesign case studies, she clarified the distinction between work redesign and job redesign, spoke to the growing necessity of job redesign in a rapidly changing workforce landscape, and outlined capability‑building pathways.

Kyla Lee (CSFP, IAL) rounded out the session by examining the toolset, sharing insights from the 'Understanding the HR Toolscape' study by CSFP on how digital HR applications can enable skills visibility and support skills‑first practices across HR functions.

The overarching message was clear: a skills-first approach is not a buzzword. It is a deliberate shift in how we design work, assess capability and future-proof organisations.

Thank you to all who joined us yesterday. We look forward to continuing the journey with you, from intent to implementation.

26/02/2026

Day 2 of the Budget 2026 debates highlighted a critical truth: workforce policies and HR strategies are not just about numbers, they shape how Singaporeans live, learn, and thrive across their careers.

Several key discussions resonated from a human capital perspective:

➡️ Proactive Workforce Support: NTUC leaders and MPs Ng Chee Meng and Patrick Tay emphasised policies for retrenched and under-served workers. Advanced retrenchment notifications, targeted jobseeker support, and AI-driven upskilling initiatives ensure workforce transitions are proactive, not reactive, protecting middle-income PMEs and vulnerable groups. MP Desmond Choo suggested apprenticeships integrating AI to preserve the pipeline of Singaporean talent.

➡️ Upskilling as Lifelong Strategy: MP Poh Li San’s “back to school every 10 years” approach reminds us that skills relevance cannot be static. Lifelong learning, continual assessment, and structured career guidance help mid-career professionals and new graduates remain employable. MP Desmond Tan highlighted two “AIs” shaping the workforce: Artificial Intelligence, which amplifies worker strengths, and Ageing Individuals, experienced workers who bring wisdom, judgment, and perspective. Seniors can mentor younger workers, while younger workers provide digital confidence, creating a mutually reinforcing ecosystem.

➡️ Family, Care and Work-Life Integration: MP Nadia Samdin called for stronger “invisible infrastructure of fertility,” including flexible work arrangements, childcare support, and career pauses, to sustain our talent pipeline in a super-aged society. MP Yeo Wan Ling highlighted that inclusive workplaces require cultural adjustments, not just legislation, recommending scaling job redesign funding, benchmarking progressive workplaces, and publishing FWA utilisation metrics.

💡 Thinking point: How is your organisation embedding sustainable norms, continuous learning, and inclusion into its culture, before, not after, the next disruption?

📰 Read more: https://www.straitstimes.com/live-singapore-budget-cos-debate-2026

25/02/2026

Singapore’s Budget 2026 debate made one point clear: our economic transformation is, at its core, a workforce transformation. And workforce transformation happens through HR.

Kicking off on 24 February, Members of Parliament (MPs) emphasised that AI adoption must go hand in hand with deliberate workforce planning and deliver tangible outcomes for workers, including productivity gains, wage growth, and new job opportunities. MP Denise Phua called for workforce transition plans alongside AI investments, covering job redesign, redeployment, and skills upgrading, while others stressed tracking metrics such as job creation, displacement, and redeployment.

This reflects a deeper shift in the social compact: the goal is no longer to protect jobs as they are, but to redesign them for what they need to become. NMP Mark Lee noted that transformation requires management to redesign roles, workers to reskill, and organisations to change how work is done. With entry-level roles under pressure, HR plays a central role in redefining jobs, mapping skills, and redeploying talent to keep workers relevant.

Skills are now the cornerstone of career resilience. MP Jessica Tan urged expanding employer-recognised micro-credentials and apprenticeships, while MP Mariam Jaafar stressed professional certifications for structured AI capability building. These initiatives are critical for helping workers transition into new roles as AI reshapes jobs.

Transformation must also remain inclusive. MPs highlighted risks of inequality, displacement of junior and blue-collar workers, and pressures on those balancing work and caregiving. Ensuring AI augments rather than replaces workers is key to sustaining productivity and social cohesion.

Taken together, these shifts redefine the role of HR. HR is no longer just supporting business transformation. HR is enabling it.

📰 Read more: https://www.straitstimes.com/live-singapore-budget-cos-debate-2026

24/02/2026

Set your sights on success and align your direction for impact. IHRP Certification is your compass to chart the right course and steer your career toward recognition and success.

With the Enhanced Subsidy for HR Certification*, eligible HR professionals can tap on S$100 off, bringing your total fee to just S$163.50–S$272.50 (including GST), depending on your level.

📍 Need a guide to plot your path? Join our onsite Certification Clinics for:
✔ A step-by-step walkthrough of the application process
✔ Practical tips to prepare, perform, and succeed
🌿 Reserve your spot today: https://forms.office.com/r/PVPM9hv0tJ

*Subsidy is non-stackable and applicable for New, first-time Upgrade, and Bridging applicants only. Available to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. Other terms and conditions apply.

24/02/2026

When promotion decisions are made, they reflect more than individual performance. They signal the capabilities an organisation needs to deliver its next phase of business strategy.

In Straits Times AskSt column, IHRP-SP Derrick Teo shared that promotions are not based on tenure alone, but on a combination of ex*****on, leadership readiness, influence, and alignment with organisational direction.

This has implications on two fronts:
➡️ For organisations, it reinforces the responsibility to make expectations explicit, link career pathways to business strategy, and provide employees with opportunities to build next level capabilities. Transparent criteria and structured development conversations are essential to building a future-ready leadership pipeline.

➡️ For individuals, it highlights the importance of understanding that career progression depends on demonstrating broader impact. This includes influencing across teams, contributing to organisational goals beyond one’s immediate role, and aligning personal growth with where the business is heading.

As Derrick emphasised, the most constructive shift is from asking “Why not me?” to “What would it take?”. That shift reflects not only personal ownership, but also the mindset required to grow with the organisation.

Ultimately, effective promotion decisions strengthen both organisational capability and individual leadership. When done well, they ensure businesses remain competitive, and people remain relevant.

📰 Read more at https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/jobs/askstjobs-a-colleague-with-less-experience-was-promoted-ahead-of-me-how-should-i-react

Read expert advice on how to constructively react when a less experienced colleague receives a promotion ahead of you and what steps to take for your career advancement. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

23/02/2026

Tossing to new beginnings, stronger bonds, and shared success. 🧧🥢

Team IHRP came together for a joyful Lo Hei, ushering in the Year of the Horse with the spirit of teamwork, unity, and forward momentum. Just like every ingredient in the Lo Hei comes together to create something greater, our collective strength lies in supporting one another and growing together.

Here’s to galloping ahead as one team, building purposeful HR and unlocking the full potential of human capital at Institute for Human Resource Professionals.

Huat ah! 🍊

20/02/2026

Amidst the season of renewal, IHRP hosted the second edition of our Post-Budget Conversation on 20 February with Members of Parliament Mr Patrick Tay and Ms Yeo Wan Ling of the National Trades Union Congress, alongside IHRP certified HR and business leaders; several key themes emerged:

🌎 Globalisation and talent mobility
As Singapore strengthens its position as a global hub, organisations must develop talent who can operate across borders. International exposure, building global competencies, and preparing local talent for regional and global roles will be critical. Singapore’s fiscal responsibility and stability continue to make it a safe and attractive place for investment, and HR plays a central role in enabling this.

💼 AI, skills, and the redefinition of jobs
Jobs are increasingly defined by outcomes, not tasks. With continued investment in an AI enabled economy, HR must prioritise building skills that machines cannot replace, such as problem-solving, creativity, and value creation. Equally important is supporting current employees through reskilling and redesign, so they can work confidently alongside AI.

🌿 Transformation, sustainability, and inclusion
From decarbonisation to supporting mature workers, panellists emphasised the importance of job redesign, wellbeing, and enabling longer and more meaningful careers. HR will need to redesign roles for the emerging workforce who have different expectations, and also for older workers who wish to continue contributing meaningfully. Transformation must strengthen employability, empower people through change, and ensure no one is left behind.

💛💙 HR as the bridge between policy and practice
Whether advising the C-suite and board, guiding responsible implementation, or enabling workforce transition, HR’s role is consequential. Singapore’s future competitiveness will depend not just on policy, but on how boldly HR steps forward to shape skills, jobs, and careers.

As we look forward to the upcoming COS debates, HR’s voice will remain critical in translating national priorities into meaningful workforce outcomes.

19/02/2026

Budget 2026 isn’t just about numbers; it is a call for smarter workforce design.

From an HR perspective, the changes go beyond higher salary thresholds for foreign talent. Sharing his perspective, IHRP-SP Khairil Baharudin noted that organisations will need to be far more intentional in workforce design, reviewing compensation structures, upgrading roles, and investing in productivity to remain competitive.

As Employment Pass and S Pass qualifying salary thresholds rise from 2027, three critical shifts stand out.
➡️ First, from headcount growth to capability precision: the question is no longer “Can we hire?” but “What capability gap are we solving, and where should that capability sit?”

➡️ Second, from salary reactions to architecture discipline: firms must proactively recalibrate pay structures, progression pathways, and role value to address salary-band compression and ensure sustainability.

➡️ Third, from manpower dependency to productivity led redesign: the real opportunity lies in redesigning roles, strengthening local talent pipelines, and deploying both local and global talent for higher value.

The message is clear: sustainable growth cannot rely on headcount expansion alone. It requires deeper capabilities, stronger Singaporean talent pipelines, and more deliberate workforce strategies.

For HR professionals, this is a defining moment to step forward as strategic partners, helping to share and redesign future-ready workforces that balance pressing business needs with long-term priorities.

📰 Read more at https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/firms-hr-professionals-support-budget-2026s-push-for-strong-singaporean-core-in-workforce

Budget 2026 reinforces Singapore's core workforce by increasing foreign talent qualifying salaries, impacting firms and the rental market. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

17/02/2026

Warmest wishes for a bright and prosperous Lunar New Year from all of us at Team IHRP! 🧧✨

As we welcome the Year of the Horse, may its spirit of energy, determination, and forward momentum inspire us to keep moving ahead with confidence and purpose. This festive season is a time to celebrate fresh beginnings, strong partnerships, and the shared resilience that carries us through change.

May the year ahead bring you abundant health, happiness, and exciting opportunities to grow, lead, and make a meaningful impact. Together, let’s continue building future-ready workplaces and uplifting the HR community with pride.

新春快乐，马到成功！

16/02/2026

🎬 IHRP Learning Journey to Mediacorp: Experiencing HR in Action

Our IHRP Certified Community went on an immersive journey behind the scenes at Mediacorp, discovering how the organisation navigated a pivotal workforce moment, balancing people, principles, and business impact in real time.

In a thought-provoking session, Ms Lilian Tan (IHRP-MP and CHRO of Mediacorp) and Mr Nadeem Ashraf, SVP HR at Mediacorp, unpacked how HR leads with both head and heart during critical workforce moments.

Key reflections from the dialogue:
✨ HR creates impact when it collaborates with the business using data, clear rationale, and confident guidance, ensuring that expectations and organisational norms are transparent to foster alignment and trust.
✨ In times of crisis and transition, HR’s impact goes beyond policies. It lies in preparing leaders to have professional, people centred conversations with empathy and respect.
✨ HR is a calling. It carries the dual responsibility of safeguarding people’s dignity while protecting business sustainability. Fairness, transparency and respect remain non negotiable.

The session also underscored the importance of tapping ecosystem partners such as National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to strengthen balanced and sustainable employment relations.

It was an afternoon rich in insights, storytelling, and connection; reinforcing how HR helps organisations emerge stronger with people‑centred principles and bridging the gap between employer and employee.

13/02/2026

Transformation is a priority, but is it translating into measurable business outcomes?

Join us for an Sneak Peek of the IHRP Job Redesign Evaluation Tool (JRET), a tool designed to help companies assess redesign readiness, priorities which job to redesign, and track outcomes.

In this session, you’ll get:
✅ A clear introduction to what JRET is and how it supports your transformation
✅ Generate your customised Job Redesign Report
✅ A first look at how the tool works, including how to interpret the insights from your inputs

Whether you’re an HR professional, business leader, workforce transformation practitioner or consultant, this session will give you a practical introduction to an essential job redesign resource.

Register here: 👉 https://utm.guru/uljQv

12/02/2026

Announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Budget 2026 sends a clear signal: workforce transformation, AI capability, and lifelong skills development are national priorities.

From scaling practical AI adoption across sectors, to expanding support for mid-career workers and strengthening integration between jobs and skills, the Budget underpins and reinforces that human capital is central to Singapore’s competitiveness.

As organisations redesign jobs and adopt new technologies, HR’s role becomes even more strategic in workforce planning, skills mapping, career mobility, and responsible employment practices.

As a Skills Development Partner with SkillsFuture SG, and through our Job Redesign Centre of Excellence working closely with Workforce Singapore, Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) is committed to supporting enterprises, HR professionals and the workforce in building relevant capabilities and translating transformation into measurable business outcomes.

We look forward to the continued strengthening of the jobs and skills ecosystem, and to working closely with our tripartite and ecosystem partners to advance this next phase of workforce development.

Together, we build a future-ready workforce and a strong, trusted HR profession.