“Technology tools are just part of the equation,” says Eva Wong, Head of HR for the Asia-Pacific region with CHINT Global.
She believes the multinational smart energy company needs to uphold the values of a start-up to cope with work evolution and innovation.
Wong owes it to her “colleagues’ agility and willingness to adapt to big changes” that allowed CHINT Global to continue operating during the pandemic. She noted that as the workforce camouflages to the changing ground situation, its management team demonstrates greater flexibility in key performance indicators, performance management, and HR policies.
In this exclusive interview with Chief of Staff Asia, Wong unpacked a wealth of insights about adaptability amidst a dynamic industry that consistently battles climate change and environmental sustainability. She also acknowledged what she calls “boundless” co-creation with people who will challenge the limits of innovation.
After her Business degree from the University of London, Wong polished her HR career with a Specialist Diploma in HR Management at Nanyang Polytechnic and a FlexiMasters in HR Thought Leadership at Nanyang Technological University Singapore (Nanyang Business School).
She gained her IHRP Certified Professional certificate from the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP).
With rich business and HR knowledge, Wong garnered her HR brilliance from several industries and companies in Singapore, such as Pactera APAC, Tat Hong Holdings Ltd, Volvo Group, and Aker Solutions Drilling Technologies. She now goes on with her journey at the smart energy solutions provider.
Work flexibility and talent development top the list
Work flexibility has been the centrepiece of many HR decisions in a post-pandemic era. To support this, the design of CHINT Global’s offices promotes in-person and online collaboration: desks don’t have partitions, meeting rooms can be enclosed or see-through, and an open pantry area.
Aside from these enhancements, “Our employees from different geographical locations will also gather in person and in one country, where we organise sports tournaments to build friendships outside the office walls,” Wong mentions.
Talent development is a critical factor for workforce improvement.
“We prioritise talent development. We nurture top-notch engineers and research scientists to reimagine innovation and develop future-proof solutions that will empower our world,” she cites.
The company launched CHINT Innovation Lab and Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore earlier this year to capitalise on talent development. “The Lab covers more than 400 square meters and showcases solutions from new energy and power distribution to data centers and industry,” Wong says.
These facilities serve as a collaboration platform for its talents, customers, stakeholders, and tertiary education students.
“Through the Lab, we promote work flexibility by allowing them to gather to reimagine solutions. It makes next-level remote communication more efficient and seamless through its cutting-edge studio,” Wong adds.
Wong continues with their focus on training and continuous upskilling. “In 2019, we established CHINT College to empower employees and expand on organisational innovation.”
In 2022, CHINT Global and Singapore Polytechnic formed the SP-CHINT Smart Electrical Power Training Lab using the latest technology. The partnership includes mentorship programmes for the continuous education and industry training of students and lifelong learners.
With this discussion on a changed work landscape, Wong says CHINT Global takes pride in having forward-looking HR policies, quality products, and services. “They’ve paved the way for our employees to thrive even during the pandemic.”
She added that while they leveraged technological tools for effective communication and more, their engineers still visited local sites: “When Covid-19 struck, CHINT Global could still work closely with our partners and customers in the region due to our local presence. We had access to all our business’ core competencies such as Marketing, Sales, Engineering, and more.”
Talking about tech communication tools, Wong cited HR chatbots/Help Desks to facilitate employee feedback. These have allowed HR to address the different needs of employees without waiting long.
“This proved exceptionally effective when working from home kicked in, and now, with flexible work,” she notes.
With reported talent shortages causing manufacturing delays of micro components and electrical assemblies, Wong is confident in CHINT Global’s long-standing worldwide teams. “We were well-positioned to handle the pandemic’s challenges. Our local teams ensured the continuation of our business operations and the care for our employees wherever they were.”
She pointed out CHINT Indonesia’s noble task of helping stakeholders equip PERTAMINA Covid-19 Emergency Response Hospital in Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta. “We had a large role to play to help countries find their footing in ensuring that people had access to safe and reliable electricity,” she recalls proudly.
