Latest accolade marks the second time this year HTX’s unwavering focus on its people is rewarded
HTX Chief Executive Chan Tsan. (Photo: HR Excellence Awards)
HTX’s exuberant, people-centric workplace culture was in the spotlight again when the agency’s chief executive Chan Tsan took home the Most People-Focused CEO accolade at the HR Excellence Awards 2024 held on 11 Oct.
Tsan was chosen ahead of five other finalists to win the award, which is given in recognition of a nominee’s contributions to empower “employees to drive ground-breaking initiatives to propel radical business transformation”, according to the HR Excellence Awards.
“The people are the backbone of any organisation. Nothing would get done if not for the people. It’s no secret that happy and fulfilled employees perform better work, and this is why it is imperative that HTX never loses sight of the importance of being a people-first organisation,” said Tsan.
“I am truly humbled and honoured to receive this award. Moving forward, the goal would be to further enhance and amplify this dynamic and exuberant culture we already have so that we can achieve more for the good of the nation together.”
HTX Human Resources (HR) Director Lim Puay-Sze shared that Tsan has been deeply involved in the formulation of people-related policies and initiatives since the agency’s inception five years ago. For example, he meets with the HR team regularly – at least twice a month – to discuss people development matters.
“Chan Tsan is a leader who is always in touch with what is happening on the ground. His decisions are people-focused and take into account Xponents’ needs and perspectives. He regularly shares best practices, and proactively pushes for progressive people practices that support employee wellbeing and enable them to be productive at work,” said Puay-Sze.
Besides being involved in policymaking, Tsan also regularly engages Xponents through activities like the bi-monthly hybrid townhalls called eXpresso!, as well as the annual HTX Convention, to share how the agency is progressing and address any questions employees might have.
Meanwhile, initiatives like the Employee Engagement Survey (EES) and the Pulse Surveys – dip-stick surveys that are conducted every six months – allow him to stay attuned to the needs and challenges of HTX staff.
Earlier this year in April, HTX was named among Singapore’s Best Employers 2024. This was the second consecutive year HTX made the ranking, which comprises 250 companies. In 2024, HTX ascended the ranking by 51 spots to secure #173.
The fruits of labour
1. HTX’s EES scores significantly improved from 2021 to 2023:
- Overall Engagement Score in 2023 was 83% – higher than the Public Service 2023 score of 81%.
- Overall Retention to Organisation Score in 2023 was 83%, up from 76% in 2021. This was higher than the Public Service 2023 score of 79%.
- 77% of employees would recommend HTX as a good place to work, up from 67% in 2021 EES.
- 83% of employees indicated they would work in HTX for at least 2 years, up from 75% in 2021 EES.
2. Employee retention significantly improved. Resignation rate fell from 11% in 2022 to 5% in 2023.
Testimonials
Here are some of the words of praise Xponents have for their chief executive.
“When HTX was formed, things were moving very quickly and entailed putting together a workforce comprising people from diverse backgrounds to support a diverse group of stakeholders. It would have been easy to be caught up in the workload and ‘lose his head’. However, I have never seen him lose his cool.”
- Chen Yeang Tat, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations)
“Xponents are very comfortable talking to him as he doesn’t give people the ‘distant’ feeling just because he is the CE. He always makes the effort to chat with Xponents. He is a leader whom Xponents respect but not fear.”
- Cheng Wee Kiang, Director (Plans & Strategy)
"CE's leadership goes far beyond business success – it's about creating an environment where empathy, teamwork, exuberance and innovation are at the heart of everything we do. Despite his busy schedule, he is always present and engaged, whether it's participating in our eXpresso! townhalls, leading the charge in our Annual Cycling, Annual Walk & Run, or mingling with employees during Family Day. His active involvement in these moments shows how much he truly values connecting with and supporting every member of the team."
- Cindy Chew, Deputy Director, Internal Comms & Engagement, Strategic Communications
“As someone who has hosted eXpresso!, I have noticed just how much our CE enjoys these sessions. I've also heard him say that he enjoys these fun-filled townhalls particularly because he gets to hear what Xponents are thinking. This showed me that he genuinely cares about the people and is truly invested in learning from their experiences and perspectives.”
- Arka Ray, Lead Engineer, Q Team