Efforts to deepen staff’s skill sets and leadership opportunities as well as redesign processes to build a more inclusive workforce have earned Parkroyal Collection Pickering hotel the Workforce Transformation Award 2025.
Jointly presented by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Singapore Hotel Association, the award recognises hotels that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to job transformation and human capital development.
Kung Teong Wah, general manager of the hotel, told TTG Asia in an interview that the hotel’s ongoing career conversion programmes are instrumental in earning WSG and SHA’s recognition.
The career conversion programme identifies “intelligent Singaporeans” who have the capability to take on new responsibilities and deepen their contribution to the property. These identified talents are then given skills training with support from WSG, career development opportunities, and higher wages.
One of the converted staff is a Nanyang Technological University graduate who expanded her sales role to include both channel distribution and F&B revenue optimisation. Another employee, a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was moved from an asset and lifestyle management role into a managerial position overseeing quality and process improvement.
“We have many, many other similar examples of how we have career-converted our staff through job redesign, career development, and profit sharing,” said Kung, adding that this process is necessary since “young people join companies wanting to acquire new skills, land a better job, earn a better pay, and lead a better life”.
He noted that younger staff tended to lose interest in their job within 12 to 24 months, and would move on to something else that excited them.
“If the employer can offer career development opportunities and give them something to look forward to, they will be very engaged and will stay. We hope that what we do (through the career conversion programme) will help Singapore to develop talents for the hospitality industry,” said Kung.
Another success story in Parkroyal Collection Pickering’s job transformation efforts is the hiring of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Five per cent of the hotel’s employee community are PWDs who are able to contribute to the hotel following careful job redesign that bear their strengths in mind.
Citing an example, Kung said an associate with vision impairment is tasked with folding napkins in the uniform room. Her work space is designed with her in mind – a black-topped table is provided to offer stark colour contrast for ease of work.
“When she started with us, she would fold 180 to 200 napkins in five hours. Now, she can do more than 600. When she is on leave, her absence is obvious for all to see. She is probably one of the most important persons in our team today,” shared Kung.
Parkroyal Collection Pickering’s inclusive team also comprises mature workers – defined in Singapore as people aged 40 and above. The hotel’s workforce has 39.1 per cent mature workers, of which five per cent are aged above 65 years old. The oldest associate is 76 years old.
Kung shared that processes are altered to allow mature workers to still contribute to the business. For example, younger and stronger staff are assigned to clear stations and tables, so that older colleagues will not have to perform the labour-intensive function.
“We are all very proud that Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG, the parent company) promotes inclusive hiring,” he added.
Kung emphasised that PPHG’s commitment to hire PWDs and mature workers are not a “social effort”, but one that is driven by “enterprise need”.
“These people are our human capital and the work they do cannot be done by others,” he remarked.
Parkroyal Collection Pickering’s job transformation efforts are part of PPHG’s Project Lighthouse, which is aligned with the nation-wide Job Transformation Map for the Hotel Industry programme led by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and WSG.
With Project Lighthouse now complete and Parkroyal Collection Pickering’s job transformation efforts showing positive outcomes, Jastina Balen, director of communications with PPHG, said “fundamental principles” in job transformation will be shared with all hotel general managers in the group.
She recalled strong interest in what Kung and his team were doing when their initiatives were presented at PPHG’s last global leadership conference.
“We hope that some of our job transformation initiatives can be repurposed globally,” said Balen, adding that general managers will be given flexibility to decide what areas of job transformation will be relevant to their teams.
Kung said “a simplified version of what we have done” has been produced as an interactive playbook by STB and WSG, and will be shared with hotels nation-wide.
