A local information technology firm found to be unfairly favouring job applicants who were foreigners was barred in mid-2017 from hiring foreign staff until it improved its practices.
But it was uncooperative until six months later, when Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep) officer Emmanuel Lem received a call from the firm's upset chief executive, who said he was unable to go on a holiday and might even have to sell his house and car as business was so bad.
Mr Lem, Tafep's senior assistant director for fair consideration management, told the employer: "Some locals who are not considered fairly in hiring can't get a job and can't even put food on the table, much less go for a holiday."
That helped to put things in perspective and the company eventually improved its practices and was removed from the Manpower Ministry's (MOM's) Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) watch list a year later, said Mr Lem, 46.
Firms on the watch list may have their work pass applications processed more slowly as they come under greater scrutiny, or be barred from hiring foreigners altogether.
The 20 officers in Mr Lem's team examine the human resource policies of companies flagged by MOM.
This could include combing through hundreds of resumes submitted for a job post to ensure the selection criteria were applied fairly, or asking for interview records to see who was present.
For instance, companies should not reject local applicants without degrees and hire foreigners with degrees if the job advertisement did not state a degree was required.
They should also have a panel present during interviews, instead of just one HR staff member, to ensure fairness.
These efforts are part of the FCF implemented by the Government in 2014 to boost the Singaporean core in the workforce.
The FCF watch list was introduced in 2016 and, as of March this year, there were 350 firms on the list while 260 had exited. Tafep assesses the firms every six months.
Mr Lem said only a handful of firms have been put back on the watch list after exiting it. He said the common reason companies cite for preferring foreigners is that they cannot find local manpower.
"Some consultancies will tell us, 'You don't have project management talent', but we will tell them that's not true as we even have master's degree programmes in project management in Singapore."
The officers' jobs can be stressful as some of them have been scolded by the companies they approach. However, there have also been firms which thanked the officers for their advice after they managed to exit the watch list.
Other officers at Tafep from the customer and case management team also handle complaints from the public, which could include discrimination based on gender, race, age or nationality.
For companies put on the watch list by MOM, Mr Lem's team will also provide guidance on how to improve and may suggest industry-specific courses that companies can use to train staff.
This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for one global consulting firm which opened a Singapore office 10 years ago. It was on the watch list for 18 months but has since exited, said its general manager for South-east Asia who wanted to be known only as Mr Kumar, 43.
"When an already-established organisation moves into a new market, they try to get up and running very fast. Especially in consulting where it's a trust game, you just bring in your trusted people," he said.
Mr Kumar added that after meeting Tafep officers, his firm started a graduate programme with local universities to train fresh graduates on its projects with clients overseas. Currently, there are five graduates in Toulouse, France, on 12-to 15-month stints where they are attached to a project team with a coach and mentor. Mr Kumar plans to send others to the United States, among other efforts to recruit locals.
"When we were first put on the watch list, it felt like the world had ended for us, but now I'm thankful that it happened... I would not have thought of these (ideas) otherwise," he said.
But it was uncooperative until six months later, when Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep) officer Emmanuel Lem received a call from the firm's upset chief executive, who said he was unable to go on a holiday and might even have to sell his house and car as business was so bad.
Mr Lem, Tafep's senior assistant director for fair consideration management, told the employer: "Some locals who are not considered fairly in hiring can't get a job and can't even put food on the table, much less go for a holiday."
That helped to put things in perspective and the company eventually improved its practices and was removed from the Manpower Ministry's (MOM's) Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) watch list a year later, said Mr Lem, 46.
Firms on the watch list may have their work pass applications processed more slowly as they come under greater scrutiny, or be barred from hiring foreigners altogether.
The 20 officers in Mr Lem's team examine the human resource policies of companies flagged by MOM.
This could include combing through hundreds of resumes submitted for a job post to ensure the selection criteria were applied fairly, or asking for interview records to see who was present.
For instance, companies should not reject local applicants without degrees and hire foreigners with degrees if the job advertisement did not state a degree was required.
They should also have a panel present during interviews, instead of just one HR staff member, to ensure fairness.
These efforts are part of the FCF implemented by the Government in 2014 to boost the Singaporean core in the workforce.
The FCF watch list was introduced in 2016 and, as of March this year, there were 350 firms on the list while 260 had exited. Tafep assesses the firms every six months.
Mr Lem said only a handful of firms have been put back on the watch list after exiting it. He said the common reason companies cite for preferring foreigners is that they cannot find local manpower.
"Some consultancies will tell us, 'You don't have project management talent', but we will tell them that's not true as we even have master's degree programmes in project management in Singapore."
The officers' jobs can be stressful as some of them have been scolded by the companies they approach. However, there have also been firms which thanked the officers for their advice after they managed to exit the watch list.
Other officers at Tafep from the customer and case management team also handle complaints from the public, which could include discrimination based on gender, race, age or nationality.
For companies put on the watch list by MOM, Mr Lem's team will also provide guidance on how to improve and may suggest industry-specific courses that companies can use to train staff.
This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for one global consulting firm which opened a Singapore office 10 years ago. It was on the watch list for 18 months but has since exited, said its general manager for South-east Asia who wanted to be known only as Mr Kumar, 43.
"When an already-established organisation moves into a new market, they try to get up and running very fast. Especially in consulting where it's a trust game, you just bring in your trusted people," he said.
Mr Kumar added that after meeting Tafep officers, his firm started a graduate programme with local universities to train fresh graduates on its projects with clients overseas. Currently, there are five graduates in Toulouse, France, on 12-to 15-month stints where they are attached to a project team with a coach and mentor. Mr Kumar plans to send others to the United States, among other efforts to recruit locals.
"When we were first put on the watch list, it felt like the world had ended for us, but now I'm thankful that it happened... I would not have thought of these (ideas) otherwise," he said.
