Mr Koh Juan Kiat

Executive Director
Singapore National Employer Federation (SNEF)

Topic Synopsis

Can SMEs Attract And Retain Talent?

The word “company” is commonly used in the context of a “company” of people. SMEs are no different. It is still a company of people. The question is, are its people good enough and aligned to the brand? This is the same question any business would have to ask regardless of its size. A business cannot transform into a brand unless it has enough of the right kind of ambassadors to drive and sustain the mission of the brand. The belief that smaller companies have traditionally been at a disadvantage when it comes to the talent war is a myth. SMEs today have the same or better tools to help them get an edge over larger companies or the public service sector. The StrategiCom – Singapore National Employers Federation Employer Branding Study attempts to provide the strategies which SMEs can use in the war against the brain-drain movement; especially towards MNCs.

Biography

Mr Koh represents companies as employers on many national committees todiscuss policy issues. He also frequently represents employers in regional and international labour management fora. He is currently an alternate member of the National Wages Council, a Board member of the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises, a member of the training committee of the Chinese Development Assistance Council, Vice President of the Singapore Compact for Corporate Social Responsibility and a member of the National Tripartite Committee on the employability of older workers.

Mr Koh started work as an administrative officer in the civil service, serving in the Ministries of Defence, Culture and Manpower. He joined the Singapore National Productivity Board (now known as SPRING Singapore) in 1982 and was appointed as its executive director on 1 Sep 1987 a position he held till 31 Jan 1995. He joined SNEF on 5 Feb 1995.

Mr Koh was both a President Scholar and Colombo Plan Scholar. He holds a First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Monash in Melbourne. In 1989, he attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard.

Mr Koh received from the Government of Singapore the Public Admin Medal (Silver) in 1987 and the Public Service Medal in 2005. He also received the Asian Productivity Organisation National Award in 2005.