Talent development forms a big part of Elitez Pte Ltd’s interests. Find out how the company has progressed by bettering their staff.
“If you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” – John D. Rockefeller
More often than not, job seekers end up going down the safest path, especially in times of adversity. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it does not. While it may be daunting for the job seeker, it is very much a gamble on the part of the employer as well. In the modern-day tale of employment matchmaking, Elitez Pte Ltd comes across as your ideal fairy god mother.
In the current economic climate where many companies are feeling the pinch of tightened purse strings, they have resorted to a more long-term approach of talent development instead of banking on instant success with readymade professionals. Tapping on the support of the Singapore government, Elitez Pte Ltd has been working closely with NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to embrace this challenge.
The collaboration has helped Elitez Pte Ltd to develop bespoke training programmes, through a combination of in-house trainers and external training partners, in order to bridge the skill gap of prospective job seekers, thereby reducing the risk of hiring a candidate with little to no prior experience.
Elitez Pte Ltd is the largest Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) promoter management agency in Singapore, providing support for direct and retail store marketing for many of the established global FMCG market leaders. Over the last few years, the company has expanded and diversified into providing a full spectrum of HR services to support clients that face teething human resource issues in a few growing industries such as logistics, healthcare, F&B and technology. Elitez Pte Ltd has a strong foothold in Singapore and is looking to expand further into regional markets like Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Joining the burgeoning business development team in Elitez Pte Ltd are Damien Tay and Joel Neo. Both Tay and Neo come from vastly different backgrounds but they both share the same burning desire to get their careers back on track.
Despite being the more experienced of the two and armed with relevant experience as an internal HR executive in a construction firm, Tay was still apprehensive about the move but was inspired by the encouragement from family and friends who were rooting for him to succeed.
While he may be able to tap on the experience of being a HR practitioner, Tay recounts the initial fear of moving into a more sales-centric role, “I definitely view it as a different career path. However, with the detailed training plan curated based on my prior experience, I was able to learn how to handle client expectations and resolve any potential problems.”
As part of the training program, Tay had to go through customer service-related courses such as ‘Essential Service Skills’ and ‘Respond to Service Challenges’, as well as the opportunity to pursue a WSQ diploma in “Leadership and People Management”. The wide-ranging scope helped to equip Tay with both the technical skills as well as the soft skills to succeed in his new role. He thoroughly enjoyed the various training courses as they were very engaging through elements of role-playing, discussions and activities that allow for application of the concepts that are being taught.
Tay credits his smooth onboarding to the people around him who have been supportive since his first day in Elitez Pte Ltd. His colleagues gave him a head start by equipping him with the essential skills and knowledge about the company and its services. Tay’s manager had also empowered him with the trust to handle tasks independently but was always ready to lend a helping hand whenever he needed any clarification or assurance in what he was doing. Tay was also quick to highlight the influence of the course trainers who have provided him with the knowledge and soft skills that have proved to be indispensable to his work.
For Neo, the opportunity at Elitez Pte Ltd was his shot at redemption, having previously had a brief stint in the recruitment industry. While he was more comfortable than Tay when it came to salesmanship, having gone door-to-door to peddle vacuum cleaners, the pressure of making a comeback in the recruitment industry certainly played on Neo’s mind throughout his initial weeks in Elitez Pte Ltd.
The biggest influence for Neo came in the form of another colleague, Samion Ong, who had gone through a similar path when he first joined the team at Elitez Pte Ltd. Acting as Neo’s mentor, he was the vital calming influence that Neo needed, as he readily shared his experiences and provided ideas and suggestions to Neo to ease his anxieties in the initial phase of his Elitez Pte Ltd career.
Throughout his journey in Elitez, Neo has found the experience to be very fulfilling as he has had the opportunity to know other people on the same path. By networking with these likeminded people, Neo feels that it has helped to broaden his horizons and helped him to understand the unique perspectives of different roles and industries. Having such knowledge has equipped him better when dealing with both clients and applicants alike.
Under the stewardship of e2i, Elitez Pte Ltd has been able to grow its talent pool, especially in the area of business development. This allows the company to build the pipeline to fuel its future growth, and drive penetration into the regional markets. By grooming new candidates through customised training programs aimed at addressing the skill gaps that different individuals have, Elitez Pte Ltd hopes to help suitable candidates adapt quickly to its culture and assimilate seamlessly into their roles. This is the company’s way of paying it forward, one employee at a time. In such trying times, this may be the spark that propels the company towards its goals.
For many a job seeker, who are perhaps struggling to get their fledging careers back on track, a company like Elitez Pte Ltd, which understands the fundamental struggles a new hire faces, may just turn out to be the ideal fit. By arming them with the right skill sets and providing the necessary support through mentorship and external training, Elitez Pte Ltd sets its employees up for success.
