SMU’s Team Connect has clinched the championship title at the 4^th National Human Resource Case Competition organised by the Nanyang Business School Human Resource Consulting Club. The all-OBHR Major team beat 20 other teams from local tertiary institutions to reach the top of the competition, which was themed ‘HR in the Age of Rapid Digital Transformation’ this year.

Comprising fourth year business undergraduates Chew Chen Hao and Ong Rui Mei, Cassandra; and third year business undergraduates Jessica Lee Yi Ling and Wong Hui Leng, Cherin; the four had chosen ‘Connect’ as their team name as they believed that HR was integral in connecting the people to the business and ultimately achieving corporate goals.

The preliminary round of the competition required teams to put themselves in the shoes of a HR Leader of a medium-sized enterprise. They considered how best to leverage technology and existing government schemes to prepare employees, especially the ageing workforce, to manage change in this VUCA world. In addition, they were to re-evaluate contemporary HR practices and policies to ensure a ready talent pool.

The SMU team proposed an integrated HR solution in the form of a House Framework that comprised the business strategy as the base, resources and learning culture as building blocks, and topping it off with strong Employer Value Proposition (EVP) as the ‘roof’. This comprehensive model, which also included a career development plan that contributes to the building of a Future Ready HR Eco-system, earned them a well-deserved place in the final round of six and the chance to pitch at the grand finals held on 2 February 2019 at JP Morgan Chase and Co.

[Photo: Team Connect presenting their proposal to the judging panel at the grand finals of the competition.]

Leveraging Chen Hao’s and Jessica’s emceeing experience, the team further differentiated itself with its unique co-hosting presentation style, engaging the audience with their liveliness, as well as explaining complex concepts into easy-to-understand ideas, and sharing their personal HR experiences. Their proposal and presentation clearly impressed the judging panel, which comprised Mr Mayank Parekh, CEO of Institute of Human Resource Professionals; Ms Jayde Simpson, Executive Director at JP Morgan Case and Co.; and Ms Patricia Tan Ai Hoon, Director of the Public Service Division.

Team Connect’s ability to connect the dots led to their victory, with NUS’ Team HRevolution and NTU’s Team Aligned Consulting claiming the second and third positions.

What was their winning formula?

“Our hunger to learn and stellar team dynamics motivated all of us to put our best foot forward. What started as an opportunity to work with other HR enthusiasts to develop innovative and practical solutions to tackle challenges in Singapore’s HR landscape eventually became a meaningful and memorable journey for all of us,” said Jessica

“The friendship we forged and the out-of-classroom learning were the best takeaways,” she added, as she expressed her thanks, on behalf of her team, to all family members and friends for their unwavering support throughout the competition.

[Featured photo: (L-R) Cherin, Cassandra, Jessica and Chen Hao at JP Morgan with their championship award.]