SINGAPORE – Organisations with more than 200 employees will be required to have at least one suitably certified human resources (HR) professional from July 1, 2028, as part of a wider push to raise HR standards and help businesses and workers navigate changes in the workplace.
The requirement is among a series of initiatives arising from recommendations by the Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development (TWG-HC), which the Government has accepted.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) chief executive Aslam Sardar said the certification requirement would help create greater consistency and quality in HR practices, as HR professionals increasingly make decisions involving workforce strategy, skills and organisational transformation.
A common professional baseline would also give employers greater confidence in workforce decisions, he added.
The TWG-HC, co-chaired by the Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), launched its report on Sept 24 at the IHRP’s People Behind People forum.
In his welcome address at the forum, Sardar said the flagship event was “by far the biggest” that had taken place since its inception. Its inaugural edition was held in December 2020.
The report that was launched on Sept 24, titled Opportunity By Design: Strengthening Human Capital In Every Workplace For Every Worker, said a good job is defined not only by the role or salary it offers today, but also by the opportunities it creates for workers over time.
It also said workers increasingly want fair treatment, room to grow, flexibility to accommodate other priorities in their lives and careers that can last.
It added that “opportunity is not a matter of chance but of design”, with top-performing organisations in the Singapore Opportunity Index distinguished by deliberate choices about how jobs are designed, employees are developed and leaders act.
On artificial intelligence, the report said businesses that fail to pay sufficient attention to their people may struggle to turn AI investments into lasting value, while workers may experience the changes mainly as disruption.
When adopted deliberately, however, AI could augment workers’ roles, improve performance and create better opportunities for them.
IHRP head of professional standards and development Karina Kuok, in response to separate queries, said HR professionals would need to understand when to use AI, how to challenge its outputs and “when a human decision must remain at the centre”.
The TWG-HC was convened in February 2025 to address trends reshaping work and workplaces, including rapid technological advancement and rising longevity.
Over 1½ years, the work group engaged more than 1,000 employers, workers, HR professionals and representatives from trade associations and chambers, HR institutions, academia and government agencies.
Its recommendations aim to benefit more than two million workers, support at least 2,000 enterprises and build the capabilities of 20,000 HR professionals and people leaders.
Read Full Article At Source
