Our People
ARA strives to be an employer of choice. Human capital is an invaluable and integral part of our business.
Our
core values of Respect, Excellence, Integrity and Teamwork underpin our human resource policies. We promote
fairness, equality of opportunity, continuing personal development, mutual trust and teamwork. As a socially
responsible company, ARA strictly complies with a sweat-free code of conduct and a drug-free workplace.
ARA’s success cannot be achieved without the dedication and contributions of its team of more than 1,200 professionals around the world. The company places great emphasis on staff engagement and development. Never resting on
our
laurels, we continuously enhance our human resource best practices to ensure sustainability of our business
growth.
Click here to view the ARA Social Policy.
ARA provides multiple platforms for staff to share their ideas and feedback to the
management. We
ensure that they are engaged and heard through different channels:
- Comprehensive orientation and onboarding programmes
- Luncheons and get-togethers with Group CEO and senior management for all new staff
- Open door policy for staff to interact and share their ideas with the senior management
- Strategic Business Unit cohesion programmes
- Yearly group activities such as group training and dinner and dance
- Workplace health activities involving all levels of staff
- Other resources such as internal collaterals
ARA emphasises talent development, career building and skills training. We have put in place
a talent management programme to identify and groom future leaders for critical positions
across the region.
We promote from within whenever is appropriate to recognise the efforts of our staff and to
provide growth opportunities in their careers.
A robust Performance Management System ensures alignment of business priorities, performance
improvement and staff development. All staff goes through a goal setting exercise based on
key performance indicators at the beginning of every year and staff appraisal exercises are conducted both at the mid- and end-points of the year.
ARA encourages our staff to continually upgrade themselves by actively sending them for
seminars, workshops and training in both soft-skills and hard-skill sets. Where appropriate,
ARA also provides opportunities for lateral movement, job rotation and overseas posting, so
as to give our staff broader exposure to help them in their career advancement.
ARA ensures our compensation package is competitive in the market, by conducting routine
benchmarking exercises to the industry. Staffs are incentivised through a performance-based
culture with competitive fixed and variable pay components.
The company also has a well-structured staff classification and grading structure, where
opportunities for progression are open and transparent.
ARA values and practises an inclusive workplace by hiring people from diverse backgrounds and
age groups. We respect and appreciate differences in ethnicity, gender, age, nationality,
disability, sexual orientation, education and religion. This is evident from our staff mix
which comprises 22 different nationalities from around the world.
ARA believes in contributing to the economic and social development of the communities in
which we operate. We encourage and endorse staff volunteerism. In Singapore, staff volunteer
in various outreach activities for the underprivileged or marginalised members of society.
For example, the “Food for Love” event to bake and cook for the less privileged, organized
with the YMCA, and the senior citizens event with THK Seniors Activity Centre @ Toa Payoh,
where volunteers interacted with and keep them engaged through activities.
In Hong Kong, staff make regular visits to charity homes to spend time with the residents,
engaging them via hands-on activities such as baking mooncakes and making Chinese lanterns.
To promote physical and emotional well-being and a healthy lifestyle, ARA has a comprehensive
workplace health promotion programme which distinguishes the company as a caring employer
that values health and well-being of the staff.
Our overall wellness programme includes yearly health checks, intervention-focused talks and
seminars, and physical activities like bowling tournaments and running workshops.