Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often face a dilemma. How to improve employee productivity without significant investment?
Capital seems to be a key factor that gets in the way of productivity. So get it out of the way, leverage on the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) scheme and Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) WorkPro programme.
While the PIC scheme encourages innovation and productivity, the WorkPro programme is “a one-stop programme to help employers undertake job redesign, improve work-life harmony, and to recruit and retain mature workers and back-to-work locals to meet their manpower needs.”
Both schemes are great for SMEs to give their businesses a boost that they need.
Is employee productivity dwindling because of outdated software programmes or IT and Automation Equipment? And your company is unable to afford these additional costs? Well PIC scheme can definitely lend a hand for a new computer upgrade or even essential automation software that could take out the unnecessary steps that are wasting your employee’s time and let them focus on what matters to get their work done fast and well. How about sending your employees for training to get their skills upgraded? Have more questions for PIC Equipment and Training? Download this file from IRAS here.
Here are the list of PIC documents to help you make a decision to improve your employee’s productivity at work:
With the technical aspects out of the way, are there other ways to help your employees work better?
Maybe the WDA WorkPro programme can be a complement to help your employees who are mature or have just gotten back to work after a long period of unemployment. With a growing but tightening labour market, recruitment can be taxing on a business, especially when business cannot be put on hold while looking for new employees to fill the gap. Also, a company may not always be able to employ the ideal employee with all the sought after skills at a fraction of the price. But the company can still boost its own manpower by training, retraining, and utilising strategies to help employees settle into the company and boost their productivity.
Applicable to only companies registered in Singapore, and Singaporean or Singapore Permanent Residents, the WorkPro official programme partners appointed to market and administer this programme are the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). Hence companies interested in this programme or require more information would have to contact these organisations.
Companies can help out what funding support they can obtain from the WDA WorkPro programme here.