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2016 | No 4
$4.00
CAMBODIA’S BUSINESS LEADERS MAGAZINE
$alary
Shake Up
WAGES HAVE BEEN
SPIRALLING UPWARD FOR
YEARS IN CAMBODIA, BUT
WITH REGIONAL ECONOMIC
UNCERTAINTY REFLECTING
LOCALLY ... THINGS ARE ABOUT
TO CHANGE
Amaury de Saint Blanquat gives
an insiders perspective
Also:
Big Profile: Chhiv Phyrum
Fair Play: Resolving Labour Disputes
on Neutral Ground
Academy Rewards
A Brand New Institution Enlists Experts
to Fill Gaps in the Skillsets of Professionals
Know Your Role
What A CEO Expects From an HR Manager
Management Insider | 1
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Contents
P.8 About
Letter From the Editors
Contributors
P.10 Society & Lifestyle
Lasting Impressions
P.14 Technology & Strategy
Digitise
P.16 Big Cambodia
Big Idea: Know Your Foe
Big Conversation: Hay Hunleng. Agency for Change
Big Profile: Chhiv Phyrum. Fair Play: Resolving Labour
Disputes on Neutral Ground
P.28 Management Cambodia
Academy Rewards
The Right Mix
Human Capital Consulting. A Job for the Experts
Strength in Numbers
P.40 Photo Essay
Big Talk
P.46 Cover Story
Salary Shake Up
THE ONLY FRENCH BILINGUAL SCHOOL IN PHNOM PENH
BILINGUAL I CREATIVE PEDAGOGY I SMALL SIZE CLASSES
In partnership with
P.54 Business Asia
In the Club
Great Minds
P.60 Expert Insights
Above Board
Leading & Learning
P.64 Working Cambodia
Style Collaboration
Career Forum
Top 5: Know Your Role
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS for Toute Petite Section de Maternelle (Preschool 2yo.)
to CE2 (Grade 2 / 8-9yo). For more information on how to register or to book a tour and
meet the EFI team, please contact us at [email protected], or
call us at 092 259 124 / 023 727 788 Ext 104.
BASSAC CAMPUS Bassac Garden City (near Rose Garden Condo), Phnom Penh
KOH PICH CAMPUS Diamond Island, Elite Town Street, Phnom Penh
www.efi.asia
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ABOUT
LETTER FROM
THE EDITORS
The winds of change are blowing across
Cambodia’s burgeoning employment market,
with salaries going through the roof as a result of
increasing demand for quality professionals to staff
new and expanding interests. Finding qualified
candidates is just the first step; enticing candidates
with salary packages that are both attractive and
affordable is one of the great challenges facing
entrepreneurs, particularly those whose business
requires specific experience or technical expertise.
This rush to staff has given rise to an explosion
in offerings of human resources services, which
are being outsourced to professionals specialising
in staff administration, headhunting and training.
In this issue, we examine the forces behind the
salary spike, and look at how the market might
react. We dig into the world of human resources
professionals - upskilling, recruitment and bonding.
We also take a look inside the Labour Ministry’s
Arbitration Council and explain why it is high time
for business owners to dust off the Labour Law
and comply.
CONTRIBUTORS
ABOUT US
Eve Watling
Jo Hocking
is a journalist from Brighton, UK,
and has an English and film studies
degree. She works as a freelance
writer and is former editor of MILK
magazine.
Jo Hocking, originally from
Western Australia, is a seasoned
writer and communications
specialist who has resided in
South East Asia for the last five
years. Jo is currently based in
Phnom Penh.
Managing Director Amaury de Saint Blanquat
Managing Editor
Camilla Pluess
Art Director
Hamid Saatchi
Editorial Assistant
Vivaddhana Khaou
Contributing Editor
Matt Blomberg
Sales Manager
Bruno Abert
Steve Noble
Kali Kotoski
Sales Consultant
Lise Romon
is a South Africa-born writer with
a background in radio and music
journalism. Steve explored the
globe before settling in Cambodia
two years ago.
is a Cambodia-based journalist
who reports on business and
politics. Kali has a background in
small business management and
development.
Sales Assistant
Men Kimchhay
Administration
Sorn Sokly
Staff Assistant
Cassandra Riddell
Accounting
Sophea Pich
Finance
Kang Simemilie
Pich Sophea
Distribution
Read Weasna
For Editorial Enquiries
[email protected]
For Sales Enquiries
[email protected]
+855 (0)12 480 413
7B, Street 81, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
© 2016 Saint Blanquat & Associates Co., Ltd.
All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced without prior
authorisation of the owner.
Cover:
Enjoy.
Art Direction
Hamid Saatchi
Amaury de Saint Blanquat
Camilla Pluess
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SOCIETY & LIFESTYLE | LASTING IMPRESSIONS
Lasting
Impressions
Cambodia is alive with businesspeople from all over the world. Management Insider
reveals the intricacies of inter-cultural communication.
Words and photographs by Eve Watling
We are constantly told that first impressions play a crucial role in setting the right
tone for our business dealings. However depending on where you are in the world,
and who you are dealing with, greetings take on different shapes and forms due to
cultural, societal and generational factors. Taking time to learn and understand your
clients’ business culture can greatly benefit your future dealings, and greetings are
no exception. Cambodia is now home to any number of different nationalities doing
business, from strictly formal East Asian cultures to the more relaxed dealings of
the West. As such, it is increasingly important to be aware of the different types of
business greetings used in Cambodia, with good first impressions as vital as ever.
Chanra Sir is Operations Director at DNAK Trading
Co. Ltd and Digby’s Grocer & Café. She is Cambodian.
The Cambodian sampeah is used both as a symbol of
prayer and as a greeting: a sign of respect and politeness
or a way to say thank you or to apologise. When greeting
someone who is considered a peer, hands are pressed
together in prayer in front of chest. The higher your hands
are in relation to your forehead and the lower you bow,
the more respect you are showing. These days, except
when greeting elders or public officials, Cambodians
incorporate Western culture in their greetings by doing a
sampeah first, followed by a handshake.
As Cambodia is a hierarchical culture, respect and
deference must always be shown to the most senior
person. If groups are involved, we should introduce people
according to rank so that our Cambodian counterparts
understand the dynamics of the group.
Handshakes are normal, although be careful not to
be too firm as this may be construed as aggressive. If
men are dealing with women, they should wait and see
if the female counterpart extends her hand before doing
so themselves. Eye contact should be kept to a minimum
as looking directly at another person’s eyes is considered
rude. Cambodians address people with the honorific title
‘Lok’ for a man and ‘Lok Srey’ for a woman, with the first
name alone or both the first and surnames.
Business cards should be exchanged after initial
introductions. Have the flipside of your card translated
into Khmer if possible, and present the card so the Khmer
side is first read by the recipient. Use the right hand or
both hands when offering or receiving a business card.
It is important to treat business cards with respect as the
way we handle the card is indicative of the way we will
treat the person.
Small talk should always be employed at the beginning
of meetings. Cambodians are very indirect communicators
so some reading between the lines is a necessary skill. In
fact, if Cambodians disagree with a person or idea, they
would rather remain silent than make any comment. If
unsure about statements, be sure to double check by
“ Cambodians incorporate
Western culture in their
greetings by doing
a sampeah first,
followed
by a handshake. ”
- Chanra Sir, Operations Director,
DNAK Trading Co. Ltd / Digby’s Grocer & Café
asking. Cambodians prefer ideas to be brought forward
in a gentle way and to wait for others to respond. Pushy,
pressured or boastful communication styles are a real
turn-off.
Non-verbal behaviour is important to be aware of.
For example, smiling in Cambodia is situational and can
have many meanings; it may mean a person does not
understand what has been said, or that they are nervous
or even irritated. Showing emotions is considered negative
behaviour: a sign of weakness as well as poor manners.
Modesty and humility are emphasized in the culture, so
compliments and praise are generally responded to by a
deprecating comment.
Eigo Takechi has been the manager of Tama Hotel
and The D22 for one and a half years. He is Japanese.
Japanese greetings are more polite than friendly. First, we
exchange business cards; it is considered rude to skip
that step. Japanese people don’t shake hands; they bow.
There are three kinds of bow. When you acknowledge
someone you know in passing it’s just a little bow. When
you greet someone properly, the bow is 45 degrees. To
apologise or say thank you, it is 90 degrees – a deep bow.
The Japanese never hug or kiss.
After bowing and trading business cards, Japanese
tend to get straight to the point with just a little small talk.
When the meeting’s over, you thank them for coming and
bow again. If you get in an elevator after the meeting, you
bow, and remain bowing until the doors have closed, and
then stand straight again. When in a business meeting in
a restaurant, the youngest women need to serve drinks
to everyone. If there are no women, then the youngest
men do it.
In general, the Japanese are not so straightforward;
they don’t say when they dislike something. They are
always very polite. They believe you should always wear a
tie, a jacket and shiny shoes. Sit with your back straight,
don’t cross your legs, and keep eye contact. Keep a lot
of distance and personal space. It’s easy to offend the
Japanese. The key is to remain polite and formal.
SOCIETY & LIFESTYLE | LASTING IMPRESSIONS
“ When you greet someone
properly, the bow is 45 degree. To
apologise or say thank you, its 90
degrees. ”
- Eigo Takechi, Manager, Tama Hotel / D22
“
Among Chinese,
business deals are
sometimes
done in unusual places
like sauna.
- Zhengyu Ren, Manager,
Elionetwork Translation Agency
Zhengyu Ren works for Elionetwork Translation
Agency and has been in management in Cambodia
for four years. He is Chinese.
Chinese people mostly shake hands as a greeting, and
there is a lot of emphasis on body language. In the case
of a business meeting with Chinese clients, you need
to consider your role in the meeting, plus the subject of
the meeting. If you’re at an advantage, you can appear
relaxed, but if you want something from someone, you
need to appear humble, with lowered posture, speaking
quietly, and looking up at the other person - you need to
be clearly deferential.
Among Chinese, business deals are sometimes done
in unusual places like saunas – it’s informal, but quite
acceptable. Chinese culture is non-confrontational;
people avoid straightforward expressions, yet at the
same time we all know that to be straightforward is most
efficient. Going to places like saunas, where people are
naked, tends to soften the atmosphere and allow for
smooth dealings.
When dealing with Chinese, your posture will have a
great impact on your communications. Confidence can
easily be mistaken for arrogance in Chinese culture – a
typical American-style confidence, for example, could be
seen as arrogance. The staunch and casual posturing
that is more typical of Westerners would be inappropriate
for a Chinese businessman. You want to make yourself
smaller, and more sincere.
Bowing or making a sampeah isn’t appropriate among
Chinese: people will think you’re a monk. In a business
context, Cambodians sometimes ask questions such as
how much money I make, which I find inappropriate. I’ve
heard Cambodians say that Chinese businessmen can
come across as harsh and arrogant.
The Chinese like to small talk a lot: sometimes annoyingly
so. However, it is strategic - it helps us understand the
mood and interests of the other person and allows you
to build some kind of connection, facilitating smoother
business dealings. Talking about cars, property prices or
children for two hours is normal. The real issue may only
be discussed for ten minutes, and after the small talk has
subsided.
The Chinese also love compliments - and they can be
shamelessly over the top. Chinese people exaggerate and
even make things up, but everyone knows that is part of
the culture so they bear that in mind and don’t believe
everything. If you don’t know the culture, you may judge
“ Australians place
a lot of importance
in the quality of the
grasp – no one likes a
dead fish handhake! ”
- Weh Yeoh, Managing Director,
IOC: The Cambodian Project
them as liars. People aren’t trying to trick you - that’s just
the culture. Chinese people find it very hard to say no,
even if they’re not interested. Generally, they’re totally
non-confrontational. Also, words are not literal or binding
in Chinese business culture. It’s acceptable to go back on
a verbal agreement if there’s been no deposit, and people
won’t even feel guilty about it.
Weh Yeoh is the Managing Director of OIC: The
Cambodia Project. He has three years of management
experience in Cambodia. He is Australian.
Australians get off our chairs when someone enters the
room. We would first always go in for the handshake.
Australians place a lot of importance in the quality of the
grasp - no-one likes a dead fish handshake! Grip strength
is important: you have to be strong, but not too strong.
Make sure you go into the handshake with the palm
facing up instead of down, as a downward facing palm is
seen as arrogant. What’s different to Asian culture is that
we don’t always pull out the business card immediately.
Open up the conversation with a little bit of small talk
about the weather, the coffee in the café that you’re sitting
in, or the cricket (the scores in the sport, or the taste of the
insect) in order to initiate some element of bonding. But
the conversation should get to the point relatively quickly
- and after business is done, move on to something that
is off-topic. Keeping your word is very important when
dealing with Australians. As such, you often don’t need
a written document or contract: giving your word is just
as good, and you will be judged by how true you are to
your word.
It would be inappropriate not to call someone by their
first name. Being too formal is impolite: it’s seen as putting
up barriers. In Australia, they might even use the word
‘mate,’ which is similar to friend and even less formal. Ask
about their family, use a little bit of humour - it can even
be the kind of humour that other cultures would consider
inappropriate during business dealings.
Australians have an emphasis on timeliness and
punctuality: you shouldn’t be late for a meeting or stretch
out something over an unnecessary period of time.
Meetings in Cambodia last two or three hours, but in
Australia they last one hour maximum. We have to get
the heart of the meeting out of the way, then worry about
socialising afterward.
Contrasting with business cultures that are all about face,
ceremony and over-the-top compliments - the Chinese
used to call me the best physiotherapist in the world, even
though I had not practiced for eight years - Australians roll
their eyes at grandiose and dishonest statements.
Digitise
Words by Vivaddhana Khaou
Businesses are increasingly leaving paper in
the past, moving to digital file management.
The initial cost can be a burden, but for those
who make the switch it is an investment that
keeps on giving.
HR information system is a software
and online solution that is used as a
centralised data base for HR tasks
and management.
Expanding your business means expanding your staff, and expanding your staff
means an influx of tasks for your HR department: new contracts and all the paperwork
that comes with them. And then there is the logs of employee personal information,
payrolls, benefit schedules - seemingly endless administrative tasks that waste many
man hours, clutter desks and offices with files, and are susceptible to human error.
Many Cambodian businesses still operate under this system
but plenty have turned to a Human Resource Information
System (HRIS), also known as a Human Resources
Management System (HRMS), to streamline operations and
reduce margin for error.
The Benefits
The HRIS system is often praised as a one-stop shop
for companies, who use it as a data bank, for managing
recruitment and to schedule tasks and reminders. Users,
both employees and employers, are only ever required to
enter information once, with the system intelligent enough
to take data and use it on other forms where required. The
HRIS system allows a business to process HR-related tasks,
such as payroll, accounting, recruitment and management,
more efficiently while relieving stress on the HR department.
Tasks such as recruiting also become a lot easier for both
employee and employer, as the process is paperless, with file
management digitalised. Many HRIS systems also feature
an online platform for employees to personally manage their
employment and benefits. Company guidelines, employee
handbooks and safety guidelines can be put online and easily
updated, making them accessible anytime and anywhere.
All of this eases the burden on your HR department,
saving essential man hours every month. The paperless,
digitised approach to storing information raises efficiency.
Business execution and prospects of mergers, for example,
become a walk in park compared to what the process would
be without HRIS systems, simply because HR departments
TOP 5 SYSTEMS GLOBALLY
1. Greenhouse
A recruiting platform at its core, Greenhouse goes beyond just
tracking applicants - it offers the tools companies need to manage
their entire hiring process. Greenhouse was built to align with how
great recruiting organisations work, and includes industry best
practices for hiring great talent. It is scaled throughout the company,
so hiring teams are able to make more informed decisions.
2. The Applicant Manager
With no software to install and no IT support needed, The Applicant
Manager (TAM), a cloud-based system, gives users full accessibility
at any time from any device with Internet access, including
smartphones and tablets.
© Illustration by Hamid Saatchi
3. Workable
Workable is a standalone applicant tracking system that helps
users find and hire the right people. The program replaces email
are able to manage tasks, documentation and time.
The Disadvantages
While HRIS is a highly regarded tool for boosting performance,
it is important to note the foreseeable disadvantages. While
they do not outweigh the benefits, some do exist.
The first and possibly biggest obstacle is the cost factor.
Your initial investment is around $50,000 in Cambodia,
and does not include costs of maintenance. Man hours
that you save in HR might now have to be dedicated to IT
professionals employed to maintain your system. And then
there is the security factor: These systems hold troves of
sensitive and confidential information about employees and
the company, so quality security and management of your
database is essential.
SME Adaption
Despite the ongoing influx of large companies to Cambodia,
small and medium size businesses have taken over large
chunks of the market, and these firms can further strengthen
their models, and eventually their productivity and bottom
lines.
In recent years, HRIS systems have evolved, becoming
more affordable for small companies, with options like
software-as-a-service (SAAS) HRIS tools, which deliver the
product via subscription rather than straight purchase. If
you haven’t done away with the paper and taken your file
management online, it might be time to consider it.
and spreadsheets with a simple way of advertising jobs, receiving
applications, filtering them, setting up interviews and making great
hires.
4. JobAdder
JobAdder is a cloud-based recruitment management platform
designed for recruitment and staffing agencies and in-house
corporate hiring teams. JobAdder is used by more than 10,000
recruiters in 20 countries.
5. APS OnLine
APS (Automatic Payroll Systems, Inc.) has been providing payroll
and tax compliance services to companies for almost two decades.
In 2004, they released their APS OnLine, their cloud-based solution
for human capital management. APS OnLine combines their
services in a streamlined format that can be scaled to various sized
companies.
BIG CAMBODIA | BIG IDEA. KNOW YOUR FOE
Know Your Foe
tock
© Sh
utters
Big Idea
With new products
saturating a fledgling
market, brands must do
their homework before
coming to Cambodia
Over the past few years, Cambodia
has experienced steady economic
growth that has led to the emergence
of a new Cambodian middle class,
effectively raising the disposable
income and consumption levels in the
country. With a market willing to spend
more, and with greater consumer
demands, it is increasingly necessary
for companies to be able to track the
performance of their products and
services against their rivals.
Some multinational companies, however, use regional market
strategies for the whole of Indochina as though Cambodia is
not a separate market with unique characteristics and needs,
which is a mistake. “Companies currently underestimate how
quickly Cambodia is transforming into a complex, segmented
consumerist society with increasing disposable income and
varying consumer demands,” says Anne Abcede, head of
market research for Saint Blanquat & A.
“Brands’ conservative outlook toward the market can be
seen in multiple facets, and is made apparent by inadequate
marketing efforts - from limited products and variants on
supermarket shelves to translated Thai and Vietnamese ads
on local airwaves, copycat taglines, untranslated packaging
labels, and irregular or no customer satisfaction checks,” she
adds.
Spread the Brand
There is no doubt companies see the Cambodian market
potential, however their propensity to rush too quickly
to grab a piece of the pie without fully understanding
consumers means the market flooded, and firms are failing
to create sustainable, personalised relationships with potential
customers. Of companies’ marketing budget for Cambodia,
a very small portion goes to market research, while the rest is
spent on media placement, advertising, activations and other
promotions.
There is no denying the power of increasing brand visibility
and communication. Budget restrictions dictate whether a firm
can land a TV advertisement in prime time or take a promotion
on the road, but while reaching your target audience is one
There is no doubt companies see
the Cambodian market potential,
however their propensity to rush
too quickly to grab a piece of the
pie without fully understanding
consumers means the market
flooded, and firms are failing to
create sustainable, personalised
relationships with potential
customers.
goal, creating an impact is another, in the same way usage or
sales figures do not readily translate into customer satisfaction
and loyalty. A new market entrant who delivers specific needs
such as creation of a new packaging format or a new product
variant, or who connects better with Cambodian consumers,
may well get your users to switch tomorrow.
Through market research, brands can be aware where
they stand in comparison with competitors, how to build
salient and long-term equity, and what market projections are.
With this, strategists can blend future trends through product
development and innovation, not just to fulfill needs but also to
introduce original concepts and create new demands.
The Cost of Data
Research can be financially intimidating for many, and this is
exacerbated by the notion that research is too academic and
to the point of being almost unnecessary. On the contrary,
while research follows methodological and ethical principles,
it can be flexible and be modified in several ways to guarantee
actionable results or to simply address constraints such as
time, staff resources or money. More often than not, money
“ Companies currently
underestimate how quickly
Cambodia is transforming
into a complex, segmented
consumerist society. ”
- Anne Abcede, Head of Market Research,
Saint Blanquat & A.
and lack of familiarity with different types of research are what
inhibit companies from doing a study.
Omnibus and syndicated (OS) surveys are quantitative
data collection instruments funded by several clients. The
model uses a questionnaire covering many different topics
concerning one target group. Multiple clients share the cost of
data collection logistics and respondent recruitment, making
it extremely cost efficient. As an OS survey is affordable, it
can be done regularly, and through the process, it becomes
increasingly efficient over time and makes it a vital tool for
strategists and marketers to make moves based on up-todate data.
Omnibus and syndicated survey data is exploratory
and provides clients with some clarity of the overall market
landscape. It later serves as a basis for custom- or tailor-made
research when clients see the need to dig deeper into topics
and issues specifically concerning them.
Omnibus and syndicated (OS) surveys are quantitative
data collection instruments funded by several clients. The
model uses a questionnaire covering many different topics
concerning one target group. Multiple clients share the cost of
data collection logistics and respondent recruitment, making
it extremely cost efficient. As an OS survey is affordable, it
can be done regularly, and through the process, it becomes
increasingly efficient over time and makes it a vital tool for
strategists and marketers to make moves based on up-todate data.
Omnibus and syndicated survey data is exploratory
and provides clients with some clarity of the overall market
landscape. It later serves as a basis for custom- or tailormade research when clients see the need to dig deeper into
topics and issues specifically concerning them.
BIG CAMBODIA | BIG CONVERSATION. AGENCY FOR CHANGE
Big Conversation
Agency
for
Change
With Kali Kotoski
As Cambodia continues to build its presence
in the Asean region, and with more and
more international companies bringing their
operations here, the complexities of developing
an adequate labour force are coming to the fore.
© Photograph by Kali Kotoski
Management Insider spoke with Hay Hunleng,
adviser to the National Employment Agency,
about the challenges the organisation faces
and the need to promote job training and
employment services.
BIG CAMBODIA | BIG CONVERSATION. AGENCY FOR CHANGE
“
“ If you look at the
construction and real
estate sectors, I think
it is the most viable for
long-term employment
because we need more
infrastructure and
new developments are
happening everyday. ”
How does the NEA register jobseekers?
Because they are scattered all around the country, we
must rely on outreach and recruitment events at the
commune level, where we announce that we are coming
to an area ahead of time and have local officials gather
the community together. We bring three or four employers
with us to meet potential employees, and many are
offered jobs on the spot and are working within days.
Besides recruitment events, we also dispatch our officials
to the provinces to gather statistics so we can gauge the
level of employment there.
- Hay Hunleng, Adviser, National Employment Agency
What is the ultimate purpose of the National
Employment Agency?
The National Employment Agency has two key mandates.
One is offering employment services, and the other is
providing labour market information to jobseekers and
policy makers.
How does the NEA help jobseekers become
employees?
We have found that many candidates do not even know
what they are looking for. As such, during initial registration,
before we make referrals, we provide counselling and
advice to clients to help us fine tune the search. We
also collect data from the private sector to define labour
trends, skill gaps, and the specific needs of employers at
any given time. We hope that this data can also be used
to help shape policy and promote training of the skills that
are most needed.
Who does the NEA target in terms of finding
employment?
For the moment, the majority of candidates would be
from the low-skilled labour force with rural backgrounds
and little to no education. These people are the most
vulnerable, so they need support most of all. Unlike private
recruitment agencies, the NEA focuses on those with little
information and who have been marginalised. Private
recruitment agencies tend to be more like headhunters.
The NEA acquires lots of data on employment. How
well do you believe it represents the overall situation?
I don’t think our data can be considered representative
of the whole country, but it certainly can be used as a
rough gauge for some trends. We currently have 68,682
registered jobseekers, and over the last five years we
have seen the numbers fluctuate. For instance, in 2014
when all the migrant workers were returning from Thailand
over fears of a government crackdown following the coup,
our database tripled, but this year it has only grown by 10
to 20%.
What is the employment strike rate among your
registered candidates?
Of the 68,682 candidates in our database, we will only
refer around 30,000 to employers. Of that number, only
about 10,000 actually gain employment from our service.
Why are so many jobseekers unsuccessful?
Currently, we face the difficulty of our jobseekers having
inadequate or mismatched skills for the positions that
are available. Given our target clients, this is a common
problem. For us, the most lacking skills are within the
industrial sectors - auto mechanics, construction workers
- and those working on light manufacturing assembly
lines.
With many companies looking to enter Cambodia to
take advantage of the low cost of labour, is skills
training keeping up with demand?
I think, for now, the companies that are shifting here see
the benefits of privately training their workers. Just look
at Minebea. Plus, with the mobility of these companies,
when initially starting up they can temporarily absorb the
numbers needed at the low skill level, while also bringing
in higher paid workers from outside the country at the
managerial level. But gradually, through training, lowskilled workers could move into higher positions. But if
employers are not providing skills training and are only
looking to retain a low skilled labour force, these workers
can fall into a trap of exploitation.
How can low skilled labourers carve out a career
path toward higher wages?
In terms of designing workers’ career paths, training
is what we need first. Otherwise, workers believe that
they will only see their salary increase through collective
bargaining, demonstrations or protests, which doesn’t
really work in the long run. What we can do is create
a dialogue to make workers more confident that they
are actually on a career path - having them visualise
how they can climb the employment ladder instead of
getting stuck in a low-skilled manufacturing job. That
is why the NEA tries to provide training programs to
garment factory unions and labour representatives. We
also promote job vacancies for those that are looking to
move out of garment factories.
Long term, what do you believe is the most
viable sector for employment?
If you look at the construction and real estate sectors,
I think it is the most viable for long-term employment
because we need more infrastructure and new
developments are happening everyday. However,
what we see is that while there are more opportunities
in construction, the majority of companies do not take
our referrals.
Why is that?
It could be for two reasons. Either there is a lack of
locally skilled engineers and technicians, or those
workers don’t register with us because they can easily
find jobs through networking and contacts.
What can be done in the future to develop
Cambodian skills?
When developing skills, you have to talk about having the
right curriculum for the future. This is often a challenge
between ministries. For example, when talking about
vocational training, the Ministry of Labour is in charge.
But now the Ministry of Education has started its own
vocational training programme as well. And they do not
teach the same things. So, these two training programmes
need to join together to promote the necessary skills for
the future. A coordinated approach is needed. Meanwhile,
the private sector needs to keep us up to date with what
skills are needed so we can incorporate them, or a public
and private collaboration makes no sense. Together, we
all need to have a concrete plan to move ahead.
Summer School
11/07/2016 - 19/08/2016
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* until 15th of June 2016
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CAMPUS 1
N°. 9, International School Road (St. 2004)
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia
Phone: 023 882 088 / 012 200 01
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: www.ciaschool.edu.kh
CAMPUS 2
N°. 107, International School Road (St. 2004)
Phone: 023 885 088 / 099 200 011
Web: www.ciaschool.edu.kh
CIA PP INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Nº 51, St. 352, Boeng Keng Kang I,
Phone: 077 862 333 / 023 979 979
Web: www.ciappschool.edu.kh
BIG CAMBODIA | BIG PROFILE. FAIR PLAY
Big Profile
Fair Play:
Resolving
Labour Disputes
on Neutral Ground
“ Since the Council
was appointed to
resolve disputes,
more and more people
have become
educated on what
their rights
are under the
Labour Law. ”
Words by Jo Hocking
The Arbitration Council plays a vital role in in resolving Cambodia’s collective
labour disputes. Management Insider spoke with lawyer and arbitrator Chhiv
Phyrum about the council’s place in today’s dynamic market.
When it comes to workplace conditions and worker
rights, employers and employees, understandably, do not
always see eye to eye. If the two parties can not resolve
disputes and come to agreement via internal negotiations,
industrial disputes, strikes and protests can materialise.
The independent Arbitration Council was established to
avert such action, which can negatively affect the bottom
lines of companies and their employees.
After Cambodia’s economy exploded into action in the
late ‘90s, the Council was established with the support
of the Labour Ministry, unions and employers in 2003 to
serve as an independent, national-level mediator with
quasi-judicial authority under the Labour Law to resolve
collective disputes.
“The Arbitration Council provides a free,
transparent, unbiased and neutral system
for cases to be heard,” lawyer and arbitrator
Chhiv explains. “This system has become
very well accepted in Cambodian society
as a means to resolve disputes.”
Understanding the Process
When collective labour strife arises,
disagreements that cannot be solved
in-house are forwarded to the Labour
Ministry’s conciliators. If agreement is not
reached there, the case is passed to the
Arbitration Council. (Note: The Council
- Chhiv Phyrum, Lawyer and Arbitrator, The Arbitration Council
© Photograph supplied
BIG CAMBODIA | BIG PROFILE. FAIR PLAY
does not deal with individual disputes.) “This process is
mandatory by law and the parties do not get to decide
whether or not we arbitrate the case unless there is
another rule of arbitration written in their collective
bargaining agreement,” Chhiv points out.
Specialised in conflict resolution, the Council will seek
to find an amicable solution through private negotiations.
Failing that, the Council will hold hearings for both sides of
the dispute and then issue a decision, generally within 15
days. Before the decision is handed down, both parties
must agree on whether they will respect the Arbitration
Council’s ruling as final and binding. “As the Council has
gained confidence and trust to deliver the best decision,
we are finding that parties are choosing the award to be
binding rather than non-binding,” Chhiv explains.
The Role of Arbitrators
While the parties involved do not get to choose if their
case is arbitrated or not, they do get to choose who
represents them during proceedings. There are currently
30 arbitrators available on the Council: 10 on the employer
list, 10 on the employee list, and 10 on the Ministry of
Labour list. Serving in the honourary arbitrator role for
employers since 2005, Chhiv has handled more than 200
cases. As well as being a qualified lawyer, she has a highprofile background in human resources, having worked
with Cambodia Airport Management Services and with
Manulife.
When asked about her personal contribution to
developing labour relations in Cambodia, Chhiv reveals
the secondary service that the Council serves - putting
confidence in the industry. “Since the Council was
appointed to resolve disputes, more and more people
have become educated on what their rights are under
the Labour Law. People are also now aware that there
is an independent process and that conflicts can be
resolved transparently and fairly.” Chhiv says. “As a result
we have seen an increase in cases received by Council.
Strike action has also decreased a lot as employers and
employees choose to work things out. People listen to us
and respect our decision.”
The Most Common Disputes
Many of the labour disputes Chhiv oversees and mediates
involve employers in the garment and footwear industry,
which has been under great pressure in recent years to
improve conditions for employers, including with a series
of rises in the minimum salary dictated by the central
government.
“90% plus of cases heard by Council are related to
the garment industry. However, more industries are aware
of our existence and I have also arbitrated cases in the
tourism, construction, hospitality, telecommunications
and transport sectors,” Chhiv says. “The biggest disputes
we receive involve wages and bonuses followed by
disciplinary and terminations. Working conditions, safety
issues and the rights of women are also a concern.”
How to Avoid Disputes
While the Arbitration Council exists to resolve conflict, the
ideal situation would be to avoid unnecessary disputes in
361
Left: Subject matter of disputes for 316 cases registered at
AC covered period between 1 January – 30 November 2015
285
Below: Independent baseline and midline assessment has
confirmed that 92% of parties (employers, workers and their
representatives) report high confidence in the labour dispute
resolution service provided by the Arbitration Council.
AC covered period between 1 January – 30 November 2015
255
191
120
148
159
180
145
114
81
31
200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014
Sources: The Arbitration Council, 2015
Leave, 6%
Work suspension, 2%
Employment status, 2%
Wages and
bonuses, 42%
Discipline and
termination, 15%
Labour rights
of women, 6%
Occupationa, health
and safety, 7%
Strike, 3%
Unions and workers
delegate, 5%
the first place. The disputes are inevitable, however, with many employers constantly pushing the boundaries in a bid to
increase output and reduce costs. “If a company does not want rights disputes, stick to what the law says and respect
the law,” Chhiv advises. “This will help to avoid rights disputes because these occur when employers do not respect
legal requirements.
“However, if the dispute is “interest” related, a resolution is more complicated. For example, pregnant women being
granted priority to leave work first is not written specifically into the law, and would solicit different reactions from
employers and employees, making the resolution to such a dispute far from black and white. Chhiv advocates good
communication and social dialogue, for example regular meetings and sharing of information, in order to keep these
types of issues on the table for discussion and not simmering away beneath the surface waiting to explode.
“It is important to keep talking to each other where concerns can be raised. Employers can also inform staff of
changes, in terms of when and how, and if employees have this information they may be more patient. Often employers
will also underestimate a change in policy and do not communicate it properly with their staff which can cause conflict.”
Chhiv explains.
“If possible it is best to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement where all expectations of staff and/or their
representatives are discussed and signed with a mechanism for conflict resolution,” she concludes. “This mechanism
may help to reduce illegal strikes which are very costly to the employer.”
General working conditions, 8%
Labour and other contracts, 4%
For more information on The Arbitration Council visit www.arbitrationcouncil.org
© All photographs supplied
MANAGEMENT CAMBODIA | ACADEMY REWARDS
Academy
Rewards
“
“ IT IS OUR
AIM THROUGH
MANAGEMENT
ACADEMY TO
HELP BUILD MORE
KNOWLEDGEABLE
WORKERS BY
PROVIDING ROBUST
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
SOLUTIONS ”
- Naina Peris, Principal Consultant,
Management Academy
A Brand New Institution Enlists
Experts to Fill Gaps in the Skillsets
of Professionals
Individuals invest in themselves, in their careers, with university
degrees and vocational training. This is expected. But it is equally
beneficial, and often overlooked, for companies to double down
on the investment, providing training that builds on and adds skills
to help staff fly through the ranks.
With many of today’s professionals having earned their position via in-house promotions or
based on outdated or untrusted education programmes, the need to brush up on certain
skills among established employees is essential. This has been noted, and while many
firms have taken to providing in-house training, demand is booming and coaching in soft
skills - such as business English, public speaking, managerial skill, excel finance - is being
outsourced to specialised institutions.
“The Cambodian education system is recovering from a tough past and still has a lot
to catch up with,” says Lyaun Hay, a trainer with the Management Academy, which was
launched recently to meet this need. “Private schools have grown like mushrooms to fill an
important gap in the sector. But most of these institutions are too business orientated and
have little concern for the training quality.”
With the economy on the end of some of its strongest growth ever, more skilled
professionals are essential, according to Jitendra Manghnani, country manager for Tata
International in Cambodia and Laos. He said that while the availability of skills and talent
in Cambodia has witnessed a gradual incline over the past few years, there are certain
profession-specific skills which the universities and vocational training institutes are unable
to cater to in line with the evolving demand. This is where the role of training institutes come
in, he says, forming a critical link in the current situation.
“ BY PROVIDING TRAINING
OPPORTUNITIES TO
EMPLOYEES, THE
COMPANY DEMONSTRATES
TO THEIR WORKFORCE
THAT THEY VALUE THEM
… WHICH IS COST SAVING
FOR THE COMPANY ”
- Lyaun Hay, Principal Consultant,
Management Academy
Running Repairs
“Employers prefer job-ready talent, and in the
absence of the required skills in the existing talent
pool, companies look to training institutes to fill
this void,” says Manghnani. “Over the years, we
have learnt that in Cambodia the need is to plan
for skill and developmental infusion at a base level.
This is important for and beneficial to both the
employer and the employee. For the employer, it
aids talent retention, image building, and creating
a robust talent pool. And, for employees, it sets
expectations right from the beginning and also
helps them hone their skills to become domain
specialists in the medium- to long-term.”
Cambodia is among a number of rapidly
growing economies in the ASEAN region that can
no longer be ignored on the world stage. With the
integration of the ASEAN bloc, Cambodia, at its
centre, has the chance to become an economic
hub within the region. “However, with competition
for skilled labour becoming fiercer almost by the
day, Cambodia needs to ensure it can keep up with
labour and management requirements from foreign
companies looking to settle in Cambodia,” says
Naina Peris, principal consultant at Management
Academy.
While the cost of labour is a factor in any business
decision, she says, employing qualified staff with
required skill sets is a non-negotiable element of
developing the economy toward manufacturing or
financial services, something Cambodia is aiming
for with its 2015-2025 Industrial Development
Policy, which outlines plans to upgrade from a
garment-sector led economy with an eye on
moving toward Lower Middle Income status.
A Matter of Perception
For those companies looking to develop their human
resources, training and development institutes such
as Management Academy are a godsend, with the
institution’s success measured by its graduates. “It
is our aim through Management Academy to help
build more knowledgeable workers by providing
robust professional development solutions which
will not only help develop more local leaders but
may also become a key differentiator for outsiders
looking at Cambodia,” says Peris.
The results of training your employees can prove to be a
game changer, especially given the rate that globalisation
is taking place in Cambodia and around the world,
raising standards and expectations across the board.
“Employees who participate regularly in the training
organised by their employers…will acquire new skills,
increasing their contribution to the business and building
their self-esteem. The training they do can take them into
other positions within the organisation - positions with
better prospects and/or better pay,” says Hay.
Employers will also see the difference. “By providing
training opportunities to employees, the company
demonstrates to their workforce that they value them
enough to invest in them, improving loyalty and staff
retention, which is a cost saving for the company.” Training
is a tool to keep employees motivated and Hay believes
“
“ EMPLOYERS PREFER JOBREADY TALENT, AND IN THE
ABSENCE OF THE REQUIRED
SKILLS IN THE EXISTING
TALENT POOL, COMPANIES
LOOK TO TRAINING INSTITUTES
TO FILL THIS VOID ”
- Jitendra Manghnani, Country Manager,
Tata International
that employees who do not improve their skills are more
susceptible to organisational change and will face tough
competition from the next generation of employees
coming after them, who will be properly trained for the job.
Ahead of the Curve
There are many different options for value-added training,
with context and need the great differentiators. Any
external input by way of training, mentoring or coaching
should be contextual and in that manner be a steppingstone to future development, according to Manghnani.
Management Academy is looking to stand out from its
competitors simply be setting the bar higher in terms of
standards and quality. “The primary objective is to offer
only the best in class trainings with very highly reputed
trainers, both Cambodians and expatriates,” explains
Peris. “The MA has gone a step ahead of the current
requirements of the Cambodian market.”
Peris believes that while training programmes are
important, having internationally certified trainers helps
ensure that clients benefit from world-class training
methods, and gives them confidence that attendees will
develop world-class skills. Management Academy has
closely followed this methodology and partnered with
globally recognised training and development institutions
with an aim to bringing internationally recognised
standards, and experts, to their training curriculum.
MANAGEMENT CAMBODIA | THE RIGHT MIX
The
Right
Mix
With Vivaddhana Khaou
A new learning method combines faceto-face sessions with online modules for
up skilling staff. James Siew, Regional
Consulting Director at Cegos Asia
Pacific, sat down with Management
Insider to explain how, and why, it works.
What is blended learning?
Blended learning is a formalised and structured learning
programme in which the participant learns through a variety
of instructional modes. It includes facilitator-led workshops
and classroom sessions, coupled at least in part with content
and instruction delivered digitally.
Blended learning is new to the Cambodian business
environment. It has come with the continued emergence of
corporate learning and development within organisations,
which are in turn seeing improvements in productivity and
employee engagement. In building a progressive approach
to human capital development, organisations are looking
to blended learning as a viable development option with
sustainable results.
Why might companies move away from conventional
modes of training?
While conventional modes of learning are highly effective and
popular, there are sound reasons why an organisation may
choose to implement blended learning: it is flexible to learner
needs, extends the learning experience and capitalises on
the power of multi-modal learning delivery methods.
How exactly does blended learning capitalise on the
power of multi-modal learning delivery methods?
Multi-modal learning involves activating all learning styles,
not just capitalising on new technologies. Learning styles
Who is Cegos?
Cegos Asia Pacific, headquartered in Singapore, was
opened in 2012 as part of the Cegos Group, which
was founded in Paris in 1926. With almost a century of
experience in the development of people, Cegos has grown
to be Europe’s leading learning and development consulting
firm - and its largest, with 1,000 employees and more
than 3,000 partner consultants - and continues to thrive
across the Asia Pacific while extending its reach, beginning
operations in Latin America in 2015.
James Siew is the
Business Operations and
Consulting Director at
Cegos APAC. Based in
Singapore, James has
held various corporate
and consulting roles in
learning and organisation
development over the
span of 23 years covering
the Asia Pacific region.
may take the form of cognitive, emotive and tactile learning.
Blended learning stimulates cognitive learning through the
provision of knowledge through facilitator-led workshops, as
well as e-learning modules and reading.
Providing time for the learner to learn and to reflect activates
their emotive learning style, helps them make links with
what the learning means to them and how it applies to their
daily lives. Practical exercises during the formal learning
workshops as well as project work in between workshops
provide learners with the ability to apply their learning,
experiment and to get actively involved, thereby stimulating
the tactical way of learning.
Can blended learning help companies achieve
sustainable results? If so, how?
Some organisational capabilities take a longer time to
acquire, so many organisations have turned to blended
learning to address two strategically important learning
areas: sales and leadership. Some leadership and sales
competencies cover a wide range of learning areas, and
cannot be mastered in a single training workshop. Blended
learning carefully selects modules and applies them over a
set period of time, hopefully culminating in the mastering of
certain skills, which learners will practice and refine following
workshops through simulations or role-plays coupled with
scenario-based e-learning modules.
How can an organisation supplement employee training
to ensure sustainable results?
Many organisations that have adopted blended learning
may also include a component where employees work on
a specific project, applying new skills acquired to their daily
processes. By linking learning to practical application, the
participants are able to effectively transfer learning to their
daily habits.
Likewise, leadership development facilitated through a
blended learning structure also means that the participants
have the means and time to assimilate new information,
master new concepts, practice new skills and apply new
ways of leading others in ways that may not be as easy if
they only attended a two-day workshop.
How relevant is blended learning in an economy like
Cambodia’s?
In an emerging country like Cambodia, blended learning
provides organisations with a flexible and even costsaving means to provide learning to their employees. For
accelerated learning, organisations can also implement
structured blended learning programmes. Cegos also
facilitates learning in a variety of ways to suit an organisation’s
needs - for example, clients in Singapore, Malaysia, and
China have opted for e-learning to ensure short-time learning
is deployed consistently to large employee populations,
which are geographically dispersed.
Do you think blended learning can change the corporate
landscape of Cambodia?
The impact of blended learning on an emerging economy
like Cambodia differs from other countries in the region.
To illustrate, Singapore has had an active learning and
development practice across most industries for decades
and this can also be one of the potential limitations: there
might be some resistance to adopting new learning
methodologies. In Cambodia, utilising technology and
other learning modes in a landscape that is relatively new to
learning and development could have different implications
in terms of the rate that these new approaches are adopted.
While the future developments depend on several factors and
these are relatively unknown, the prospects for introducing
dynamic learning and development in Cambodia are strong.
Cegos provides blended learning solutions - combining
tutorials, workshops and e-learning - that can be
customised and focuses on developing skills such as
leadership and management, sales and negotiation, team
effectiveness, and interpersonal communications. Today,
Cegos works with 20,000 client companies across 50
countries and averages 12,000 bespoke training projects
per year. To date, Cegos has trained an average of some
250,000 people per year.
Cegos provides clients with reassurance, knowing that
procedures have been quality tested and that requests will
be addressed. Cegos consultants are also continuously
assessed and trained in the latest pedagogical practices.
Content is also regularly updated, with thorough trainer
certifications undertaken. Programmes are customised to
suit the specific context of each individual client project.
Milestones
1926: Creation of the CGOST (General Commission on
the Scientific Organisation of Work), which was to become
Cegos in 1936
1937: Creation of the corporate consulting business
1951: First training courses
1958: Cegos begins its international expansion with an initial
operation in Spain
1997: Cegos sets up business in China
2001: Cegos rolls out the first training courses that combine
e-learning and classroom learning
2008: Cegos launches the Global Learning by Cegos® and
e-Learning Solutions by Cegos® courses
2010: Cegos creates the E-Learning Excellence Awards
2012: Cegos Asia-Pacific opens in Singapore
2014: Cegos takes over Integrata, a leading training provider
in Germany
2015: Cegos secures a foothold in Latin America
2016: Cegos enters an exclusive partnership with
Saint Blanquat & A. in Cambodia
More about Cegos: www.cegos.com
MANAGEMENT CAMBODIA | HUMAN CAPITAL CONSULTING. A JOB FOR THE EXPERTS
HumanCapital
Consulting:
A Job for the Experts
With unheralded interconnectedness between developing nations, the rise of new
middle classes with more disposable income, and enhanced trade agreements
spanning the globe, HR services have become key in supporting commercialism,
capitalism and the globalisation of economies. In recent times, HR consulting
services have been estimated to have a net worth of $28.7 billion, or approximately
12% of the global consulting market. Behind the success is organisations choosing
to outsource their HR processes to expert consultants, who streamline and organise,
improving overall efficiency for the organisations they serve.
Cambodia has seen a recent surge in the demand for HR
consulting services, with a rapid influx of new companies
looking to establish themselves here, as well as an influx
of foreign investment - from Japan, Korea, China - that
is creating new employment opportunities across the
country. Firms are working to customise and implement
sound HR systems to keep pace with the rapidly changing
local business landscape.
From humble beginnings, Human Resource
(HR) consulting services have become a global
phenomenon and grown into a multibillion
dollar industry. Management Insider explores
the work of these guns for hire and their staff
specific expertise.
Shaping the Scene
A HR consultant has to be able to see the critical
intersections between talent, assets and ideas for his/
her clients - it is this dynamic formula that ultimately
drives success. Today, HR consultants are recognising
the opportunity that the domestic market represents and
are helping shape the HR landscape of Cambodia. HR
consulting services include all aspects of advisory and
implementation activities related to the aspects of people
management, and, carried out strategically, create value
and boost organisational performance. The key lies in the
experts understanding the internal workings and needs
of your organisation before recommending any kind of
transformation to support human capital issues.
This should not be confused with HR management,
which is an internal function of an organisation that
focuses primarily on recruitment and people management.
While parts of HR management can outsourced to HR
consultants, both HR consulting and HR management
can very easily act as complimentary services, improving
and supplementing each other when an organisation
makes the decision to utilise an HR consultant on top of
its HR management scheme. Yet, hiring an HR consultant
is a luxury, while HR management is most considered to
be a necessity for any organisation.
HR consulting
services have been
estimated to have
a net worth
of $28.7 billion,
or approximately
12% of the global
consulting market.
© Shutterstock
A variety of
HR consulting
services
target specific
outcomes
HR Audit
- Build an efficient HR department that
is dynamic across all divisions, while improving
inter-organisational HR communication tools
- Assess current HR capabilities and build
the training and coaching plan of your key HR people
- Forecast HR requirements for the coming year:
How many staff, and what skills will be required?
- Assure overall compliance with the local labour
regulations
Recruitment & Retention Policy; Talent
Management
- Audit your current reward programme in order
to achieve optimum efficiency
- Align the value of reward programmes with
individual performance, business performance
and work culture
- Undertake all steps of talent management to
support the development of your key staff
Compensation & Benefits Policy; Salary
Benchmark
- Identify salary and benefit trends and key
facts within your industry
Employee Engagement Survey
- Understand employees’ perception, satisfaction,
motivations and effectiveness at work
- Identify key drivers of teamwork, dedication,
turnover rates, absenteeism
- Improve HR policies and people management
to decrease turnover rates, and increase
engagement and productivity
Personal Record Administration, Payroll,
Outsourcing
- Outsource employee administration to experts
- Save time by outsourcing monthly payrolls
www.saintblanquat.com
Value for Money
HR consulting services, which are both tangible and
intangible, come at a cost but should be considered as
a long-term investment in an organisation’s HR strategy.
There is no doubt that large organisations can greatly
benefit from hiring an external HR consultant. With a larger
amount of employees and a higher recruitment rate, the
number of tasks to manage, from health and benefits to
human capital, can become overwhelming and create
mistakes and inefficiencies. But for small and medium
enterprises (SMEs), which make up a significant part of
Cambodia’s business world, can we consider if this is a
model that is suitable for them?
Any firm or organisation can benefit from an outside-in
perspective, however depending on what stage of maturity
and growth the company is in, the range of offerings
requested will vary. For example, a startup may seek
assistance for daily HR tasks like payroll management,
understanding labour laws and so on, while a more mature
organisation might seek support with building critical skills,
executive coaching and other such services.
Today, HR consultants are
recognising the opportunity
that the domestic market
represents and are helping
shape the HR landscape of
Cambodia.
Different Strokes
Consultants can provide SMEs with customisable
services to support certain HR tasks like recruitment or
even litigation. However, ineffective recruitment strategies
can easily incur heavy losses, potentially thousands of
dollars, for a SME. The use of consultants can bring about
a more productive workforce, through more suitable
strategies that will effectively minimise the cost per hire.
Similarly, litigation can become a heavy burden for a SME,
many of which do not have an HR team dedicated to this.
Consultants can again provide solutions such as handling
and investigating formal and informal complaints about
employment practices, and can help mediate workplace
disputes that in effect helps save considerable amounts
of resources that would be otherwise spent on litigation.
While full HR consulting services can be costly, they
can help companies, big or small, invest in more efficient
HR strategies for the long run. Cambodian companies
have an opportunity to function at Western standards,
from an HR perspective, which adds great value to the
overall business strategy.
MANAGEMENT CAMBODIA | HUMAN CAPITAL CONSULTING. A JOB FOR THE EXPERTS
Strength in Numbers
Team-building sessions and retreats are increasing
in popularity among progressive workplaces, with
employers benefitting from increased synergy within
their teams. Camilla Zanzanaini, a researcher and
strategist for innovation lab 17Triggers, explains
how her staff trip to Kep changed how she and her
colleagues interact.
“Mul shee suh yo!” Sophy yelled out the Korean phrase
that had just been passed around in a game of Chinese
Whispers. Our Korean colleague laughed in surprise, “That
is actually really close!”
Chinese Whispers begins with one person whispering
a phrase to the person sitting next to them. That person
then whispers the phrase to the next person, and so on,
until it eventually makes its way around the circle to the last
person, who calls out the phrase to see how much it has
changed.
We were sitting at the dinner table during our staff
retreat and were trying this game with multiple languages.
To our amusement, we failed to complete the circle with
any phrase resembling the original, until Korean. From then,
it was decided, jokingly, that the language of choice for
communication between our foreign and Khmer colleagues
should be Korean.
Improving communication was probably the biggest
advantage of being with colleagues on a team-building
retreat for two days. For me, this began with sitting next to
our finance manager on the bus from Phnom Penh to Kep.
I rarely get to talk to her, and while asking about her family
and children, I found out that it was actually quite difficult for
her to be away from her children even if just for one night.
“I think foreigners are more used to leaving their children
for a day or two, but I also understand it is important for
the company for us to be all together,” she told me. Being
together in a space away from the office was important,
because it gave us a chance to get to know people in a
different context and in a more relaxed environment; we
got to know each other as real people, and we were lucky
enough to be in a beautiful seaside location in Kep.
The retreat was a chance to discuss aspirations,
challenges and future directions of the company, in an
informal setting for a change, which created a mood where
everyone felt comfortable speaking up. I felt that this was
particularly important for our Khmer colleagues who are
usually more quiet with their opinions and thoughts on how
the company is run. Our company is foreign owned, and
sometimes having a more open and friendly work culture
actually makes it more difficult to know what to say and
what not to say in the workplace. Here, we all felt free to
voice opinions.
Playing games was another way to break the ice and get
to know each other as people rather than colleagues, being
friendly rather than formal. We were split into competitive
teams assigned by the facilitators, so, in a way, were
“forced” to work with people that we didn’t know so well.
We were given creative and playful challenges, my
favourite being when we had to build a rocket out of
marshmallows, spaghetti sticks and paper. A seemingly silly
game perhaps, but in a way quite similar to a real-life work
scenario. We had to discuss a plan together, hear other
people’s ideas, and agree on what to do. Being a highly
visual exercise, everyone could sketch their ideas and this
eliminated language barriers. In the end, working together
mentally and physically to build a structure to support five
big beach stones is no easy feat.
At the end of the day, the test is when everyone is back
in the office where it is easy to slip into old habits and
patterns. I do now find it a bit easier to approach certain
colleagues for help and vice versa. Maybe this also just
suggests it is worth doing more informal activities together,
like having lunch or organising an event to get people out of
their cliques but also to create a nicer and more productive
atmosphere in the office. It certainly can’t hurt.
PHOTO ESSAY | BIG TALK
Big Talk
H.E. Lord Puttnam sharing his thoughts on
developing education in Cambodia during
a one-on-one interview just before the start
of QuestionTime II: The Future of Skills in
Cambodia, organised by BritCham and
ASEAN Forum.
© IZstudio
Big Talk
H.E. Dr. Ing. Kantha Phavi, Minister of
Women’s Affairs (centre), leading a discussion
on the role of education and women, with
fellow panellist, Simeth Beng (left), Senior
Operations Officer at World Bank, Amaury
de Saint Blanquat, Managing Director at
Saint Blanquat & A. (right) and H.E. Lord
Puttnam, the UK’s Prime Ministerial Trade
Envoy to the British Embassy in Cambodia.
© IZstudio
Big Talk
Opening the floor for questions – guests
took this opportunity to ask the panellist
questions about the role of online education
for the future of Cambodia and how the
government was planning on investing more
in training and education.
© IZstudio
$alary
COVER STORY | SALARY SHAKE UP
Shake Up
“
The key in a slowdown
phase is to reduce fixed
costs, which employers
will do immediately they are always first
to adjust - and wages
are one of the first places
to make cuts
Amaury de Saint Blanquat gives an insider’s perspective
WAGES HAVE BEEN
SPIRALLING UPWARD
FOR YEARS IN CAMBODIA,
BUT WITH REGIONAL
ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY
REFLECTING LOCALLY...
...THINGS ARE ABOUT TO CHANGE.
© Illustration by Hamid Saatchi
Cambodia’s labour market is at a crossroads,
with a number of powerful forces converging
in a nexus that has the potential to drag us
into a new phase of the perpetual business
cycle.
The economy - both
globally and regionally
- is slowing, and investment here is sure to take
a dive.
- Amaury de Saint Blanquat,
Managing Director, Saint Blanquat & A.
Across the board, the quality of local employees - from entrylevel to executive - continues to rise, matching, and in many
cases exceeding, the foreign counterparts who have long
held a near-monopoly on the most sought after positions. The
competition is strong, however, and middle managers - good
middle managers—are harder than ever to find; their salaries
have spiked due to their scarcity, making them more difficult
than ever to retain.
The Labour Law, developed in 1997 but mostly dormant for
10 years after that, is being applied more fully than ever, with
international companies demanding international standards,
allowing employees to do the same. Expectations have risen
across the board. On the back of many consecutive years
of intense growth, the private sector has now well and truly
taken over as the greatest driver of salaries in the Cambodian
economy, displacing the non-profit sector by enticing the best
employees across the divide with the means to offer better
remuneration and benefits than ever before.
But the economy - both globally and regionally - is slowing,
and investment here is sure to take a dive. As a leading investor,
all eyes are on China as its economy wavers in uncertainty. The
situation is tense.
Locally, two pillars of the Cambodian economy - tourism and
agriculture - are in the midst of a noticeably poor season, with
visitor numbers slowing at the number-one drawcard, Siem
Reap, and a long dry season restricting the yields of rice and
other crops. The other two pillars - garments and construction
- are on unsteady ground, with the newly-signed Trans Pacific
Partnership set to shake up global trade patterns, including the
garment sector, Cambodia’s biggest employer, while a scent of
doubt drifts across the construction sector even as buildings
continue to rise into the Phnom Penh skyline despite many
remaining partly vacant.
This all amounts to a test of the Cambodian economy,
perhaps the biggest since it modernised more than 20 years
ago. Things are changing fast and something has to give.
Why Is Middle Management So Expensive?
The short answer is that it’s because they are the best. The explanation is not so simple. As employers do not place
all their faith in resumes and diplomas, most university graduates go into a professional setting on roughly the same
entry-level salary of $180 to $300, regardless of what they have studied or how well they performed (Cambodians who
have studied overseas receive slightly more, up to $400, because they are seen to be further in tune with international
standards and expectations).
Those who show something extra - the faster thinkers and advanced English speakers - have been quickly identified
and given extra responsibilities in their job and then, in turn, extra pay. It really does not take much to stand out from
the crowd, get the attention of the bosses, and then the salary can just go boom. Your fast tracker then becomes
a recruitment target for other firms, who might offer them up to $600 and a title of supervisor or junior manager,
capitalising on your work. So, you are left with a decision: raise the salary or lose your young achiever.
Employers have been forced, as such, to adapt very quickly to rising costs, with some young achievers able to
almost double their salaries every time they move - which many are doing every couple of years, or sooner. This process
repeats itself all the way up the employment ladder and is one of the main reasons we now have a class of young,
relatively inexperienced Cambodian middle managers, earning anywhere between $500 and $1,200 a month - better
than in many other ASEAN countries.
The Salary Ladder
Managing director,
CEO of middlesized enterprise,
etc.
Employment can be broadly divided into six
categories, with salaries comparable across
industries. And while the unqualified worker
has minimal opportunity to advance beyond the
lowest pay bracket, all others are on a ladder
with clear opportunities for progression.
Source: Saint Blanquat & A., 2015
Cleaner, security
guard, construction
worker, garment
worker, driver,
etc.
$60
$190
Unskilled and
low-skilled
workers
Team leader, junior
supervisor with
two to four years
experience,
Receptionist, junior
etc.
accountant, fresh
graduate with a
Master’s degree,
etc.
$180
$300
Entry-level
employees
$280
$600
Supervisor/
Junior
Manager
Supervisor,
programme
manager, senior
consultant,
etc
$500
$1,200
Middle
Manager
CFO, HR manager,
quality manager,
marketing
manager,
etc.
$1,000
$4,000
Executive
$3,000
$7,000
Senior
Executive
Local companies that might have started here 15 years
ago with a team of two are expanding operations,
and staff, which has also stretched resources. These
employers and others are more than ever leaning toward
an increasingly capable class of young Cambodian
professionals, who also come with the obvious benefits
- language, local knowledge - of hiring local. And with
the international companies have come the international
standards and a focus on corporate social responsibility,
which employees have certainly tapped into.
When I founded my company in 2012, Cambodians
did not ask for insurance; now it’s completely different.
Local employees demand insurance, annual leave,
public holidays, allowances and phones. And so they
should - that’s all in the labor code. The game changed
and we have seen the candidates driving the market,
completely, with many executives calling for salaries up
to $4,000.
To Get Where You’re Going, Know Where You’ve Been
This economy we now work within was rebuilt with
the money of foreign donors and NGOs, which have
remained one of the biggest and most consistent
employers since arriving some 24 years ago. Prior to
that, there were literally almost no jobs in post-war
Cambodia - the only formal higher education came for
the lucky few sent to countries such as the USSR, East
Germany and Cuba. Then, in 1992, the first non-profits
arrived, employing thousands of locals and injecting a
much-needed boost into a stagnant economy.
In the late 90s, the garment industry took off, with
employers making use of a large pool of cheap labour;
and then tourism became a serious money-spinner,
employing people across a range of industries as
Cambodia became open to the world. But until recently
the non-profit sector remained the greatest driver of
salaries, handpicking the best talent and paying them
much more than anyone else could offer, equipping
them with all sorts of skills along the way.
Then, after a number of false starts, the private
sector began to truly emerge in 2008 and 2009, with
international companies and investors following a wave
of local success into Cambodia, causing the labour law
to be dusted off and eventually turning the labour market
on its head.
The non-profits no longer dominate the employment
market; it is often the private companies doing the
headhunting, targeting the best from among the pool of
professionals and offering salary packages too good to
refuse. As a result, an avalanche of technical skills has
rushed back into a thriving private sector over the past
three years, and with it, salaries have rocketed.
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Salaries in the Construction Industry
The boom in construction has two immediate effects on staff and their employers:
- Salaries have increased by upwards of 30% in the past three years
- Technical competencies are in more essential as projects increase in size and complexity.
As a result, attracting staff with skills and profiles has become increasingly difficult, and the shortage
has driven expectations even higher. Employers need to provide more than just a competitive salary
to get basic staff, and workers are demanding as much: accommodation, food allowances ($1/day),
insurance, and a safe working environment.
Employment level for engineers and architects
in the construction industry
$3,500.00
$3,500.00
Averageper
SalaryMonth
per Month
Salary
$3,000.00
$3,000.00
$3000
$2,500.00
$2,500.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$1,500.00
$1,500.00
$1500
$1,000.00
$1,000.00
$600
$350
$300
$800
$500
Young Graduate
Junior Level (1 to 3 years)
Mid Level (3 to 5 years)
Senior Level (5 years +)
Junior
Level (1 toLevel
3 years)
Mid Level
(3 to 5 years)
Senior Level (5 years +)
Employment
for Engineers
and Architects
in the Construction Industry
Employment Level for Engineers and Architects in the construction industry
Young Graduate
$45.00
Employment level for construction industry
$23
Salary per Day
$40.00
$30.00
- Respect of annual leave (18 days per year) and public holidays.
$25.00
$40
$20.00
$12.5
$15.00
$10.00
$5.00
$-
Source: Saint Blanquat & A., 2015
“FRINGE BENEFITS”
A remuneration package is more than just a salary: Each job offers fringe benefits that must be taken into account,
and some of them are more important than others. The following are becoming more entrenched in the Cambodian
employment market, and are worth considering.
$35.00
The non-profits no longer
dominate the employment
market; it is often the
private companies doing the
headhunting, targeting the
best from among the pool of
professionals and offering
salary packages too good to
refuse.
$1200
$500.00
$500.00
$$-
“
The Coming Shift
Global stock markets have been off to a shaky start in 2016.
China, which pours hundreds of millions of dollars into the
Cambodian economy each year via investments, loans,
grants and employment, experienced its slowest growth
rate in a quarter century in 2015. Across Asia, investors are
warily waiting out the economic slowdown, including here,
where the number of construction cranes in the city skyline
could be a false guide to the future. The four pillars of the
Cambodian economy - garments, tourism, agriculture and
construction - are each experiencing some turbulence, and
that is only compounding the worries of investors, who are
already holding their collective breath as the construction
industry threatens to fall off the edge, global trade deals
come into effect, and elections loom in 2017 and 2018.
Being a small market, Cambodia’s economic cycles are
fairly brief and equally dramatic - as we have seen, when
we are growing, we are growing fast, people are being
employed and up-skilled. And when there is a slowdown, it
strikes fast and companies go bankrupt, leaving employees
out in the cold. We are entering a new part of the cycle.
Growth is predicted to slow in 2016, and that will
have an immediate effect on salaries, which have peaked
alongside years of intense growth. Expensive expats are
already losing jobs. The hiring of executives on $7,000
salaries with schooling packages for the children will stop,
for a while at least. People are going to have to reassess.
The key in a slowdown phase is to reduce fixed costs,
which employers will do immediately - they are always first
to adjust - and wages are one of the first places to make
cuts. Employees tend to adapt slowly, however, and will
likely continue to demand the same salaries they have
become accustomed to, for a few months at least. And
many of them will not find a job. In the long run, though,
the market will adjust, as it always does, and, one way or
another, our employment cycle will have entered a new era.
$5
$10
- Decent accident and health insurance.
$15
- A phone allowance ($10 to $50 per month), as most Cambodians will use their personal phone at work.
- Paid sick leave, often limited in internal regulations to five to seven days per year.
$7.5
Worker
- No work on Saturday. More and more companies work from Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week, even though the
legal working time is 48 hours.
Qualified Worker
Supervisor
Employment Level in the construction industry
Senior
- Meal/travel allowance of $1 to $2 per day, particularly for those travelling from the provinces (specific to the
construction industry).
BUSINESS ASIA | IN THE CLUB
In The Club
Through the creation of a range of alumni
groups, students returning from study
abroad have populated online-based
communities to share opportunities
with each other and maintain
career prospects in their
host countries.
It’s estimated some
650 Cambodian students study
in France each year, with 100
scholarships provided by
the French government and
its partners, or through private
sponsorship.
Words by Steve Noble
Fourteen years after the introduction of the prestigious Chevening Scholarship
to study in the UK, a group of scholars and fellows in 2007 formed the BCAAC
(British Chevening Alumni Association of Cambodia) to bring together all of those
who had gained higher education through the institution, or been part of a senior
management exchange programme. “Currently we have 96 Chevening scholars
and fellowship alumni,” explains Oum Syvan, the president of group.
“The purpose of the association is to keep networking among our members in country and outside the country, to
promote public understanding of the benefits and participation in the programme, to facilitate and to coordinate among
Chevening members with other alumni associations, government institutions, investors from UK and in the country and
to participate in social activities that serve the community.” Syvan said the BCACC actively maintains communication
and keeps graduates who return to Cambodia with one eye on international options.
The Chevening alumni are not alone, however, with other similar clubs forming over time. One of the more recent to
launch, France Alumni Cambodia, in November 2015, is for all Cambodians who have studied in France. It is backed
by the French government, with 70 inter-university partnerships currently in place between the two countries and an
estimated 7,000 Cambodian students enrolled in French-speaking curricula around the world in 2015.
© Illustrations by Hamid Saatchi
BUSINESS ASIA | IN THE CLUB
In Touch
Plans for the partnership between France and Cambodia
looking forward have changed, according to Michael
Gras, head of research and higher education at the
French embassy’s Service for Cooperation and Culture,
with the focus to shift away somewhat from large scale
projects to focus more on “offering tools to support
Cambodians and let Cambodians lead the changes, with
the embassy supporting where possible.”
It’s estimated some 650 Cambodian students study in
France each year, with 100 scholarships provided by the
French government and its partners, or through private
sponsorship. Gras says the alumni network was serving
as a tool for Cambodians to connect among themselves
after returning home, and for them to maintain contact
with their professional network in France, or wherever
they had studied. “Opportunities will arise through the
online groups and the site will have a dedicated magazine
with fresh content, which will help new students coming
to study in France.”
The rise of the number of alumni groups in the
country can quickly be assessed by looking at the
participating groups at the Global Alumni Convention
(GAC) in Phnom Penh this January, where stakeholders
lined up to exhibit and speak. The convention was
“designed around the themes of reconnecting with
learning, knowledge-sharing, and being inspired to fulfil
education, professional, and business potential,” says
the event website.
Full Exposure
Vinich Vireak, a recent graduate of Royal University of
Phnom Penh’s department of foreign languages, became
a member of YSEALI: Young Southeast Asia Leaders
Initiative and of FUSAAC: Fulbright and Undergraduate
State Alumni Association of Cambodia in 2013 after
returning from a YSEALI-sponsored six week trip to
the US for a climate change programme. She said that
getting involved with these groups had created untold
benefits.
“For me, the networking and opportunities to develop
working relationships, identify people in networks and
seek advice are great, as is having access to mentors
for new graduates.”
But while alumni groups are a great platform for
candidates to network and develop skills through
mentoring, they do not equate to guaranteed
employment, according to Sereyleak Prom, managing
consultant at Saint Blanquant & A. “Employment really
depends on the skills you can bring to the table.” Alumni
members do, however, “benefit from an intricate network
system that allows them to see all available employment
opportunities and get strong recommendations from
a group or from individuals that are familiar with the
candidate through the alumni network,” she adds.
Gras speaks highly of the alumni groups, urging
students to make the most of their international education
by registering to be a member as soon as possible and
utilise the network from the moment they arrive. “Don’t
wait to come back to register with alumni, as soon as
you are in France use the network and share information
on where to go, where to eat, and network with other
alumni to will help lessen culture shock. You can use it
to get advice from peers who have been through it all.”
Alumni
members benefit from
an intricate network system that
allows them to see all available
employment opportunities and get strong
recommendations from a group or
from individuals that are familiar
with the candidate through
the alumni network.
BUSINESS ASIA | GREAT MINDS
Great Minds
Words by Steve Noble
Business leaders,
government figures,
entrepreneurs, educators
and diplomats gathered
to discuss current trends
and needs in the business
sector, and Management
Insider was there to bring
you a rundown.
By xxxx
Captains of industry gathered at the
Intercontinental Hotel in Phnom Penh
during the last weekend of January for
the 2016 Global Alumni Convention
(GAC), which played host to panel
discussions on the hot topics currently
shaping the dynamic business sector
here. Branding, the media and the push
to upskill Cambodians in science and
technology were discussed at length,
and organisers hailed the convention
“a great success with delegates of
24 nationalities graduating from 16
countries contributing actively in one
capacity or another at the event.”
Former Commerce Minister H.E. Sun Chanthol gave the
opening speech of the Business & Education Networking
Reception, where he discussed the importance of
branding and announced a number of exciting ventures,
including the announcement that Lord David Puttnam had
been approached to assist the ministry in hand-choosing
20 local products to be rebranded for the market in 2016.
The minister encouraged a collective effort to improve
Cambodia’s brand, in a bid to entice ever more investment,
and also laid out plans to complete the drafting of the
eCommerce law as well as a Consumer Protection Law.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
education, one of the hottest topics in schools right
now, was dedicated its own panel discussion, including
Dr. Byrony Mathew, deputy head of mission for the British
Embassy, who leads the embassy’s project on STEM
education in Cambodia. The panel raised key points
including the need to identify the skills gaps in the local
market, and the urgency to bridge the gaps as Cambodia
strives to compete in a global market where innovation
and new skills are essential. New teaching methods are
needed for these subjects, the panel discussed, meaning
that current teachers had to themselves be upskilled,
and new ones trained for the job. The panel unanimously
agreed that supply was not able to meet demand and
urged employers to support local talent by training and
employing Cambodians and then encouraging them to
train , building their capacity.
© Photograph supplied by IDP Education, 2015
On the topic of media as a “gateway to the world,” the
discussions focused on media partiality and quality as well
as looking into how increased Internet penetration was
affecting the media landscape. The speakers all noted
that media had to adapt to the current climate and that the
digital audience had a tendency to be very critical, while
also emphasising the need for the media to remain free
from being used to perpetuate propaganda. The panel
highlighted the ease with which a media outlet can be set
up and owned in Cambodia, and agreed that information
was relatively free and accessible, particularly compared
with other countries in the region. Some panellists pointed
out that there is a dearth of quality professional journalists
in the country, a point that was rebuked by some.
As interesting cross section of speakers sat on a panel
for Women and Entrepreneurship, where some spoke
of positive changes for women in Cambodia and others
said there was still a need to foster the empowerment
of women to become leaders and entrepreneurs. The
panel also felt that a positive change of mindset among
men was assisting this empowerment, with education
acknowledged as key to encouraging open minds and a
break from traditional norms. Lim Sok Hourng, director
of Himawari Hotel Apartments, added that, to be a
successful working mother, a clear separation between
family and work was essential.
Within the banking and finance sector, “The Importance
of Evolving Systems” was the theme. The panel included
H.E. Chea Serey, director general of the National Bank
of Cambodia, who announced that fast online electronic
payment systems (only in Riel) with initially no online
transaction fees would be launched this year. The panel
keenly discussed the need to move from a cash dominant
society to electronic payments, but warned there was a
need for education on this and discussed its potential
implications for bank branches and staff. De-dollarisation
was a key topic, with it expected to help fight money
laundering. The panellists discussed creating a love of the
local currency among citizens in order to wean people off
the US dollar. Finally, Michael Lor, CEO of Canadia Bank,
suggested there is a great dearth of staff qualified to deal
with changes to systems and understand risk profiles two skills he said were essential to staff in the banking
sector.
EXPERT INSIGHTS | ABOVE BOARD
Above Board
Business Operators Have Enjoyed Relative Freedom in
Cambodia, but Enforcement of Labour Laws Is Increasing
and the Wise Move Now Is to Comply
Contribution by Yun Sophal
Sophal has knowledge of
Cambodian labour law and
labor dispute resolution.
Sophal earned her Bachelor’s
and Master’s degrees in Law
from Transnational Law and
Business University, South
Korea. She is currently
heading the Labor Practice
Group and is an associate at
Sciaroni & Associates.
© Photograph supplied, Sciaroni & Associates, 2016
As in other countries, legal compliance
is an important consideration when
conducting day-to-day business activities
in Cambodia and there are a wide range of
laws and regulations in force that govern
as such. The Labour Law remains one of
the most scrutinised, yet, with respect to
compliance, has traditionally been largely
neglected.
But while many businesses continue
to attempt to “fly under the radar” of the
Labour Law, hoping to go unnoticed and
unregulated, its scope, application and
reach is extensive and its enforcement
has increased greatly over the past two
years. For these reasons, Labour Law
compliance and the resultant advantages
must - from legal, business and human
resources perspectives - be recognised
and understood by owners and managers
in Cambodia more than ever before.
Real Penalties
Both civil and criminal penalties apply to various Labour
Law violations, and jail time is possible. Chapter 16 of the
law deals with applicable penalties, and says “those guilty
of violating the provisions of the Articles in Chapter 16 of
this law shall be fined or imprisoned or both.”
Fines are determined by using a multiple of the “daily
base wage” for calculation. In accordance with Joint
Prakas No. 377, recently issued by the Ministry of Labour
and Vocational Training and the Ministry of Justice, the
daily base wage was raised from 8,000 to 40,000 Riels
(approximately $2 to $10). By way of example, according
to Article 369 of the Labour Law, breaches of certain
articles may result in a fine of “sixty-one to ninety days
of the base daily wage or to imprisonment of six days to
one month.”
Image Points
From a business perspective, breaching Cambodia’s
labour laws may significantly impact upon the reputation
of a company and will be viewed as a failure to meet
corporate responsibilities, an increasingly relevant
component of a company’s public image in Cambodia.
Serious violators of labour rights will likely see their sales
impacted upon negatively and buyers or clients may
boycott products and/or services.
Compliance also saves costs and time for business
operations. The cost of rectifying and/or compensating
for a breach of the Labour Law (including resolving labourrelated disputes with employees) can be significantly
higher when compared to the cost of being compliant
in the first place. The time required for rectifying noncompliance issues or resolving labour-related disputes
in particular could instead be used for the purpose of
enhancing a business. A compliant employer avoids fines
and potential costly lawsuits.
Compliance Over Conflict
Finally, a compliant, worker-friendly, working environment
will likely lead to improved productivity. As Virgin Group
founder Richard Branson puts it, “take care of your
employees, and they will take care of your customers.”
Compliance will mitigate potential conflicts that prove
stressful to both employers and employees, and it will
reduce the potential for conflict or misunderstanding
between your employees and your customers.
People work more productively in compliant companies
and, with a more a dynamic and competitive business
environment evolving in Cambodia, companies that meet
their compliance obligations will attract a better labour
force for the growth of their businesses.
www.sa-asia.com
Leading
& Learning
Contribution by Susanna Coghlan
Master a Few Simple Intricacies of Learning
to Maximise the Development of Your Staff
Learning is essential for growth in an organisation, but how can we
make sure we are getting the most out of our investments in training
and development? While training gives your workforce new skills and
knowledge, building the habit of using these to improve performance
requires creating the right support and context for your people. Here are
a few suggestions on how to make sure you get the most from your
training and development activities this year.
1.
Remember, your staff may not be coming to this
with the same experience and understanding as you.
For example, a person who has never experienced good
customer service himself may find it difficult to understand
how to deliver an exceptional customer experience to
others. Likewise, it can be hard to convince a manager
of the benefits of coaching staff when she has never
experienced that herself.
As a leader, you may need to work to get people
engaged in the concept of training before building on
their skills and knowledge. For example, if you want to
do customer service training, you could start with asking
people to assess customer service in outlets they visit.
Maybe take the team out to visit a coffee shop or location
with great customer service. Then talk through the
experience with them, particularly how it made them feel
as a customer. Or, start by using coaching approaches
with your managers before asking them to do this with
their staff.
2.
Build a habit of learning among your people and make
the most of learning opportunities. Learning and
development is not limited to training and formal activities.
After an important event or meeting, take the time to run
a debriefing with your staff or team. Or run an internal role
play before the event to help them prepare. Use on the job
coaching questions with staff daily. Make this part of your
regular conversations with team members. These actions
will help people to become more independent workers,
and to build the habit of learning from experiences.
3.
Reinforce what is learned. Over time, good behaviours
and skills can slip if they are not reinforced. For front
line service and other entry level roles, a short refresher
session every three months can be helpful for keeping
skills sharp and up to date. For all positions, attention
needs to be given to helping people to use new behaviours
in the workplace, and recognising and supporting people
when they do make this effort. As a leader, be prepared
to dedicate time and attention regularly to following up
on new skills and behaviours from a training or learning
session. This can take the form of direct conversations,
refreshing key points in team meetings, posters and job
ads around the workplace.
It is also important to consider the overall context of
the work and culture of your organisation when you are
planning your learning programmes. How can we expect
someone to deliver great service to external customers,
when help, communication, and support are in short
supply inside the organisation?
If you want to build the spirit of teamwork among your
people, look at how their varying duties and jobs are
organised. Does a task require people to work together
and create reliance on each other? Are team results
rewarded more than individual results? If not, and rewards
are structured around individual performance, then it
might be hard for people to focus on working as a team.
When deciding to engage in learning and development
look at how the outcomes you are seeking are reflected
in the work, structure, and culture of your organisation.
As leaders, we play a critical role in how our people
approach learning and training, and how well new learning
is integrated into our business. You will be the role model
for how much energy your staff invest in learning events
and in using new learning in the workplace. Be proactive
in following up, talking about it, and getting involved in
supporting the programme to get the most out of your
investment in training this year.
© Photograph supplied, AAA Cambodia Ltd. 2016
EXPERT INSIGHTS | LEADING & LEARNING
Susanna joined AAA Cambodia
Ltd. in 2006, and specialises
in communications, people
management and developing
human resources functions to
support organisational goals.
She holds an MSc in Human
Resource Management
and Development from the
University of Manchester.
Susanna has authored
numerous training programmes
as well as two internationally
published resource books
for educators and information
professionals.
WORKING CAMBODIA | STYLE COLLABORATION
“
Style
ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS I TRY
TO TRANSMIT TO THE TEAM
IS PATIENCE: PATIENCE TO DO
THEIR THINGS, PATIENCE WITH
EACH OTHER, PATIENCE TO TAKE
CARE OF THEIR DRAWINGS, AND
PATIENCE WITH TAKING CARE OF
CLIENTS.
- Marco Franz Vaccara, Lead Architect, Beyond
”
Collaboration
IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT,
A TEAM OF DESIGNERS
FLOURISHES
Among a showroom of shapes and colours, it’s the first thing that demands attention
in the Beyond design studio in Phnom Penh: An entire wall, from ceiling to floor,
covered with the circular roof tiles seen on traditional homes across the country,
this installation finished in a glossy hue that morphs from deep forest to electric
green. “We take something traditional and make it modern, do something different,
change the rules of things,” says Marco Franz Vaccara, Beyond’s lead architect.
WORKING CAMBODIA | STYLE COLLABORATION
I
t’s a striking feature, and the Italian’s explanation serves as something of a metaphor for the way Beyond has evolved
into a leading design hub over the past three years: Take what you have got, and make something different that works make something outstanding. Some ten years into a career as an architect, Vaccara moved from Italy to Phnom Penh,
freelancing before taking the helm at Beyond. While working with a staff of just one or two, he could sense saw a shift in the
scene.
“I arrived in a moment when I could see the market for interior design and architectural design changing, improving. Clients
were starting to demand more from the designer. It was no longer about copying something found on Google image search,
they wanted something original,” he said. And he seized on the opportunity.
Finding the right people to build his team was difficult, however, with education programmes lacking in the technical skills
and nuances that are essential in what is such a fine craft - where one small mistake can destroy a project. “The creativity was
there, amazing creativity, I could see the energy, loved the ideas, but to turn the ideas into something real, there are technical
skills,” he said. “Sometimes, they were missing the ABC.”
“You find some people with this light, and usually when I find the people with this light, they are the people I take,”
MARCO FRANZ VACCARA AND TEAM
© All photographs supplied, Beyond 2016
he said, referring to the team of eight, who he said held a
range of complimentary skills and techniques, as well as a
certain desire. “I see that they see something more than just
decoration and profit.”
Let it Grow
Design is a unique profession and requires a unique set of
skills and characteristics. Instinctive qualities - imagination,
vision, ideas - must be accompanied by very definite,
measurable skills such as mathematics and drafting, all while
maintaining collaboration with a client who may or may not
have good taste, and may not care. In fostering the creativity
of his staff, Vaccara also had to counter some entrenched
societal norms, such as encouraging people to speak up, to
think outside the box, to disagree, to express different ideas.
“This is something Cambodians are not used to. There
are these things in place that are hard to move past, like the
way that people from different age groups are expected to
treat each other,” he said. There is also the issue of young
staff having to deal with clients, who are often coming from
more privilege and may be accustomed to giving orders
rather than working with designers. “I try to put everything
on the same level and see what comes up.”
The young team at Beyond has been steeled to deal
with clients, to foment their own ideas, and to express
those ideas, by being thrown in the deep end - handed all
the responsibility. “I will say, ‘here, this is your project, now
you will manage this.’ But that doesn’t mean that you are
left alone to complete the project, and the rest of us don’t
want to know anything about it. It means you are leading the
project but everything remains a discussion for the team.”
Most members of the team are in their mid or early
twenties; some have come from the Royal University for
Fine Arts, Limkokwing, Norton, Setec; most are in their
first professional position; and all hold certain skills that are
essential to the team, and which are being shared from
project to project. Each member has a grounding in the
company, as they know their skill is highly valued, and every
employee has something to learn from all others. Between
them, they have carried out contracts for clients such as
R&T, The Blue Pumpkin, Sajibumi, Total and Cellcard.
Frontier Design
“One of the main things I try to transmit to the team is
patience: Patience to do their things, patience with each
other, patience to take care of their drawings, and patience
with taking care of clients,” he said. You have to be patient
in this job. It’s all about patience.” And Beyond is patient
with them, allowing staff to take long breaks, which Vaccara
says aids their professional improvement. “This is something
I push a lot for. After two years, yes, go. Go refresh. Do
something different. You need to see different things, see the
world. It helps with creativity. And it allows us to maintain
strong relations with our people.”
Stacked with young, ambitious designers - including
three now employed in Beyond’s year-old satellite studio in
Siem Reap - Vaccara sees endless possibilities for the firm.
The morphing world of style is now as open than ever to
new hybrids, and the team at Beyond, with the freedom to
go outside the box, could be at the forefront of a new era.
“This Western style, it is something that will disappear soon
because now there is a lot of Asian style coming, a really
modern style. It is a mix of the West and Asian, in a very nice
way. And that is what all the young designers are doing now,
taking something old and making it fresh.”
Along these lines, the Beyond design studio is preparing
to move to a new creative space that is intended to facilitate
the research and creative needs that are being developed
each day. There will be an expanded space for mock-up and
materials, as well as meetings. “It will allow us to smell, touch
and try everything to do with design,” Vaccara said. “It will a
place where the magic happens.”
Increasingly, Beyond is taking requests from clients who
are also adapting to this new taste, and his young staff are
stepping up to lead the jobs. “We might take timber from
an old house in Battambang and make a coffee table with
a great story,” he said. “We have people who specialise in
certain aspects of design, so we work as a team and that
allows us to be very flexible.”
Discover
Beyond
www.beyondinteriors.biz
WORKING CAMBODIA | CAREER FORUM
CAREER FORUM
JOB OPENINGS IN CAMBODIA
CANDIDATES LOOKING FOR A PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGE
General Manager
For a wholly owned subsidiary
of PPSEZ
Head of Project Management
Office and Quality Assurance
For a Cambodian mobile
telecommunications company
ERP Implementation Project
Manager
For a Southeast Asian trading
company
Finance Controller
For a luxury hotel
Salary: up to $1,500
Lead and facilitate the
growth of the business by
setting strategic direction
and vision. Ability to work
within a multi-disciplinary
environment required along
with strong communication,
negotiating, and organisational
skills
Lead project management
organisation in the technical
division as well as develop
project management
procedures. The candidate
should ensure good relations
with related team. Attention
to detail and focus on results
essential.
Ref: SDGMSH1603
How to
apply
Please send you CV and
cover letter at
apply@saintblanquat.
com
For more positions and
detailed information, please
visit the website:
General Manager
For a luxurious resort in Siem
Reap
American | Project Director
/ COO
Cambodian | Sales Manager
Indian | Head of Design
Salary Expectation: $6,000+
Salary Expectation: $2,500
to $3,500
Finalise some projects and start
new ones in different countries.
Need a candidate able to travel
and stay abroad for short-term
missions. Accounting background
is clearly a plus.
Implement accounting
policies and procedures,
interpret financial results and
provide management with the
necessary tools. Must have
at least five years working
experience in the same
position and strong analytical
skills.
Lead all aspects of the resort
to turn it into an outstanding
venue. Previous leading
position in similar size and
standard hotel, knowledge
of Cambodian culture and
tourism market trends
necessary.
Ref: SHHPMSA1511
Ref: BSMEIPME1603
Ref:PRHFCCH1603
Ref: LRGMM1603
Executive construction
professional with over 20 years
accumulated experience in both
small and large scale commercial,
residential and industrial projects
worldwide, focusing on project
management, development,
coordination and organisation at
the decision-making level. Highly
organised and efficient candidate
offering outstanding talent in client
relations, budget management,
design improvements, team
building and understanding of
construction technologies and
methodologies.
Salary Expectation: $2,500 $3,000
Dynamic and professional
Sales Manager with more
than 10 years of experience
in sales management with
three leading companies
located in Cambodia. Has
worked as a sales person for
leading engineering products
company and one of the
major international suppliers of
highly technical and agriculture
equipment in Cambodian
provinces. Holds a Master’s in
Business Management and is
fluent in English.
With over 12 years experience,
exceptional design skills and
experience in conceptualising,
designing, detailing and
coordinating both architectural
and interior design projects,
this candidate has an evolved
sense of aesthetics, a passion
for design and a deep
knowledge of engineering.
Combined with excellent
communication, public
relations and leadership
skills, the individual is a highly
valuable employee and team
leader.
Head of Marketing and
Communication
For an international school
Software Product Manager
For an International company
specialised in microfinance
General Manager
For a Hotel in Sihanoukville
Cambodian | Finance
Manager
Cambodian | Head of Sales
French | Textile Expert
Senior Merchandiser
For one of the world’s largest
supermarket and hypermarket
chains
Responsible for development,
planning and execution of all
marketing and public relations
activities to ensure overall
school objectives are achieved.
Seeking a highly initiative and
hard-working native English
speaker.
Will have competencies in
business and IT. The candidate
must be willing to travel to other
Asian countries such as Laos
and Indonesia. Strong project
management skills needed.
Ref: PRHHMCCIS1603
Ref: BSMSPMG1603
With almost 15 years experience
in accounting and finance, this
native Cambodian candidate
is also fluent in English and
Chinese. Successfully graduated
from a BBA in Accounting
and Finance and is a certified
ACCA candidate. Looking for a
challenging position as a Finance
Manager to provide the highest
level of financial support to the
company.
Sales professional whose talents
shine in a competitive, innovative
and creative environment
with excellent track record of
increasing sales, improving client
retention, and growing customer
base. Results-oriented candidate
who reveals customer needs
and delivers relevant solutions.
Providing leadership and
account management for more
than 8 years. This candidate is
a strong strategic thinker and
proactive problem solver.
Holds a diploma in Management
of Industrial Purchase
Institute and has 17 years of
management, procurement
and development experience,
including 13 years in Asia
(China - Hong Kong - Thailand
- Bangladesh). High-energy,
reliable, proven ability to generate
support and cohesion in crosscultural and multi-lingual teams
to achieve process and quality
standards. Fluency in English
and working knowledge of
Chinese.
Responsible from sourcing
to product development,
production and deliveries
and anticipating customer
needs. Minimum 3 to 5 years
experience in purchasing/
sourcing. Must have excellent
problem solving and
negotiation skills.
Ref: BNSMCF1511
Ensure that the day to day
operations are running
smoothly by providing
supervision and training to
the staff. The candidate must
have experience in similar
environment and excellent
communication skills.
Ref: LRGMN1603
Contact our Head of Recruitment Basile Magnin for detailed information at [email protected]
WORKING CAMBODIA | TOP 5: KNOW YOUR ROLE
Top 5 : Know Your Role
What a CEO Expects from an HR Manager
role of an HR manager is to evolve toward
1. The
playing a key role in supporting the managing
director and members of the management committee.
This support should be seen both in the application of the
company culture and in employees’ level of commitment
to projects. CEOs like their HR managers to focus more
on carrier management tasks, on optimising training
programmes according to the company’s needs, and
on management coaching where human resources are
concerned. The HR managers should implement principles
of career management in order to anticipate the needs and
expectations of the company. An individual development plan
for each employee should be established, with conditions of
both performance and experience put into perspective.
managers should be involved in all company
2. HR
decisions. The importance is revealed in the
execution of a strategic plan being a key phase that
is rather under-estimated and where the role of HR
managers fully contribute to the development of the
strategic plan. The success of such an execution can only
be encountered with the full availability, commitment and
support of HR managers. Should the HR managers be
involved at the earliest stages, only then can he or she
be able to provide professional support by recruiting the
right people, by developing training courses, by relaying
appropriate internal communication, by recommending
the right career move to employees according to their
talent and aspirations. At Total, our HR manager is part
of all strategic decision-making as he is a member of the
management committee.
HR manager plays a central role in assuring
3. The
that employee aspirations and company needs
come together. A HR manager’s priority is to make
sure that these two points form a balance that allows
for the highest benefits to both parties at collective and
individual levels. A company cannot perform economically
without its employees performing both individually and
collectively. The driving force of performance remains
motivation. The role of the HR manager is to assure
good working conditions, to develop company culture,
to make sure equity and openness are present in wage
policy, to be receptive to expectations, to communicate
the company’s vision to employees on managerial values
and management of human resources. Then, employees’
commitment can be mobilised toward a particular
company project.
As an illustration of this approach, Total puts in place
the MS Way concept around five principles that create
efficiency:
a. “Think Total. The competition is outside”
b. “Trust and empower”
c. “Dare to say it…. respectfully”
d. “‘Yes and’ better than ‘yes but’”
e. “Need help? Ask for it”
The MS Way leads to an application of the principles
transversely. Thus, we noticed in the results of our biannual satisfaction survey with employees, carried
out in December 2015, that we increased the level of
commitment (leadership, work organisation, efficiency
and excellence), by six points, scoring a positive 79%.
distinguish four main axis. The first is to assure
4. Ismooth
industrial relations and to develop positive
social cohesion within the company. The second is to
spread the company’s values and turn them into the DNA
of the company. The third is to highly contribute to the
company’s performance through career management,
efficient
recruitment,
and
training
programme
development, by being a real motivation booster through
wage policy packages, work conditions and social events
giving to employees the feeling of belonging within to
the company. Furthermore, the HR manager, as all
managers, should have his own balance scorecard with
KPIs because we can only manage what we measure.
Thus, the HR manager will be able to identify whether the
process used is efficient and the key factors that lead to
success, such as how many days are needed to recruit
someone, how is the internal mobility when jobs are to be
fulfilled, what is the participation rate of our employees to
satisfaction surveys, and so on.
5.
International careers are very much present
within
Total. Therefore, it is essential that
Cambodians with high potential to become executives
are offered the opportunity to work abroad to enhance
their professional experience. When they are back in their
country, they can share this new experience with the
rest of the company. Those high potentials need to be
identified as being able to live abroad, and adjust outside
their comfort zone, in a different language. Due to lacking
skills, expectations of turnover are high in emerging
countries.
Yves Jassaud became
Managing Director for
Total Cambodia in September
2014. He has been with the
Total Group for more than 30
years, of which 11 years were
spent in Europe and Asia. In
addition to his current
postion, he is also group
representative of the
Total Group for Cambodia.
Grow
Career
Potentials
Available training programmes in Khmer / English: Finance & Excel | Finance for Non-Financial Managers | Office Efficiency | Power Excel
| Cross-Cultural Communication | Presentation & Public Speaking | Sales & Networking | Stress Management | Interpersonal Communication
| Train the Trainer | Leadership Essentials | Project Management | Operational Excellence | Cambodian Labour Law | Human Resources for
Non-HR Managers | Selling Skills | Leading & Managing Teams | Coaching for High Performance | Report Writing Skills | Project Management for
NGOs | Business English | And many more...
Open Courses | Customised Training | Personal Development | Training Consulting | eLearning
www.saintblanquat.com / Management Academy
.
Follow us
Management Academy is a brand of Saint Blanquat & A.
Facebook/Management Academy
LinkedIn/Management Academy Cambodia
TEAMWORK
A WINNING TEAM IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.
Recruitment
HR Consulting
From Middle Management to
Executive, we identify the highest
profiles for your team.
We develop tailored solutions and
facilitate changes to increase your
team’s productivity.
Market Research
& Business Consulting
We enhance your business through
consumer knowledge and business
strategy.
We are Cambodia’s premier Human Resources & Management Consultancy.
Our services are designed to strengthen your business through talent,
performance and business development.
7B, Street 81, Phnom Penh | +855 (0)23 22 44 22 | [email protected]
INTEGRITY &
REPUTATION
TRAINING
Accredited Counter Fraud Training
Security, Infiltration & Cultivation Awareness
Due Diligence
Brand & IP Protection
Corruption Risk Analysis
Pre-Employment Screening
Infiltration & Cultivation Risk Reviews
On-going Staff Aftercare
Loss Prevention
INVESTIGATIONS
Fraud Investigations
Criminal, Misconduct & Security
Asset Tracing
COMPLIANCE
Compliance Audits
Compliance Assessments
CYBER SECURITY
Black Box Penetration Testing
Cyber Security Audits
RISK MANAGEMENT
Threat & Risk Management
Strategic, Operational & Tactical Assessments
Company & Personal Level Assessments
Organisational Behavioural Assessments
LET US MANAGE YOUR RISK
WWW.SMCS-RISK.COM
[email protected]
CAMBODIA
INDONESIA
LAOS
VIETNAM
THAILAND

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