SAP Opens First Hybrid Office In Southeast Asia In Singapore

SINGAPORE – Tech firm SAP has launched its first hybrid office in the ASEAN region here. The new office space was redesigned in line with the company’s permanent hybrid work policy, reported the Human Resources Director on Wednesday morning (8 December, SGT).

The goal of the new workspace is to offer staff “added value” to the remote worker experience by providing spaces dedicated for social interaction and team collaboration.

Olga Zgurskaya, Vice President for human resources at SAP Southeast Asia, revealed that a hybrid office was always in the books for the tech firm and the virus outbreak simply expedited their plans.

“The work from home experience has highlighted the need to transform the office into an environment that best suits the tasks employees have at hand for the day, rather than a secured place to occupy as their designated desks.”

“What is the added value we may get in the office today? Foster collaboration, enrich networking, and assure focus time when the home situation does not allow it – these are the experiences that can hardly be replicated off-site.”

With the assistance of independent consultant Change Worq, SAP re-evaluated its office presence and redesigned its office space for a hybrid workforce. Based on a usage study, SAP discovered that 88 percent of its staff spent less than half of their working day at their desks.

Aside from that, the new Singapore office was opened in line with the tech firm’s global ‘Pledge to Flex’ initiative in June 2021 to empower staff to decide where and when they worked.

“Coming into the workplace is no longer about the physical amenities, it is about the employee experience,” noted Verena Siow, President & Managing Director at Southeast Asia at SAP.

In particular, SAP is focused on three ‘E’s to manage a positive employee experience, namely environment, education, and employee engagement.

“Engagement means offering the best career experience to our employees through our diversity and inclusion initiatives where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed,” said Siow, adding that the initiatives have led to results in its regional workforce, including having 46 percent of females in management positions.