​Equip HR professionals with essential financial skills to manage budgets, analyze financial statements, and make strategic decisions in Singapore.​

Introduction

In today’s increasingly competitive and data-driven business environment, HR professionals are expected to do far more than manage people-related administrative functions. Modern HR practitioners are now strategic business partners who are required to understand organisational performance, workforce costs, business sustainability and the financial implications behind HR decisions.

As organisations become more focused on profitability, operational efficiency and return on investment, HR professionals must also learn to speak the language of business and finance. Senior management teams increasingly expect HR practitioners to justify manpower costs, evaluate HR investments, participate in budgeting discussions and contribute meaningfully to business strategy through data-driven decision-making.

However, many HR professionals come from non-financial backgrounds and may find financial concepts intimidating or difficult to apply in practical HR situations. This is why financial acumen is becoming one of the most important competencies for modern HR professionals. In fact, business and financial understanding are now widely regarded as critical capabilities for HR Business Partners and senior HR leaders.

This one day program is specially designed to help HR practitioners develop practical financial knowledge and business acumen that can be directly applied within HR functions and organisational decision-making. The workshop simplifies key financial concepts and demonstrates how finance affects workforce planning, compensation decisions, budgeting, performance management and HR strategy.

Participants will learn how to interpret financial statements, understand key accounting concepts, evaluate organisational financial health and apply financial thinking to HR operations and workforce decisions. The workshop also helps HR professionals better understand how human capital investments contribute to business outcomes and organisational success.

As HR evolves from a traditional support role into a strategic business function, finance knowledge is no longer optional, it is increasingly essential for career progression and organisational influence.

Course Details: 

Objectives

• Know the common accounting jargons and translate these jargons into meaningful concepts.

• Apply the new financial knowledge to evaluate the performance of a company.

• Understand the financial health of companies.

• Know and apply the financial knowledge to HR areas of work such as Budgeting, Proposals and New Initiatives, Return on Investments, Performance Management.

Outline

The Key Financial Terms and Statements

• What is Balance Sheet

• What is Profit and Loss Account or Income and Expense Statement and Cash Flow Statements

• What do these statements represent

• What are the differences between assets, liabilities, equity, in Balance Sheet

• What are revenue and expenses?  What is Profit and what is not

• What is the difference between capitalising and expensing

• What is Depreciation – Straight Line, Reducing Balance. Why do we need Depreciation?

• What is working capital and the working capital cycle

• What is Cash Flows and what does it do

• Do all firms have the same financial statements

• How to use financial statements to detect liquidity issues

 

 

Outline

Ratio Analysis

• Purpose

• Different Types of Ratios and its Purpose

• Other Performance measures

• Review of financial measures

 

Breakeven Analysis

• What is the difference between fixed and variable costs

• What is the benefit and risk of fixed costs – operating and financial leverage

• What is contribution

• How to calculate breakeven and margin of safety

 

Know and Apply the Financial Knowledge

• Recording compensation and benefits costs

• Wages and salaries

• Incentive pay

• Benefits costs

• Mandatory benefits

• Welfare benefits

• Retirement plans

• Budgeting

• Proposals

• Return on Investment

• Performance Management

• Communication

Who should attend

This workshop is highly beneficial for:

• HR Executives and HR Managers

• HR Business Partners

• Compensation & Benefits Practitioners

• Payroll Professionals

• Learning & Development Professionals

• HR Generalists

• Managers with HR responsibilities

• HR professionals seeking stronger business acumen

It is especially valuable for HR practitioners who wish to move beyond operational HR and become stronger strategic business partners within their organisations.

Trainer

Elsie Low is a HR Practitioner with over 25 years of experience. She has specific experience and strength in talent acquisition, human resource development, compensation and benefits development, payroll administration and management, talent management, employee communication and relations. She is a visionary and performance focused professional. Coupled with that, she has excellent business acumen with strong work ethics.

Elsie has worked in various multi-national and local SMEs and in different sectors such as manufacturing, electronics, construction, engineering and oil & gas. Her span of responsibility and experience are spent in various regional and leadership roles across different regions in ASEAN, Australia, China and Middle East.

Elsie graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Human Resource and a MBA in Finance. She also possesses the Certificate in Workplace Basics from Fairwork Commission Australia and an Advanced Certificate of Training and Assessment (ACTA).

She is currently one of the trainers for HRSINGAPORE's HR Certification Courses.

Administrative Details:

Scheduled Date

• 7 January 2027  (Face-to-Face)  (10th Run)

Online/Virtual

• Available for in-company customised training

Duration / Venue

• One day

• 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

• Hotel seminar room

Certification

A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded at the end of the course.

 

Course Fee

• S$ 675.80 w/GST (S$620.00) for Community/Corporate Subscriber

• S$ 708.50 w/GST (S$650.00) for Non-Subscriber

Funding

• Grants/Subsidies/SkillsFuture Credit are not applicable.

IHRP CPD Hours 

• 7

(Please refer to the IHRP website)

Refreshment

• Coffee & tea with snacks during the morning and afternoon breaks

• Lunch with vegetarian & halal options

Past Participants:

Past Participants' Comments

• "Understanding and learn so many things that are related to work" - Wendy Cheong - Nurture Education Group Pte Ltd

• "The whole lesson plan is relevant!"

Past Participant Organisations

• Amphenol FCI Connectors Singapore Pte Ltd, ARA Management Pte Ltd, Academy of Medicine, Singapore

• Bancosta (Oriente) Pte Ltd, Behavioural Insights (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore)

• Concorde Hotel Singapore, Chemical Industries (Far East) Pte Ltd

• Darul Makmur Mosque, DSBJ Pte Ltd, d'Amico Shipping Singapore Pte Ltd

• Go Holdings Pte Ltd, Gordian Capital Singapore Private Limited, Guthrie FMC Pte Ltd

• Hampton Preschool School, Hwa Chong International School

• Infinix Hospitality Management Pte Ltd

• Multitest Electronic Systems (Asia) Pte Ltd, Mendaki SENSE Pte Ltd, Moduresources AP Pte Ltd, Mondi Packaging Paper Sales Asia Pte Ltd, Metall-Treat Industries Pte Ltd, Masjid Hajjah Fatimah, Mount Alvernia Hospital

• Nurture Education Group Pte Ltd, National University Health System Pte Ltd, Nanshan Group Singapore Co. Pte Ltd

• Onepip Pte Ltd

• Palfinger Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Penanshin Shipping Pte Ltd, Pelita c/o Al-Istiqamah Mosque

• Ren Ci Community Hospital

• ST Engineering Management Services Pte Ltd, Samwoh Corporation Pte Ltd, SCSK Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

• UE Support Services Pte Ltd, United World College of South East Asia

• Vopak Terminals Singapore Pte Ltd

• Wilmar Trading Pte Ltd