The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) is constantly looking out for the best minds and developing their existing human resource to stay relevant.

The organisation nurtures its people such as Kristie Wong who conducts data analysis to formulate manpower policies and strategies.

The People of Defence

The idea of being part of an organisation which works to ensure the security of Singapore motivated Kristie to apply for the Defence Merit Scholarship. She was awarded the scholarship in 2012 and went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at University of York and a master’s degree in Industrial/Organisational and Business Psychology at University College London.

Upon graduation, Kristie’s first role was in the Defence Psychology Department where she developed and reviewed psychometric assessments. “The purpose of these assessments are to better understand the aptitudes of our National Servicemen, so as to assign them to suitable vocations,” she explains. She derived meaning from this work, which had a direct impact on the experiences of National Servicemen.

Currently, she is involved in manpower data analysis in the Research and Planning Office. “I believe that people are the core of our organisation and we need to have a good grasp on what our potential or existing employees are thinking to attract, engage and retain them. We anticipate trends that may impact our manpower availability. This leads to discussions on strategies to ensure sufficient manpower to achieve our organisational objectives,” she tells us.

As the organisation embraces data-driven decision making, her research into what makes people join and stay in MINDEF potentially impacts policy changes and the organisation’s hiring practices. Kristie finds it rewarding to see her analyses pave the way for manpower planning and strategy discussions.

Many Paths Available

Having worked for three years in her current role, Kristie is looking forward to the many job options available to her. “There is still a wide array of work across the organisation which I have yet to experience,” she muses. “While I am still interested in training as a psychologist, I am also keen to explore different job functions to understand the organisation from different perspectives,” she shares.

“The job rotation programme meant that I could gain exposure to other domains, which would help me to eventually decide on what I want to focus on in the long run.”

Joining MINDEF has turned out to be a great choice, as she was able to put into practice what she studied, while also being exposed to many different aspects of the organisation.

To graduating students who are on the cusp of making career and higher education decisions, she advises, “Choosing a career may seem like a daunting decision. However, if you value the idea of being part of the team which ensures our nation’s safety and security, I’d highly encourage you to consider a career with MINDEF.”