International Women’s Day – Colleague Spotlight: A Retirement Interview with Jen Tang, Administration Manager

As employee 001, Jen Tang has witnessed the ups and downs of Hyphens Pharma ("Hyphens") since its humble beginnings. Prior to joining Hyphens, she was in a one-(wo)man operation role at the representative office of a French military equipment and weapons manufacturer. Craving for a more interactive and vibrant work environment, Jen found Hyphens and the rest was history.?

In conjunction with International Women's Day, we caught up with her to talk about her fulfilling career and work, as well as the secret sauce of Hyphens that attracted her to stay for over 28 years. ??

1. Could you share more about your career journey in Hyphens?

Wow, where do I start? When I look back, it's amazing how far we have come. It seems like yesterday when Hyphens was a team of only six employees with an annual turnover of less than S$5 million.?

Opening of Joo Seng Road office (2009 - 2018)

I went through a leadership change and witnessed us overcome survival threats to become a successful SME and now a public-listed company on the Singapore Exchange (SGX).?

All these years, we scaled our operations, established our brand identity, grew in staff strength, expanded our office space multi-folds, and regionalised our footprints.

Listing of Hyphens Pharma International Limited on SGX (2018)

Now, we are 348 people strong, clocking S$125 million revenue in 2021! If you do the math, that's 58x and 25x for staff strength and revenue respectively.??

I'm very proud to have contributed to Hyphens' success and am extremely grateful to the management team and my colleagues for taking this growth journey with me.?

2. What is it about Hyphens that attracted you to stay for over 28 years, and what do you like most working here?

I'm not joking when I say, once you're in Hyphens, it can be hard for you to leave! All thanks to our empathising bosses, supportive colleagues, and a positive work culture, as well as relationships.?

As colleagues and friends, we came together to celebrate the close of 2018 as one Hyphens.

It is normal to have differing opinions at work but I'm lucky that at Hyphens, we have been able to recognise the different perspectives, overcome individual differences and work together toward our common goals. I truly appreciate my colleagues for the trust and support accorded to me.?I have enjoyed working here and when you're in a closely knitted environment even though it's work, 28 years can really fly by!

3. What was the greatest challenge you faced at work? What was the most rewarding?

It's managing perception and strong personality. In my HR role, I handled some personality conflicts, and it became challenging when it involved bad perception and dominant personality. Such conflicts are counter-productive and sadly, there will be no winner in the end.

As for my greatest satisfaction, that would be witnessing my colleagues' growth and success in Hyphens. I have seen many of them through their blissful marriage, becoming proud parents and achieving career success. The rush that I get from each of their milestones is exuberating!

4. Has the landscape changed for women working at Hyphens since you joined until now?

Well, there's no gender discrimination here. Our colleagues are given the same opportunity. At our last count, we have more women in our workplace and more women in managerial positions.

5. What do you think is the biggest misperception facing women around your age at work?

I think one biggest misperception is that as women age, they suddenly become less effective at work, or become set in their mindset, and thus becoming inflexible and less open to opinions and ideas. However, I feel this is regardless of gender, and in general, older people face this perception, not just women.

If we look around us, many older people have a growth mindset, and they welcome the opportunity to pick up new skills. Just look at Mdm Tang, the oldest certified “coach” volunteering with Repair Kopitiam (a community initiative in Singapore to combat the throw away culture). She's 81 years old (2021) and a self-taught handywoman! [Link to CNA’s interview video]

Gender or age is not a barrier. We should emulate her spirit of learning! Likewise, when we cultivate an open mind for growth and learning at work too, it will support our ongoing success. ?

6. Was there a women's empowerment moment that inspired you?

Last year was the year of "Celebrating SG Women". I am heartened that our country is recognising the contribution of women and celebrating their achievements. The fact that more women are taking CEO roles in Singapore is equally inspiring!

*SG: Singapore

7. Any plans on how you will be enjoying your retirement?

I don't have any plans on how I'll be spending my time in retirement yet, at least not for the short term. I'm learning to take each day as it comes and enjoy what it brings.?