Passion and progression: Why workers choose to stay at HomeTeamNS

CEO Agnes Eu engaging with fellow colleagues

Step into the HomeTeamNS office, and you'll immediately sense something different. This isn't your typical corporate environment. Even amidst major office renovations, CEO Agnes Eu and Senior Slot Operations Executive Su Hong greet visitors with the same warmth you'd expect from a front-desk welcome—offering drinks, biscuits, and even checking if you'd like a second helping.

Step into the HomeTeamNS office, and you'll immediately sense something different. This isn't your typical corporate environment. Even amidst major office renovations, CEO Agnes Eu and Senior Slot Operations Executive Su Hong greet visitors with the same warmth you'd expect from a front-desk welcome—offering drinks, biscuits, and even checking if you'd like a second helping.

This culture wasn’t shaped by accident. With a leadership philosophy centered around extending workplace friendships beyond the office, HomeTeamNS has crafted an environment where employees feel safe to share their thoughts and are genuinely valued.

Alongside their close collaboration with the Attractions, Resorts & Entertainment Union (AREU), the ‘Homies’ (as the HomeTeamNS team like to call themselves) prove that retention isn’t simply about showering benefits, but creating a place where people genuinely wish to stay.

Cutting through the kueh lapis

A conversation with Agnes quickly reveals her unique approach to leadership. Likening the organisational hierarchy to a traditional kueh lapis cake, she believes in cutting through its layers to reach the heart of every employee, no matter which ‘layer’ of the corporate ladder they’re on.

"To truly connect with people and make things work, you've got to keep doors open," she explains. "You must know their names. You must be interested in their stories."

Agnes’ vision is to create an environment where every team member feels comfortable approaching leaders during challenging times. As an AREU union representative, Su Hong embodies this philosophy by lending a listening ear to colleagues whenever they seek her out. Working as a bridge between the union and HomeTeamNS employees, she works closely with HR to find solutions that benefit everyone.

"Our strong relationships allow me to create win-win situations," Su Hong shares. Previously, her proposed training initiatives helped the employees working in the Jackpot room transition smoothly from paper bookkeeping to automated systems.

Building a community, not a team

Work retreats are also approached differently at HomeTeamNS, and for good reason. “We don’t bring laptops, and we don’t talk about work,” Agnes explains. “These retreats are solely about being a community.”

The Homies’ recent retreat saw 30 team members get their hands down and dirty in the sunny island of Penang. They spent three days and two nights creating art projects, planting trees, and cooking for the underprivileged.

Such moments create shared experiences where teammates support and cheer for each other. Furthermore, Agnes believes the bonds they forge have a lasting impact, even when they’re back in the office.

“Before you get angry with someone, you remember: ‘Hey, we had a really good time in Penang.’ It makes you pause and take a step back.”

No laptops allowed! Retreats at HomeTeamNS are about fun and creating shared memories.

Many hands, one heartbeat

These bonding experiences result in a dynamic HomeTeamNS that isn’t confined by titles or departments, but comes together as a single cohesive unit when needed.

This year, HomeTeamNS was tasked to hold a guided tour of the Bedok Reservoir clubhouse for 150 personnel from the Ministry of Education (MOE). This event required visitors to be guided in smaller groups through the clubhouse, making it too resource-heavy for just one department to handle.

Instead of drawing lines between the Business Development and clubhouse teams, managers from various departments stepped up as tour guides. They spent many hours mastering scripts to deliver exceptional hospitality, while their teammates collaborated across departments and even enlisted help from other clubhouse staff to put up a great show for the guests.

Agnes attributes this event’s success to the strong rapport they have built over frequent cross-departmental meetings and shared experiences. “Because they have good rapport, they were able to say, ‘This is us.’ Not ‘you or I”, she explains.

The result was a win-win: the MOE staff walked away highly impressed, while the Homies came back with a sense of pride and enhanced trust in one another.

No job is too big or small for leaders at HomeTeamNS.

Empowered by partnership with AREU

That same collaborative nature has also allowed HomeTeamNS leadership to fully leverage their relationship with AREU. After hearing how other clubhouses like Civil Service Club, a unionised branch of AREU, had tapped on the NTUC Company Training Committee (CTC) grant, Agnes is now also exploring how this funding could help HomeTeamNS in its training and workplace improvement initiatives.

Beyond funding and training, AREU has also given HomeTeamNS employees opportunities to step up. Su Hong, who began her journey as an account assistant over 20 years ago, has grown through the ranks in finance and operations. Now, as a union representative, she embraces her role as an advocate for her colleagues.

“I believe in the collective power of unions to create a fair and just workplace,” she says. “With AREU, we have an additional avenue to share our voices. And jointly with the management, we are able to make the workplace an even better one.”

Nothing beats the gift of time

Su Hong in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and more.

The HomeTeamNS philosophy of giving back has shaped a new progressive initiative: two weeks of block leave for employees who have served for 10 years.

Inspired by an initiative by long-time contacts of hers, Agnes saw value in offering something truly irreplaceable—time. “You can buy things like Rolex watches if you have money, but there’s no alternative for time as a working adult,” she explains. “The only time you get to do nothing is when you are between jobs, but it’s never paid time. Nothing beats it.”

Apart from rewarding their workers, the initiative also creates opportunities for others to step up and grow. While leaders are on block leave, teammates step into their roles, gaining leadership experience and exposure to executives they might not usually interact with.

For Su Hong, this gesture gave her the opportunity to reconnect with family. “I spent a month in my hometown in China, celebrating Mother’s Day with my mother, which made the holiday incredibly special,” she shares.

A rising tide lifts all ships

More than just a partnership, HomeTeamNS’s collaboration with AREU is a cornerstone of their progressive policies. Apart from offering training platforms, AREU helps HomeTeamNS and other partner organisations align with the latest guidelines—and to go above and beyond.

“Sometimes AREU tells us, ‘You’re doing more than what’s required’,” Agnes says. “That makes us feel proud to share this with our staff.”

Beyond benefiting from the union partnership, Agnes envisions a two-way street where sharing HomeTeamNS’ best practices can uplift the entire sector, foster happier workplaces, and attract top talent. By championing people-first policies, HomeTeamNS sets a benchmark for creating a thriving and sustainable ecosystem for all.