How top mandarins are chosen and groomed

AT 32, they can expect a pay package of $361,000 a year, or $30,000 a month. But only if they are the top mandarins in Singapore's public sector.

These Administrative Officers play a key role in helping ministers craft, push and sell policies for the nation's good.

Are they worth the money? The Government believes so, and is reviewing their salaries to ensure their pay stays competitive.

The review stems from worries over losing young talent as the job market tightens and the lure of the private sector heightens. It was a concern highlighted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last week at the annual Administrative Service dinner.

Attrition among the younger set is not insignificant.

Statistics from the Public Service Division show that officers aged between 28 and 33 made up more than 80 per cent of its resignations in the last five years.

While the Government knows that salaries alone cannot ensure talent retention, it wants to ensure that pay will not be a push factor that makes them want to leave.

Says Permanent Secretary (Public Service Division) Lim Soo Hoon: 'It is necessary because if you don't pay people enough, that is the most tangible thing that people see and that is the most tangible thing that your competitors will lure you with.'

But besides the question of how much is enough, the salary review has also thrown the spotlight on the work of these officers and how their work is assessed.

Insight finds out how these top mandarins are chosen and groomed to be public sector leaders.