By Alvin Aloysius Goh

The GovTech workforce transition has reignited a conversation many Singaporeans thought had long been settled: the idea of the "iron rice bowl". The local and regional media have been actively discussing it, and honestly, I think the conversation it has sparked is a good thing, whether you are in the public or private sector.

For decades, the iron rice bowl represented career stability. A secure job. No retrenchments. A predictable career path. Lifelong employment. Just like my Dad who was in the Singapore Police Force for his entire career until he retired.

For many, particularly in the Public Service, this formed part of a social contract. The Government offered stability and purpose, attracting talent who valued service and stability. That model served Singapore well through nation building and periods of rapid growth.

But as work continues to evolve, is that definition of the iron rice bowl still relevant?

So the recent workforce restructuring at GovTech, together with similar exercises across the technology, finance and private sectors over the past few years, reminds us that no organisation is immune from change.

Today, organisations are responding to AI and automation with reskilling programmes, transition support and job redesign. These are necessary, and they are important for Singapore to remain competitive.

But I cannot help wondering whether we are treating the symptoms rather than the actual problem.

For years, we rewarded loyalty and reliability, celebrating long service as a mark of commitment. While these remain admirable qualities, have we unintentionally created environments where staying good at today's job mattered more than preparing for tomorrow's? In doing so, have we also created a degree of fragility, where people thrive in familiar work but struggle when the work itself changes?

The trouble with the sense of stability is what it sometimes creates: committed employees who are highly capable in roles that were designed for yesterday's world. We respond by reskilling when disruption arrives, instead of building cultures where continuous learning and adaptability are part of everyday work.

So perhaps it is time to ask a different question.

The real iron rice bowl?

If your answer is your employer, your job title or your years of service, recent events suggest those may no longer provide the certainty they once did.

Perhaps your iron rice bowl should instead be built on something no restructuring can take away.

Excellence over complacency

Complacency is seductive because it feels like a strategy. You stay under the radar. You do not rock the boat. You maintain relationships. You collect your years of service. You think you are building security through loyalty and consistency.

But the moment the organisation has to change, AI automates part of your role, or a new leader reshapes priorities, complacency has no defence.

Excellence is different.

It is not about being a genius or working 60-hour weeks. It is about consistently solving problems that were never written into your job description. It is the system you built that continues to run without you. It is the team you developed that performs beyond expectations. It is the change you shaped that redefined what was possible.

Excellence comes from constantly experimenting, learning and improving. It requires the willingness to fail, reflect and try again. Some experiments fail. The few that succeed become the new standard.

Stay relevant through continuous learning

The roles disappearing are not the problem. Roles changing are the opportunity.

Rather than asking, "Will my job disappear?", why not ask, "Am I learning faster than my job is changing?" Every new skill, every new perspective and every new experience increases your ability to create value, regardless of where you work. Those with adaptive mindsets are already positioning themselves for the opportunities that change creates.

Mental agility and psychological resilience

Your confidence should never come solely from the belief that your job will always exist. It should come from knowing that you can learn, adapt and create value wherever you go.

Iron rice bowl thinking can create brittleness. An adaptive mindset creates resilience.

For my fellow HR professionals

This is not about managing fear. It is about helping people build careers that remain relevant long before disruption arrives.

Our role is no longer simply to prepare employees for their current jobs. It is to prepare them for jobs that do not yet exist.

That is different work from what HR has been doing. It is harder work, but it is also the only work that matters now.

Perhaps that is the iron rice bowl we should all strive to build. Not one that is handed to us by an organisation. The real iron rice bowl has always been the one we build for ourselves through excellence, continuous learning and the confidence that we can create value wherever work takes us.

So, what is your iron rice bowl?