Enhancing Employee Engagement: 5 HR Approaches for Southeast Asian Workforces

Employee engagement is a vital factor in the success of any organization. In the dynamic and diverse workplaces of Southeast Asia, where cultures, languages, and traditions converge, HR departments face unique challenges and opportunities in fostering engagement among their teams. This article explores five HR approaches tailored to enhance employee engagement in Southeast Asian workforces. […]
Gen Z workers seek innovative, socially responsible workplaces

Gen Z workers, those born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s, are motivated by workplaces that invest in innovation and are conscious of their social mission, according to a Jobstreet survey. The survey found that factors like company values and political stances heavily influence Gen Z workers’ decision-making when choosing which companies to work with. Gen […]
HR Champions: “Leadership is about empowering others” – Valerie Ong

Title: CEO, KIP Group of Companies/KIP Real Estate Investment Trust Office headquarters: Malaysia Company operations: Malaysia Industry: Real estate Employees: 51-200 Valerie Ong is not afraid of asking questions. “It’s important to want to learn,” she says, and she demonstrates this by tirelessly eliciting advice and insights from those who know more than her. As […]
WHO SAYS: Quotes of the week from HR influencers and leaders

Immerse yourself in the wisdom shared by respected HR and business luminaries from across Southeast Asia as they offer their insightful views on the most urgent matters of the day. “In an environment of constant change, workforce innovations, and new cycles of talent development, improving the maturity of your talent programmes is critical.” – Himanshu […]
HR Champions: Giving back to coffee farmers with Le Hoang Diep Thao

Title: CEO, King Coffee Office headquarters: Vietnam Company operations: Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Pakistan, China, UK, and USA Industry: Food & Beverage Employees: 1,001-5,000 The King Coffee magnate has built a company and global partnerships by creating trust and value for her suppliers, franchisees, and partners. “That is the root of what we do. If […]
HR Champions: Hendra Gunawan on communication, belonging, and crisis mitigation

Title: CEO Organisation: United Overseas Bank (UOB) Indonesia Office headquarters: Indonesia Company operations: Global Industry: Banking Employees: 3,200 (provided by the company) UOB Indonesia’s HR team and other staff can testify to how Hendra Gunawan prioritises employee wellbeing and development. He values clear and open communication with employees regardless of seniority or role, so a […]
HR Champions: Wong Sze Keed on taking care of staff

Title: CEO Organisation: AIA Singapore Office headquarters: Singapore Company operations: Asia Pacific Industry: Insurance Employees: 1,001-5,000 Coming in as CEO at the height of the pandemic, Wong Sze Keed immediately built on the holistic wellness of her people. The difficult period simply deepened her recognition that, “if they are well taken care of, they can […]
WHO SAYS: Quotes of the week from HR influencers and leaders

Immerse yourself in the wisdom shared by respected HR and business luminaries from across Southeast Asia as they offer their insightful views on the most urgent matters of the day. “In today’s workplace, employees now experience multiple, stacked changes that lead to burn out.” – Andy Karr, vice president in the Gartner HR practice In […]
HR Champions: Mharicar Castillo-Reyes’ people-centric leadership

Title: CEO Organisation: Asticom Group of Companies Office headquarters: Philippines Company operations: Philippines and USA Industry: Shared services and outsourcing Employees: 5,000+ When Covid-19 hit the Philippines with a lockdown announcement, Asticom went into a remote setup within 72 hours. Work-from-home essentials were provided to employees, and the leadership team, with Castillo-Reyes at the helm, […]
HR Champions: Anthony Tan emphasises humility for effective leadership

Title: CEO, Grab Office Headquarters: Singapore Company Operations: SEA Industry: Software Development Employees: 5,001-10,000 “Who am I as a CEO? How do I serve our Grabbers? How do I serve our customers? How do I serve our governments? How do I serve society?” These are the lead questions behind Anthony Tan’s principle of servant leadership, […]