The First Word: Data centre investments reveal talent gap
Southeast Asia’s booming data centre industry is a cornerstone of the region’s digital transformation, spurred by surging digital demands, AI integration, and sustainability imperatives. Landmark investments such as Google’s US$2 billion data centre in Malaysia—poised to generate over 64,000 high-value jobs—underscore the region’s immense potential. Yet, a pressing challenge looms: the tech talent gap is […]
The First Word: Unlocking the potential of the ‘Everywhere Workforce’
We’ve reached a defining moment in the future of work. Shifts in business demands, evolving employee expectations and the acceleration of tech innovation have converged, prompting employers to carefully plan strategies to future-proof their business. Despite macroeconomic challenges, scaling globally is top of mind for business leaders. G-P’s 2024 World at Work report found that […]
Five ways AI is reshaping employee onboarding in Southeast Asia
The integration of artificial intelligence into human resource functions has accelerated dramatically across Southeast Asia in recent years. As the region’s economies continue to digitalise, organisations are leveraging AI technologies to transform traditional onboarding processes into more efficient, personalised experiences. This shift addresses several regional challenges, including managing diverse workforces across multiple languages and cultures, […]
The First Word: Augmenting leadership by using AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to change job roles in every industry across the globe; it’s only a matter of time before it transforms leadership too. Asia’s top 1000 companies plan to spend more than 50% of their IT budget on AI1 initiatives by 2025. But how much of this is being spent on making […]
The First Word: Enhancing workforce and wellbeing in warehousing
The logistics sector is undergoing a significant transformation driven by automation. The shift towards intralogistics, in particular, where technology optimizes goods movement within facilities, isn’t solely about robots handling the heavy lifting but about enhancing overall efficiency, productivity, sustainability, and safety. First, what are the benefits automation can bring? Automation in warehouses offers numerous benefits. […]
The First Word: Safeguarding your employees abroad
In today’s increasingly globalised economy, the movement of employees across international borders is more frequent, presenting numerous opportunities with heightened security risks. As employees travel through regions with diverse geopolitical climates and varying safety standards, multinational corporations face a critical challenge — ensuring the safety of their workforce in a world where threat levels are […]
The First Word: Empowering accountants to be strategic business partners with AI
From mechanical calculators to the birth of the internet, the quest for artificial intelligence (AI) has spanned centuries. Now, its reach extends to the heart of businesses: financial reporting, where it promises to unlock a new era of accuracy, efficiency, and insight. While AI is impressive when it comes to increasing efficiency and accuracy in […]
The First Word: The automation reformation that is reshaping work in the age of technology
The winds of change are sweeping the landscape of work. Last year, CNN reported that there will be huge disruptions in the global job market over the next five years as companies boost adoption of technologies. The World Economic Forum 2023 – which hosts a gathering of global leaders in Davos, Switzerland annually – found […]
The First Word: Four HR trends coming up on the horizon
We all know there’s no such thing as business as usual. The dynamics of commerce mean the only constant is change. And even after the seismic shifts we all felt during the pandemic, the post-Covid working environment looks set to continue to evolve at pace. For business leaders wanting to move toward growth with clarity […]
The First Word: Retaining the humans in human resources
The growth of artificial intelligence (AI), the Covid-19 pandemic, and the accelerating trend towards globalisation have combined to usher in an epochal shift in working practices, arguably the most significant since the industrial revolution. The traditional office model, where employees collaborate in close proximity, has given way to more atomised workforces, with individuals operating in […]
