The First Word: Rethinking how Malaysia builds for the future
What do we really want from work today? Stability? Flexibility? Meaning? Across Malaysia, these questions are quietly reshaping boardroom discussions, hiring decisions, and business strategy. Work has become more digital, more dynamic and yet, for many, less connected. As industries evolve and technology accelerates, one truth has become clear: the future of work is no […]
The First Word: Why 2026 will redefine the employee experience across Southeast Asia
As workplaces evolve across Southeast Asia, HR leaders are facing a pivotal moment. Digital transformation is now a daily reality, AI is moving into mainstream use, and expectations around the employee experience are growing rapidly. These shifts are already influencing how people work and how organisations prepare for the future. In my role overseeing people […]
The First Word: Redefining leadership for APAC’s evolving workforce
Across the Asia-Pacific, leaders are being asked to deliver results in talent markets that are tighter, more complex, and less predictable. As workforce expectations evolve and competition for critical skills intensifies, traditional models of leadership are no longer sufficient. Increasingly, success depends not just on what leaders know, but on how effectively they build capability […]
The First Word: Beyond the busywork for Singapore’s small business owners
In my ongoing conversations with small business owners across Singapore, one challenge I continually hear is: “There is too much to do, and never enough time”. This isn’t a complaint; it’s a genuine capacity crunch. Running a small business means continually juggling an endless list of seemingly impossible priorities – everything from revenue, HR, marketing […]
The First Word: Small businesses must build capability fast to adapt AI
Singapore’s small businesses are the heartbeat of our economy—driving growth, creating jobs, and shaping the future with agility and resilience. In the past couple of years, the number of small businesses in Singapore grew by an impressive 5%, outpacing larger enterprises, which saw less than 1% growth. They have also expanded their workforces at double […]
The First Word: Why fulfilment is now a leadership advantage
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a transformative force reshaping industries worldwide, with extensive applications especially within human resources (HR). From recruitment, administration and finance, dispute resolution and workforce planning, it’s well known that AI has the ability to change how HR teams operate and the quality of decisions they make. The big question is: even with […]
The First Word: Solving the “platform squeeze” in the ride-hailing industry
Singapore has seen a strong economic rebound for drivers in ride-hailing, fueled by both a full-scale return to the office restoring daily commuter demand and nearly 16 million tourist arrivals this year. The strength of this demand is evident, with reports of Chinese tourists being undeterred by high costs, such as S$18 for a 10-minute […]
The First Word: Bridging the AI skills gap in HR through training
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a transformative force reshaping industries worldwide, with extensive applications especially within human resources (HR). From recruitment, administration and finance, dispute resolution and workforce planning, it’s well known that AI has the ability to change how HR teams operate and the quality of decisions they make. The big question is: even with […]
The First Word: The truth behind ATS rejections
The claim is everywhere: “75% of resumes are rejected by Applicant Tracking Systems before a human ever looks at them.” It appears in LinkedIn posts, career-coach webinars, and countless template-selling sites. Job seekers spend hours tweaking fonts, removing tables, and stuffing keywords, convinced they’re outsmarting a ruthless robot. A new study from resume platform Enhancv […]
The First Word: Employers share Gen Z unemployment challenges
Much of the current conversation around employment in Singapore focuses on macroeconomic challenges, shifting global trends and technology disruption. While it is undeniable that these are valid concerns, it also obscures a more fundamental issue that is still persisting till today. That is, the growing mismatch between the expectations of job seekers and the demands […]
