The First Word: Why empathy and listening are critical leadership skills
Empathy and listening are often labelled as “soft skills” and considered optional. In fact, they are now essential leadership capabilities. Traditionally, leadership focused on decisiveness and authority, while listening was viewed as passive. Today, with distributed teams and higher expectations, employees seek understanding and direction. This shift highlights a gap: leaders often manage performance without […]
HR Tech Update: Internal talent marketplaces in high-growth organisations
High-growth organisations across Southeast Asia face constant pressure to scale while maintaining capability. As teams expand and priorities shift, traditional role based staffing often struggles to keep pace. Internal talent marketplaces have emerged as a way to deploy skills more flexibly while supporting employee development. In 2026, these platforms are increasingly viewed as part of […]
The First Word: Solving hybrid work friction
Hybrid work has moved beyond experimentation and is now a permanent part of how organisations operate across Asia Pacific. Employees increasingly expect flexibility, but flexibility alone does not guarantee performance. Many organisations continue to face hidden productivity drains, from digital friction and outdated systems to inefficient workflows that quietly erode value. Recent research from TeamViewer […]
HR Tech Update: Skills intelligence platforms and evolving job roles
Job roles across Southeast Asia are changing faster than formal job descriptions can keep up. Digital transformation, automation, and shifting business models mean that skills requirements evolve continuously, even within the same role. For HR and learning teams, this creates a growing gap between how work is defined and how it is actually performed. Skills […]
The First Word: Why leadership must respect “purposeful presence” in the workforce?
Singapore’s corporate sector is currently navigating a shift in workplace dynamics that carries implications for long-term gender parity goals. While women held 25.5% of board seats in top SGX-listed firms as of mid-2025, the trajectory toward the national target of 30% by 2030 is meeting a formidable structural resistance. An emerging “ambition gap”, where 80% […]
Five data points HR should track for gender progress
Data plays a critical role in advancing gender equality. Without measurement, progress remains anecdotal and difficult to sustain. Across Southeast Asia, regulatory expectations and investor scrutiny are increasing, placing greater emphasis on transparent reporting. HR professionals must move beyond high-level diversity percentages to track meaningful indicators that reveal structural gaps. In regional organisations operating across […]
HR Tech Update: Why inclusive HR algorithms depend on inclusive data
Algorithms are increasingly embedded within HR technology, influencing decisions related to hiring, learning, performance, and mobility. While these tools promise efficiency and objectivity, their outcomes are shaped entirely by the data used to train them. In Southeast Asia, where workforce data can be uneven and incomplete, this presents real risks. In 2026, HR leaders are […]
The First Word: The future of recruitment is AI with a human touch
Across the Asia Pacific, hiring feels harder than ever. Roles stay open for months, recruiters are overloaded, and some new hires leave within a year. It is tempting to blame the market or changing expectations, but the real issue is that many organisations are still using old methods to solve new problems. APAC is now […]
Five workplace policies that truly enable equity, not optics
Workplace equity has become a visible corporate priority, yet not all policies translate into meaningful change. In Southeast Asia, where organisations increasingly highlight diversity commitments, employees are quick to distinguish between symbolic gestures and substantive support. Policies that enable equity address structural barriers rather than simply promoting awareness. Across markets such as Singapore, Thailand, and […]
HR Tech Update: Digital career pathways supporting women returning to work
Women returning to work after career breaks remain an underutilised talent pool across Southeast Asia. Despite strong skills and experience, many face challenges re-entering organisations structured around uninterrupted career progression. HR technology is increasingly being used to address these barriers through more flexible and transparent career pathways. In 2026, learning and development teams are focusing […]
