The First Word: “Always-on” culture and the pressure to stay busy
The rise-and-grind mentality of hustle culture has turned into a practice that equates with hard work. However, reports by Slack and BambooHR indicate a new type of working phenomenon that employees and their managers engage in – performative productivity, also known as fauxductivity. In the race for success, many workers feel the need to ‘play […]
The First Word: The CMO conundrum in evolving marketing leadership
In many boardrooms today, a significant shift is happening: the role of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is disappearing. A McKinsey study found that 40% of Fortune 500 companies no longer have a CMO or a similar role on their CEO’s executive team. In a challenging economic outlook, businesses are working with increasingly lean teams […]
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: ASK-ing the right questions to boost career resilience
As we approach the end of 2024, the labour market’s encouraging outlook reaffirms the importance of continuous learning and workforce transformation. According to the Ministry of Manpower’s Labour Market Report 1Q 2024, with the economy on the upswing and job vacancies increasing, it’s clear that businesses need to stay agile, and workers must be ready […]
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: Leveraging personal growth and independent learning for career success
As the Founder and CEO of First Principles Education, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how personal growth and independent learning can transform students into resilient, capable, and innovative professionals. In an era where knowledge is abundant but rapidly evolving, the ability to learn independently and grow personally is becoming increasingly crucial for success […]
The First Word: Embracing diversity and speed drive high-performance teams
With ever-rapid change and easy access to anywhere in the world, today’s workforce is far more culturally diverse and fast-paced than ever before. Having spent some 20 years in personal development and team coaching, I find that it is imperative to harness this diversity to optimise innovation and maintain a work environment that is conducive and productive. Enhancing […]
Leading HR into the future with vision and transformation
Sid Bhasin’s HR journey is anything but conventional. Starting with an MBA in Marketing and Technology, Sid found himself working at a consulting firm (then Hewitt, now Aon), when something about the companies he worked with stood out. “I found human resources to be a common factor across companies either doing better than their peers […]
Innovating HR for a better workplace
Jennie’s journey in HR has always been about finding better ways to support people and build thriving workplace cultures. With over 20 years of experience across diverse industries, her holistic approach to HR is defined by empathy, strategic thinking, and adaptability. “My journey to becoming the Head of Human Resources at the Canadian International School […]
Shaping the future of HR with passion and purpose
Kevin Chua, the Chief Human Resources Officer at United World College South East Asia (UWCSEA), is a distinguished figure in the HR world. His career is a testament to his dedication and passion for developing people, which has been evident throughout his impressive journey in Human Resources. Driving People-Centric Change at UWCSEA Kevin’s career began […]
