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.

“HR needs to create the right environment for leaders to communicate; HR are the employees’ advocates and need to make sure they create the avenues for engagement.” – K. Thiveanathan, Chief HR Officer, UTAC Singapore

K. Thiveanathan in a previous interview believes that HR should openly communicate to effectively create the right environment for leaders. Throughout his career, he has maintained a humble outlook and recognises that there are numerous HR practitioners out there “doing fantastic work – too busy to venture out to share their success stories, or grossly under-recognised”.

“Therefore, the imperative to prioritise diversity, equity, and inclusion has never been more pressing.” – Regan Taikitsadaporn, Chief HR Officer, Marriott International (Asia-Pacific)

In an interview with Chief of Staff Asia, Taikitsadaporn explained that Generation Z and Millennial employees feel the importance of being their “authentic selves” at the workplace. To respond to this, Marriott introduced Associate Resource Groups (ARGs) into its global business to drive a sense of community amongst women, gay, lesbian, and minority sexuality staff, younger professionals, and more.

“In a competitive market, employers should strive to be flexible and look for creative ways to increase their talent pool.“ – Paul Thomas
Chief People and Culture Officer, SEEK, Asia

Paul emphasises the critical role of the recruitment process in retaining the best talent in their recent press release at SEEK Asia. Central to this approach is actively seeking candidate feedback and maintaining transparent communication. Employers value applicants’ perspectives and concerns, utilising their input to continuously improve recruitment practices.

WHO SAYS? — a curation of insights from HR leaders and business professionals across Southeast Asia — appears on Chief of Staff Asia every Wednesday at 12:30 pm.