How would you describe your current role to a HR outsider?

As part of the executive leadership team at Glints, I work closely with business leaders to elevate people matters - highlighting it as one of the four key strategic pillars in Glints' success. Day to day responsibilities include planning our strategic org charts, running fortnightly HR reviews, manpower planning and talent acquisition, among many others.

What is a common misconception about the work you do?

As the new head of people, I am trying to bridge the rift between business stakeholders and my current team. The biggest misconception is that its a zero-sum game: business stakeholders ruthlessly prioritize results at the expense of people outcomes; people team pushes for people-centricity without taking into account business considerations.

This is a false dichotomy.

How did you get started in your HR career?

This will be my first HR role as the current people leadership team are transitioning out of the organization. As the resident "firefighter" of Glints, I have been pulled in to stabilize the ship. Prior to this role, I led strategy, operations, and internal products at Glints for 3+ years. Prior to Glints, I was a consultant at Bain for 3+ years. Given my lack of HR experience, this is a big transition and I hope to learn from other experienced peers.

Describe the most impactful HR project you've personally worked on.

Glints eNPS came in at an all time low in Q2 this year and the People Team eNPS also came in at a historical low. At the same time, 3 out of 4 of the senior HR leaders in the org are leaving at the same time. Additionally, regrettable attrition has been on the climb. In my transition period, my team and I have been able to run various engagement activities across the region to hear their concerns, escalate them, and make real change to address our team members' concerns.

A concrete example of this was that our company's performance improvement plan policy was too strict. We ran the numbers, researched PIP policies against competitors, and took in suggestions from our sales team to co-create a new PIP policy with business stakeholders. This updated policy was just shared with team members and was met with a very positive reception.

At the same time, based on our analysis, this would also have minimal impact on business results - making it a win-win for all parties involved.

What is one HR/future of work trend or change you're not convinced will work for SEA startups?

Full pay transparency which might create more tension among team members given the more collectivist culture in SEA.

What is one HR/future of work trend or change that you hope to see more of at SEA startups?

Persistence of hybrid work, even against a backdrop of an increasing number of companies moving back to 5 days work from office.

What is your favourite HR resource that you would recommend to this community?

Book - Scaling People by Claire Hughes Johnson.

Lastly, where are you based, and where would you take friends visiting your city for the first time? 

Singapore -Don Don Don Ki was a surprising hit for many of my international (especially American & Chinese) friends who visit.