HRM Asia Weekly News (March 5, 2025)

IWD 2025: Building pathways for women's career comeback

The traditional linear career path is rapidly evolving, with career breaks becoming increasingly common. This shift has spotlighted the valuable talent pool of professionals seeking to re-enter the workforce, particularly women. Organisations are beginning to recognise the unique perspectives and resilience these individuals bring. As we anticipate International Women’s Day 2025 and its theme, “Accelerate Action”, the focus on supporting their reintegration is more critical than ever.

To explore this critical topic, HRM Asia spoke with Melissa Kee (IHRP - MP) , Chief People Officer at Temus , to delve into the practicalities of supporting women re-entering the workforce. Drawing on her 30 years of experience, Kee offers actionable insights for HR leaders, addressing the evolving challenges, women’s unique strengths, and the impact of programmes like Temus’ Step IT Up.

With over 30 years of experience across various industries, how have you seen the challenges for women re-entering the workforce evolve? What are some hurdles women face, and how can organisations support them in overcoming these challenges?

Melissa Kee: Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed significant progress and persistent challenges around women re-entering the workforce. To drive greater action, organisations need to take deliberate steps to ensure a smoother transition for women. | READ MORE

IWD 2025: Driving change for women at work

International Women’s Day, observed annually on March 8, stands as a pivotal moment to celebrate women’s achievements and to reignite the global drive for gender equality. This translates to creating workplaces where women thrive, lead, and are empowered to reach their full potential in the corporate world. However, achieving true gender equality requires ongoing commitment and action from organisations, focusing on diverse leadership, including hiring practices, and dismantling systemic barriers.

In this context, HRM Asia spoke with Aileen Tan , CHRO at AIA Singapore , to gain insights into the company’s initiatives and the steps organisations can take to accelerate gender equality. Tan shared her perspectives on the importance of mentorship, leadership development, and the role of male allies in driving meaningful change within the workplace.

With this year’s IWD theme, “Accelerate Action”, what is your interpretation of this theme, personally and in your capacity as CHRO of AIA Singapore, and where do you believe organisations must focus their efforts to advance gender equality?

Aileen Tan: “Accelerate Action” resonates deeply with me, both personally and professionally. As CHRO, it underscores the urgency of driving meaningful change in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). We have recognised that more needs to be done to accelerate diverse hiring and promotion practices, not just for women but for all emerging talent. | READ MORE

IWD 2025: Building equitable workplaces from the ground up

As organisations worldwide prepare to celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, the call to “Accelerate Action” in workplace equity has never been more urgent. In the fast-evolving fintech landscape, Trust Bank Singapore has been making strides towards fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, setting an example for the industry.

Jocelyne Loh , Chief People Officer at Trust Bank, shares how the digital bank has built a culture that champions diversity from day one—breaking barriers, hiring for inclusivity, and ensuring women have equal opportunities to lead and thrive. In this interview with HRM Asia, she discusses the bold steps Trust Bank has taken to close the gender gap and what more needs to be done to drive real change in corporate leadership.

You were one of the pioneering employees at Trust Bank. What was your vision for the company’s culture from the very beginning, and how did you translate that vision into reality, especially as Singapore’s first digital bank?

Jocelyne Loh: We were a new bank when I joined Trust Bank – in fact, I was employee #29 – and it was important for us to gain buy-in and ownership from each and every one of our employees as we grew. This was so we could create a meaningful set of core values and company vision collaboratively as a team instead of merely implementing what the management felt was of value. | READ MORE

Beyond budget boost: Workplace revolution to support large families

Singapore’s Budget 2025 has introduced the Large Families Scheme (LFS), a significant step towards supporting parents with three or more children. While financial incentives such as increased Child Development Account grants, MediSave support, and LifeSG credits provide relief, a fundamental shift in workplace culture is needed to ensure that both mothers and fathers feel empowered to balance their professional and caregiving responsibilities.

Dr Xander O. , CEO of the Centre for Fathering , underscored the importance of shared parenting and the role that workplace culture plays in encouraging fathers to be actively involved. “Parenting is a shared responsibility, yet mothers continue to shoulder a larger portion of caregiving duties. This imbalance is perpetuated by societal and workplace cultures that do not actively promote fathers’ involvement,” he told HRM Asia. | READ MORE

Four steps to achieving transformative change in turbulent times

If you are a senior leader, we fully acknowledge how difficult it is to do your job right now. You are navigating through extreme and unprecedented volatility and disruption. Shifting consumer behaviours, rapid technology changes, intense competition, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions have sadly become the new normal.

The pace of change has only accelerated, with new challenges and opportunities emerging daily. Amid this constant upheaval, you are still expected to deliver short-term results, drive innovation and lead your organisation through transformative change. We see it happening within the organisations we support around the world, and we know it is a difficult and unsustainable way of working. Instead of navigating around the storms in years past, we are forced to move right through them. | READ MORE

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