Navigating labour market recovery by putting people first

For a region as diverse as ASEAN, the challenges of adapting to post-COVID business models and ways of working have been both varied and profound.

In highlighting the collaboration shown between ASEAN member states as the region looks to continue its recovery from the pandemic, speakers from regional governments, unions, and the private sector will come together at the ASEAN Future of Work (FOW) conference to discuss how to work together to balance stakeholders’ needs and interests in adapting to new business models and ways of working.

Organised in collaboration with Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower and the Regional Centre for the Future of Work, the third edition of ASEAN FOW will be held on Thursday, May 12, from 9am-2.30pm (SGT), as part of the award-winning HR Tech Festival Asia 2022.

Kicking off the prestigious and popular virtual conference as the Guest of Honour (GOH) is Heng Swee Keat, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, who will be making the opening address at 9am (SGT).

After the GOH’s opening address, attention will turn to how artificial intelligence (AI) is being adopted in ASEAN to support workforce management and key HR functions. Moderated by Associate Professor Hahn Jungpil, Deputy Director (AI Governance), AI Singapore, the panel discussion titled, The Future of AI in HR: Balancing Innovation, Ethics and Governance, will discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by HR practitioners as they increasingly adopt and harness AI in their work.

Associate Professor Hahn will be joined by Poon King Wang, Director, Lee Kuan Yew, Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC), Singapore University of Technology and Design; and Nina Alag Suri, CEO of X0PA AI.

With the pandemic having introduced new norms to the way we work, governments, businesses, and workers are increasingly seeing flexible work as a permanent fixture of the workplace.

To better understand the challenges and best practices to balance the needs of businesses and their workers under flexible work models, as well as the trade-offs between remote and onsite work, be sure to join the panel discussion titled, Successful Flexible Work Arrangements: Managing the Trade-offs between Remote and Onsite Work.

Moderated by Jason Seng, Partner, People Advisory Services, Ernst & Young Advisory; the session will also examine the future of flexible workplaces and how businesses can best apply flexible work arrangements. Joining Seng will be Deanna Ong, Chief People Officer, Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC).

With the pandemic creating a rise in platform workers, ASEAN FOW is also shining a spotlight on the working conditions of workers engaged in delivery and transport services.

In the panel discussion titled, Strengthening Labour Protections for Platform Workers: A Delicate Balance Between Protecting Workers and Promoting Enterprise Competitiveness, Professor Hoon Hian Teck, Dean, School of Economics, Singapore Management University, will lead the discussion on how to strengthen labour protections for workers engaged in delivery and transport services, taking into consideration how these workers generally have less access to employment benefits, compared with individuals engaged in standard employment.

Rounding off ASEAN FOW this year is the panel discussion titled, Employability or Employment: Supporting Our Youth for the Best Start at Work. Moderated by Cheryl Lim, Partner, McKinsey & Company, the panel consisting of Nicole Anne Kahn Parreño, Policy and Advocacy Officer, Secretariat, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines; and Anthony Choong, Head of International Business Development, Glints, will highlight the challenges youths in ASEAN are facing in balancing education and training opportunities.

The session will explore the roles governments, unions, and employers can play to help youths secure meaningful employment opportunities, and how the public, people, private, and education sectors can support youths to take on diverse career opportunities and entrepreneurial roles.

READ: Reuniting Asia’s HR community to reimagine workforce management

ASEAN FOW is taking place under the week-long HR Tech Festival Asia 2022, which is taking place from May 10-13, 2022, and will feature some of the most innovative HR tech brands in the market today, including ADP, Achievers, AMS, Ceridian, CoachHub, Coursera, Cornerstone OnDemand, Darwinbox, Globalization Partners, LinkedIn, Oracle, Qualtrics, ServiceNow, Skillsoft, Top Employers Institute,  Culture Amp, Enboarder, Microsoft, SHL, SumTotal, and Wolter Kluwer.

With the theme of Return. Refresh. Reimagine, the 21st edition of HR Tech Festival Asia will be presented in a hybrid format that is designed to provide an immersive and customisable event experience for your needs and preferences.

2022 will be a complex year for APAC’s HR leaders as organisations return to the workplace, refresh talent strategies, and reimagine the future workforce to optimise business impact.

Be sure to be part of HR Tech Festival Asia 2022 and learn how you can power up your HR teams for a successful year ahead!