The Adrian Tan Show

Why is returning to the office creating tension between employers and employees? Leong CheeTung joins Adrian Tan to discuss flexible work, retention and making hybrid arrangements work.

In this June 2022 conversation, CheeTung was CEO of people analytics company EngageRocket. He shares perspectives from his research and the company’s own approach to flexible work.

We discuss:

• Why companies and employees struggle with return-to-office plans

• Why some employers hesitate to offer flexible work

• Whether losing remote work would prompt Singapore employees to leave

• Designing flexible arrangements, with examples from EngageRocket

Guest: Leong CheeTung — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheetung/

EngageRocket: https://www.engagerocket.co/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

How can companies design employee benefits that meet real needs? Joyita Poddar joins Adrian Tan to discuss closing gaps in employee welfare and building a thoughtful benefits programme.

In this May 2022 conversation, Joyita was Chief Human Resources Officer at Livspace, bringing experience in organisational change, culture, people strategy and leadership development.

We discuss:

• Why employee welfare matters to organisations

• Benefits employers should consider

• Principles for creating or revamping a benefits programme

• Examples from Livspace’s approach at the time

• Emerging trends in employee welfare

Guest: Joyita Poddar — https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyitapoddar/

Livspace: https://www.livspace.com/sg

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

Can employers look beyond degrees and hire for what people can actually do? Felix Tan, co-founder of Skilio, joins Adrian Tan to explore skills-based hiring.

In this April 2022 conversation, Felix draws on his experience building an education technology startup and helping young people develop skills for work.

We discuss:

• Why academic qualifications became a hiring filter

• The benefits of evaluating skills

• Whether skills-based hiring applies beyond Gen Z

• Assessing candidates for roles that depend heavily on soft skills

Guest: Felix Tan — https://www.linkedin.com/in/felix-tan-skilio/

Skilio: http://www.skilio.co/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

Where should you start when planning your next career move? Career coach Samantha Ng joins Adrian Tan to discuss identifying your strengths and managing a career in a changing world of work.

In this March 2022 conversation, Samantha draws on her work with professionals, graduates and undergraduates, as well as her experience building education businesses in Singapore and China.

We discuss:

• Samantha’s entrepreneurship experience in China

• How career management has changed since her own graduation

• A first step for professionals thinking about their careers

• Ways to identify your strengths and stay relevant

Guest: Samantha Ng — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziqisamanthang/

Original episode sponsor: Remote, a provider of global employment and payroll services. https://remote.grsm.io/lsclq4fsuno1

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

How can leadership training better serve managers in Asia? Will Fan, co-founder of NewCampus, joins Adrian Tan to discuss building a modern leadership school and the challenges facing Southeast Asian teams.

In this March 2022 conversation, Will shares how NewCampus approached management education, curriculum design and learning for a changing workforce.

We discuss:

• Making management training more accessible

• Why curriculum development takes time

• Leadership challenges in Southeast Asia

• Management and culture issues in growing startups

Guest: Will Fan — https://www.linkedin.com/in/hellowillfan/

NewCampus: https://www.newcampus.co/

Original episode sponsor: Remote, a provider of global employment and payroll services. https://remote.grsm.io/lsclq4fsuno1

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

How can workplaces support mental wellbeing beyond treating the symptoms? Antoinette Patterson, co-founder of Safe Space, joins Adrian Tan to discuss burnout, access to mental healthcare and psychological safety.

In this March 2022 conversation, Antoinette shares how burnout during her advertising career helped inspire the creation of a digital mental healthcare provider.

We discuss:

• Antoinette’s experience of burnout and the origins of Safe Space

• Changing perceptions of mental healthcare

• The value of investing in employee mental wellbeing

• Addressing underlying workplace problems through psychological safety

Guest: Antoinette Patterson — https://www.linkedin.com/in/antopatterson/

Safe Space: https://safespace.sg/

Original episode sponsor: Remote, a provider of global employment and payroll services. https://remote.grsm.io/lsclq4fsuno1

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

What does it take to make a successful career switch? Steven Lock joins Adrian Tan to share his move from IT into training and, later, executive coaching.

In this March 2022 conversation, Steven draws on his work as an executive and leadership coach at Executive Leadership Coaching International. He reflects on the decisions, mistakes and lessons that shaped his own career pivots.

We discuss:

• What motivated Steven to leave IT for training and coaching

• Mistakes he made during career changes and what he would do differently

• Lessons he carried from his training business into coaching

• Three things to consider before switching careers

Guest: Steven Lock — https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensylock/

Executive Leadership Coaching International: https://www.elc-i.com/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

Why does HR technology need to work locally as well as globally? Shaswat Kumar joins Adrian Tan to discuss Darwinbox’s growth, the HR technology landscape and the importance of localisation.

In this March 2022 conversation, Shaswat was Darwinbox’s Senior VP of Global Customer Success and Delivery, drawing on experience leading HR transformations at Hewitt, Aon and Alight Solutions.

We discuss:

• Darwinbox’s journey to unicorn status

• What its growth meant for the HR technology ecosystem

• Why localisation matters for enterprise HR systems

• Barriers that make global HRMS providers reluctant to localise

Guest: Shaswat Kumar — https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaswatkumar/

Darwinbox: https://darwinbox.com/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

Can mental fitness become a daily habit, like walking 10,000 steps? Sanjeev Magotra joins Adrian Tan to discuss everyday mental wellbeing and the motivation behind Joye.

In this February 2022 conversation, Sanjeev shares how his experience in digital technology, AI and cloud at companies including Accenture and IBM shaped his move into wellbeing technology.

We discuss:

• Trends changing how people talk about mental wellbeing

• Why Sanjeev left corporate life to create Joye

• Making mental fitness part of everyday routines

• Small, preventive habits that support wellbeing

Guest: Sanjeev Magotra — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjeev-magotra-6ba3ab/

Joye: https://joye.ai/

More from Adrian: https://www.adriantan.com.sg/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/

Should recruitment be treated as a sales game? Daniel Goldstein joins me to challenge that approach and discuss the value of talent acquisition professionals.

At the time of this February 2022 conversation, Daniel was founder and CEO of Elements Talent Consultancy. He founded the business in 2009 and later piloted its embedded talent consultancy model.

We explore:

• Rethinking the traditional recruitment model

• Why talent acquisition should go beyond sales targets

• Why the highest biller is not always the person to hire

The Adrian Tan Show — Episode 85

Website: https://www.adriantan.com.sg

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriantanck/