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After 30 years in HR, Jayanti Kandayah believes the most effective rewards strategies are built around people's different needs and aspirations, not one-size-fits-all solutions.
With three decades of experience in HR across Asia, Jayanti Kandayah (pictured above) has built her career around one belief: organisations perform at their best when their people thrive.
As Head of Human Resources at VAT Malaysia, she has led organisational transformation, talent acquisition, M&A integration, culture development, and leadership initiatives, while helping businesses build stronger teams and workplaces.
That belief is also what first drew her to HR. The opportunity to work closely with people and make a meaningful impact on their careers and workplace experiences continues to motivate her today. She enjoys shaping people strategies that align talent, culture, and business goals, while using data and insights to influence leadership decisions and deliver measurable outcomes.
Speaking to Mary Ann Bundukin ahead of Total Rewards Asia Summit 2026, Malaysia, Jayanti shares that the same people-first philosophy guides her approach to total rewards.
Find the full interview below.
Q What first drew you to HR, and what keeps you passionate about it today?
What drew me to HR was the opportunity to work closely with people and make a meaningful impact on their careers and experiences at work. I’ve always believed that organisations succeed when their people thrive. What keeps me passionate today is the ability to shape people strategy — aligning talent, culture, and business goals.
I enjoy bringing insights and data to leadership discussions, influencing decisions with evidence-based people solutions. Seeing the tangible impact of HR initiatives, whether in engagement, development, or performance, brings me immense personal satisfaction. Ultimately, it’s about being part of a function that enables individuals and organisations to grow together.
Q Can you share the core belief that guides your approach to designing rewards strategies that truly support employees?
My core belief is that rewards should reflect not just what the organisation values but rather who our people are and who they aspire to become. Therefore, designing meaningful rewards starts with truly understanding the diversity of our talent landscape, recognising that employees at different stages of their journey are motivated by different needs, ambitions, and life priorities. When we get this right, rewards become more than a system.
At the same time, an effective rewards strategy requires thoughtful balance. It’s about being bold in ambition, yet practical. Ensuring what we build is not only impactful today, but scalable and sustainable for the future.
Ultimately, I see rewards as a strategic lever to inspire performance, strengthen trust, and build a workplace where people can thrive and grow with purpose.
Q What is one common misconception about total rewards that you’d like to challenge?
One common misconception I’d like to challenge is that total rewards is simply about pay, bonuses, or cash incentives.
Total rewards is so much more – it’s a comprehensive ecosystem that shapes the entire employee experience. It includes not just compensation, but also leadership, work environment, career development opportunities, meaningful challenges, recognition, wellbeing, and the benefits we provide.
People are driven by purpose, growth, and how they feel at work just as much as financial rewards.
So, to me, true total rewards is about creating an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated, because that’s what ultimately drives engagement, performance, and long-term commitment.
Q Please tell us a fun fact about yourself that people may not know.
I am deeply involved in community work across diverse groups of people. Through these experiences, I’ve seen that while individuals face different challenges, needs, and priorities, at the core, everyone seeks to be in an environment that supports and encourages them.
This perspective shapes my approach to HR — I’m passionate about creating workplaces where people feel safe to speak up, are not afraid to innovate, and are encouraged to learn and grow. I believe when we build such environments, people are empowered to overcome challenges and become stronger both personally and professionally.
Q As a speaker at #TotalRewardsMY, what do you hope attendees will take away from your session?
I hope attendees leave with something practical and gain some forward-looking insights which they can apply. I hope to share beyond one-size-fits-all approaches by designing segmented and flexible rewards frameworks that supports the different workforce needs.
I want to attend the conference: If you're keen to attend this closed-door conference, kindly register your interest here. For speaking opportunities, please write in to Mary Ann Bundukin. We look forward to welcoming you!
I want to sponsor: Engage in meaningful dialogue through dedicated speaking slots, roundtable discussions, and at your booths! If your organisation provides any talent solutions and products that you'd like to showcase, you’ll fit right into this event. To learn how you can sponsor, please reach out to a member of our team now!
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