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The organisation's PLR (purpose, learning, result) framework prioritises purposeful actions, lifelong learning, and result-driven mindsets to encourage workforce agility, as we learn from CHRO Siew Fei Yoon.
At Hartalega, learning is a cornerstone of the organisational culture, supported by innovative frameworks such as the PLR (purpose, learning, result) framework and the Hartalega Way competency framework.
These initiatives foster purposeful actions, lifelong learning, and result-driven mindsets, driving sustainability and growth in an ever-evolving landscape.
In conversation with Sarah Gideon, Siew Fei Yoon, Chief Human Resources Officer, Hartalega (pictured above), shares how he champions a culture that empowers employees to thrive both personally and professionally.
By prioritising talent development and leadership growth, he ensures employees are equipped to tackle challenges and lead with purpose and innovation.
Q How has your organisation adapted its learning and development strategy to meet the challenges and opportunities of 2025?
Our organisation embraces learning as one of our six core values, committing to learn, share, and teach as a foundation of our culture. Since 2023, we have integrated the PLR framework — Purpose, Learning, Result — to foster a workplace culture that prioritises purposeful actions, lifelong learning, and result-driven mindsets. This ensures our workforce remains agile and future ready.
Building on a legacy established over a decade ago, our Hartalega Way competency framework has undergone significant updates, with enhanced governance to ensure sustainability. This structured approach empowers employees to develop competencies that align with both individual growth and organisational objectives, supporting long-term success and resilience.
Moreover, our Hartalega Signature Talent Development Programme aims to delivers globally consistent development opportunities, particularly emphasising leadership skills. This programme ensures that regardless of location, our employees have access to resources that empower them to grow and lead.
Through these initiatives, we continuously adapt our learning and development strategy, preparing our people to meet the challenges and opportunities of 2025 with confidence and capability.
Q What are the hottest, function-agnostic skills in your industry today – skills that will never fail you?
For me, they are critical thinking, analytical skills, and communication. These three form a robust foundation for success across all roles and responsibilities.
Critical thinking empowers employees to evaluate situations logically, solve complex problems, and make informed decisions. It's a skill that ensures resilience and adaptability, especially in an ever-changing business landscape.
Analytical skills complement critical thinking by enabling individuals to interpret data, identify trends, and draw meaningful insights. In a world increasingly driven by data, this capability is vital for crafting strategies and driving impactful results.
Communication skills act as the glue that binds these competencies together. Whether sharing insights, collaborating across teams, or influencing stakeholders, effective communication ensures clarity and alignment in every interaction.
Q How are you building these skills in your workforce? Essentially, how do you help employees accelerate their learning (especially when it comes to soft skills)?
We build critical, analytical, and communication skills in our workforce through targeted programmes and a structured development approach. These skills are integral to the syllabus of our signature talent development programmes, tailored to different career stages.
For senior leaders, the Mastering Leadership Programme (MLP) hones their leadership and decision-making capabilities. Managers benefit from the Builder Programme, which equips them with the tools to lead teams effectively. New executive hires participate in the Explorer Programme, designed to accelerate their transition from academia to professional life, embedding these essential skills early in their careers.
To support blue-collar workers aspiring to leadership roles, we offer the Accelerated Development Programme (ADP) and Supervisor Development Programme (SDP), which prepares them with the competencies needed for a smooth transition into supervisory positions.
Additionally, we adopt the 70-20-10 development model in individual development plans (IDP). This emphasises experiential learning (70%), social learning through mentoring and coaching (20%), and formal training (10%). This model ensures that employees not only acquire soft skills but also apply them effectively in real-world scenarios.
Through these comprehensive initiatives, we empower our employees to accelerate their learning and build timeless, transferable skills critical for success in any role.
Q On the HR front - What are the top 3 most critical skills your organisation is prioritising for the future, and how are you cultivating them? OR Personally speaking, how are you, as a leader, upskilling yourself for your role, as well as your HR team?
The top three most critical skills Hartalega is prioritising for the future are analytical skills, leadership, and functional competencies. These are pivotal for driving growth and ensuring we remain competitive in a dynamic industry landscape. Through the programmes described earlier — such as our Hartalega Way, signature talent development initiatives and the 70-20-10 IDP model — we aim to cultivate these skills across the organisation, ensuring our workforce is prepared for future challenges.
Personally, I focus on upskilling myself by immersing in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and the ever-evolving global labour and sustainability standards.
"Staying hands-on in these domains helps me lead with insight and align our strategies with industry advancements. For my HR team, I prioritise building functional capability through job rotation."
This practice allows team members to gain diverse perspectives, deepen their expertise, and enhance their adaptability. Together, these efforts ensure both personal and organisational readiness for the future.
Q If you could have any superpower to enhance your learning and development efforts, what would it be and how would you use it to shape the future of work?
If I could have a superpower, it would be the ability to instantly understand the true strengths of every individual. This would revolutionise how we approach talent management and development. By recognising unique capabilities at a glance, we could align employees with roles and responsibilities that maximise their potential, driving both engagement and productivity.
This superpower would also enable us to create personalised development plans, focusing on amplifying strengths while addressing growth areas. Teams could be formed based on complementary skills, fostering collaboration and innovation.
Moreover, understanding strengths would help identify hidden talents and future leaders, ensuring a robust succession pipeline and a workforce ready to tackle emerging challenges. This ability would not only enhance organisational performance but also build a culture where every individual feels valued and empowered, shaping the future of work to be more inclusive, effective, and human-centred.
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