Michelle Yang(she/her)

A lot of my recent conversations revolve around the disappointing fee & profit performance of the first half of this year, but the bottom may be in for many of the #APAC markets. H1 has surprised many, as there was a fair bit of optimism at the end of 2023 that 2024 would ease the pain and take off. You only have to look at the big players' latest reports to understand how tough H1/Q2 was and remember that 2023 was also an extremely tough year for these businesses. Hays ANZ -22% (Q2) (Aus -20% & NZ -43%) Hays Asia -13% (HK -30% & Japan -13%) Michael Page APAC -22.8% (H1) (Aus & HK both -38%. Japan -6%) Robert Walters APAC -20% (H1) (Aus -19%, HK not reported & Japan +9%) Patchy is still the most used word to describe the market, but most of my conversations in July have been positive. Japan is the main market leading the way, but hopefully, for all of us, the rest of the markets will pick up and follow. 🚀 Dean James Rec2Rec #makeyourmove #rec2rec #recruitment #results #hongkong #japan #australia #newzealand

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Your therapist helps you weather the storm; your life coach guides you to navigate the seas and thrive. Who’s charting your course? 💡 CNA highlights how therapy heals while coaching propels you forward. My life mirrors this exactly. One morning, I woke up late, adrift after a breakup. Missing meetings & feeling lost, I realized I needed support. Therapy steadied me emotionally, but my life coach asked: 'What if this breakup clears space for your best life?' It reshaped my journey. Like a Sherpa guiding me up a mountain, they didn't carry my load but illuminated the smartest path forward. Through powerful questions—not advice, they unlocked the life I wanted—shifting me from surviving to thriving. This combination reshaped not just my life but also how I serve my clients. Whether it’s helping them set a 10-year vision or find clarity during transitions, I guide clients toward measurable breakthroughs. Take one client—a successful CEO. Despite her achievements, she struggled with feeling “not enough.” While we mapped her future goals together embraced her potential and took bold steps toward a fulfilling life, I encouraged her to seek counseling for deeper emotional healing on her past childhood. ✨ Therapy steadied us; coaching empowered us to soar. Today, as a life coach, my approach is clear: - I’m not your therapist (been there, needed that). - We check your mental wellness first (non-negotiable). - We co-create a life of purpose, clarity, and fulfillment (my true passion). 💭 Therapy helped me heal; coaching helped me fly. Together, they fuel personal growth—just like my journey. 💡 What’s your experience with therapy or coaching? How has either shaped your growth? 🤝 Share your story in the comments—I’d love to hear it. 📚 More insights from CNA: [Link in comments] ✨ Ready to explore what coaching can do for you? DM me to chart your meaningful path forward. #LifeCoaching #PersonalGrowth #TherapyAndCoaching #PersonalDevelopment #MentalHealthMatters

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Hiring Sentiment in Singapore Remains Soft, But Most Sectors Still Looking to Boost Headcount Despite a generally soft hiring sentiment, 44% of employers plan to hire for the July-September period, according to the latest survey. The finance and real estate sectors are notably cautious, with the net employment outlook dropping 30 percentage points to 15%. However, the transport, logistics, and automotive sector shows resilience with a robust 47% net outlook. Other highlights: - Communication services: -33% outlook, the only negative sector. - Overall net employment outlook: 20%. - Positive outlook in healthcare, life sciences, industrials, and materials sectors. - Smaller firms (10-49 employees) report the strongest outlook at 46%. At Elliott Scott HR, we are experiencing a rise in demand for COE roles, particularly in Rewards, HRIS/Analytics, and Talent Management. Companies are also seeking strong strategic HRBPs for newly created positions or to enhance and uplift current capabilities. If we can be of assistance please don't hesitate to reach out, [email protected] https://lnkd.in/g6x6mhpV

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Yesterday Singtel experienced an outage that disrupted critical services, including emergency hotlines, hospitals, and banks. During the three-hour disruption, Downdetector received over 18,000 reports. When an outage occurs, minimizing downtime and keeping customers informed is crucial, especially when essential services are impacted. Downdetector equips you with real-time monitoring of both your own services and third-party dependencies—such as CDNs and cloud hosting providers. This comprehensive oversight helps pinpoint the source of disruptions, enabling your customers to understand the root cause and the services that are truly affected. Using Downdetector Connect, your customer care teams can post key information and updates directly on the Downdetector website https://downdetector.sg/, ensuring a reliable communication channel even during critical situations.This proactive approach not only aids in quicker incident resolution but also protects your reputation and helps maintain the reliability that customers expect and depend on. These capabilities and more can help effectively manage outages by providing: 1. Reduced time to resolution  2. Lower call center volumes  3. Enhanced brand trust 4. Increased customer retention

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Ah, the #NDIS budget, that magical creature that somehow manages to claim its administrative costs are low, while administrative tasks are hidden under the guise of “participant support.” It’s like a magician’s sleight of hand, except instead of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, they’re burying costs under categories that don’t quite fit. Let’s break it down: if plan managers and support coordinators are performing #administrative tasks, how exactly is that participant support? They’re not providing therapy or direct care, they’re juggling paperwork, ensuring #compliance & wrangling providers. Yet, somehow this gets tucked under the “support” banner. It’s like saying the HR department is providing “support” by approving payroll. Sure, it’s necessary—but let’s not pretend they’re on the frontlines giving massages. & while we're at it, what's with this "4-7% on admin" fantasy? Are they using monopoly money or counting beans with their eyes closed? If we were to reclassify those sneaky admin-like functions correctly, you'd find the operational cost ballooning like a politician's campaign promises. But, of course, that’s not sexy when you're trying to sell the idea of “lean operations.” Here’s the kicker: the misclassification doesn’t just distort the numbers; it affects the whole conversation about sustainability. If we don’t know what the real costs are, how are we supposed to fix anything? But then again, maybe the real trick is that nobody actually wants to fix it. Why optimize admin when you can simply disguise it? I mean, would NDIS really want us poking around their neat little categories & uncovering the mess beneath? Nah, it’s better to keep the façade of efficiency while the administrative #support scaffolding teeters in the background. So here’s a thought bomb for you: What if we applied some real transparency? Not the kind that makes you think you’re getting a good deal but actual, brutal #transparency where “participant support” means direct care and “administration” means, well, administration. But hey, we all know how much government agencies love an honest self-assessment. Maybe they should run one of those through their plan managers. Let’s not forget that globally, programs tend to have clearer reporting, separating direct support from the bureaucratic layers that keep the wheels turning. But who needs that when you can muddy the waters & keep everyone guessing? At the end of the day, it’s all about appearance. If NDIS can claim low admin costs while really funneling a chunk of that budget into administrative functions under a different name, who’s going to notice? Well, maybe the people who rely on the system will—when the “participant support” they’re promised starts looking more like red tape & paperwork. Mark Sweeney Marie J. Graham Taylor Peter Gregory Ailsa R. Jane Scott ♿ Veronica Stephan-Miller Jarrod Sandell-Hay Samantha Connor Mark Toomey Tara Hannon David Napier Byron Stol Shirley Humphris

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Recently, alongside my usual staples of Pixar Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Company cartoons, I’ve added one Netflix film "Orang Itu" by Ngai Yuen and a documentary shared by George Jacobs. In this post today, I will focus on the documentary "𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀" and not reveal too much on "Orang Itu". Go watch them! You can find the links to both in my comments below. The story of the Malayan Tiger 🐅 particularly one nicknamed "Awang Besot" along with other "three-legged" animals left physically maimed by cruel traps, were heart wrenching and 💔 heartbreaking. These scenes highlighted two pressing issues: 🔴 How diseases from domestic animals are infiltrating our natural ecosystems, especially in the already thinning wilderness 🌳🌲 🔴 How illegal poaching is decimating the Malayan Tigers. There are not thousands left anymore but just 150? -- they are on the verge of extinction 🤷‍♂️ The biodiversity of Taman Negara Malaysia, including some screen grabs of the documentary (image/video credits: #RIMAU) I’ve attached here, reminds us of the marvels of nature we risk losing. We need to also recognise 👏 👏 👏 👏 the tireless efforts of the police, rangers and the indigenous communities risking their lives to protect them. This alarming crisis also reminded me of Malcolm Gladwell’s "The Tipping 🔥 Point". The perceived traditional value of tigers -- whether for pelts, tiger teeth and claws as artefacts or traditional medicine -- has historically outweighed the cost of protecting them. A dangerous cycle, unbalancing biodiversity and pushing conservation efforts to the edge. ↪ 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀. Biodiversity 🦔 is a big part of Sustainability. In the same way, we must flip this "narrative" in our Sustainability journey -- the true costs of inaction and procrastination can become so heavy that they weigh/worn down our good intentions/actions and distort/distract the eventual solutions. 💪 How might we step up our actions, big or small, to keep momentum going? I have the believe that solutions 💡 sometimes appear on the horizon 🌈 needing just 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 consistent action and nudging to fully materialise. #sustainability #biodiversity #collaboration #collectiveaction

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With Singapore’s ambitious goal to increase manufacturing value-add over the next decade by 50%, manufacturers need to get better at leveraging innovation to drive sustainable growth in the industry. I enjoyed sharing with Frontier Enterprise how I see manufacturers reaping the benefits of combining AI and automation to enhance productivity and foster further innovation to actualise the government’s “Manufacturing 2030” plan. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/g5sUuVPD

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Is that Bali or Singapore? Working from this heaven today, recruiting Engineering Manager for a fully remote job opportunity. One of a kind for those obsessed with solving technical challenges If you’re into Runtimes, Developer Tools, etc and want to work with former Google, Meta and Microsoft leaders having an impact on a product map while managing a small fully temote remote team - DM I’ll share the JD asap Otherwise comment + I’ll reach out to you My email is in the first comment below 👇 #rust #runtimes #hiringengineers

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As the tech sector continues to thrive in #Singapore, attracting and retaining top talent has become increasingly challenging. I found this insightful blog post that highlights a key strategy to tackle these hurdles effectively. If you’re in #HR or part of the tech industry, this is a must-read! Let’s ensure our organizations stay competitive and continue to thrive in this dynamic market. Check out the full article here: [https://ow.ly/eqIO50TcTP2] What strategies have you found effective in attracting tech talent? Share your thoughts! 💬 #TechTalent #Singapore #HR #Talent #TechIndustry #RecruitmentStrategy #Innovation #CareerDevelopment

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I strongly disapprove of Amazon’s decision to end hybrid work arrangements and mandate a return to the office. While this move may be driven by a desire to enhance collaboration, it overlooks key concerns that could negatively impact employee satisfaction and long-term productivity. Industry experts have consistently pointed out that rigid return-to-office policies can be detrimental to workforce morale. By removing the flexibility that hybrid work offers, Amazon risks alienating employees who have come to value the work-life balance and productivity gains remote work provides. Commuting is a factor in employee burnout—forcing employees back into daily commutes could lead to fatigue, affecting their focus and output over time. Additionally, the greatest red flag is that this decision may signal a lack of trust in employees, implying that workers need to be physically present to be productive. This could be seen as a move toward micromanagement, undermining the autonomy and confidence many employees have built over the last few years. Such perceptions may harm the relationship between Amazon and its workforce, resulting in disengagement and lower morale. A critical concern is that this policy shift could drive employees to leave Amazon in favor of smaller tech firms or startups. While salary, company branding, and prestige are important factors in attracting talent, offering hybrid work arrangements has become a key differentiator for many companies. Smaller firms, which may not compete on compensation or brand name, often provide more flexible work environments. This flexibility is increasingly attractive to employees who prioritize work-life balance, making it a potential tipping point for those considering a job change. In the long run, this decision may lead to higher turnover, with employees seeking employers who respect their need for flexibility and autonomy. At a time when the future of work is leaning toward flexibility, it’s unfortunate to see Amazon take a step backward. To truly thrive in this evolving work landscape, companies must prioritize employee satisfaction, trust, and adaptability—not revert to outdated models that no longer align with the modern workforce's expectations.

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Ever wondered how to enable cross-border team building without everyone having to fly into one location? The answer is simple - go online! 🌐 Check out this snapshot of my colleague, Mark Lee from StrengthsAsia, live-streaming Team Forging Games to our client’s team members across different regions. They are participating from the comfort of their homes and offices, engaging in a 3-D gaming platform that fosters teamwork and relationship-building. 🎮💼 Team Forging Games offer a unique opportunity for teams to play together, learn conflict resolution, and address concerns in a safe environment. It's true what they say - play is the brain's best way of learning! 🧠 Team Forging’s 5 levels of live-streamed games vividly depict the various stages teams experience - forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. It's a fantastic way to understand team dynamics and enhance collaboration! 🌟 If this resonates and you want to find out more, ping me. 🤙 Love to chat! . . . . . Everything is #conversation Knowing your #Soundwave transforms Teams love #Teamforging #TeamBuilding #OnlineGames #RemoteWork #Teamwork #LeadershipDevelopment

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Introducing the Singapore Salary Guide 2024/25! Gain unparalleled insights into salary trends, in-demand skills, and workplace transformations across Singapore’s dynamic industries. Whether you're an employer seeking to attract top talent or a job seeker aiming to chart your next career move, this guide has everything you need to navigate the job market with precision. Inside the Guide: • Industry and functional specific salary data • In-depth analysis of trends, including sustainable finance and AI-powered workplace transformations. • Insights and tips to help employers secure top talent and for job seekers to negotiate effectively. • Key trends shaping the future of work Stay informed and lead with confidence. Download your essential resource today! Visit https://lnkd.in/gUkKwqax today!

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Here's the outlook for APAC market growth in the next few years.

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OMG WE DID IT! Your support for my YouTube channel (and broadly my post layoff life) has gotten me featured in The Straits Times! This is by far the most personal interview I have done. In this story, I shared some of my biggest and most painful losses in my life: I lost my mum (my best friend and my hero) while working in finance. I lost my dream job while working at Google. Heck I even lost all my hair as well 😂 Then I started to realize: 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁. At some point, we all had to lose money, relationships, time, hope, health, patience. The list goes on. But pain is such an effective teacher. It taught me that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't avoid losing. But what we get from facing loss so frequently is an opportunity to learn from it and accept that every loss is either a lesson or a blessing (or both) I hope you enjoy this article as much as I enjoyed working with Kai Xiang Teo. He has done such a beautiful job to capture my story. (PS coincidentally The Straits Times was once my customer back when I was starting out as a sales rep in Google, so this really feels full circle) Please continue to support my YT channel where I make videos on career and finance tips minus the BS (new video drop this weekend!): https://lnkd.in/ghR9cvZn (Full article link in comments below)

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Introducing the Singapore Salary Guide 2024/25! Gain unparalleled insights into salary trends, in-demand skills, and workplace transformations across Singapore’s dynamic industries. Whether you're an employer seeking to attract top talent or a job seeker aiming to chart your next career move, this guide has everything you need to navigate the job market with precision. Inside the Guide: • Industry and functional specific salary data • In-depth analysis of trends, including sustainable finance and AI-powered workplace transformations. • Insights and tips to help employers secure top talent and for job seekers to negotiate effectively. • Key trends shaping the future of work Stay informed and lead with confidence. Download your essential resource today! Visit https://lnkd.in/gG9aWdKk today!

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As some of you may know, Seek Sophie teamed up with the amazing team at Somewhere Else for our rebrand this year. Seriously, they are some of the most talented and hardworking creatives we've worked with.  Growing up I was always a lot stronger in the 'arts' subjects rather than the 'science' subjects. But I often felt that being good at anything creative wasn't taken as seriously as, say, math or science. At school even our 'arts' subjects were taught very much from a left-brain/logic perspective than a free-wheeling right-brain perspective. There was a right and a wrong way to be creative 🤔  But in recent years, building a business has shown me how fundamental creativity is to everything we do – because going from 0 to 1 is pure creativity. How do we dream up something that hasn't existed before, how do we tell our brand story in a way that sticks, and how do we grow something from zero? I felt like a big part of what I had to do in the past few years was to unlearn what I've been taught, so I could free myself to actually create.  That's why I'm really excited about this event where we get to talk about how to build creative teams, with some of the most creative people around. If you're curious about building creative teams, you may enjoy this!

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𝗦𝗪𝗜𝗙𝗧 𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁-𝘁𝗼-𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 In the world of video content, businesses face significant challenges. At GECO Asia Pte Ltd we're transforming the landscape with our AI Text-to-Video solution: 𝗦 - 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀  𝗪 - 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁-𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆: 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻  𝗜 - 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗔𝗜-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻  𝗙 - 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆  𝗧 - 𝗧𝗼𝗽-𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 Here's how SWIFT addresses traditional pain points: 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱: Slash production time from weeks to mere days. Launch campaigns rapidly and respond to trends in real-time. 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁-𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆: Produce high-quality videos at a fraction of traditional costs, making professional content accessible for all business sizes. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Use simple text prompts to choose perfect footage, images, and transitions. No more endless stock footage searches. 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Easily make changes, create multiple versions, or scale your content without starting from scratch. 𝗧𝗼𝗽-𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Maintain professional standards consistently, rivaling traditional production methods. Imagine launching marketing campaigns in days, not months. Envision creating personalised video content at scale. Picture having the agility to adapt your video strategy on the fly. The future of video content is here, and it's #SWIFT. Are you ready to transform your approach to video? Let's connect and explore how SWIFT AI Text-to-Video can revolutionise your content strategy. P.S. Here's the latest video: https://bit.ly/3zQO9PB

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