Talent & Tech Asia Summit 2024
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6 HR leaders on their vision for recruitment in 2020

What happens when you get six HR and talent acquisition leaders to comment on the future of the recruitment function? Absolute fun and creativity, yet a seriousness and dedication towards making constant upgrades to the way they recruit, onboard and engage the best talent.


James Foo, head of group human resources, ABR Holdings

The sky is the limit! In 2020, I would love to see my recruitment function involve a VR tour of the company’s premises, alongside a VR corporate video introducing the organisation’s HQ to corporate functions to our respective brands. It would also include the working environment and employees’ facilities, which I believe candidates would be very interested to see.

Applicants will be prompted to select the brand(s) or function they are interested to apply for, which will prompt them to submit a video résumé with questions tailored to the specific position.

After screening, the HR recruiter will invite the shortlisted candidates on-site for a selection test, using the service crew position as an example. Candidates are divided into groups and led by a recruiter into a different interview room. A random dish/drink will be given to the candidate and he/she will be given three seconds to introduce the dish to everyone in the room. The purpose of this test is to assess their creativity, communication skills and their impromptu reaction.


Delphine Leong, talent acquisition manager, Meltwater Asia Pacific

Organising a monthly “Recruitment Happy Hour” for not just job seekers, but also the opportunity for partners and customers to be plugged into our “work hard, play hard” culture here at Meltwater. Prospective candidates can speak with the management team as well as hiring managers on the spot in an informal setting.

To spice things up, the preliminary interview process will be relatively informal, giving candidates the opportunity to experiment with different ways to approach the hiring manager on-site. In addition, what better way to showcase our open and collaborative office space than to host this monthly event with lots of food and drinks?


Shmeer Bharoocha, regional talent acquisition and country lead (Europe and America), ANZ

In an ideal world, I’d say beat me (or your hiring manager) at a virtual game of Scrabble and you’re hired!


Natalie Wright, HR director, Supernova

VR simulation would be a great way for candidates to see what it’s really like to work with us at Supernova. As a company centred around social media we will be using this channel a lot more, with creative hashtags, Instagram applications and meet-ups. While also utilising Pinterest and goody bags to select the most creative application that will help us see a candidate’s creativity come to life.


Sreejith Nambiar, regional head, talent acquisition, Asia Pacific and Japan, Autodesk

Companies may have brand ambassadors, across functions apart from HR, to give a virtual tour. The company’s culture will be on display to attract the suitable candidates. Depending on the company’s persona as an employer, these shows could be health-focused, benefits-oriented, and even rock ‘n’ roll themed!


John Bush, VP talent acquisition, Zendesk

I would love to find a place for virtual reality to change the experience for applicants. Why not, at the point of interest, allow an applicant to enter a virtual reality simulation of corporate headquarters to walk the halls, see the layout and perks of the office and interface with the company’s products through this environment? Virtual reality could be a game-changer in highlighting your employer value proposition, implementation of assessments, and allowing an applicant to experience the company through a new vantage point.

Read the full feature in the September edition of Human Resources, Singapore:

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