share on
The HR leader underscored the importance of leveraging data to understand employee behaviour, predict trends, and inform decision-making, in his session at Talent & Tech Asia Summit 2025.
At HRO's Talent & Tech Asia Summit 2025, Sandeep Mookharjea (pictured above), Managing Director and APAC Chief Human Resources Officer, Mizuho Bank, made a compelling statement on how HR leaders can build trust to drive lasting transformation in today’s evolving workforce.
On Day 2 of the conference (3 April 2025), he opened the day's discussions by affirming HR's role as a catalyst for change.
The HR leader began by conducting an interactive experiment, asking attendees to move closer to the front of the room. This exercise served as a powerful demonstration of the different ways individuals respond to change – some resist, some are early adopters, and others wait to see what happens.
Drawing on his 27 years of experience across multiple companies and countries, Sandeep highlighted the importance of community and collaboration within the HR function.
"We shouldn't feel that we are alone in this," he noted, emphasising the value of shared learning and support in a world undergoing unprecedented change.
He further went on to explain how HR can effectively drive transformational change in the modern workforce.
Key phases of change
Sandeep outlined the key phases of change management, providing a clear map for HR professionals:
- Vision & alignment: Establishing the “why” behind the change.
- Activation & adaptation: Implementing changes and navigating the inevitable discomfort.
- Sustainability & embedding: Ensuring changes become ingrained in the company culture.
He also acknowledged the emotional journey that employees undergo during change, moving from initial excitement to uncertainty and, eventually, settling into a “new normal”.
Creating value and shaping culture
Speaker Sandeep stressed the importance of HR professionals driving change with empathy, strategy, and resilience in today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. He emphasised the need for HR to focus on value creation across three planes:
- Employee: This relates to enhancing employee experience, retention, and belonging.
- Organisational: This concerns improving workforce productivity, agility, and alignment with business goals.
- Societal: This involves contributing to the organisation's reputation through inclusion, ethics, and community impact.
Further, Sandeep highlighted the critical role of organisational culture in supporting change, fostering open communication, and building trust.
Actionable strategies for HR
Sandeep concluded his keynote by offering actionable strategies for HR professionals to drive change effectively:
- Agile talent platforms: Utilising technology to create dynamic talent marketplaces.
- Change resilience programmes: Developing initiatives to foster adaptability and a growth mindset.
- Data-driven HR: Building data-centric platforms to leverage people analytics.
- Pulse surveys: Implementing regular feedback channels to gauge employee sentiment during change.
- Transparent communication: Promoting open and honest communication from senior management.
In the Q&A session with the audience, the leader addressed the challenges of uncertainty and failure, particularly in risk-averse cultures. He emphasised the importance of building tolerance for experimentation while maintaining robust risk and control mechanisms.
Responding to a question on leveraging data, Sandeep advised: "Don't wait for data to be 100% accurate, 100% perfect," highlighting the need to balance data quality with timely action.
Sandeep’s insightful presentation provided HR professionals with a valuable framework for navigating change and driving organisational success. As he aptly put it, "HR has moved from operational support partner to becoming a strategic business driver to drive change."
Lead image / Human Resources Online
share on
