Outsmart Local Singapore: 3 Big Ideas Shaping the Future of Workforce Analytics
Explore highlights from Outsmart Local Singapore.Discover how HR leaders are leveraging people data and AI insights to revolutionize workforce strategies and drive significant business impact.
At our inaugural Outsmart Local Singapore event on 1st July 2025 at The Westin Singapore, over 200 HR, business, and analytics leaders came together to explore how workforce analytics and AI are transforming people decisions into business outcomes. From bold customer stories to thought-provoking panels, one thing was clear: the future of work belongs to those who combine human insight with data-powered agility.
Here are the three key themes that emerged:
1. People Analytics Is Business Strategy
Gone are the days when people analytics was a back-office reporting function. Today, it’s a strategic business driver—one that influences everything from productivity and profitability to retention and innovation. Multiple speakers underscored that HR must speak the language of business, using workforce data to answer real questions:
Are we hiring the right people?
What’s driving attrition?
Where should we invest to build future capability?
The most forward-looking organisations are treating people data as business data, embedding analytics in strategic planning and turning insights into action at every level of the enterprise.
“As a rewards professional, I don’t work with feelings—I work with facts. Analytics helps us challenge gut-based decisions with real data."
Ray Tan
Director Total Rewards Data & Insights, AbbVie
“We didn’t want our work to be called ‘interesting.’ We wanted it to be useful and drive business decisions.”
Steve Scott
Global Head, People Insight, Analytics and Workforce Management, Standard Chartered Bank
“The best innovation you’re ever gonna do is the one you do next.”
Andrew Cullerton
Executive General Manager, Everyday People Services, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
"Embed data into daily decision-making or risk it becoming just another report on the shelf."
Worawat Suvagondha
Chief People Officer, Siam Commercial Bank
“People analytics allows us to identify problems, diagnose them, design interventions, and then measure the impact — and that last step is often missed in HR.”
Adam McKinnon
People Analytics and Data Leader, Reece Group
2. Human Wisdom × AI Innovation = Competitive Advantage
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the people function—but not by replacing HR. Instead, AI enhances HR’s reach, speed, and impact, giving leaders faster, more accurate insights and more time to focus on what matters: the people.
The key is human-centered AI—tools that are intuitive, ethical, and designed to amplify the creativity and empathy that only people can bring. At Outsmart, we saw how organisations are using AI to reduce turnover, automate low-value tasks, and democratise decision-making through conversational analytics assistants like Visier’s “Vee”.
“AI is a powerful butler—it supports and enhances our work, but it should never replace human judgment or empathy.”
Sandeep Mookharjea
APAC Chief Human Resources Officer, Mizuho Bank
On the importance of openness to partnerships and external tools in managing large-scale workforce challenges, “we can't manage this complexity alone. And we shouldn’t—it’s not smart when there are so many solutions out there.”
Alan Sumano
VP HR People Analytics and Employee Experience, IHH Healthcare
“Compared to what? Context is everything in analytics.”
Marcel
IPG Mediabrands
3. Great Insights Come from Content, Not Complexity
Data alone doesn't drive change—the right insight, at the right time, for the right person does. Whether you’re a C
HRO or a frontline manager, what matters is content that’s curated, contextual, and clear.
The most impactful analytics teams don’t just deliver dashboards—they shape decisions. By personalising content, visualising what matters, and guiding users toward action, HR can scale insight and influence across the business.
“Technology is the enabler—but content is king.”
Paul Rubenstein
Chief Customer Officer, Visier
“Spreadsheets give people comfort—they feel in control. But we need to let go. Focus on the story the data is telling, not the rows and columns.”
— Liza Manalo-Mapagu, Chief Executive Officer, ASEAMETRICS
“With Visier, we’ve gone from manual Excel reporting to a consistent global view of KPIs that local teams can understand and act on.”
— Marcel Wirantono, Talent Analytics and Reporting Lead, APAC, IPG Mediabrands
“If you can’t speak the language of business and numbers, you’ve already lost the battle for influence.”
— Haslam Preeston, Chief People and Culture Officer, CapitaLand Investment Limited
"Data isn’t just technical — it’s the evidence that empowers HR to make better decisions and influence business outcomes."
— Aileen Tan, Group Chief People and Sustainability Officer, Singtel
Rewriting the Role of HR
As workforce dynamics shift, AI accelerates, and employee expectations evolve, the role of HR is being radically redefined. At Outsmart Local Singapore, we saw a community of leaders ready to embrace this change, bringing together analytics, empathy, and innovation to solve the most pressing people challenges.
“It was bold, 13 years ago, to tell our executives that people data is business data. But integrating those insights into decision-making—that’s where the real value lies."
Cher Whee Sim
Vice President, People Strategy, Technology & Talent Acquisition, Micron Technology
“HR leaders are both architects of the workplace and engineers of the workforce.”
Low Peck Kem
CHRO, Singapore Public Service Division
As our CEO Ryan Wong reminded us, the future of HR is not about making HR better — it’s about making business better through better people decisions.
