Work It

You’ve just started at your new job and your predecessor didn’t do a proper handover. On top of that, you get the feeling that your new colleagues aren’t so welcoming. What should you do?  

Have a burning work-related question to ask a career counsellor? Send it to us at cnapodcasts@mediacorp.com.sg. 

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With new guidelines for flexible work arrangement requests kicking in by the end of the year, how can living and working spaces change to make hybrid work more accessible for all? Associate Professor Lilian Chee from the National University of Singapore and Associate Professor Ada Wong from the Singapore University of Social Sciences share their research. 

This podcast episode is in partnership with the inaugural Ideas Festival. You can find out more at www.ideasfestival.edu.sg

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You’re having a relaxing holiday when suddenly your phone goes off. Your boss is asking questions and your colleagues are chasing you for answers. Sounds familiar? What are some golden rules you should set before you go on leave? Do you have a burning work-related question to ask a career counsellor? Send to us at cnapodcasts@mediacorp.com.sg and we’ll answer it. 

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With retirement and re-employment ages set to be raised, the truth is that there will be more mature workers in our workforce. What are some unique challenges senior workers face and how can companies help them feel more valued? Our guest this week is Professor Yow Wei Quin, head of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. 

This podcast episode is in partnership with the inaugural Ideas Festival. You can find out more atwww.ideasfestival.edu.sg  

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What boundaries do you need at work if your boss happens to be your friend? 

Do you have a burning work-related question to ask a career counsellor? Send it to us at cnapodcasts@mediacorp.com.sg and Gerald Tan of Avodah People Solutions will answer them for you.

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Setting work goals and reviewing them at the end of the year are important milestones for your career progression. What do bosses look for when conducting a performance review? How can you better prepare so that you’ll get constructive feedback from your employer? In the first episode of the new season of Work It, career counsellor Gerald Tan dishes out some useful tips while host Tiffany Ang puts her supervisor in the hot seat.

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Adrian Tan and Crispina Robert call time on their role as hosts of this podcast. In their last episode together, they talk about the highlights of the last two seasons and delve into the purpose of an exit interview. What kind of feedback is given when someone is on his or her way out and how should HR share this information and with whom?

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The executive director of the Singapore Human Resource Institute was Work It's very first guest. Two years on, we check back with Alvin Goh and chat about the future of work, changing work norms, the rise of artificial intelligence and the right to disconnect from work as the focus on mental health comes to the fore in the workplace.

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Camilla Dahl Hansen, chief experience officer at Saxo, was once told to take a break for three weeks because she was overwhelmed with work-induced stress. What does she do to keep burnout at bay? She shares her views with Adrian Tan and Crispina Robert.

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Immersed in a male-dominated industry, Jingjin Liu learnt how to navigate assumptions, judgement and outdated ideas about women as sole caregivers. The founder of ZaZaZu, a corporate platform aimed at helping women in their careers, is our guest in this episode. 

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In a volatile business world, the concept of leaders having "executive presence" has come into sharper focus. What exactly does it mean, and can it be cultivated? Entrepreneur, investor and CEO of Endeavor Linda Rottenberg is this week's guest.

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After our episode on dealing with poor performers, listeners wrote in to ask us to discuss managers who were not doing their jobs well. From micromanagers to non-managers, how do you deal with people responsible for your renumeration and career growth? Leadership coach and founder of Designing Trust Audrey Low is our guest.

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Not a day goes by without some news about generative artificial intelligence, particularly, its impact on jobs. Nick Eayrs from Databricks, an AI and data company, unpacks exactly how jobs will be affected and whose responsibility it is to be prepared. 

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Retrenchments in Singapore more than doubled in 2023 compared to a year before, according to the Ministry of Manpower. But what goes into the decision to cut jobs and which workers are more at risk? Jerviel Lim, head of people and culture at Tatsu Works, is this week’s guest. 

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One of the more challenging aspects of workplace management is dealing with workers who are not performing as well as they should. What steps can managers take to address missed outcomes or unhealthy attitudes? Michael Han of Han & Lu Law Chambers shares his experience with Crispina Robert and Adrian Tan.

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Boards were in the limelight when OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman was fired by his board last year. Who gets to sit on the board of a company? How are they picked and how much power do they really have? Crispina Robert and Adrian Tan speak to Wong Su-Yen, the former president of Singapore Institute of Directors. 

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Talking about money is tricky but important. What goes into your pay? When is a good time to ask for more and can you refuse to disclose your last drawn salary? Ken Tan of Persolkelly, which recently published a salary guide, is our guest. 

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CEO and founder of HR technology firm Visier, Ryan Wong, runs a company with "unicorn" status - it has reached US$1 billion in valuation. He was born, raised and educated in Singapore, but started his business in North America. He shares his journey, why he thinks Singaporeans should take more risks and what needs to change in human resources. 

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Here's the last of our three top episodes from our archives this year. Companies use assessment tools like the 360 and 180 systems which ask for peers and subordinates to assess their supervisors. What are the downsides of giving feedback about your manager? What does constructive criticism look like and why is it important? Norman Chua, director of group HR at the National Healthcare Group explains. 

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Here's the second of three top episodes from our archives this year. A life-threatening diagnosis usually means a chance to stop working, smell the flowers and look at life’s bucket list. But the former partner at TSMP Law Corporation explains why he bucked convention, what he thinks about quiet quitting and what makes a good leader. Adrian Tan died in July 2023.

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Here's the first of three top episodes from our archives this year. DBS Bank CEO Piyush Gupta sits down with Crispina Robert and Adrian Tan to talk about why he calls himself “the accidental banker”, how experiencing failure changed his leadership style and what he really thinks about work-life balance. 

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In a world of online social connections and easy networking opportunities, is the traditional, secretive headhunter still relevant? Crispina Robert and Adrian Tan speak to Michelle Koh, managing director of recruitment firm The Edge Partnership, who says good talent recruitment cannot be done online.   

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Increasingly soft skills in leaders are becoming as important as hard skills. But what exactly are the soft skills needed and what if top managers lack these? Yeo Chuen Chuen, Managing Director of ACESENCE Agile Leadership Coaching and Training, who coaches Fortune 500 leaders, is our guest. 

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The first female CEO of an American bank, Jane Fraser has a nickname: Fraser the razor. She talks to CNA presenter Dawn Tan about change management, the economic outlook, artificial intelligence (AI) and why leaders need to choose teams who can do better than them.

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A Randstad survey showed that 67 per cent of Gen Z employees say poor company culture and leadership would make them quit. One of the hardest relationships to deal with is with their manager. What does it mean to "manage up"? 25-year-old account manager at HighSpark, Teo Jiayi is this week's guest. 

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Popular work communication tool Slack, used by 20 million users around the world, was recently bought by Salesforce for US$27 billion. Crispina Robert has a chat with its co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Cal Henderson on what building a successful business is like, what he looks for when he hires and what's his favourite emoji on Slack. 

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Yeoh Ying Ying was made general manager of pharmaceutical giant Roche Singapore at 39. She talks about rising up the ranks, the hard lessons she learnt early on as a young woman doing sales, and how she compartmentalises her time between work, children and self.

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The great love affair workers had with working from home is over with more big firms wanting their staff back in the office four or five days a week. But the pushback from employees is real. Professor Mark Mortensen from INSEAD has studied hybrid working for 20 years and he explains how everyone can navigate this. 

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An ageing workforce is a top concern of CEOs, especially in places like Japan and Singapore. But talent management systems that cater to what older workers really want are still not up to scratch. James Root, partner at Bain and Company, gives practical ideas on what managers can do. 

In this episode, we talk about a quiz that you can take to show the worker archetype you are. Here's the link.

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Top among the discrimination complaints that TAFEP (Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices) receives is discrimination around nationality, followed by age. Next year, legislation will come into place, taking offenders to task. But where are the grey areas and what kinds of processes do companies have to put in place? Faith Li, general manager of the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep) gives an outline on this episode.

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Ng Jia Min was five years into her first job as an engineer when she decided to move to a completely new industry altogether. But there was just one twist – she didn’t have the skills for it. In this episode, she and her new manager, Melvin Fam, SEO head at digital agency OOm, share their journey on how they made the big move. 

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Help and support for neurodivergent employees should start at the hiring and onboarding stages. But what should companies look out for? Steven Ng, chief information officer at local cybersecurity firm Ensign InfoSecurity which has developed a programme to hire autistic individuals, and career coach Dawn Foo tell senior journalist Grace Yeoh how inclusion happens even before neurodivergent employees enter the workplace.    

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Having dyslexia hasn’t stopped AI ethicist Chan Pui Yan from holding down a job that requires extensive reading and writing to help craft policies. Coupled with dyslexia, she also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). On the third episode of the limited series Wired Differently, she tells senior journalist Grace Yeoh about her struggles with coming to terms that she’s neurodivergent, and how she has learnt to tap into her natural strengths. 

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Individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often struggle with details, time management, organisation and prioritisation – skills required to be a good manager. Yvonne Zhang and Amrun Hisyam tell senior journalist Grace Yeoh how they handle the demands of managerial duties in the second episode of the limited series Wired Differently.

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In a new limited series, CNA’s senior journalist Grace Yeoh gets the personal stories of neurodivergent people in the workplace. In this episode, she speaks with Wesley Loh, a tax associate, about how his autism presents itself at work and how he navigates workplace relationships.

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In our final installment of our special series, the Leader's Chair, Crispina Robert and Adrian Tan speak to Verena Siow, Southeast Asia president and managing director at SAP, one of the world’s leading technology companies. She talks about her unconventional journey - including leaving university to follow her boyfriend to Budapest - and why she feels women have imposter syndrome more than men.

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How many people can boast about working in a jail, pulling a business out of Myanmar at the height of a military coup and negotiating a US$20 billion merger? Crispina Robert and Adrian Tan speak to Jorgen Rostrup, executive vice-president of Telenor Group, in the limited series The Leader’s Chair. 

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Singtel Group's chief people & sustainability officer Aileen Tan was a young management executive in charge of a small team and followed the book on what it meant to be a boss. It didn't go well. She shares the leadership lessons she learnt, how she handles a double portfolio and how nearly 40 per cent of Singtel’s workforce was retrained in new skills. 

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NUS President Tan Eng Chye takes the seat on this episode of The Leader’s Chair. He tells hosts Adrian Tan and Crispina Robert what the future of university education looks like, why he invites staff for morning walks and how he deals with difficult situations. 

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In the season closing episode of 'The Leader's Chair', DBS Bank CEO Piyush Gupta sits down with Crispina Robert and Adrian Tan to talk about why he calls himself “the accidental banker”, how experiencing failure changed his leadership style and what he really thinks about work-life balance. 

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She is the CEO of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) and a mother of three children under 16. Koh Yan Ping juggles all her roles without a live-in helper. She talks about how she does it, what she thinks women leaders are good at and why things are changing.  

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In the seat for this episode of the limited series, "The Leader's Chair", is founding partner of QED Changemakers, Ryan Lim who says he lives by the adage that “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. He talks about why C-suite leaders play an outsized role in driving the kind of culture which attracts and retains talent. 

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 In the second instalment of the limited series, "The Leader's Chair", director of human resources and organisation development at the Singapore Tourism Board Aileen Wong talks about why even the rank-and-file worker can be responsible for grooming a good leader. 

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Work It kicks off a limited series called The Leader’s Chair where we speak to C-suite leaders about what they learnt on their way up, how they deal with stress and what they consider the hardest job as a leader. We kick off the series with Google’s country manager for Singapore, Ben King. 

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When she first started work at a motor workshop, clients would take one look at Mandy Neo and ask for another technician. The technical service advisor at Motor Edgevantage talks about the challenges and rewards of being a woman in a male-dominated industry. 

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He graduated with first-class honours but in his first job, he was put on a performance improvement plan for arguing with his supervisor and submitting substandard work. How do young workers make the transition from school to work without struggling? 27-year-old John Lim is our guest on this episode. 

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Companies use assessment tools like the 360 and 180 systems which ask for peers and subordinates to assess their supervisors. What are the downsides of giving feedback about your manager? What does constructive criticism look like and why is it important? Norman Chua, director of group HR at the National Healthcare Group explains. 

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More people around the world are thinking seriously about the purpose of their work and that’s driving not just personal decisions about careers but also how organisations need to adapt. Hong Siu Ming, senior vice president for people, culture and group rewards at Great Eastern breaks it down in this episode. 

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Getting a promotion at work is often a good thing - of work done well rewarded publicly. But what if you are now managing peers or those older and more experienced than you? Do you need different skills to transit from top performer to manager? Our guest is head of business development and government relations of fintech company M-DAQ Global Jason Tay. 

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It isn't just the amount of leave you have or whether you can work from home if you have children. There needs to be a culture of give and take, says Lee Ming Kai, vice president of systems engineering for Asia Pacific at Juniper Networks.

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Season 2 of Work It kicks off with a new round of work terms like “desk bombing”, “monk-mode” and “loud leaving”. Pooja Chhabria, career expert and head of editorial APAC at LinkedIn, explains what has changed in the workplace. 

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“Heart” workers have been in the news, with the Government pledging increased salaries and urging people to see their work to be as valuable as “head” workers. Social worker Dini Dzulaikha from the Singapore Children's Society, talks about her career choice, the ups and downs and why she’s in it for the long haul.

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The job market has become much more complex as the nature of skills is changing. That's where the role of the job skills integrator can come in to help those struggling with finding careers that last. Our guest is Dr Jeremy Fox, Regional CEO of Non-Governmental Organisation, Generation, which does job training, matching and placement. 

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ChatGPT has already come into workplaces as people are using the Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to write, crunch data and provide analysis. What does it mean for businesses and for people who are doing these jobs? CK Tan, senior director for Solutions & Value Engineering at Qlik is our guest. 

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People take three-year degrees to learn about software development. But for those who are keen to hop onto a new career track, coding bootcamps are one way to fast track learning. Two young guests, Zhang Jia En and Shermaine Sng, share their journey on learning something completely out of their comfort zones. 

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There has been an uptick in the number of career coaches in the last few years. Who are they and how do they help untangle knots in your working life? Our guest this week is Yu Dan Shi, director of behavioral science and executive coach for digital coaching platform, Coachhub. 

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You may have seen images or posts of people working out of Bali – in shorts and overlooking the ocean. What does it take for someone to be a digital nomad and how is it different from being 100 per cent remote? Listen to Kailash Madan, APAC head of fintech company Primer who does not have an office and manages people in several different countries.

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Hitting it off romantically with a co-worker or even a boss is not unusual – especially in Singapore where people work very long hours. But what are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed and what are basic rules of engagement to keep in mind when you are dating someone from the office? Daniel Lim, head of sales at Grvty Media and host of the podcast The Daily Ketchup is our guest. 

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They are people in your organisation who have your back and provide valuable support and mentorship. But how do you develop these relationships and what benefits do they really bring to careers? Our guest is Alice Yu, team lead for partners and industry marketing at NCS Group.

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In the hit Netflix show Emily in Paris, American Emily Cooper seems to have a seamless time working in Paris. The truth is, taking the leap to work outside of Singapore is filled with challenges. But our guest, SleekFlow’s Crystal Wong, says it is the best thing a young person can do. 

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It’s time to set new goals for the year. Should the conversation include how often you want to come into the office and how much you can handle at work? APAC Managing Director for LinkedIn Feon Ang gives her views.

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Lisa Williamson’s first heart attack did not stop her from working round the clock – after all, she was at the pinnacle of her public relations career. She gives an unvarnished look at how work made her physically sick. Lisa also talks about how she recalibrated, in this episode of Work It.

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Is a shorter work week the next big thing in the workplace after hybrid work? Does working fewer days lead to longer hours, less pay or even greater stress or do the benefits outweigh all costs? Elisa Mallis, from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) gives her view. 

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We all want more money but how can we strike a balance between getting more and being realistic? What are the dos and don'ts, and how can you find out what you're worth? Career coach Samantha Ng breaks it down in this episode. 

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Unlimited leave, medical leave without proof or even sabbaticals for staff who’ve clocked several years on the job. These are some new leave policies companies are adopting not just to draw talent but keep them. David Setiawan, head of marketing at JobStreet says the trend on leave entitlements is changing.

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While there seems to be a chill on the tech sector with news of job losses, a career in the tech industry can be a lucrative one. Can anyone make the switch easily? What kind of skills do you need and do you have to be tech savvy in order to get in? Our guest Janani Chandran, senior product and program manager for Rakuten Asia, gives practical tips in this episode. 

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Should you tell your manager you have a mental health condition? How should company policies close the gap with meaningful mental health practices on the ground? Co-founder of Calm Collective Asia Sabrina Ooi who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is our guest on this episode.  

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While retrenchment numbers have fallen since record highs during COVID-19, the turmoil in some sectors of the economy continues. What happens to a person when they are told to leave? Leadership coach Steven Lock gives an unvarnished look at the emotional and financial toll retrenchment takes and how it can be a big impetus for change.

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It’s the one thing both employees and bosses dislike about work. Yet, performance reviews are critical not just for compensation and progression but also how people develop their careers. What can everyone do to make these conversations better? Co-founder of EngageRocket Leong Chee Tung lays it out. 

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If you find it hard to speak up, share ideas or prefer to work alone, then you are quite likely an introvert. Does your personality matter at the workplace, which seems geared for extroverts? How can introverts get noticed and lead? Leadership coach Crystal Lim-Lange breaks it down.

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In every organisation, there are people who have worked hard over the years, deepened skills but have not been promoted or don't have a chance to learn new skills. Why does this happen and how does one move out of this "comfort zone"? Sean Tan, partner and client manager at Mercer is our guest.

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The typical Singapore workplace is a diverse one and increasingly filled with different nationalities. What can we do to engender a better understanding of different cultures? How should tensions be managed and what can management do? Tonny Loh, partner at the Heidrick & Struggles Singapore office is our guest.  

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Balancing career and children has always been challenging, especially in Singapore. Holly Fang, director of financial partnerships at fintech firm Airwallex, talks about how motherhood changed her perspective about work, what she discovered about herself and why she's "one and done". 

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It could be to indulge in a passion, test out a potential business idea or to simply have an extra stream of income. We break down the world of employees who juggle many jobs with Lena Chan, owner at Mad About Sucre, who moved from banking to baking. 

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A life-threatening diagnosis usually means a chance to stop working, smell the flowers and look at life’s bucket list. But partner at TSMP Law Corporation and president of the Singapore Law Society explains why he bucked convention, what he thinks about quiet quitting and what makes a good leader. 

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In part 2 of general shifts in work values, we speak to Audrey Wan and Amir Zubir who defend Generation Z against unfair media portrayals about them being "woke", being called soft and not working hard enough.

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Generation Z is entering the workforce, working alongside Gen X, millennials and baby boomers. What are the differences in work attitudes and values and how can everyone deal with challenges they throw up? Gen X General Manager Edwin Yeo of SPRG Singapore faces off with his millennial co-worker Nicolette Ten in this episode.

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We hear the term “toxic” often and they can refer to bosses, colleagues and workplaces. But what exactly does it entail and how can we spot the red flags? Are we guilty too? Dr Elizabeth Nair, Principal Psychologist at Work & Health Psychologists (WHP) Lim Hong Zhuang, CEO of blockchain start-up ShuttleOne weigh on the discussion. 

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A human sifting through hundreds of resumes to interview candidates is being replaced by technology to shortlist talent. A pre-screening chatbot can ask "knockout questions” using natural language processing, for instance. Can machines find the right person for a job? CEO of Xopa AI, Nina Alag Suri explains how it works.

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Venture capitalist and founding partner of Golden Gate Ventures, Vinnie Lauria explains how he spots and keeps talent in the workplace. He reveals his favourite interview questions to ask, how he grows employees in his company, and why he believes a good team is more valuable than a good product.

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Online content creators The Woke Salaryman have made personal finance fun and their viral comics have swayed Singaporeans to start saving smart and take charge of their careers. He Ruiming and Goh Wei Choon reveal why their success is years in the making, how they knew it was time to quit their day jobs, and what they wish school had taught them about work.

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Surveys show occupational burnout is affecting an increasing number of workers. How is it different from regular stress or insomnia? What are the unmistakable signs and what can you do when things get too overwhelming? Psychiatrist Dr Zheng Zhimin breaks down all we need to know about anxiety, exhaustion and cynicism at work.

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What’s at stake when you work from home, how can employers adapt to different employee needs and, what are a company’s priorities? We weigh up the issues around hybrid work arrangements with Alvin Goh, Head of the Singapore Human Resources Institute. Get in touch with us: cnapodcasts@mediacorp.com.sg

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