The Global Talent War: The importance of empathy and a solid work culture

Gone are the days of businesses holding all the power in hiring.

As talent across the world increasingly gain access to quality education, highly skilled workers now get to have their pick of employers. This has led companies to hire remotely from emerging markets to avoid spending colossal amounts to attract talent. But according to Richard Ong, chief technology officer of co-working space Worq, recruiting remote talent comes with its own set of challenges.

Richard Ong, chief technology officer of Malaysia-based co-working space Worq / Photo credit: Worq

In this episode of The Global Talent War, Globalization Partners’ Charles Ferguson and Tech in Asia’s Nathaniel Fetalvero talk to Ong about his experience with the global talent war, his gripes about hiring remote employees, and how Malaysia-based Worq leverages empathy and work culture to retain good talent.

Timecodes:

00:00 – Intro
00:25 – Introducing Richard Ong, chief technology officer of Worq
01:00 – Aspirations in fashion design
01:54 – The wake-up call to enter the tech world
02:33 – Joining Worq
03:05 – Having a “Statler and Waldorf” perspective
03:42 – Companies today have to fork out an arm and a leg just to attract talent
06:50 – Hiring cheaper remote workers comes with its own challenges
11:08 – Companies need to take extra measures to establish culture and interactivity among employees
11:55 – No silver bullet to surviving the global talent war
15:08 – Sage advice from a mentor on the role of management

Download the full transcript here.

Hosts:

• Charles Ferguson, Singapore-based general manager for Globalization Partners’ Asia-Pacific operations
• Nathaniel Fetalvero, managing editor of Tech in Asia Studios and host of the Startup Snapshot podcast

Featured Interviewee:

• Richard Ong, chief technology officer of Worq, a co-working space based in Malaysia

The Global Talent War is a podcast by Tech in Asia, produced in partnership with Globalization Partners. Visit Globalization Partners’ website to learn more about how you can gain an edge in the ever-evolving global talent war.