How Glints’ CEO envisions AI’s tremendous impact in the workplace playing out

You can build the most amazing solution or have the most groundbreaking idea, but no matter who you are, you’ll always need the right person to see it through successfully.

Without it, your product is simply a shell and your ideas? Something to be mothballed.

That’s why, when thinking about growth across an entire region like Southeast Asia, Oswald Yeo emphasizes that it’s people that will drive it forward. Yeo, who co-founded recruitment platform Glints and has been its CEO for over ten years, says that this relationship between talent and growth bodes well for the region.

Oswald Yeo, CEO and co-founder of Glints / Photo credit: Glints

Read on to find out why he thinks so.

The following responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

1. What do you do at Glints?

My responsibility is to steer our ship of Glintstars [Glints’ employees] and navigate the company’s direction and growth toward our ultimate mission and purpose: to empower over 120 million professionals in Southeast Asia to find their dream role.

2. Why do you think Southeast Asia is a bright spot in the tech industry?

Over the last few years, our local talent has been the fuel driving the tremendous growth of the tech sector and overall ecosystem. For example, there are currently over 80,000 IT university graduates in Vietnam, and an increasing number of them are joining the tech space. The country is also advanced in blockchain, AI, and data science, with more and more talent entering these fields.

3. How do you view the startup ecosystem in Southeast Asia right now?

It is rapidly growing across industries and verticals. Despite the downturn, 86% of the companies we surveyed were still planning to hire in 2023. We also believe the strongest founders will emerge from this downturn, building businesses that have withstood one of the most challenging times.

Yeo (right) along with the other co-founders of Glints / Photo credit: Glints

We expect the ecosystem to continue to grow and mature with investor interest in Southeast Asia, albeit at a slower pace than previous years. We also see companies outside of the region – such as China – growing and expanding in Southeast Asia by recruiting strong talent, including those in business development and tech roles.

4. What are the biggest challenges faced by the tech industry in Southeast Asia today?

One of the biggest challenges for startup founders is hiring the right people. Despite the downturn, there is still a talent crunch in Southeast Asia, particularly for senior roles in engineering, product, and data science. If you are in a good financial position, now is a good time to recruit strong senior talent.

5. What are your thoughts on the rise of artificial intelligence and its potential impact on the workforce in Asia?

While we expect specific jobs to be replaced by machines and AI, both will simultaneously create new jobs, hence increasing productivity and driving economic growth. So it’s not all doom and gloom; in fact, more roles and industry sectors will be enhanced and augmented by tech developments in the future.

6. What are you going to talk about at the TIA Conference, and why is it important?