Guthrie Engineering

George Khang is an accomplished HR and operations leader with nearly 30 years of cross-industry experience, driving transformation across government, construction, oil and gas, agriculture, automation, hospitality and electric waste recycling. Renowned for reshaping organizations, harmonizing global workforce and steering complex restructures, he delivers measurable impact across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

Through this article, Khang highlights how human-centric leadership, open knowledge sharing and strategic workforce planning drive meaningful transformation. His approach shows how HR can balance legacy and innovation to shape the future of work.

Translating Transformation Goals: Leading with Human-Centered Principles

Throughout my career across seven organizations, I have worked across diverse labor environments and have rarely encountered a truly comprehensive human rights policy. Those experiences shaped how I view people and the value they bring to an organization. As an HR leader, I believe human capital outweighs any form of technology or AI. People are the force that converts effort into productivity, and productivity into sustained profit.

In every role, I encourage teams to be both creative and committed. Over time, I developed an approach I call ‘more than a career.’ It reflects the belief that individuals should never be seen as just employees, but as contributors whose performance directly influences a company’s growth.

Being in HR also means understanding the commercial side of the business. You cannot focus solely on people without understanding how operations, strategy and manpower planning connect. When HR and the business move together, you achieve balance. You create a workforce strategy that supports people and performance, allowing the organization to move confidently.

Challenges in HR Digitalization: Growing Capability through Shared Learning

I believe knowledge carries a responsibility to uplift others. Within the organization, I share insights with my teams and contribute as a mentor, lecturer and trainer with Asia HRM. The Singapore Ministry of Education has qualified me as an examination committee member, lecturer and has taught HR programs in Singapore, Malaysia and China. These experiences shaped a principle that guides my leadership. I care to share, and I share to care.

At Guthrie Engineering, established in 1951, we work with a diverse and multinational workforce. People arrive with diverse cultures, backgrounds and beliefs, and it is essential to help them adapt so they feel they have a place here.

“One pair of hands can only do so much. But when you teach and guide others, you create more hands, more capability and stronger results. That is why I spend time sharing knowledge and developing the people around me.”

Motivation is central to this sense of belonging. It is about trust, responsibility and the confidence that their work matters. We delegate meaningfully, encourage ownership and create an environment where people feel valued as part of the team. When employees feel like family, they naturally give their best.

The pace of change in our industry continues to accelerate. Challenges now emerge annually rather than every five or ten years. COVID highlighted how quickly regulations and workforce expectations can shift. Different generations also bring different needs, and leaders must stay attentive and adaptable to support them well.

HR must continually strengthen areas that are not performing at their best across its core functions. For us, referral channels required attention, so we expanded our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with institutes and universities to create stronger talent pathways. We also collaborate with government reskilling programs, which support development while attracting additional manpower from new channels.

Compensation competitiveness is another essential focus. We reviewed salary data from Mercer, Tower Watson and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to benchmark salaries accurately. This ensures we remain competitive in a demanding market.

Future-Ready Talent Strategy: Creating Growth Paths for New Generations

Guthrie Engineering is a traditional company with over 70 years of history. That legacy is a strength, yet when I first joined, it also presented a challenge. Younger talent often saw us as an established organization with limited room for growth. If we wanted to attract them, we needed to show clearly that their future here could be meaningful. The first step was creating a structured career path that mapped out how they could grow. To support this, we introduced systems that help new joiners adapt quickly. Every young employee is paired with a mentor-mentee group and a buddy who guides them through the early stages of their journey. I also make sure our reward schemes reflect what we promise. It should never stay on paper. We communicate with the employees frequently and openly, so they always know where they stand.

The regular touchpoints keep the communication alive. We hold annual town halls, dialogue sessions and unitized meetings as well as monthly lunch/coffee sessions and a management-on-the-sidewalk initiative that creates informal spaces for employees to speak with leadership. These conversations help people feel seen and heard, and they reinforce that the commitments we make are commitments we honor.

Over time, we developed a succession plan that prepares young employees to assume managerial roles. It allows us to grow future leaders from within. These efforts keep our people strategy active and alive, ensuring the next generation sees Guthrie not as an old company, but as a place where they can build a long and meaningful career.

Advice for HR Leaders: Inspire People and Embrace Change

Organizations may not always know the next best strategy, but leaders have to stay alert and responsive. I look at change through a PEST lens, i.e., paying attention to political, economic, social and technological shifts that continue to shape how we work. These forces move quickly. We cannot control them, but we can understand them and respond with intention.

For me, leadership comes back to people. One pair of hands can only do so much. But when you teach and guide others, you create more hands, more capability and stronger results. That is why I spend time sharing knowledge and developing the people around me.

When leaders invest in others, capability spreads across the organization. Learning, mentoring and guidance are not optional if you want long-term performance. They are what help teams stay resilient and move forward together.

Individual contribution has limits. Collective capability does not. When people are encouraged to learn, grow and step up, organizations gain stronger execution and better outcomes. That is how leadership creates impact that lasts beyond any one person.