After graduating, Chong quickly took up a job as an executive assistant to a local entrepreneur to repay her student loan.
“I learned the importance of not only placing the right people in the right jobs but also ensuring the workforce can adapt to evolving business needs,” she says. The experience also taught her how business resilience and care for employees can go hand in hand as she observed how her employer, conscious of the impact on people’s lives, prioritized the company’s workforce when responding to business challenges.
“I realized that HR decisions are more than just operational choices, but have also have the power to transform workplace culture and employee well-being” she says.
Chong’s career in HR took off as she moved into specialized roles in various industries, from property and construction to logistics and supply chain management. She gained hands-on experience across the spectrum of HR functions, from recruitment and workforce engagement to organizational transformation.
“I was motivated by being able to contribute to different types of change, and with each move, I gained new perspectives on organizational growth and transition,” she explains. Her career spanned several countries in Southeast Asia, enriching her understanding of different workplace cultures.
After becoming a mother, Chong decided to focus on opportunities closer to home. In 2015, she joined the World Health Organization (WHO) in Malaysia, working in the service centre that processes contracts and benefits for its staff globally. Her role enabled the timely deployment of personnel, often during emergency situations such as disease outbreaks or global health initiatives.
After a year, she took on a more senior role as a team lead and resolved to continue a career in international organizations. “Working at an international organization was very motivating, as I felt the mandate was more meaningful than being profit centred. I felt I was contributing to something important,” she says.
