🎧 Listen now:
• Building Agile Skill Taxonomies for a Skills-Based Economy [00:04:30]
Gary shares how Dassault Systèmes reviews and evolves its skill taxonomy annually to align with business goals and emerging trends like generative AI.
• “Everyone is Talent, But Not Everyone is Talented” [00:18:00]
Gary introduces a provocative philosophy on workforce planning, highlighting the need for diverse roles—not just high performers—to create sustainable high-performing teams.
• The Future of People Management: Transient Teams & Peer-Driven Empathy [00:24:00]
In the workplace of the future, Gary envisions fewer traditional people managers, with technology and peer networks fostering connection and collaboration.
• Reframing KPIs: From Attendance to Impact [00:23:00]
Justin reflects on how mental health initiatives taught him to measure success by emotional resonance—not numbers—and why one person helped is enough.
• Authenticity in HR: Building Trust Through Honest Conversations [00:28:30]
To strengthen employee trust, Gary emphasises the importance of authenticity, honest communication, and HR’s role as a neutral custodian balancing people and business needs.
“Strategic HR is to ensure that HR value is driven by the business value rather than the other way around."
Strategic HR is more than a stylish designation change; it's about altering how the Human Resources function integrates with business objectives. As Gary Lee, an experienced HR leader at Dassault Systèmes, articulates, becoming a strategic HR involves ensuring "HR value is driven by the business value rather than the other way around." This approach requires HR professionals to transcend simplistic HR jargon and focus on aligning human capital strategies with business performance metrics.
Gary shares how his own journey in HR led him from training and consulting into more strategic partnerships with business leaders. He points out the need for HR to think beyond traditional roles, emphasizing, "We exist in order to help our business." This requires continuous assessment and modification of HR initiatives to match ever-evolving business landscapes. Aligning people strategy with business goals not only propels enterprise growth but also enhances employee engagement, making HR an intrinsic partner in driving organizational success.
“Having behaviors and mindset, it's a given. But skills is something that, I believe can be measured."
In today's rapidly evolving business environment, a robust skills taxonomy is indispensable for future-readiness. Gary Lee emphasizes that "having a robust skills taxonomy doesn't mean that it has to be well structured. It also comes into play where you have the flexibility because things keep changing." This flexibility allows organizations to keep pace with technological and market changes while strategically planning their human capital development.
Dassault Systèmes exemplifies this with its dynamic approach to annually reviewing their skills taxonomy. By leveraging tools like the European skills and qualification taxonomy (ESCO), the organization ensures their skill definitions align with market realities. Gary details how they break down roles such as sales into detailed blueprints, allowing for specificity in skill assessment.
The company's commitment to consistent skill assessment and adaptation, as Gary explains, involves both "self-assessment" and "manager's assessment," ensuring a comprehensive view of capabilities across the organization.
The workplace of the future will increasingly depend on skills such as effective communication, learning agility, and enhanced peer collaboration. These evergreen skills are essential as organizations navigate the complexities of multi-generational and distributed teams.
Gary Lee notes, "Sometimes we need to make it strategic enough and simple enough so that our business understands," highlighting how effective communication transcends cultural and hierarchical boundaries. Moreover, the rapid advances in fields like generative AI underscore the need for employees to develop agile learning capabilities. New generations enter the workforce looking for varied experiences, making learning agility critical to their growth and satisfaction in their roles.
As peer collaboration becomes more prevalent, organizations might see a decline in traditional people management roles. With emerging technologies offering robust communication and project management tools, employees can self-manage and rely more on peer support, leaving formal people managers to focus on strategic oversight and team cohesion.
When examining strategies for organizational success, the role of HR in aligning itself symbiotically with business goals remains crucial. Utilizing a dynamic skills taxonomy aids in keeping organizations agile and prepared for future challenges. As workplaces continue to evolve, the emphasis on effective communication, learning agility, and peer collaboration ensures that businesses can maintain a competitive edge while fostering a culture of continuous development and innovation.
"We are resource to humans. How do we do that?"
— Gary Lee
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Gary Lee
A seasoned global HR professional with many years of developing people, teams & organisations across diverse industries, Gary Lee is currently the Organisation & Business Partner Director with Dassault Systèmes. He was previously leading the Group Learning & Performance for a regional multi-business conglomerate focused on asset management, property development, digital connectivity, and infrastructure.
Prior to working in a European MNC as the Global Head of People Development & OD, HR Director, he was the chief HR specialist for a Danish MNC, where he designed and implemented a global talent programme for over 18,000 employees. He has also held various APAC HR leadership positions in his career.
MBA qualified and equipped with a Master of Arts in Digital Management, he is also a regular speaker & panellist at HR conferences and editorial contributor for HR magazines. He has also spoken at TEDx Singapore on the topic of “How to stay relevant?”.
Dorothy Yiu is the CEO & Co-Founder of EngageRocket, one of Asia’s top EX & people analytics platforms. She brings over a decade of experience in human resources, technology, and business strategy. Before co-founding EngageRocket, Dorothy was the Regional Head of Operations for Gallup, where she oversaw more than 100 large-scale consulting projects globally.
Recognised for her leadership in HR and technology, Dorothy was awarded Leader of the Year at the HR Vendors of the Year Awards 2024 by Human Resources Online. She was also named one of the Top 50 Asian Women Tech Leaders 2025. Dorothy holds two degrees from Singapore Management University under the Lee Kong Chian Scholarship and was named an SG Digital Leader by IMDA in 2024. She was also NTT’s Women of the Future nominee in 2022.