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Laura Magdalena, Head of People Experience, believes that empathy helps others to understand context, build trust, and make better decisions — a quality that no tool or technology can ever replace in HR.
For Laura Magdalena, the future of HR lies in the fusion of technology and human-centred design. She sees two trends shaping the years ahead: AI-powered HR for smarter, faster decision-making, and employee experience design that creates meaningful moments across the employee journey. These shifts, she believes, will not only streamline operations but help define the workplace culture of tomorrow.
Having spent 16 years in HR, Laura has worked in technology-based companies and is deeply passionate about her work as an HR generalist. In her current role with Paxel, she is responsible for ensuring that key areas such as talent management, performance management, compensation & benefits, and business process improvement —which particularly interests her — are effectively implemented and aligned with organisational goals.
As an HR professional, Laura is especially drawn to change management, recognising its critical role in helping organisations navigate transitions, drive cultural transformation, and enhance operational efficiency.
Ahead of her session at Transform Talent Indonesia 2025, Sabarish Prasad catches up with Laura to find out why she believes empathy plays a key role in being able to adapt to situations.
Q Thinking back to your first day in HR, what is the most important learning that sticks with you until today?
For me, the ability to adapt quickly has been the most important lesson since day one—whether it’s adapting to work processes, the people I manage, or the clients I support. And to adapt effectively, empathy is essential.
Empathy helps us understand context, build trust, and make better decisions. That’s why I truly believe no tool or technology can ever replace the human touch in HR.
Q What steps do you believe are necessary to transform today's talent into the talent that the business needs?
First and foremost, I believe sensitivity — or awareness — is the key driver of transformation. When a talent has that sense of awareness, it becomes easier for them to gain clarity on the support or information they need to grow.
Even if they lack certain skills or knowledge, that awareness pushes them to keep learning, seek mentors, and continuously improve. Over time, without even realising it, they evolve — starting with small changes that create meaningful impact, at least for themselves.
Q Could you share emerging trends that you believe will have the most significant impact on HR in the next few years.
There are two trends that I believe will be especially impactful:
- AI-powered HR — enabling more efficient processes across the HR lifecycle and helping us use analytics to drive smarter, faster decisions.
- Employee experience design — crafting meaningful moments that matter throughout the employee journey. These experiences not only shape engagement, but ultimately help define the culture we want to build.
Q What are you most looking forward to in your session at #TransformTalentID?
I’m really looking forward to having honest, grounded conversations with fellow experts and practitioners, about the real challenges they face, and how they’re navigating and overcoming them. That kind of sharing is where the most valuable insights come from.
I want to attend the conference: If you're keen to attend this closed-door conference, kindly register your interest here. For speaking opportunities, please write in to Sabarish Prasad. We look forward to welcoming you!
I want to sponsor: Engage in meaningful dialogue through dedicated speaking slots, roundtable discussions, and at your booths! If your organisation provides any talent solutions and products that you'd like to showcase, you’ll fit right into this event. To learn how you can sponsor, please reach out to a member of our team now!
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