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As the Chief Corporate Services Officer shares, there are two important concepts when it comes to leading people through change: the first being the agility to help steer away from fixed mindsets and towards more flexible ways of thinking; and the other, staying resilient in an era of rapid disruption to work patterns, lifestyles, and stress levels.
As technology becomes more embedded in our daily lives, one of the most meaningful ways AI and digital tools are improving people outcomes is by reshaping how work gets done across organisations.
According to Dharma Chandran (pictured above), Chief Corporate Services Officer, Toll Group, the impact can be grouped into three main areas:
- process improvement,
- turning information into insight and implications in a more quantitative, mathematical way, and
- what he deems a more controversial area: the replacement of human beings in certain tasks, activities and processes.
Dharma has a broad range of experience in senior human resources, strategy, legal and corporate communication roles as a consultant, corporate executive and non-executive director, across Australia, Asia and the Middle East. His previous roles span tenures at professional services firms including Partner with Boyden Australia’s Leadership Consulting Practice, Managing Partner of Ernst & Young’s Far East Area Performance & Reward Practice (based in Hong Kong), Leader of Towers Perrin’s Asia-Pacific Financial Service Practice (based in Singapore), and more.
With plenty of experience under his belt, Dharma catches up with Mary Ann Budunkin ahead of his session at #InteracTechAsia2026 to share his perspective on staying resilient and agile to keep up with the ever-evolving pace of AI and automation.
Q As technology becomes more embedded in our daily lives, what’s one way you have seen AI or digital tools meaningfully improve people outcomes?
There are many examples, so trying to pinpoint just one is challenging. But I would group them into three categories.
The first is process improvements. We have used AI for simple tasks like resume screening to increase the efficiency of our recruiters, so they do not have to spend so much time going through CVs, resumes, or applications. We are about to experiment with candidate screening as well, potentially through AI. Process improvement is one, and there are many more examples of that.
The second is turning information into insight and implications in a more quantitative, mathematical way. At the moment, we have human beings looking at information, trying to spot patterns and trends, and trying to determine what insights we can get from those trends and what implications they have for the business. AI can do a lot of that. You can feed information into AI, and it can determine what the insight might be and what the implications might be for the organisation. Then the human being can take over and implement those changes.
The third, which is the more controversial one, is replacing human beings in certain tasks, activities, and processes. I think that is where agentic AI in particular comes in, especially in more rudimentary and basic tasks. For example, tier one HR support or transactional HR support, which is currently provided by people in a call centre or HR service centre. Properly programmed and effective agents can certainly provide a substitute or replacement for those roles.
Q Leading through rapid transformation isn’t easy. What mindset shift has helped you lead teams more effectively through change?
The challenge with change these days is the pace of change. We have always had change. We have always had new technology being introduced. This was happening even when early innovations first emerged. What is different now is that these changes are becoming more rapid.
Information, which was once scarce, is now widely available. That information, and the analysis of it, is driving many business leaders to make changes quickly in response to external factors, whether geopolitical, technological, or otherwise.
I think that is the challenge – the pace of change. And there are two important concepts when it comes to leading people through this.
The first is agility. Helping people move away from fixed mindsets and towards more flexible ways of thinking about how things should be done, how organisations should be run, and how their own work is configured.
The second is resilience. We do not talk much about resilience these days. It is important because this level of change can be disruptive to work patterns, lifestyles, and stress levels. It is important to help individuals and teams become more resilient in how they cope with that change.
These are the two things I see as key focus areas in the transformation we are going through now, and the transformation we are likely to face in the future.
Q We often talk about becoming more tech savvy while staying human centric. What's one way you personally try and maintain that balance?
It is an interesting dilemma. I believe that the interaction between technology and humans is where the real value in this transformation lies.
There are things that machines cannot yet do and are unlikely to do for some time. Humans still have a key role to play in the running of organisations. There are judgement calls that are difficult for systems or technology to replicate.
At the same time, there is great power in technology, particularly in improving efficiency and effectiveness. As employees and leaders, we need to learn how to use it well, just as we have learned to use smartphones, laptops, and even earlier tools.
"Technology is there to make us more effective, enhance our capabilities, and sometimes replace parts of the work we do. That is fine, because we tend to move towards work that is still meaningful and impactful. Ultimately, the exercise of judgement is still something that requires a human being."
Q As a speaker at InteracTech Asia 2026, what is the #1 call-to-action you hope for attendees to take away from your session?
The biggest call-to-action is that in a competitive, market-based environment, there is constant change and constant improvement.
It is becoming more competitive because of the transparency of information and the speed at which that information is available. Companies can access information quickly, respond to competitors, and adapt their strategies. This creates a faster, more iterative, and more experimental cycle.
Rather than waiting for a perfect solution, organisations need to move quickly and test ideas in the market.
Technology can help people make faster decisions, gain quicker insights, and move at the speed required to remain competitive and relevant.
So, the main call-to-action is to find ways to use technology to speed up your game, so you can stay competitive in this environment.
Human Resources Online is proud to host its first edition of InteracTech Asia 2026 – an exclusive event that brings together HR leaders, technologists, and business strategists to reimagine how people and machines can thrive together. Taking place on 20 May in Singapore, find out more about the event here.
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 Mary Ann Bundukin. 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 digital transformation talent solutions and products, 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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