Happy Deepavali, from the team at Human Resources!

Dear readers,

From the team at Human Resources, we send you our best wishes for a happy and prosperous Deepavali.

Here are some interesting stories around diversity and celebrating multi-cultural workplaces:

1. Three ways to beat unconscious biasLooking to hire candidates solely based on their skill set? Here are three tips to help remove prejudice from your recruitment process.

2. Why firms should not have formalised team building policies"Without a sense of sincerity and spontaneity, the spirit behind team building is lost," says Allan Tan, MD, Ying Communications.

3. Singtel group CEO reveals 5 ways leaders can impact gender diversityIn an exclusive, Chua Sock Koong admits that she too had to be ‘encouraged’ to go for the CEO position when it became available.

4. Regional list of public holidays 2017Your handy guide to the regional list of public holidays in 2017 - Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and more.

5. The case for return-to-work programmesMore than 90% of women who take a career break say they want to return to work, but only 40% are able to find full-time roles.

6. Give diversity a handIn today's global workplace, diversity inclusion is a business imperative – but in many cases this does not include fostering a welcoming culture for LGBT employees.

7. Google's MD shares 5 ideas to build a diverse workplaceAn exclusive interview with Sajith Sivanandan, MD of Google Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and emerging markets, on the future of work.

8. The best things about working in SingaporeWe might live in one of the world's most expensive cities, but there are still many things to love about working life in Singapore.

9. HR policies to make your workplace NS-friendlyPolicies that take into account needs of NSmen not only win awards, but also ensures NSmen stay productive, affirms CDL's HR head.

10. Three tips for growing a winning teamSee how Jo Fisher, VP of HR at Adknowledge Asia, is integrating an acquisition with a major telco whilst hiring more than 90 people.

Enjoy the stories, and as always, feel free to share your thoughts with us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. Happy Diwali!