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"This experience reinforced an important lesson for us: candidate experience is not defined by a single interaction, but by the cumulative impression created through every touchpoint," Jessie Soh, General Manager (Finance & Administration), shares.
Employee experience begins long before Day One. That is the philosophy Kajima Overseas Asia (Singapore) brings to its hiring and onboarding process. The team believes that some of the most important moments in shaping an employee’s perception of an organisation begin during that stage.
As a construction company operating in a traditionally conservative industry, Kajima Overseas Asia (Singapore) challenged itself to go beyond, rethinking the candidate journey through the lens of transparency, communication, and connection. From structured interviews and timely updates to leadership engagement and personalised onboarding, every touchpoint was intentionally designed to make candidates feel respected and valued.
With that tenacity and drive to create change, the team clinched the bronze award for 'Best In-House Candidate Experience' at the Employee Experience Awards 2026, Singapore.
In the following interview with HRO, Jessie Soh, General Manager (Finance & Administration), Kajima Overseas Asia (Singapore), shares how the team continues to champion the importance of candidate experience and support the adoption of structured recruitment and onboarding practices.
Q Tell us about the biggest insight or lesson that influenced your EX approach this past year.
One of the biggest lessons we learned is that employee experience begins long before Day One. Traditionally, recruitment and onboarding are often viewed as administrative processes, but we realised they are some of the most important moments in shaping an employee’s perception of the organisation. They provide an opportunity to introduce our culture, values, and purpose, helping employees understand not only what we do, but who we are. Establishing this connection early creates a strong sense of belonging and alignment with our organisational goals from the very beginning.
As a construction company operating in a traditionally conservative industry, we challenged ourselves to rethink the candidate journey through the lens of transparency, communication, and connection. From structured interviews and timely updates to leadership engagement and personalised onboarding, every touchpoint was intentionally designed to make candidates feel respected and valued.
This experience reinforced an important lesson for us: candidate experience is not defined by a single interaction, but by the cumulative impression created through every touchpoint.
"Small actions, when delivered consistently, can have a meaningful impact on how people perceive and connect with an organisation."
Q How did you bring leaders, managers, and employees together to support the execution and success of the initiative?
The success of this initiative was made possible through strong collaboration across the organisation. Senior leadership played a visible role from the outset by championing the importance of candidate experience and supporting the adoption of structured recruitment and onboarding practices.
Hiring managers were equipped with standardised interview guides, evaluation frameworks, and HR support to ensure consistency and fairness.
Beyond recruitment, department heads, mentors, HR, corporate planning and IT teams worked together to create a seamless onboarding experience for every new hire.
We also embedded leadership engagement into the employee journey through monthly dialogue sessions with our Managing Director and General Manager, where new hires learn about the company’s history, vision, and culture. These interactions, together with mentorship programmes and company-wide introductions, created a shared sense of ownership in welcoming and integrating new employees into the organisation.
Q What challenge behind the scenes tested your team the most, and what did it teach you about building stronger employee experience programmes?
One of the biggest challenges was ensuring consistency across different hiring managers and departments during a period of rapid growth. While everyone recognised the importance of hiring the right talent, recruitment practices often varied depending on individual experience and preferences.
To address this, we introduced structured interview guides, standardised evaluation templates, and HR participation in interviews to reinforce fair and objective hiring practices. Change management required continuous communication, training, and stakeholder engagement to gain buy-in across the organisation.
The experience taught us that successful employee experience programmes require more than good ideas; they require alignment. Consistency is critical because every interaction contributes to how candidates and employees perceive the organisation. By creating shared standards and accountability, we were able to deliver a more cohesive and positive experience across the entire employee journey.
Q As you reflect on the journey, what does this recognition at the Employee Experience Awards 2026 mean to you and your team?
Winning Bronze in the Best In-House Candidate Experience category is both encouraging and humbling for our team. As this was our first year participating in the Employee Experience Awards, we entered the process with the mindset of learning from industry best practices and understanding how our initiatives compared with those of other organisations.
This recognition affirms that the efforts we have made to improve the candidate and onboarding experience are moving in the right direction. More importantly, it reflects the collective contribution of our leadership team, hiring managers, mentors, HR, and support functions who worked together to create a positive experience for new hires.
While we are proud of this achievement, we also see it as a valuable learning opportunity. It motivates us to continue listening, improving, and finding new ways to create meaningful experiences for our employees from the very beginning of their journey with us.
Q Finally, as employee expectations continue to evolve, what is one area of EX you believe HR teams need to rethink in the year ahead?
I believe organisations will need to rethink how they balance technology with human connection. Digital tools and automation have become increasingly important in improving efficiency and creating seamless experiences, but employees and candidates still value authenticity, personal interaction, and a sense of belonging.
Throughout our own journey, we found that some of the most meaningful moments were not necessarily technology-driven. Interactions such as meeting senior leaders, being introduced to colleagues, having a mentor, or simply feeling welcomed by the team often had the greatest impact on how employees experienced the organisation.
As organisations continue to digitalise HR processes, the challenge will be ensuring that technology enhances rather than replaces human connection. The future of employee experience will not only be about creating efficient processes, but also about creating meaningful moments that help people feel valued, connected, and part of something bigger.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets section!
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