share on
Ivan Chuah, Director, Human Resources, Scoot, shares why tailoring initiatives to different employee groups, while staying true to a shared purpose, has been key to building a more meaningful workplace culture.
No two employees experience work in exactly the same way. Recognising this, the HR team at Scoot has moved beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to employee experience, adapting its initiatives to suit the realities of cabin crew, flight crew, and office employees while reinforcing a common culture.
The approach earned the team two awards at the Employee Experience Awards 2026, Singapore:
- Gold for 'Best Employer Branding', and
- Bronze for 'Best Use of Technology to Enhance Employee Engagement'.
In this edition of Winning Secrets, following the wins, Ivan Chuah, Director, Human Resources, Scoot, reflects on the importance of balancing consistency with flexibility, and why purpose comes to life through everyday actions.
Q Tell us about the biggest insight or lesson that influenced your EX approach this past year.
At Scoot, we believe that making each journey better applies as much to our people as it does to our customers. Great employee experiences are shaped not just by meaningful moments, but by a culture that guides how we show up every day.
One of our biggest insights this past year was that purpose only comes alive when employees can translate it into everyday actions. This led us to launch Scootitude in Action, a set of practical habits that bring our purpose to life by guiding how we collaborate, take ownership, and continuously improve.
"More than a framework, it gives our people a shared language for how we work and support one another, creating a culture where everyone is empowered to grow, contribute, and make a meaningful impact as OneScoot."
Q How did you bring leaders, managers, and employees together to support the execution and success of the initiative?
Building culture is a shared responsibility, and we intentionally activated Scootitude in Action at every level of the organisation. Our leaders set the tone by sharing personal anecdotes and role modelling the behaviours through town halls and conversations on our internal engagement platforms, making our purpose relatable and authentic. Managers were equipped through workshops and practical conversations to reinforce these habits within their teams and create psychological safety for open dialogue.
On the ground, simple nudges — such as meeting room prompt cards — encourage employees to collaborate meaningfully in their everyday interactions. More importantly, we see culture building as an ongoing journey, not a one-off campaign. It comes to life through the choices we make daily, how we work together, and how we lift one another up, creating an experience where employees feel supported and empowered in their careers.
Q What challenge behind the scenes tested your team the most, and what did it teach you about building stronger employee experience programmes?
Our biggest challenge was creating experiences that resonate across a highly diverse workforce. As our Cabin Crew, Flight Crew and office employees have different roles, work patterns and touchpoints, a one-size-fits-all approach simply does not work. For example, initiatives centred on in-person engagements may not reach employees working shifts or operating flights, while the way Scootitude in Action comes to life naturally differs across each role.
This reinforces an important lesson: consistency doesn't mean uniformity. It is crucial that we understand the unique needs and behaviours of each employee group and adapt how we communicate and execute programmes. We have leveraged a combination of physical activations and technology-driven engagement, like our in-house chatbots, and made Scoot's Purpose relevant through stories shared by leaders and peers.
We also rely on continuous listening, data, and technology to understand what matters most to our people while staying agile enough to adapt.
"Strong employee experiences are not built by doing more — they're built by doing what matters better."
Q As you reflect on the journey, what does this recognition at the Employee Experience Awards 2026 mean to you and your team?
These recognitions — Best Employer Branding and Best Use of Technology to Enhance Employee Experience — are especially meaningful because they reflect more than successful programmes; they affirm the culture we've been building together at Scoot, one where employees are empowered to take charge of their career journeys, inspired to be bold, innovate and champion better ways of working, and supported by colleagues who lift one another up.
"These achievements also encourage us to keep listening, learning, and evolving, so we can continue creating an employee experience that enables our people to grow, succeed, and make a meaningful impact together."
Q Finally, as employee expectations continue to evolve, what is one area of EX you believe HR teams will need to rethink in the year ahead?
As artificial intelligence and digital technologies become increasingly embedded in the workplace, I believe we need to rethink how we use them to enhance – not define – the employee experience.
At Scoot, we use technology to personalise learning, simplify processes and free up time for more meaningful work, but we’re mindful that it cannot replace trust, empathy or a sense of purpose. In fact, the more digital our workplaces become, the more intentional we need to be about fostering human connection, belonging and shared values.
The challenge isn't choosing between technology and people — it's designing experiences where each strengthens the other. We will continue embracing innovation while ensuring it complements the culture we're building: one where our people feel empowered to learn and grow, inspired to lead change and supported by one another as we make each journey better.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets section!
Images / Provided
share on
