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HKIHRM Pay Trend & Benefits Seminar 2026 Brings Together 340+ HR Leaders to Shape the Future Workforce

APIFS Research Director Dr. Mark Lee shares the STEP framework for workforce transformation — Segmentation, Transition, Education and Performance

Hong Kong, 24 September 2026 — The Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM) successfully held its Pay Trend & Benefits Seminar 2026 on 24 September 2026 at Cordis, Hong Kong, bringing together more than 340 compensation & benefits professionals, HR practitioners, business leaders and speakers to exchange perspectives on the changing workforce and workplace landscape.

The seminar also featured 14 exhibitors showcasing the latest HR-related solutions and services, with support from 15 sponsors, reflecting the growing importance organisations are placing on talent, rewards, workforce transformation and people strategy.

Dr. Mark Lee, Research Director of the Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy (APIFS), was invited as a speaker and delivered a session entitled:

"Designing the Future Workforce Together"

Rather than treating AI and workforce transformation primarily as technology projects, Dr. Lee highlighted the need for management teams to systematically redesign how people, capabilities and performance evolve together.

During the session, he introduced the STEP framework:

S — Segmentation Organisations should recognise that employees differ significantly in their roles, capabilities, readiness for change and potential contribution in an AI-enabled environment. A one-size-fits-all transformation strategy is unlikely to generate sustainable results.

T — Transition Workforce transformation requires more than introducing new tools. Management must deliberately redesign roles, workflows, responsibilities and career pathways, while helping employees transition from existing ways of working to higher-value activities.

E — Education Training should move beyond general AI awareness or tool demonstrations. Employees need role-specific learning that connects technology with actual business problems, decision-making and new expectations of performance.

P — Performance The ultimate measure of workforce transformation is not how many employees have attended AI training or adopted a new platform, but whether the organisation can demonstrate improvements in productivity, customer value, speed, quality and measurable business performance.

Dr. Lee emphasised that companies should avoid framing workforce transformation simply as a choice between retaining existing employees and hiring new talent.

The more important management question is how to determine which capabilities should be retained, which should be developed, which roles should be redesigned, and where new talent should be introduced.

As AI continues to reshape established jobs, the responsibility increasingly extends beyond HR alone. CEOs, business leaders and HR executives need to work together to redesign the workforce while balancing organisational knowledge, new capabilities, employee transition and measurable performance.

"The future workforce is not created by technology alone. It is designed through deliberate choices about people, roles, capabilities and performance." — Dr. Mark Lee, Research Director, Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy

APIFS sincerely thanks HKIHRM for the invitation and for creating a valuable platform where HR professionals and business leaders can exchange insights on the future of talent and organisational performance.

The strong participation in the HKIHRM Pay Trend & Benefits Seminar 2026 demonstrates that workforce transformation has moved beyond being an HR initiative. It is becoming an increasingly important strategic agenda for senior management as organisations prepare for a more AI-enabled, performance-driven future.

About Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy

The Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy (APIFS) is a regional academic and research organisation dedicated to advancing strategic management, leadership development, and organisational innovation. Through research initiatives, public lectures, executive forums, advisory projects, and corporate learning programmes, APIFS contributes thought leadership to the business and academic communities across Asia.

APIFS also operates the Executive Study Group, its industry-facing think tank and executive collaboration platform, which focuses on translating academic insights into practical strategies for senior leaders, multinational corporations, listed enterprises, family businesses, and high-growth companies.

Media Contact:

Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy

Email: cs@apifs.net

Tel: (852) 3970 1828

Website: www.apifs.org

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