Home Credit CPO: "Same Bar, Different Paths" – A New Blueprint for People in the Age of AI

Caught between the dual demands of current performance and future transformation, how can businesses find the balance point to stay competitive in the long run?

At the recent Anpha Insight Meetup on March 5th, Ms. Van Thi Hong Hanh, Chief People Officer of Home Credit, shared practical perspectives on balancing operational excellence with agile transformation for growth in the AI era. A highlight of her sharing was the "Same bar, but different paths" strategy - a tailored approach to navigating these modern workforce challenges. 

Organised annually by Anphabe, this event series serves as a specialized forum for leaders and HR professionals in Vietnam. It serves as a community for businesses to update the latest reports on HR trends, the labor market, and effective human capital management solutions in the digital era.

Ms. Van Thi Hong Hanh (second from left), Chief People Officer of Home Credit, at the Anpha Insight Meetup.

Opposing forces within a business

According to Ms. Hanh, “performance” and “transformation” are two parallel forces that often exert opposing pressures on a business. “Operational stability is essential, yet achieving systemic transformation requires experimentation and a tolerance for error. Organizations must navigate the friction between these two forces to maintain a steady balance,” she analyzed.

With a pioneering spirit in transformation, Home Credit has identified 3 major challenges in sustaining stable performance while driving continuous evolution. She said, the primary challenge lies in distinguishing which areas to standardize for stability versus those to analyze for growth. The second challenge is the velocity gap, where business growth outpaces human development, leading to leadership burnout and a fragmented employee experience. Finally, companies may face the challenge of managing a multi-generational workforce, as they strives to find common ground and unlock the potential of Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z within a digital environment.
 

Ms. Van Thi Hong Hanh shared her insights at the event.

Explaining this, Home Credit’s CPO noted that a multi-generational workplace creates significant differences in career expectations, benefits, and communication styles. In response, Home Credit has pivoted from a “one-size-fits-all” model to a “same bar, different paths” approach, which allows the company to maintain universal performance standards while flexibly tailoring development tracks and experiences to suit the specific characteristics of each employee group.

As AI redefines daily workflows, Ms. Hanh emphasized that the core of human resources management lies in sustainable growth. Beyond revenue and performance targets, organizations must focus on 2 strategic people-centric pillars: First, continuously upskilling the workforce through lifelong learning and development opportunities; and second, designing personalized experiences for a multi-generational workforce. This ensures not only a professional work environment, but also an optimal space where individuals can confidently unlock their potential.

The answer to the "AI replacing humans" concern

As Vietnam strives to become a leading AI nation by 2030 with a dynamic tech ecosystem, this transition offers significant growth. Rather than viewing AI as a threat to job security, Ms. Hanh believes it is a golden opportunity to redefine human potential. Driven by the conviction that AI will be a net creator of value and new career opportunities, she emphasizes: 'The core challenge today is not the technology itself, but how we empower our workforce to embrace and fully harness the power of AI.”

Home Credit prioritizes building an open work environment with a culture of continuous learning to encourage employees to fulfill their potential.

At Home Credit, the solution lies in building an AI-driven yet human-centric work environment, while investing in employee capability through a culture of lifelong learning. “Home Credit’s approach is to maintain clear and consistent communication regarding AI integration in the workplace, including defining its purpose and how employees will be supported. Furthermore, we create an environment where people learn to collaborate with AI, ensuring it becomes a companion rather than a threat in this new era,” she shared.

“The success does not rely solely on effective AI application. More importantly, it’s sustaining trust and helping every employee clearly see their own role in the organization’s future,” she emphasized.

This people-centric HR philosophy, has become a key touchpoint helping Home Credit attract top talents in Data, Technology, and AI. Tech engineers are empowered to directly build original, in-house AI products and models to solve real-world business challenges and enhance their professional expertise in an engaging tech environment.

Find out more about the culture and career opportunities at Home Credit Vietnam: https://career.homecredit.vn/en/