Meet Shefali Sharma 👋
Shefali Sharma is a resilient and growth-driven People & Culture leader & Community Builder with over 12 years’ experience building inclusive, high-performing teams across Southeast Asia’s tech ecosystem, and a passionate advocate in the femtech space for advancing women’s health and bridging the gender health gap. She’s also an avid aesthete and a huge fan of Formula 1.
Insights from Shefali Sharma
1) On Culture: What’s one thing you or your team does regularly to build a strong, positive workplace culture?
One key practice my team and I consistently implemented to build a strong, positive workplace culture is conducting regular “pulse checks”—short, targeted surveys designed to understand the real-time sentiments, needs, and gaps within the organization. These pulse checks go beyond annual engagement surveys, providing us with actionable insights into what’s working and where we can improve.
We didn’t stop at collecting feedback; we made it a point to catch up regularly with the management team to share these insights and discuss trends.
This ensures that culture-building is not seen as the sole responsibility of HR, but rather a collective effort involving leadership and line managers.
By creating open channels for employees to share their thoughts and ensuring that feedback is acted upon, we fostered a culture of trust and psychological safety.
This collaborative approach has been instrumental in driving meaningful change across the organisations I have worked at, ensuring that culture remains relevant, inclusive, and supportive for everyone.
2) On Impact: What’s one HR initiative you led or supported that made a clear impact on your team or company? What changed because of it?
One HR initiative I’m particularly proud of was leading a targeted effort to improve gender diversity within engineering and sales teams at Toku. When I joined Toku as Head of People & Culture, both teams had significant gender imbalances—a common challenge in the tech industry. At the time, the engineering team had no women at all, while the sales team just had one.
Working closely with hiring managers and leadership, I developed and implemented a holistic DEI strategy that included inclusive job descriptions, targeted outreach and unconscious bias training. As a result, we improved gender diversity in the engineering team by 22% and in the sales team by 17%.
This shift not only created a more balanced and innovative workplace but also enhanced our employer brand, helping us attract even more diverse talent. Most importantly, it fostered a culture where all employees felt seen, valued, and empowered to contribute, which had a positive ripple effect on engagement and performance across the company.
This experience reinforced my belief that intentional, data-driven action can drive meaningful change—and that building an inclusive culture is both the right thing to do and a powerful business driver, especially in today’s context.
3) On the Future: What’s one key skill or mindset you think every HR professional in Singapore will need in the next 5 years - and why?
One key skill and mindset that every HR professional in Singapore will need over the next five years is a strong proficiency in AI, coupled with a high degree of agility.
The HR function is undergoing rapid transformation globally, with AI-driven tools reshaping everything from talent acquisition and employee engagement to performance management and workforce analytics. Being skilled in leveraging AI will allow HR leaders to make data-driven decisions, automate repetitive tasks, and deliver more strategic value to their organizations.
At the same time, agility remains essential. The current climate—marked by economic uncertainty, frequent restructuring, and technological disruption—demands that HR professionals continuously adapt, learn, and pivot. Upskilling is no longer optional; it’s critical for staying relevant and resilient, especially as HR teams are often at the forefront of managing redundancies and organizational change in the tech sector.
By embracing AI and maintaining an agile, growth-oriented mindset, HR professionals will be better equipped to navigate complexity, drive innovation, and support both their organizations and people through ongoing change.
4) What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting their career in HR or people leadership?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as an HR leader—and the advice I’d give to anyone starting their career in HR or people leadership—is to learn how to choose your battles wisely. In HR, you’re constantly balancing the needs of the business with the needs of your people.
Sometimes, the business’s priorities must take precedence, and that’s okay.
You will win some battles and lose others, but don’t be disheartened when things don’t go your way. There is always a bigger picture and a reason behind every decision. The key is to be diplomatic and pragmatic—focus your energy on the issues that will truly move the needle for both the business and your people. Let go of the small battles and concentrate on creating lasting, positive impact.
Ultimately, building a great culture and driving change is a collective effort, and your ability to see the bigger picture, remain balanced, and act as a bridge between business and people will define your success as an HR professional.
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As Singapore marks 60 years of progress, SG60: 60 People Leaders Shaping Workplaces honours the people leaders building cultures where people thrive.
Each spotlight captures authentic experiences and actionable wisdom from HR professionals making a difference in Singapore’s evolving world of work.