At The Makeover 2026 – RE.verse, organised by Talentnet, data from Gallup, Marsh and Talentnet revealed a growing gap: while the economy and technology continue to move forward, employee trust and motivation are falling behind. Closing this gap requires a new generation of leaders who can do more than respond to change. They must rethink how their organisations operate, build on their core strengths and put people at the centre of business decisions to navigate an increasingly uncertain environment.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2026 report, based on average data from 2023 to 2025, only 9 per cent of employees in Vietnam are engaged at work, the lowest rate in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, findings from the 2026 workforce report shared by Lewis Garrad of Marsh show that only 44 per cent of employees feel they are thriving at work, 82 per cent are at risk of burnout, and just 12 per cent of CEOs say AI is helping their organisations increase revenue while reducing costs.

These figures point to a leadership challenge, not simply a question of tools or policies. For Tieu Yen Trinh, Founder and CEO of Talentnet, the biggest challenge facing business leaders today is not change itself, but the fact that several forces – technology, the economy, society, geopolitics and people – are changing at the same time.

While The Makeover 2025 introduced the concept of the “Game Changer” – leaders who change the rules of the game – the 2026 edition calls for an even more proactive role: the “Verse Maker”. Rather than waiting for the future to take shape, Verse Makers take the lead in shaping what comes next for their organisations through three strategic actions: Re.spond, Re.imagine and Re.claim.

The Verse Maker mindset introduced by Tieu Yen Trinh at The Makeover 2026.

Re.spond: Verse Makers Read the Signals Before Taking Action

Vietnam’s growth opportunities are clear. Michael Kokalari, Chief Economist at VinaCapital, highlighted several key drivers, including stable foreign direct investment (FDI) at approximately 5 per cent of GDP, a public investment plan worth $314 billion for 2026–2030, and a strong pool of STEM talent.

For a Verse Maker, however, recognising opportunities is only the first step. The real priority is to assess whether the organisation is ready to capture these opportunities, particularly as AI continues to reshape the business landscape.

According to Lewis Garrad, Regional Head of Workforce & Rewards Consulting at Marsh, 63 per cent of HR leaders are concerned about the psychological impact of AI, yet only 21 per cent take this into account when implementing it. In Vietnam, Talentnet data shows that GenAI adoption has reached 23.5 per cent, above the global average of 16.3 per cent, while 86 per cent of businesses have yet to establish a formal AI governance framework.

Garrad emphasised that businesses should start redesigning jobs by looking at actual tasks rather than fixed job positions. The goal is to find the right balance between human capabilities and automation.

Lewis Garrad shares insights on leadership as AI reshapes organisations.

Re.imagine: Verse Makers Challenge Conventional Thinking

Rewards are one area where businesses need to rethink their approach. Talentnet’s 2026 Employee Perspectives on Salary, Bonuses and Benefits Survey, which gathered responses from nearly 1,500 employees across 19 industries, found that employees increasingly expect greater transparency in salary review criteria, bonus calculations and health insurance coverage.

According to Talentnet, salary increases and bonuses are increasingly based on individual performance, contributions in critical roles and future-ready skills, rather than seniority alone. Putting “People First” does not necessarily mean spending more on employees. It means understanding what they value and designing rewards that meet their needs.

Rethinking the workplace also requires a change in how managers lead their teams. According to Gallup, 59 per cent of managers believe they provide enough recognition to employees, yet only 30 per cent of employees feel recognised. Managers also account for up to 70 per cent of the difference in engagement levels across teams.

Gallup recommends more structured management training, encouraging managers to move beyond the traditional role of a boss and become effective coaches who support their teams’ development and performance.

Re.claim: Verse Makers Lead by Example and Stay Focused

At its core, Re.claim is about protecting employee motivation and trust. The “Rebuilding Motivation” panel, moderated by Mike Hebert, Deputy General Director of Talentnet, explored a key challenge facing businesses today: while AI can generate ideas faster than ever, maintaining innovation and employee trust remains much more difficult.

According to the panellists, there are several aspects of leadership that AI cannot easily replace. These include empowering people and putting them at the centre of decision-making, as highlighted by Pham Minh Huong, Founder of IPA Living; going into the field to understand market realities, as shared by Vincent Mourou, Founder and CEO of Marou; developing succession plans, as emphasised by Christina “Tina” Tan, President of Suy Sing Corporation; and identifying strategic investments while assessing return on investment (ROI), as discussed by Brook Taylor, CEO of VinaCapital.

Business leaders exchange perspectives on sustaining innovation and organisational momentum.

Staying true to an organisation’s strengths also means focusing on what matters most and having the discipline to follow through. At the “Breaking the D-efficiency Trap” panel, a quick poll found that approximately 57 per cent of participants identified too many priorities and a lack of focus as the biggest barriers to business efficiency.

Nguyen Hoang Giang, General Director of SATRACO – SABECO, stressed that leaders must take the lead in driving change and remain committed to delivering it.

Sharing a similar view, Tran Thi Nguyet Oanh, Senior Director of Human Resources Management at HSBC Vietnam, noted that transformation must start with leadership and become a shared effort across the organisation, rather than an initiative driven by individuals alone.

The business impact of staying focused and consistently improving key priorities was illustrated through a real-world case shared by Dane Hudson, Founder and CEO of Impactful Leadership Consulting.

By strengthening corporate culture, building discipline into daily operations and improving sales processes, the company achieved significant results. Within just two years, employee awareness of the organisation’s core values increased from below 10 per cent to more than 90 per cent across a workforce of over 23,000. Meanwhile, its bid-winning rate rose from below 10 per cent to more than 60 per cent, without any changes to its workforce or market conditions.

Concluding the programme, Fredrik Härén, Global Speaker on Creativity and Business Innovation, introduced the formula “Idea = p(k+i)”. The formula suggests that ideas come from knowledge (k), new information (i), and people’s ability to connect the two (p, representing people).

From this perspective, businesses gain a lasting competitive advantage when leaders create an environment where employees are encouraged to think independently, share ideas and turn them into action.

The Makeover is Talentnet’s annual forum, bringing together business leaders and management experts to share business insights, discuss key challenges and explore practical solutions. The event aims to help organisations rethink existing approaches, respond proactively to change and identify new growth opportunities in an increasingly uncertain business environment.