Another year is about to end, with the global business scenario creating a fiercely competitive business landscape in 2018. Looking back at the year, we reflect on how our stories were received by you all and curate a list of the most read stories that generated a lot of interest and hopefully, were useful for you. 

If some of you missed reading these engaging stories, this list might come in handy and for others, you might enjoy reading it another time with a new perspective, maybe. 

Here are 10 such stories which were trending in 2018:

The Lo & Behold group's Merle Chen on creating an awesome experience

In an interesting conversation with People Matters, Merle Chen, Chief Talent Officer of The Lo & Behold Group, highlights the importance of a company culture that cultivates connections first between colleagues and creating awesome experiences for guests at their concepts. 

6 valuable career lessons from Indra Nooyi’s parting note as PepsiCo’s CEO

As Indra Nooyi stepped down from the role of PepsiCo’s CEO after a momentous run of 12 years, she took to LinkedIn to pen an emotional note on her journey. In the heartfelt note, Indra thanked her PepsiCo family for helping her make this company the icon it is today and also shared six key reflections from her journey that have guided her throughout her career. 

I’m looking forward to the day when we no longer have to say woman CEO: Irina Novoselsky, CareerBuilder

Irina, who came to the US as a refugee from the former Soviet Union, has experienced firsthand that if you work hard and focus on teamwork and inclusiveness, you not only can live your dreams but help others live them too. So while she is proud to have broken the glass ceiling, she is looking forward to the day when we no longer have to say “woman CEO.” In an exclusive interaction with People Matters, Irina shares her journey and talks about the evolving trends in the recruitment space. 

How leaders are dealing with digital disruption in Asia-Pacific

A rare study, by Odgers Berndtson, Asia Pacific, tries to understand what is going on in the mind of apex company leaders in Asia-Pacific organizations. The study is based on face-to-face interviews with CEOs and regional CEOs from 70 MNCs across Asia-Pacific and shines a light on several interesting leadership trends in the region. This article presents the findings of the study and discusses how chief executives are dealing with digital disruption, personally and professionally. 

Agile practices can be truly effective for HR: Christine Rumble of AccorHotels

In charge of the Talent and Culture strategy for AccorHotels in Asia Pacific, Christine is passionate about developing local employees to lead hotel teams in order to meet the rapid growth of hospitality in the region. In an interaction with People Matters Global, Christine throws light on a range of topics – from talent management to agile practices to Learning and Development.

Is HR ready for blockchain?

The word "blockchain" is peaking in frequency in corporate boardrooms and has become impossible to ignore. The technology is not new, however, recently it has become more mainstream. Blockchain has the potential to disrupt everything we do online and in the real world, including traditional HR processes. The article touches upon the various areas across the employee lifecycle where HR can adopt and implement blockchain. 

11 must-have competencies for leaders in the digital age

What’s common between Angela Ahrendts, Burberry; David Kenny, from the Weather Company; David Epstein, Novartis and John Stack from The Tate Gallery? They are all examples of some of the greatest business leaders who led their businesses on digital transformation journey with their vision and passion. The article gives a quick run through of the competencies shared by Jennifer Jordan, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior, IMD from an interesting leadership competency framework that has been defined by a quantitative survey of more than 1,000 senior business leaders globally and semi-structured interviews with dozens of executives affected by the digital disruption.

Here is how to create a great employee experience with People Analytics

By combining technology and analytics, human resource professionals can strategically improve the employee experience in ways that have real business impact. But how? The article gives some insights and gives some ways in which people analytics can be utilized to create an awesome employee experience. 

8 technology trends that will reinvent HR

From blockchain, cryptocurrencies to analytics, the article discusses 8 technologies that will be reshaping traditional HR processes in the next 2-5 years. 

The need for people to learn will never stop: Kydon's Founder & CEO

In an interview with People Matters, David Yeo, Founder, and CEO at Kydon Group, Parenthexis, and LEARNTech Asia talks about his journey from the Singapore Armed Forces to setting up his own startup in the learning technology space and highlights the most relevant trends that will dominate the future of this industry.