First established in 2010 in Indonesia, Gojek's business model revolves around transportation, food delivery, and logistics services. The company is dedicated to solving the daily challenges faced by consumers while improving the quality of life for millions of people across Southeast Asia, especially those in the informal sector and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
It has grown to become the leading on-demand platform in Indonesia, with additional operations in Vietnam and Singapore. The Gojek platform now comprises over 2.7 million driver partners across the region. Gojek is part of the GoTo Group, the largest digital ecosystem in Indonesia, consisting of Gojek, Tokopedia, GoTo Financial, and GoTo Logistics.
Rewards and challenges
Herman Cahyadi, the head of People and Culture at Gojek Indonesia, shares the ins and outs of his role, especially in the era of post-pandemic digital transformation.
His role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities related to managing and developing the organisation's workforce, fostering a positive and productive work environment, and aligning the company's people-related initiatives with its overall business goals. It also includes strategic leadership, employee development and training, employee engagement and culture, compensation and benefits, change management, internal communication, and workforce analytics.
From the multiple responsibilities on his plate, talent acquisition and retention remain to be a big challenge for him. He also observes a talent shortage, especially in the field of technology.
Herman Cahyadi
"This scarcity made it challenging to find qualified candidates due to the increasing demand, leading to a rush to hire for specific roles."
Herman Cahyadi
There were also pandemic-related challenges such as a rapid shift to remote working for many companies. "Organisations had to quickly adapt to remote hiring and onboarding processes, which posed challenges in maintaining company culture and ensuring employee engagement," he added.
Aside from that, the pandemic also prompted a widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work models. Companies had to navigate challenges related to managing remote teams and maintaining a cohesive work environment.
The Oxford Group researchers noted that the pandemic dramatically changed the way people work, citing a PwC survey revealing that 55% of employees prefer a hybrid work model post-pandemic. Hybrid work setup also offers a lot of benefits such as improvement of work-life balance, greater flexibility, increased productivity, and reduced costs. The study noted that businesses embracing this model shall reap its benefits.
Despite the challenges, Cahyadi finds a lot of rewarding things in his job such as learning and growth, ownership and autonomy and the ability to innovate.
"Leaders have the opportunity to expand their skill set, learn from challenges, and develop leadership qualities that can be valuable throughout their careers. This level of responsibility can be deeply fulfilling, allowing leaders to shape the company's direction based on their vision. We have the chance to foster a culture of creativity and exploration, driving the development of new products, services, and approaches," Cahyadi says.
Courage to Transform
The recent pandemic became one of the biggest drivers for transformation at Gojek. Cahyadi explains how he learned three important things during the pandemic. The first one is leadership through uncertainty. He shares that "leaders discovered that their ability to provide stability, direction, and a sense of purpose was crucial during times of uncertainty. Authentic and transparent leadership helped build trust and confidence."
Also, for Cahyadi, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital tools and technologies. He was able to learn the value of embracing digital transformation to ensure business continuity, enhance customer experiences, and streamline operations.
Aside from that, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work on a global scale. "It demonstrated that remote and distributed work arrangements can be effective, and many organisations realised that they could maintain productivity and collaboration even when employees are not physically present in the office," he adds.
As a result, Gojek was able to implement changes to transform company culture such as regular one-on-one meetings, transparent communication and encouraging diversity and inclusion.
"In embracing diversity and inclusivity in your teams, ensure that managers promote an inclusive environment where everyone's voices are heard and respected," Cahyadi notes.
"A lot of people are coming from different countries, different cultures and different attitudes that we never saw before. When you sit down here, you may be from Singapore, from India, etc., but we are here to build something out of the collaboration between all of us," adds the Gojek head.
Pew Research Centre noted that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace contribute to a positive work environment. The United Nations cited DEI as a key driver for resilience and plays a crucial role in driving the high performance of the workforce.
He encourages others to have the courage to transform which for him "is about making a conscious choice to embrace change despite the initial discomfort it may bring. It's acknowledging that while staying within the comfort zone might provide temporary ease, it's the journey beyond that brings lasting fulfilment, growth, and the possibility of reaching one's full potential."
Wisdom for Leaders
"The most important thing about being a leader," he shares, "is that you can adapt to all the changes and know how to put yourself in the middle of any hot situation."
He encourages leaders to lead by example. "As a leader, your behaviour sets the tone for the entire organisation. Demonstrate the qualities you wish to see in managers – approachability, transparency, empathy, and open communication," he adds.
Julia Martins, an Asana leader, reinforces the importance of leading by example. She says that it is the difference between, "you can do this" and "we can do this together". The former shows support and encouragement but the latter builds camaraderie, connection, and trust.
Cahyadi also encourages leaders to set clear expectations, foster trust, and psychological safety, manage expectations, and learn from mistakes. He says that leaders should embrace an iterative approach "that allows for adjustments based on feedback and evolving circumstances. This flexibility enables the organisation to adapt to unforeseen challenges and capitalise on emerging opportunities."
Self-transformation
Cahyadi, who finds his passion in HR, shares that he is not initially from the field. "I never touched human resources, even if you look at my educational background. I am from the business marketing management industry."
He shares that since high school, he has been exposed to the ins and outs of organisations through the student body and his church. That is where he learned to connect with people and to increase work quality and productivity.
Through his experiences in life, he now advocates that "at the heart of Human Resources Strategic Management lies the convergence of two critical elements: people and strategy."
He believes that the role of Human Resources (HR) has evolved from administrative tasks to a strategic cornerstone.
"As someone deeply passionate about Human Resources Strategic Management, I have come to recognise the profound impact this field has on shaping organisational success. This passion has driven me to explore the intricate interplay between people, strategy, and innovation, and has led me to appreciate how strategic HR management can drive an organisation to new heights," he shares.
* Editor's notes: This article is part of the Cxociety Coffee Table Book project (The Project) which chronicles the journey and experiences of senior business, operations, finance and technology leaders in Asia in recent years. The Project illustrates the tenacity, ingenuity and resiliency of the human spirit in the face of seemingly endless challenges.
With nearly 50 stories chronicled in The Project, it is a must-read compendium of learnings and experiences from seasoned professionals in the region.
