How did you start your journey at VNG? After nearly 8 years of working together, how do you feel about the work and people at VNG? Thao started working at VNG at the age of 26. If summed up, there would be 3 main stages. First, she started with the role of Internal Communication. Thao observed very carefully and saw that this area at VNG had not been properly invested in, there was still a lot of room for development. About half a year later, Thao realized that what VNG really needed was Employer Branding (EB - Employer Branding). At that time, EB was something very vague, very new, even big companies had not really defined what this job was. After VNG's IC and EB were well-formed, Thao continued to worry about VNG's communications in both internal and external aspects. At that time, the company's Corporate Brand (Corporate Communications) division was very scattered, each product told a separate story, while the overall story of VNG was almost non-existent. Ultimately, Thao believed that when brought together, the messages from the Group level would be sent out more consistently and clearly. The next milestone was when Thao took on the completely new field of Human Resources at the end of last year. After 8 months of "rolling around", Thao realized that the backbone of human resources is not just the story of employees, benefits, and salaries. More deeply, Thao had very specific perspectives, both very general and detailed, to better understand what VNG actually needed and what she herself could contribute to the company. Of course, it is impossible not to mention the most unforgettable birthday memory during her working time. Since that event, Thao has also taken on a number of additional jobs that, according to Thao, are very special, not every HR director can experience. 
The Communications and Human Resources sectors seem to be two sectors that are not very related to each other. What motivated you to "take on this challenge" and how did you overcome it? Actually, before that, Thao had been struggling with the human resource management story of the Communications team. I understand that at a certain threshold, Thao will not be able to increase the SOW (Scope of Work) for the staff directly under her, but she can completely bring her experience and understanding of the products and people of VNG to her colleagues in the company. When participating in the human resources sector, Thao can effectively support her own and her team's communications work, how to make the communications work more substantial, more timely, and can also coach the staff below. From the beginning, Thao was very interested in the Human aspect - not because she only cared when she worked in HR. Thao finds value in every daily interaction, she feels happy when observing her teammates working, and that gives her happiness to balance other negative emotions. Can you share more about how she develops self-understanding and realizes what really means to her? For Thao, optimism and the ability to balance emotions do not come from a fixed formula or a specific habit, but from understanding herself. When you understand what makes you happy and sad, you will know where the balance point is. As shared, Thao cares about people, therefore, all the joys and sorrows in her working life will revolve around people. From there, Thao draws out the factors that help her balance, which can be the weekend hours with her family, going to the spa, or playing with her pets, etc. In reality, there may be many complicated things around her, but Thao always tends to find the simplest core factors, which helps her see the problems she needs to solve faster and also be less emotional. Thao does not suppress or avoid but chooses to face, acknowledge negative emotions, and give herself space to release but within certain limits. In any situation, Thao tries to stay calm and look at the problem in the most objective way. According to her, how can each individual understand themselves and the people around them, thereby finding the right way to take care of their spirit? Each generation has its own experiences, shaping its identity and different values. Young people often crave self-affirmation and react strongly to things that are not to their liking. On the contrary, older people have gone through more experiences, achieved stability and have less need to prove themselves to others. For each individual to be able to understand the souls of others and take care of their own spirit, effective communication skills are very important. Thao hopes that when the older generation looks at the younger generation, they will see a part of their own youth. When we strive to find common ground instead of differences, the value and meaning of connection will become clearer. Ultimately, no matter what generation we belong to, we are all looking for meaning in life and a place to contribute our own value. What do you think about Gen Z being perceived as fragile and having different reactions compared to previous generations? Thao thinks that this perception may come from the fact that Gen Z has not experienced enough challenges and lacks deep connections with the people around them. This is actually completely understandable, it stems from the cultural context and environment in which you grew up. This is a generation that has been exposed to the internet from a very early age, proficient in absorbing information and professional knowledge, but the ability to manage emotions and communication skills - important factors in interaction and connection - have not been fully developed. Instead of seeing this factor as a limitation, Gen Z can proactively overcome it by expanding their worldview and building new connections with other generations. It is the proactive learning and exposure to diverse perspectives and experiences that will help you improve your ability to adapt and develop effective interaction and communication skills. Finally, what advice do you have for Starters who are in the process of finding a work-life balance? The journey of taking care of mental health is a long process and requires a lot of time and patience. Every person, regardless of generation, has their own circumstances and challenges, but what we all share in common is the desire to find peace and meaning in life. This journey is not always easy, but it is definitely worth it. Thao just hopes that everyone will always remember that every effort to understand themselves and take care of their own spirit is part of maturity and happiness.| In November 2024, VNG launched the “Inner U” campaign with the message Embrace the Inner U (Respect true emotions), to help employees regain balance in work and personal life, thereby building a positive and healthy living and working environment. The Inner U campaign was born with the goal of raising awareness of the importance of mental health, guiding Starters to think positively as well as changing and eliminating habits that can harm personal emotions. |
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