Building a People-Centric Future

Yenita Oktora, Chief Human Resource Officer, L’Oréal Indonesia

Yenita Oktora, Chief Human Resource Officer, L’Oréal Indonesia

Yenita Oktora is the Chief Human Resources Officer for L’Oréal Indonesia and leads the HR strategy with a strong emphasis on fostering a people-centered culture. Over the years, she has held various strategic HR roles across multiple countries, including Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, focusing on talent management and strategic HR partnerships within the Asia-Pacific region.

Through this article, Oktora highlights the importance of creating a people-centered culture where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow their careers.

My career journey spans over 20 years in Human Resources, and it has been incredibly fulfilling to spend nearly 14 of those years at L'Oréal. My journey here began in 2010 as a Recruitment & Integration Manager for Indonesia. Over the years, I've held various HR roles in multiple countries, from Shanghai to Hong Kong to Singapore, focusing on talent management and strategic HR partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region. Returning to Indonesia, I currently serve as the Chief Human Resources Officer for L'Oréal Indonesia. My primary responsibilities include leading HR strategy, fostering a people-centered culture, and ensuring L'Oréal Indonesia is an inspiring and inclusive place to work. At the heart of my role is the mission to create an environment where our people feel empowered, valued, and excited to grow their careers in L’Oréal.

Strategies to Reduce Employee Turnover

Retention is all about ensuring our people feel valued, supported, and deeply connected to our mission. We focus on comprehensive talent management through people reviews, personalized career development paths, and substantial investments in learning programs. By taking bets on our talent and focusing on long-term growth, we empower our people while enabling retention plans that meet individual needs. Feedback is essential to this process, and we emphasize transparent, constructive dialogue between managers and employees through our quarterly Connect sessions. This ensures no one feels lost in their career journey while building a culture of psychological safety and continuous development. To add even more value, we offer transversal career opportunities across brands, divisions, and functions, enriching career possibilities across the organization. At the core of retention is having strong, empathetic leaders who inspire trust and foster belonging. Together, these elements create a workplace where people are empowered to stay and grow. As we measure the success of these initiatives through retention rates and pulse surveys, we’re continually adapting to ensure our approach not only meets business needs but genuinely resonates with our people, creating a culture they want to be a part of long term.

“Retention is all about ensuring our people feel valued, supported, and deeply connected to our mission. We focus on comprehensive talent management through people reviews, personalized career development paths, and substantial investments in learning programs.”

Leveraging Technology and Data Analytics in HR

Technology and data analytics are integral to our HR function, allowing us to create a highly data-driven and strategic approach to talent management and employee engagement. Through platforms like "One Profile," we unify key data points, which support more personalized career development and talent processes. Our HR team is skilled in tools like Power BI, which allow us to leverage visual data insights effectively in collaboration with business functions, enhancing communication and decision-making, especially in areas where data-driven insights are crucial. Further integrating technology, we leverage cutting-edge tools like our AI platform, L’Oréal GPT, to improve a more secure and efficient workflow, allowing our teams to focus on high-impact areas. Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) also offers instant access to a wide range of support services, from fitness coach to dietitian. By integrating technology at every step, we’re not only improving HR efficiency but building a workplace where insights drive action and support a thriving, responsive organizational culture.

Approach to Employee Development and Continuous Learning

Our approach to employee development and continuous learning at L'Oréal Indonesia is rooted in a commitment to equipping our people for the future. Recognizing the ever-evolving nature of the beauty industry, we emphasize a multi-faceted learning ecosystem that supports growth at all levels, from emerging talent to senior leaders. A key initiative within this approach is our comprehensive Skills Library, which is continuously updated to reflect the skills needed across roles. This library enables us to identify skill gaps and design targeted learning pathways. Employees benefit from a blend of on-the-job learning, formal training, and social learning experiences like mentoring and cross-functional projects, enabling them to gain diverse experience and preparing them for multiple career paths within the organization. To ensure alignment with business needs, our People Review process plays a crucial role in shaping employee growth. The evaluation assesses both performance and potential, allowing us to create personalized development plans that inform key decisions on promotions, job rotations, and career advancement. By integrating these strategies, we not only build an agile and resilient leadership pipeline but also foster an inclusive culture of growth and adaptability, positioning our employees for long-term success and impact.

Embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We have a strong ethical foundation that guides our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and we ensure these values are embedded across the organization and throughout the employee journey. We uphold fairness through initiatives like the “License to Hire” program, which trains all people managers to recognize and eliminate biases. This ensures C1 - Internal use that every candidate is evaluated equitably, regardless of their background, helping us build a diverse and inclusive workforce from the outset. Our focus on an inclusive culture extends to our policies, including flexible work arrangements and a comprehensive benefits program, allowing us to accommodate different needs so that everyone can thrive in their roles. To foster long-term growth, we provide access to clear career paths, mentorship, leadership training, and international mobility opportunities. While we understand that different individuals have unique needs, aspirations, and conditions, we tailor development opportunities accordingly and create personalized development plans to ensure no one is left behind. Gender balance is indeed a key part of our goals, where we actively work toward equitable representation. To further support our commitment to DEI, we invest in inclusive leadership training to ensure that our leaders understand how to champion diversity and equity within their teams and collaborate with external organizations that advocate for women in the workplace. Our latest initiative is launching the Reconnect Program to provide opportunities for women who have taken career breaks to rediscover their professional skills, gain confidence, and re-enter the corporate world. We monitor key metrics and KPIs that help us track the effectiveness of our initiatives. This data-driven approach allows us to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to ensure that we’re on the right track in our ongoing efforts.

Advice for Navigating Industry Complexities

In a dynamic industry like ours, my advice is to remain flexible and agile. Embrace change and celebrate short-term wins while keeping a clear focus on long-term goals. Cultivate continuous learning and seek cross-functional roles or international exposure to broaden your perspective. Always remain adaptable to evolving trends and demands and remember to be empathetic—building strong relationships and understanding others is key to your success. For my fellow HR professionals, it's essential to become a strong business partner. Understand the business deeply and align your HR strategies with its objectives. Embrace empathy and ensure that you create a work environment that supports and empowers your teams. Lastly, never stop challenging yourself—this is what will drive meaningful change both for your career and for the organization.