Salaries are no longer enough to retain employees in the age of AI.

Surveys in Vietnam show that working people are now not only concerned about income but also expect transparency, engagement, and opportunities for development in the AI ​​era.

Mr. Roland Wee, Chairman of Great Place To Work ASEAN and ANZ. Photo: GPTW.

Great Place To Work has just announced the top 35 companies in its Best Workplaces in Vietnam 2026 ranking. The ranking is based on an anonymous survey of nearly 75,000 workers, representing the voices of over 111,000 employees across businesses in Vietnam.

This year, the list of major businesses includes many multinational corporations and domestic enterprises such as DHL Vietnam, Marriott International, Heineken Vietnam, PNJ Group, and Greenfeed.

Among the emerging businesses are many prominent names in the hospitality, technology, healthcare, and insurance sectors, such as Hilton, Siemens Healthineers, FWD Vietnam Life Insurance Company Limited, and Capella Hotels and Resorts.

Meanwhile, the small business sector saw the presence of technology and pharmaceutical companies such as Cisco, Takeda Vietnam Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and HP Technology Vietnam.

Roland Wee, Chairman of Great Place To Work ASEAN and ANZ, believes the world is entering a period of profound change as economic instability, geopolitical tensions, and the wave of AI occur simultaneously.

Workers no longer work solely for a salary.

According to Roland Wee, the "transactional" labor model—where employees exchange loyalty for income—is gradually losing its effectiveness.

"Today's workers want more than just a good salary. They need to feel heard, connected to the organization's goals, and genuinely cared for," he said.

Representatives from Great Place To Work stated that businesses that are slow to adapt are seeing declining employee engagement and a significant increase in turnover rates.

In the context of a constantly changing economy , many organizations in ASEAN are also shifting towards building a workplace environment that prioritizes "psychological safety"—where employees can contribute ideas, experiment, and adapt without fear of being judged or punished if they fail.

According to Roland Wee, employees now want to understand the overall business picture rather than just focusing on their individual tasks as before. This makes transparency a mandatory requirement for the leadership team.

Data from Great Place To Work shows that employees at companies with high levels of trust are four times more likely to adapt quickly and three times more likely to stay with their employers than the average.

"Culture is no longer a soft factor. In times of instability, it's a structural advantage that helps businesses maintain cohesion and operational capability," he added.

AI is changing the standards for human resources.

Besides economic pressures, the rapid development of AI is also reshaping the labor market.

According to the Chair of Great Place To Work ASEAN and ANZ, the pace of AI development over the past 18 months has far exceeded previous forecasts, as the technology is no longer just supporting behind-the-scenes operational tasks but is directly involved in analysis, research, drafting, and decision-making processes.

However, instead of viewing AI as a tool to replace humans, many businesses now see it as a tool to improve employee productivity.

"The organizations that are most effective at applying AI today aren't asking how to cut staff, but how to make each employee create more value," Roland Wee observed.

According to him, AI excels in its ability to synthesize data, identify patterns, and handle large workloads, while humans still retain advantages in judgment, empathy, creativity, and handling complex relationships.

This also leads to changes in the demands placed on employees. According to Great Place To Work, the most valuable employees in 2026 will not necessarily be those with the deepest expertise, but rather those who can adapt, collaborate, and remain resilient in a constantly changing environment.

"In the future, the labor market will not be a battle between humans and AI, but rather a battle where human capabilities are amplified by AI," said Roland Wee.

Source: https://znews.vn/luong-khong-con-du-de-giu-chan-nhan-vien-thoi-ai-post1654688.html