People Development is not A Department’s Job – It’s The Company’s Top Priority

Gavin Yi of Yijin Hardware explains how treating people development as a CEO priority built a culture where technical excellence and human values thrive side by side.

Gavin Yi, CEO of Yijin Hardware, a global manufacturing company specializing in precision parts production, remains closely connected to HR strategy and execution, not as an occasional check-in, but as a core leadership responsibility.

His approach reflects a fundamental belief: in manufacturing environments where operational efficiency and technical precision drive competitive advantage, people development cannot be separated from business strategy.

It must be woven into the fabric of how the company operates daily.

To understand how Yi integrated HR into his CEO mandate and what that integration has meant for Yijin’s culture and performance, HRD Asia spoke with him about dual career pathways, performance systems that balance numbers with growth, and why AI should never make the final call on talent decisions.

Why a CEO stays connected to HR strategy

Yi’s involvement in people strategy serves both practical and strategic purposes. It keeps business decisions grounded in operational reality while signaling organizational priorities.

“I’ve always believed that while technology defines our capabilities, it’s people who determine how far those capabilities can go,” he explains.

“As CEO, I stay closely connected to the pulse of the organization to ensure our people strategy and business strategy move in sync.”

This connection provides direct insight into how the organization functions beyond reports and dashboards.

“It allows me to sense how the company is really operating day to day and prevents decisions from drifting too far from frontline reality,” Yi says.

The CEO’s attention to people strategy also communicates what matters most at Yijin. “It also sends a clear message across Yijin: people development is not a department’s job… It’s the company’s top priority,” he adds.

Hardwiring values into behavior

When Yi began building Yijin’s HR systems, the objective extended beyond creating functional structures.

The goal was to define what kind of company Yijin would become over the long term, and to make those aspirations measurable and enforceable.

“When I look back at building Yijin’s HR system, it was never just about structure or process design… It was about defining the company’s DNA and long-term character,” Yi says.

The challenge was translating abstract values into concrete behaviors that could be observed, assessed, and rewarded.

“From the very beginning, we wanted to hardwire our values into measurable behavior,” he explains.

“I’ve always believed that without measurement, there’s no management. If you only reward numbers, you end up encouraging short-termism and self-interest.”

Yijin’s core values—customer focus, collaboration and win-win, and accountability—became behavioral standards directly tied to advancement and compensation.

“So we converted our values: customer focus, collaboration and win-win, and accountability, into clear, observable standards of behavior,” Yi says.

“Promotions and rewards depend not only on results but also on how those results are achieved.”

This approach created lasting cultural foundations. “This approach ensured our culture wasn’t just a slogan on the wall but a living code of conduct,” he notes.

“It made it clear to everyone that at Yijin, how you succeed matters just as much as whether you succeed. That became the foundation of a fair, trusted, and sustainable culture.”

Integrating efficiency with growth

Rather than treating operational efficiency and employee development as competing priorities, Yi designed systems where they reinforce one another.

“We never see efficiency and growth as opposites… They’re two sides of the same coin,” he says.

“Our goal has been to weave people development directly into our operations so they reinforce one another.”

Yijin embedded development into performance reviews and operational improvement cycles, making skill-building inseparable from work itself.

“For instance, we introduced a ‘performance improvement–driven’ development model,” Yi explains.

Performance conversations evolved into joint problem-solving sessions, focusing on both outcomes and capabilities.

“Performance reviews are no longer just scorecards; they’re growth conversations where managers and employees jointly reflect on both outcomes and capabilities: What skills need to improve so we can deliver faster and better next time?” he says.

Those insights translate into targeted skill-building that directly impacts operational results.

“Then we turn those insights into action through bite-sized learning, on-the-job practice, measurable skills, and everyday coaching,” Yi notes.

“This way, HR becomes the bridge that connects operational efficiency with personal growth… Not a choice between the two.”

Dual career pathways: dignity for technical excellence

Yijin created parallel career tracks for technical and managerial talent, recognizing that forcing engineers into management roles to advance created poor outcomes for everyone involved.

“We wanted to avoid the lose-lose situation where great engineers feel forced into management roles just to advance, and end up becoming mediocre managers,” Yi says. “Technical excellence should carry its own dignity and rewards.”

Making the dual pathway work required ensuring genuine parity between tracks. “The key was to ensure both tracks are equal in pay, authority, and access to resources,” he explains.

The impact has been substantial. “This approach has been transformative: it stabilized our core technical talent, encouraged innovation, and ensured that leadership positions are filled by people who genuinely love leading,” Yi says.

Using engagement data without blind spots

Yi identifies three critical lessons for interpreting employee sentiment and engagement data effectively.

“Three main lessons stand out,” he says.

The first is looking beyond aggregate scores to understand variation and exceptions.

“First, avoid the ‘average trap’… Dig into the differences and outliers behind the data instead of settling for surface-level trends,” he explains.

Quantitative data requires a qualitative context to be meaningful.

“Second, combine numbers with narrative. Use interviews and discussions to understand the why behind the data,” Yi notes.

Data only matters if it leads to tangible improvements. “Third, focus on actionable insights. Guide teams to identify specific, achievable improvements so data turns into real change,” he says.

Where AI should assist, and where it must not decide

Yi’s view on AI in HR crystallized when Yijin’s screening tool nearly eliminated a candidate who turned out to be highly promising despite an unconventional background.

“One defining moment came when an AI screening tool nearly filtered out a nontraditional but highly promising candidate,” he recalls. “It was a wake-up call.”

AI’s value lies in pattern recognition and processing efficiency, making it useful for identifying issues that require human attention.

“AI is brilliant at processing large datasets, spotting patterns, flagging risks, and improving efficiency… It should act as an early-warning radar,” Yi explains.

Critical decisions involving potential, cultural alignment, and ethical considerations require human judgment.

“However, humans are irreplaceable when it comes to judging potential, assessing cultural fit, and making ethically grounded decisions,” he says.

“Empathy, intuition, and accountability are what keep algorithms fair and decisions grounded in long-term thinking.”

Yi offers a clear principle: AI can surface issues, but people must resolve them.

“For example, if AI flags a potential risk pattern related to performance or attrition, the follow-up investigation, dialogue, and final decision must always rest with a human manager… Never with a machine,” he says.

Reframing performance management

Yi transformed Yijin’s performance system from a purely evaluative process into a developmental one.

“We’ve reframed performance management from a ‘numbers trial’ into a ‘growth dialogue,'” he says.

This reframing required several structural changes. First, expanding the definition of performance.

“Redefine performance: measure both results and capability development,” Yi explains.

Second, changing how managers and employees interact during reviews.

“Encourage open communication: use frequent, informal coaching-style check-ins where managers act as partners, not judges,” he says.

Third, ensuring consistency in how performance is assessed across different parts of the organization.

“Ensure fairness: use calibration reviews to align standards across departments,” Yi notes.

Finally, connecting evaluations to future development. “Link to development: connect evaluations directly to personal growth plans so employees feel supported while still accountable,” he says.

Making the business case for people investment

When Yi discusses people-first strategies with financially focused stakeholders, he frames the conversation around measurable business outcomes.

“I speak their language… The language of business outcomes,” he says.

The first argument centers on operational reliability. “Operational resilience: a stable, skilled team reduces quality issues, downtime, and rehiring costs,” Yi explains.

Innovation follows from engagement. “Innovation premium: engaged employees drive process innovation and continuous improvement that directly boost profitability,” he notes.

People investment also functions as risk management. “Risk mitigation: investing in people helps hedge against turnover, safety incidents, and production volatility,” Yi says.

Employer reputation affects both talent acquisition and client relationships. “Brand value: a strong employer brand attracts top talent and reassures clients of our long-term capability,” he adds.

“People-first is not the opposite of profit… It’s what sustains it,” Yi concludes.

What HR leaders need to influence at the CEO level

For HR professionals aspiring to shape business strategy, Yi identifies three essential transformations.

“Three transformations are essential,” he says.

First, HR leaders must develop business acumen. “From functional thinking to business thinking… Understand business models, markets, and financials like a CEO,” Yi explains.

Second, they must position talent as a strategic advantage. “From service provider to strategic driver. Use talent insights to create competitive advantage,” he notes.

Third, they need analytical and diagnostic capabilities.

“From task execution to systemic insight… Develop strong data analysis, organizational diagnosis, and change management skills,” Yi says.

Technical capabilities alone are insufficient. “And above all, have the courage and willingness to take responsibility for results, not just processes,” he adds.

A vision for manufacturing’s future

Yi hopes his approach to integrating technology with human-centered management influences how manufacturing leaders think about people strategy in the coming decade.

“I hope it encourages manufacturing leaders to elevate their perspective… To see HR not as a cost center, but as the engine of innovation and resilience,” he says.

This requires rethinking how technology and people interact within organizations. “That means humanized technology. Using tech to empower people, not replace them. Personalized management, [which is] using data to develop each person more precisely. Agile organizations… Building project-driven, collaborative teams that can adapt quickly,” Yi explains.

“Ultimately, I want manufacturing to become a workplace where technical excellence and human values thrive side by side,” he concludes.

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