As Chief Human Resources Officer at Yanwen Express, Yunan Weng is no stranger to tackling complex workforce challenges. With over a decade of HR experience spanning industries and borders—from multinational healthcare to digital education—Weng has become a leading voice in transforming how organizations recruit and develop talent in today’s AI-driven economy. Her upcoming AI-first human resources information system (HRIS) aims to revolutionize HR practices in the U.S., balancing efficiency with inclusion to meet the evolving needs of a distributed global workforce.
Digital Transformation—at the Department Level
Human resources management demands more than tools—it requires empathy and foresight to manage recruitment, training, and development effectively. But often for smaller companies, many HR departments remain overwhelmed, lacking the infrastructure or headcount to address these demands at scale.
“People’s livelihoods are on the line, especially for small and medium-sized businesses,” Weng explains. “And yet their HR teams are often the least staffed and supported.”
Weng’s plan is ambitious: to design and implement a scalable human resources information system (HRIS) that tackles critical gaps in hiring, retention, and workforce equity across sectors like technology, healthcare, and manufacturing. Drawing from her extensive experience, she seeks to optimize these processes through the careful application of AI, creating systems that enhance HR efficiency while preserving the human connections that build strong workplace cultures.
“We really want AI to supplement existing processes, and only create new ones which reduce overhead,” Weng explains. “The HR team should be able to focus on high-impact interactions with employees and create environments where they can succeed. The automation and data insights are important, but they’re secondary to enabling HR professionals.”
Human-Centered Technology: Empathy Meets Automation
Weng’s AI-driven HRIS platform is built on five pillars that modernize HR processes while promoting empathy and inclusion-based hiring:
- AI-enhanced talent acquisition: Moving beyond traditional predictive hiring models, Weng’s platform will leverage natural language processing to match candidates with roles more accurately, especially in high-growth sectors like healthcare and technology. This shifts the focus from rigid certifications to holistic assessments of company fit and emotional well-being.
- Employee engagement through data: Dynamic feedback systems will provide insights into workplace satisfaction, helping organizations reduce turnover and create cultures that evolve dynamically rather than relying on static, top-down initiatives.
- Personalized onboarding: Machine learning tailors onboarding programs to individual needs, strengthening the employer-employee relationship from day one. Studies show that employees are 18 times more committed to the company following a positive onboarding experience.
- Expanding access to underserved regions: Recruitment initiatives focus on rural and economically overlooked areas in the U.S., bridging opportunity gaps and increasing workforce diversity.
- Predictive analytics for workforce management: Data-driven tools will anticipate talent needs, positioning businesses for sustained growth rather than reactive, short-term hiring cycles.
Building Workforce Equity & Regional Opportunity
A cornerstone of Weng’s vision is fostering equity in hiring. By targeting underserved regions, the platform builds regional talent databases to connect skilled candidates from outside major metropolitan areas with meaningful opportunities. This approach will help bridge socioeconomic gaps and strengthens local economies—an ongoing priority for the U.S. Department of Labor.
“There’s a massive advantage to hiring in the U.S.,” Weng emphasizes, “and that’s being able to build a workforce that reflects and serves the diversity of its communities.”
Weng has already begun establishing recruitment hubs in underrepresented areas for Yanwen Express. These hubs prioritize local talent pools, enabling Yanwen to expand its reach and strengthen its last-mile delivery network. From implementing AI-powered training modules that target local economic growth to workforce programs addressing national priorities, Weng’s long-term vision positions the U.S. as a leader in innovation and productivity.
A Track Record of Talent Acquisition
“The technology already exists, and it’s a perfect fit for the space, but there’s no clear leader yet,” Weng explains. “Our goal is to combine the best ideas into a single, cohesive product—something that simplifies HR operations and frees teams to focus on their people instead of their tools.”
Weng’s strategy builds on her prior successes. At UPMC China, Weng oversaw the recruitment of over 200 healthcare professionals, achieving zero turnover during a critical development phase. Similarly, at Born to Learn, she grew the workforce by 200% while fostering a culture that earned the company recognition as a premier employer. With these experiences as her foundation, Weng is confident in replicating her success and creating scalable solutions that benefit HR professionals worldwide.
Iterating on Success
Looking ahead, Weng’s mission is to set new standards for HR practices across industries, fostering a workforce that is skilled, adaptable, and reflective of the values that drive sustainable growth. Her platform positions the U.S. as a leader in workforce innovation and competitiveness, with AI serving as a tool to foster equity and connection.
At Yanwen Express, Weng has already implemented several AI-driven solutions that demonstrate her commitment to innovation. These include predictive analytics models to forecast labor demands based on seasonal delivery fluctuations, AI-powered workforce scheduling tools to align shifts with employee availability and preferences, and automated candidate screening systems to reduce hiring biases while accelerating the recruitment process. By integrating these tools into Yanwen’s operations, Weng has optimized talent acquisition and retention pipelines as the company rapidly scales its U.S. presence.
“Great people make a great economy,” she says. “And finding them doesn’t need to be as difficult as we make it out to be.”
As Weng continues to lead transformative initiatives at Yanwen Express and build out her new AI-driven HRIS platform, her work serves as a powerful reminder that while innovation often centers on technology, its true power lies in the people it supports.
