Disruption means more–not less–HR management

Whether a company has five or 500 employees, is family-owned or a multinational corporation, human resource (HR) should be an important aspect of doing business.

This is the message human resource authorities will bring to participants in the 5th HR Innovation Conference on March 19 at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City.

Conference theme is “Accelerate: Advancing Organizational Growth in Disruptive Times.” Trixie Whyte, founder and chair of Q2 HR Solutions, is keynote speaker. Q2 HR Solutions, a leading full-service HR company, organizes the annual meeting.According to some of the experts who will speak at the conference, HR has become even more important with the disruption caused by constant technological advances that all companies—from micro to conglomerates—have to face and deal with.

Sarah McLeod, managing director and integrator of Q2 HR Solutions, says everyone in a company is involved in HR. “All of us should have skills to deal with people” who will deliver the service the company provides, she stresses.

McLeod says, with the conference’s focus on disruption, participants will get tips on how to enhance their businesses and how to cope with innovations, technological advances, etc.

“Disruption should be seen as a positive development, [an incentive] for upskilling people who will be displaced by disruption and preparing them for the changes ahead,” she says.

DM Varun, cofounder and chief executive officer of Skillbean, a company that supports the training ecosystem in the country, acknowledges there are fears of job losses because of disruption. But he says technology lets people access information directly. “Now people can start their own business even when they stay at home,” he points out.

“Disruption will happen but people will be able to scale up or prepare for it,” he stresses.

A person’s EQ (emotional quotient) and learning ability and agility are becoming important, says Shubha Shridharan, head of learning at Signify, the new company name of Philips Lighting. People’s communication skills will be important and, as companies automate, there will be increased emphasis on enriching the lives of employees. “People will regain their ‘souls,’” she says.

The experts believe every company—micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and large corporations—can learn from the conference. “Everybody —corporation and entrepreneur, including family business—wants to professionalize their organizations,” McLeod says. Shridharan hopes more MSMEs will be at the conference. She notes that smaller companies can actually adapt to innovations and initiatives faster.

The experts point out that HR is no longer just about hiring and firing people. Both McLeod and Shridharan say HR has to claim its place in the corporate “table” and contribute to the company’s growth and development.

Varun says HR should be considered a strategy. It is about choosing and keeping the right people. “Good people could be crucial to the company, its strategies and policies,” he says.

“Many companies talk about transformation but [it is] usually technological transformation,” Varun says. “We will show [at the conference] how transformation can involve HR.” When adopting a transformation, companies should take into account how it will affect people, he adds.

McLeod hopes people will leave the conference with “something that they can implement right away … that they will have two or three aha! moments.” Conference speakers include renowned HR experts across Southeast Asia, as well as industry thought leaders who will share HR best practices and key insights. Participants will learn useful tools for anticipating and managing organizational change. They will have a chance to network with leaders from various industries and check their HR “health” at the HR Wellness Check booth.—CONTRIBUTED