HR needs to understand the latest technology to be effective: PageUp People

Cariss.

PageUp People, which offers a cloud-based Unified Talent Management platform and talent management consulting services, says that HR practitioners need to brush up on technology skills if they are to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

"Talent management processes including recruitment, performance, succession management, learning and development are all enabled today by technology – mostly software as a service (SaaS), and many mobile and social enabled," said Karen Cariss, CEO, PageUp People.
 
The findings are based on more than 100 interviews with over 50 multinational corporations operating in the Southeast Asia region, which form the basis of a newly-launched book titled Talented Southeast Asia, co-authored by Cariss and Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith, who is Senior Vice President of Global Research at PageUp People.

HR is required to play a key role in organisations operating in a VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous), Cariss further explained. "HR in Southeast Asia is emerging from its administrative roots and beginning to play a more strategic role. This shift is highlighting a dual crisis for HR in the region: An identity crisis as HR practitioners are expected to be knowledgeable about their businesses and provide workforce data to support business decisions and plans, and a capability crisis – these new expectations of HR require skills and experience that few HR practitioners have developed," she said.

When it comes to talent retention in particular, Cariss said that HR in Southeast Asia need to tap into the power of social and mobile technologies to improve engagement, workplace commitment and interaction. She said that PageUp People is already a cloud-based SaaS talent management solution that is continually innovated through market/customer feedback and rapidly deployed. "PageUp People is mobile ready and integrated with all major social networking sites," she added.

One of the regional themes discovered by the authors are that the mindset of Southeast Asian digital natives are evolving away from traditional ways of working.

During the launch of the book, Caroline Palmstedt, Regional Talent Management Lead, APAC, Monsanto, noted that social connectedness is a key indicator of performance for many employees. "You can't stop Facebook. You need to allow a way of working that keeps them socially connected with families and colleagues," she said.

Simon Cariss, SVP Innovation, PageUp People, added that the mobile phone is becoming an essential tool for HR departments. Onboarding through a mobile phone is becoming common, for example, he said. "More than 50% of (HR) applications are happening on mobile," he said.

The book discusses changing practices being adopted in talent attraction, engagement and retention. 'Fresh Practices' outlined in the book include the increased use of innovative models such as learning management systems powered by social networks, gamified learning, mobile interfaces for task management, and real-time performance evaluation and feedback.

“Southeast Asia has a youthful population, ranging on average, between 23 and 35 years. This is the new generation of always-on employees and HR executives are transforming their systems to keep up with this trend. Technology innovation plays a critical role in this transformation and billions of dollars are being invested to this end globally,” said Cariss.

The research that the book is based on is part of PageUp People's drive for thought leadership in the region. Cariss said regional knowledge plays a significant role in helping the company direct further development of its technology solutions.

"PageUp People is building regional knowledge by sourcing the needs and experiences of organisations operating in Southeast Asia, sharing and collaborating with industry bodies and commercial networks to continue to evolve the requirements of the region and align its technology solutions," she said.
 
Talented Southeast Asia can be purchased on Amazon.com by searching for the following terms: “Talented Southeast Asia”, ISBN “978-981-07-9247-3” or “B00IEOUGQ2”, or go to http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IEOUGQ2

More information is available at: www.talentedsoutheastasia.com

*Images from PageUp People

*Over 50 companies including Bosch, BHP Billiton, Deloitte, Dentsu Aegis Networks, DHL, Mastercard, Hilton Worldwide, Pandora, and Sony, participated in the interview process, across six countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Participating firms are global corporations with a significant presence in two or more of these ASEAN 6 countries.