“Getting, growing and keeping talent demands a holistic approach, and leadership and management development runs right through the middle of all of them. Organisations need to put the leadership talent into situations that will stretch them and take them beyond their current role, as well as import skills through training programmes. People must feel they are growing as individuals, that their career path is clear,” explained Phil Holdsworth, Head of Asia Pacific, Impact International.
To be successful, companies should be agile in how they respond to employee needs and expectations, according to Mei Ling Chan, Director, Learning & Development, Impact International.
Capitalising on the Current Growth Momentum
According to Holdsworth’s experience working with HR directors around the world, for the HR function to succeed in the current market in Southeast Asia, it needs to become a core part of the organisation instead of an internal service provider. HR directors must influence the C-suite. They have to start with the right vision, Chan says, and share it with the people who work with them. To better respond to local needs, many large organisations today are shifting away from a single centre of learning and development to fixed, local, decentralised HR functions.
Chan believes that local markets need talent that is grown locally. They know the market better, understand the business and can respond better in most circumstances. Global expertise and know how can be shared in a digitally connected world but localisation seems critical for desirable business results. She explained, “There is a shift towards thinking globally but acting locally, and we have seen many organisations achieving this by decentralising the HR and talent management function. Employees have to be empowered to act locally. That provides organisations with greater resilience and agility to respond to an ever-changing marketplace. Talent managers must be close to the talent and the talent close to the business.”
The War for Talent in Southeast Asia
Chan advised, Some Southeast Asian markets have a considerable pool of young talent who have studied or worked abroad, and decided to return back home. The war for talent is quite strong. We must develop these individuals and give them the career opportunities they are looking for. They want to be exposed to different functions, to develop new skills. Successful HR directors have buy-in and commitment from senior executives to own the development of leaders. commented, “That is key to talent retention. Retention is far greater when people feel senior executives have a genuine and authentic interest in their development.”
Innovation, Not Replication
Best practices that have worked in the West may not always work in Southeast Asian companies. “HR must move away from replication, to innovation. HR managers need to innovate their own processes and ways of working, as opposed to just execute effectively,” Holdsworth concluded.
For Chan, this all leads to diversity and inclusion. She said, “A lot of good things happen when people from diverse backgrounds come together. People must be allowed to flourish and be heard. There are many unpolished gems in the region who need the opportunity to lead.”
Impact International is a sponsor at the Southeast Asia HR Summit in Malaysia on 7th and 8th May. The Summit includes presentations on how to maximise employee performance, equip top talent with global competencies, attract and retain top professionals, and develop versatile leaders.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
